Take a look at the opinion section of the Pioneer Press and youâÄôll come across an article on Worthington, Minn. There in Worthington, perhaps a few hoursâÄô drive away from campus, the immigrant population, both legal and illegal, has significantly increased as of late. The city has the highest Hispanic population per capita of any city in Minnesota.

A vast majority of the growth of immigrant populations in the past decade has occurred in more rural and agricultural parts of western and central Minnesota, where the number of minorities is sparse. In these regions, schools and other government programs have to learn to adapt to changing communities.

In Worthington schools, there are now five of 11 total kindergarten classes that are designed to teach English to the sons and daughters of Spanish-speaking immigrants. Despite the typical Hispanic student in America having a drastically lower performance on standardized tests compared to non-Hispanic students, by having classes oriented toward assisting immigrant families, Worthington has doubled the graduation rate for their Hispanic students since the 1990s.

One would imagine that with a huge surge of both legal and illegal immigration would come increased rates of crime, gang activity and drug possession, but Worthington has not seen any change.

In fact, there have only been three murders in the entire history of the town and not a single gang-related crime in the past decade, a trend that doesnâÄôt seem likely to change.

Regardless of their legal statuses, many of WorthingtonâÄôs Hispanics and other immigrants are putting down permanent roots and buying houses rather than sending their money back home, which city officials say has kept the town economically strong.

Worthington serves as an example of how Minnesota can approach immigration. In that small town, immigrants are taking advantage of opportunities. They are learning English and other vital skills in order to become contributing members of society and to perhaps gain citizenship. In return, Worthington sees a surge of new business, revitalizing its infrastructure and housing market.

Though many immigrants who have come to Minnesota illegally have integrated into their communities âÄî according to the Wilder Research and the Pew Hispanic Center there could be as many as 100,000 illegal immigrants in Minnesota alone âÄî we still treat them as if they donâÄôt belong. Measures like the Secure Communities Program, which has yet to be signed by Gov. Mark Dayton, would deport any person in the Minnesota prison system here illegally.

Here in the Twin Cities we are fortunate enough to have a diverse, well-rounded community. We should come to understand differences and take advantage of the multitude of cultures and backgrounds of each individual that chooses to come here.