On February 24th, 2007, the
Conference on Race, Class, Gender and Ethnicity is hosting its eleventh
annual conference entitled, “One Person, One Voice: Immigration and the
Right to Participate.” This year’s conference will continue the
mission of the organization, by bringing a critical perspective and
approach to the examination of immigration. In this examination,
our over-arching focus will be on immigrant access: ways in which
immigrants are excluded from and participate in society.
Specifically, immigrant access will be explored through essential
aspects of immigrant life including community development, health care,
labor and the legislative process. The relationship between
immigrant youth and gangs will also be examined as means to understand
immigrant participation in society. Just as importantly, the
conference will bring scholars and activists from across North Carolina
and the nation together to create synergy and dialogue that builds upon
the 2006 immigrant rights movement.
Structurally, the
theme of immigration and the right to participate will be examined in a
keynote address by Kareem Shora, Executive Director of the American
Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, a panel of scholars and activists
from across the nation, and four shorter break out sessions dedicated
to analyzing a distinct facet of immigrant life. The descriptions of
the panel and sessions follows:
Break Out
Sessions
Ignoring
Immigrant Medical Needs: An Incurable Disease?
Dr. Krista
Perreira, UNC Department of Public Policy
Dr. Evelyn
Schmidt, Lincoln Community Health Center, Executive Director
A large influx of
immigrants presents a special challenge to a medical community that is
unfamiliar with the immigrants’ customs and language. The failure
of medical professionals to adjust to the needs and methods of
communication of immigrants marginalizes the new population entering a
community. This session explores the unique medical challenges
presented by immigrant communities and how the medical field has
responded to large influxes of immigrants. Included in this
discussion is an examination of the collaborative approach taken at the
Lincoln Community Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, an
institution whose clientele shifted due to a booming Latino population
in the area. This session also places emphasis on the mental
health needs of immigrant communities and whether these needs are
appropriately being met.
A Seat at the
Table: Translating Public Support into Legislative Reform
Josh Bernstein,
National Immigration Law Center, Director of Federal Policy
Professor Hiroshi
Motomura, UNC School of Law, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Law
Axel Lluch, North
Carolina Office of the Governor, Director of Hispanic/Latino Affairs
Thousands took to
the streets last year in support of greater recognition of immigrant
rights. These grassroots demonstrations initiated a dialogue that
extended from supermarkets and churches to universities and legislative
halls. Media coverage drew attention to the uphill battle that is
synonymous with immigrant status here in America. Legislative
reform seemed inevitable, however, since that time, immigrant groups
have encountered barriers that have left their calls for change largely
unanswered by members of Congress and State Legislatures. This session
will focus on the challenges facing these reforms, as well as the
opportunities that immigrant groups have to wield their political
capital, develop coalitions with other minority groups, and build upon
the groundswell of public support that defined 2006.
Beyond the
Fields and Construction Sites: Carving Out a Space for Working
Immigrants in America
Leticia Zavala,
Farm Labor Organizing Committee International, Vice President
Chris Newman,
National Day Labor Organizing Network, Legal Programs Coordinator
Alice Tejada,
Associate Attorney, Scudder & Hedric
It has been said
that America asked for workers, but instead received people.1
With American jobs leaving for overseas and the economy idling,
immigrant workers have found themselves in increasingly hostile
territory. Even in these adversarial conditions, immigrants continue to
work tirelessly to improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Lack of awareness of their rights and resources have left immigrant
workers vulnerable to abuses by employers and members of their
communities, who seek to exploit these underprivileged populations.
This session will explore the action taken by advocates and allies to
provide immigrant workers with social networks and support services
that empower them to assert their rights as workers.
Building their
Piece of the Pie: Developing Immigrant Communities and the
Transnational Youth Gang Phenomenon
Douglas Yearwood,
NC Governor’s Crime Commission, Director of the NC Criminal Justice
Analysis Center
Ivan Parra, NC Latino Coalition, Executive director
Dr. Altha Cravey,
Associate Professor, UNC Department of Geography
Every year,
hundreds of thousands of immigrants come to America in search of their
piece of the American Dream. However, upon reaching the shores,
many are faced with the realization that their journey has just
begun. Unexpected municipal and civil barriers exist that block
the development of immigrant communities. The focus of this
session is two fold. First, it will examine obstacles and
successes in developing and sustaining immigrant communities under the
framework that immigrant community building is a microcosm of
globalization. Further, the session will analyze the social
spaces in which immigrants network and collaborate and how these spaces
reflect immigrant community development and participation in
society. The second portion of this session focuses on the ever
increasing civil barrier of transnational youth gangs. North
Carolina immigrant communities in particular suffer from a growing
threat from transnational youth gangs. Included in this analysis
is a presentation of an award winning study of the relationship between
youth gangs and Latinos in North Carolina.
Panel
Marching On:
Answering the Call for the Right to Participate
Kareem Shora, Arab
American Anti-Discrimination Committee, Executive Director
Leticia Zavala, Farm Labor Organizing Committee International, Vice President
Ivan Parra, NC Latino Coalition, Executive Director
Professor Hiroshi
Motomura, UNC School of Law, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Law
Axel Lluch, North
Carolina Office of the Governor, Director of Hispanic/Latino Affairs
From housing to
healthcare, immigrants face a myriad of barriers to participation in
society. These barriers to immigrant access are the foundation of
the panel discussion, which brings together experts in various areas of
immigrant research and activism to address the unrealized right to
participate. Specifically, the panel will explore the bounds of
the right to participate. Such exploration will include
identifying and analyzing the leading obstacles facing immigrants in
2007 in their efforts to gain access to society. Finally, the
panel will take a proactive approach that builds upon the momentum of
the 2006 grassroots immigrant rights efforts by offering the next step
in the movement: a step towards realization of the right to participate.
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