AID addressing immigration

AID addressing immigration

by Elizabeth Graber
Daily Northwestern
April 20, 2006

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: AID addressing immigration

I completely agree with Thursday’s editorial that the current immigration controversy is worth debate and discussion on Northwestern’s campus. Immigration policy does and will continue to impact each citizen in this country, including students here at NU, and we need to talk about it.

I do not, however, agree with the accusations that student groups on campus are not striving to achieve this conversation.

Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) on campus is planning a town hall event on the topic: “Entering the United States: the Immigration Controversy.” AID works to bring attention to issues of international importance and engage students in active discussion on these issues. We hope to achieve that with the upcoming event in mid-May, by bringing a balanced panel of high-profile speakers to share their perspectives on immigration with NU students.

The Daily should speak out when important issues such as the immigration controversy have not been addressed. However, next time I ask that you do some research and contact AID. You would find that we are already involved, and would not “simply ignore such a pressing problem.”

— Elizabeth Graber, Weinberg junior, Americans for Informed Democracy co-president

EDITORIAL: Immigration is worth a debate

April 20, 2006

Of all the political talk filling the air this spring, no issue has caused more national controversy than the debate over illegal immigration. Sadly, the topic has barely been acknowledged here at Northwestern.

There has been no significant speaker, no protest, no press release and not even a whisper from any of the political groups on campus. Believe it or not, NU has a proud tradition of activism and the lack of relevant programming or awareness activities is disappointing.

Groups at NU have focused their energies on Darfur and the war in Iraq, both worthy issues, but that is not an excuse to simply ignore such a pressing problem. Illegal immigration presents a unique opportunity for student group coalition-building: Perhaps College Democrats and Alianza could co-sponsor a speaker, or Americans for Informed Democracy and CaribNation could host a roundtable two group partnerships that otherwise would have little in common.

We live on the border of a city with one of the largest Latino populations in the country. We have hundreds of professors, staffers and students of Latino descent. We have an even larger number of first-generation Americans, all of whom are affected in some way by the proposed legislation.

Whether a student is Republican, Democrat or neither, liberal, conservative or apathetic, illegal immigration is still a critical issue, and a battle over core American values that could potentially define our country for decades.

We should be part of this discussion.