ORLANDO, Fla. — Adriernest Gonzalez, a trained attorney of nearly two decades, fled Venezuela amid political unrest in 2018. The devoted lawyer anticipated her journey moving to the United States one full of adventures and possible hurdles. But to her surprise, migrating to the Sunshine State meant saying goodbye to the courtroom.

Gonzalez joins the nearly one-third of Latino immigrants who are underemployed in the country. Research by the Migration Policy Institute shows Latino immigrants, at 32%, are the largest share of underemployed college-educated workers in the U.S.

Underemployed immigrants are workers who come to the U.S. and settle for jobs that are beneath their qualifications. The impact forces immigrants to venture into careers or fields they never anticipated being in. It also affects U.S. taught Americans, as U.S. born Latinos are the second largest demographic after Black Americans to face underemployment.

“The journey is about facing situations with maturity and knowing that good changes are coming,” said Gonzalez who delivered goods through ride-hailing services’ Uber and DoorDash, upon moving to Florida.

According to research done by the Migration Policy Institute, the pattern of fields impacted by underemployment varies, but its impact on the economy is large.

“College-educated immigrants employed in low-skilled work miss out on more than $39 billion in wages,” the Migration Policy Institute wrote in their "Uncapped Talent" report that analyzes the economic impact of immigrant brain waste. As a result, federal and local governments lose more than $10 million unrealized taxes.

For nearly three years, Gonzalez took on jobs far removed from what she had studied in her native Venezuela. The former lawyer says she understood that moving to Florida meant possibly giving up the opportunity of ever holding the gavel. But to Gonzalez, leaving Venezuela also meant looking forward to learning new things and facing better opportunities. 

“I always looked for opportunities that align somewhat with my career without having to restudy law [in the United States],” said Gonzalez, who studied alternative ways to help immigrants better understand the laws that impact them daily. 

“I’m happy,” she responded when asked if she misses her time as a lawyer in Venezuela. But despite being with happy in helping others in her current capacity as a notary, she would one day like to practice law again.

But for Gonzalez, that day often seems distant as the former lawyer is coupled with a language barrier. She also does not have a U.S. law degree. The American Bar Association only recognizes 199 foreign institutions and Gonzalez’s alma mater is not one of them.

In 2022, foreign-born workers continued to be more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service occupations, the U.S. Department of Labor found. Gonzalez never imagined her life would force her to pivot into having a service occupation. But the undeterred Venezuelan says it’s about never giving up.

“My next step is being a lawyer again,” the aspiring U.S. certified lawyer said. “If you left everything behind in your native country, just know that it’s necessary to step out of your comfort zone because better things will come.”