CFI

Immigration and American National Identity
March 12, 13, 14, 2006

The United States is a nation of immigrants. The Statue of Liberty stands proudly in New York Harbor welcoming the huddled masses of the world who yearn to breathe free. We take pride in the melting pot that has made generations of immigrants American. Yet there has always been tension in America between newcomers and those whose forebears arrived on these shores earlier. In our own time many fear that the numbers of people flocking into the United States have grown too great to assimilate. Some, including the distinguished scholar Samuel L. Huntington in an influential book, have argued that the recent migration from Central America and Asia threatens American national identity. Others worry about the burdens that a wave of immigration is placing on our schools and social services. The War on Terror and concerns about security have intensified worries about our porous borders. Advocates for the new immigration respond that this latest wave of people is simply continuing our longstanding process of assimilating and Americanizing productive new citizens. They argue that these workers are necessary to the health of the American economy and are helping to counteract the demographic pressure of a low domestic birthrate on our welfare state. They believe that these new immigrants will help create a more diversely vibrant society. Americans are in the midst of an intense national debate on immigration. Congress appears poised to take some sort of action. In this symposium we will explore issues raised by immigration for the United States in the twenty-first century. Will the new immigration undermine our understanding of what it means to be an American, or will it enrich our culture and help keep the United States productive and powerful well into the new millennium?

Participants:

Richard Alba: Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Public Policy at the University of Albany in New York. Author of numerous books and articles, his latest book is: Remaking the American Mainstream: Assimilation and Contemporary Immigration. His lecture is titled: "Assimilation: The American Pattern."

Omar Ayyash: Executive Director of the Office for International Affairs for Louisville Metro Government. He was appointed by Mayor Jerry Abramson in 2003 after serving as International Program Specialist. He brings an extensive international background with him. A native of Amman, Jordan, educated in Vienna, Austria, Omar is fluent in Arabic and proficient in German. He earned a Master's in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurial Studies from the University of Louisville. Before joining the City of Louisville, he worked at Kentucky World Trade Center (KWTC). He was named to Business First's "40 Under 40" future community leaders in 2001, and served as president of World Communities of Louisville.

Mark Krikorian: Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies frequently testifies before Congress and has published articles in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Commentary, National Review and elsewhere, and has appeared on 60 Minutes, Nightline, the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, CNN, National Public Radio and on many other television and radio programs. Mr. Krikorian holds a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University, and spent two years at Yerevan State University in then-Soviet Armenia. His lecture is titled: "Mass Immigration vs Modern Society."

"Honorable Romano L. Mazzoli was born in Louisville, Kentucky, served two years in the U.S. Army, is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, the University of Louisville School of Law, and Harvard University. He was elected to the Kentucky State Senate in 1967 and to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1970 in which he served until 1995. In Congress, he sponsored, along with Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming, the landmark 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act."

Ruben Navarrette Jr.: Columnist and editorial board member of The San Diego Union-Tribune. This Harvard graduate is a fresh and increasingly important voice in the national political debate. His twice-weekly column offers new thinking on many of the major issues of the day, especially on thorny questions involving ethnicity and national origin. His column is syndicated worldwide by "The Washington Post Writers Group". His book, A Darker Shade of Crimson: Odyssey of a Harvard Chicano, was published in 1993. In 2000, he contributed an installment to Chicken Soup for the Writers Soul, of the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series. His lecture is titled: "Decoding the Immigration Debate: Why a Nation of Immigrants Doesn't Like Immigrants."

Kathleen Newland: Director and co-founder of the Migration Policy Institute. She is a graduate of Harvard University and the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. Prior to founding the MPI, she was Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and consulted the UN on various immigration and refugee issues. She is the author or editor of several books and articles including the forthcoming book: No Refuge: The Challenge of Internal Displacement. Her lecture is titled: "Refugee Resettlement in the United States: Expressing American Values."

Schedule of Events:

Kick- Off Event*
The Importance of Immigration for America.
March 7, 2006 - 7-9 pm
Frazier Arms Museum, Louisville Kentucky

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Guest Speakers: Omay Ayyash, Director of International Affairs, Metro Louisville and Honorable Romano L. "Ron" Mazzoli, former US Congressman from Kentucky.
PDF of Kick-Off Event

*There will be transportation available for Hanover students and faculty to this event. To reserve your seat on the van, email cfi@hanover.edu

Symposium Schedule

Sunday March 12
4:00 p.m. Richard Alba - "Assimilation: The American Pattern" - CFA
8:00 p.m. Ruben Navarrette - "Decoding the Immigration Debate: Why a Nation of Immigrants Doesn't Like Immigrants"-CFA
9:30 p.m. Refreshments

Monday March 13
1:30 p.m. Round Table Discussion - Campus Center Boardroom
4:00 p.m. Mark Krikorian - "Mass Immigration vs Modern Society" - CFA
8:00 p.m. Kathleen Newland - "Refugee Resettlement in the United States: Expressing American Values" - CFA
9:30 p.m. Refreshments

Tuesday March 14
11:00 am - State of Affairs - WFPL Public Radio Louisville

Symposium ends.

There is no charge for this event and no registration is required. Meals can be purchased through the campus dining services and paid for at the time. All lectures and round table discussions are open to the public. Arrive early to get the best seat.

Follow Up Discussions:

Hanover College Democrats will be showing "A day without a Mexican" on Thursday March 16 at 7pm in Horner 102 followed by discussion.