A universal region: as Northeast Ohio struggles with a global economy, immigration advocates like Paramjit Singh believe Cleveland must reach out to foreign entrepreneurs from India and other countries to redefine the region.(IMMIGRATION)

Paramjit Singh believes Northeast Ohio needs to pay more attention to the real Cleveland Indians.

"I am here to say we have something to offer, but nobody is noticing and nobody is making use of it," he exclaims.

When Singh arrived stateside in the early '60s, Cleveland was supposed to be a short stop for the young engineer. After enrolling at what is now Case Western Reserve University, he planned on earning a master's degree and working a few years in America before returning to his native India. But 45 years later, Singh is still a Clevelander, and one who cares deeply about his city's future.

"I've had the opportunity to travel all over this country, and I am convinced that Cleveland has a lot to offer," he says. "But we, the people that live in Cleveland, seem to be in a box and we don't even know we are in one."

Today, Singh operates a successful marketing firm and also owns an assisted-living property. An entrepreneur by nature, he insists his business drive is typical of Indians who immigrate to the United States. "Strong family ties, education, being successful--that's what's ingrained in us."

Singh passionately explains that the entrepreneurial spirit of his fellow Indian immigrants has put many in the top of their fields, whether in business, medicine or academia. "We are still a minority, a much smaller minority that may not be significant in numbers, but we are tremendously significant in terms of technology, in terms of economic growth, in terms of our economic expenditures."…