Mystic — Tai Au found she had to try harder for people to comprehend her English, Tony Sheridan struggled to be understood through his thick Irish accent, and David Preka was more accustomed to British English than American English.

Ornet Hines was sick all year because she wasn't used to the cold, Sunil Bhatia didn't understand that the passing question "How are you?" was not an invitation to pour out his soul, and Len Wolman felt lonely at a time when the lack of FaceTime or the internet kept him disconnected.

These six business leaders in southeastern Connecticut respectively immigrated to the United States from Thailand, Ireland, Albania, Jamaica, India and South Africa. While they faced obstacles upon their arrivals, they were in agreement that they have no regrets about coming here.

"In my personal view, this is the best country in the world by far, and everyone has every opportunity to do whatever they want," said Wolman, CEO of Waterford Hotel Group and moderator of the discussion.

The panel was the focus of the Diversity in Leadership business breakfast that the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut held Wednesday morning at the Hilton Mystic.

The chamber also held a Diversity in Leadership breakfast last November, one that focused more on racial diversity than immigration.

Sheridan, who came to the U.S. in 1964 and serves as president of the chamber, noted that about 7 percent of native-born Americans start a business, while that figure is 28 percent for immigrants.

But he is puzzled by the struggle to diversify board rooms and social interactions. Sheridan noted, "Every person of difference that I run into, I learn something. I'm delighted for the opportunity."

Bhatia, chair of the human development department at Connecticut College, said he prefers the term "equity" over "diversity," "because equity is really about fairness, it's about inclusion."

He noted than one struggle for immigrants is that their mind is still in their homeland, that "there's a cultural lag, and you miss out on all the developments that are happening back home."

Another struggle, he said, is that "there is no safety net" and immigration can be "sort of a one-way street" if you can't return, which leads to stress and a disparity in health outcomes for immigrants.

The panelists also spoke about who helped and mentored them in the U.S. Preka, owner of the Advanced Group, noted that his only mentor was "plenty of mistakes." Sheridan cited his sponsor and his wife as mentors, while Au and Hines pointed to their mothers.

"You need a sounding board, you need someone to just talk, be yourself, be stupid with, say what's on your mind," Hines, a Liberty Bank branch manager, said of the importance of having a mentor.

Au, who owns the restaurants Thai Sawasdee, Pink Basil, Spice Club, and Samurai Noodle Bar and Grill, said that coming from a country where women aren't leaders, she was glad to come to the U.S., where "everything is open, so you can do whatever you want."

Wolman commented that "unless you have the perspective of living somewhere else, I don't know if you can really, truly appreciate how fortunate we are."

Sheridan concluded the discussion in part by saying that the U.S. currently is in a bad spot in terms of national attitudes about immigrants, and the conversation needs to be expanded.

e.moser@theday.com