Philadelphia entrepreneur helping current-day immigrants live American dream
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Momin Sheikh, a real estate developer and entrepreneur living in Rittenhouse Square, came to America from Pakistan with his family when he was just five years old.
"I remember being a poor little brown kid amongst other poor struggling people and I think it was a community of people all struggling to make it," said Sheikh.
"Making it," of course, took some time and hard work, and Momin wanted to find a way to ease that stress on other families coming to America.
"To come to America is the dream, and then to live the American dream, and become a citizen and become successful, it's a difficult process," said Sheikh.
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Through charitable works of his own, he stumbled across an organization called "Justice for Our Neighbors," a nonprofit network that provides free or low-cost immigration legal services to vulnerable immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
"My parents weren't aware of such organizations, I don't even know if they existed when we were immigrants," said Sheikh.
To spread that awareness, he paired up with a local artist, also from an immigrant family, who designed a logo to be printed on a custom-tailored blazer, hoodie and t-shirt. All of the items are set to be sold online, with the profits going to Justice for Our Neighbors.
"We'd be able to hire more paralegals, attorneys who help work directly on these cases," said Sheikh.
His goal is to eventually take the idea nationally with new designs to help as many people as he can. And since his launch a week ago, combined with his first exclusive event, he's already raised $20,000, so it looks as if he's already on his way.
"I hope it gives them the same opportunity I had to pursue and live out the American dream," he said.
