The woman helping you choose cheese at a local store could be an immigrant.
So could the person landscaping your neighbor’s garden, the local artist showing work at a gallery, the man cleaning a tourist’s hotel room, the doctor or nurse caring for you at the hospital, the farmer planting local food, the professor teaching your college class, the person delivering local milk to retailers, the woman bagging local coffee beans, the teller helping you at the bank, the person washing dishes at the restaurant you just ate at, the caregiver looking after your disabled brother, the parents of your child’s classmate beside you at the PTO meeting — even the entrepreneur who started the restaurant where you’re eating.
It could be anyone.
You might think you can identify someone as an immigrant because of the language they speak, their accent or the color of their skin. But there are many U.S. citizens and native-born Americans who speak other languages, speak with accents and have a variety of skin tones. It’s hard to know for sure when you’ve met an immigrant.
The 2020 U.S. census estimated there were approximately 8,500 immigrants in Berkshire County — though undocumented immigrants were likely undercounted. They live in all 32 towns and cities in the county, with the largest concentrations in Pittsfield, Lee and Great Barrington.
In fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024), the Berkshire Immigrant Center served clients from 69 different countries. The 10 countries with the most immigrants represented include Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Guatemala, Mexico, Ghana, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Ivory Coast. Each person came for their own reasons, but they all call Berkshire County home.
Many immigrants would prefer to live in their country of origin, where their families are and where they know the language, food, customs and norms. But the challenges became severe enough for them to take the risk of immigrating to the United States.
Most immigrants come here for the same reasons people have always come to this country: the opportunity for a better life. Some fled gang activity or other violence. Others came because they couldn’t find work to support their families. Some came hoping to give their children better educational opportunities. Others were fleeing political persecution or left because their lifestyle was not accepted in their home country.
Some came to attend college and never returned home. Others came to visit and stayed. Some arrived as refugees and applied for asylum. Others were brought by their parents as young children.
Some immigrants spoke English well when they arrived, having studied it in their home countries. Others spoke two languages already — an Indigenous language and their country’s official language. Some learned English through music and pop culture. Some speak almost no English, others “just a little,” and many are on their way to fluency.
Across Berkshire County, about 250 adults are enrolled in ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) programs, with another 300 in tutoring programs. All of these programs currently have waitlists.
Outside of children and retirees, most immigrants in Berkshire County work and pay taxes. Immigrants without legal status do not receive Medicare or Social Security benefits when they retire — even though many have paid into the system their entire working lives.
Immigrants with legal status hold jobs across all industries, just like U.S.-born citizens. Those without legal status tend to work in agriculture, the food industry, housekeeping, landscaping, home care and construction. A growing number of immigrants are starting their own businesses.
Immigrants have become an integral part of Berkshire County.