A very sensible commentary about the high skill foreign students studying here who are not allowed to stay and work. DP
By Ross Kaminsky
News.Yahoo.com: As I've argued in these pages, it is a disaster for the United States that we have so few H-1B visas available for high-skill foreign workers who want to become part of the American economy. We spend years educating foreigners, especially in technical fields, and then refuse their requests to work here. Instead we say "No, go back to Bangalore or Taipei and compete against us with what you've learned here."
It is truly insane from an economic point of view. America was made great by immigrants. The current nativist trends within both political parties, but especially the GOP, represents the worst of American narrow-mindedness and a complete lack of an understanding of history.
Most Americans understand the benefits of immigration as common sense and part of the American dream. Still, it is good to see some actual data on the economic benefit to our country of immigrants, in particular immigrant entrepreneurs.
Though I'm no fan of President Bush in the area of immigration I believe he has been closer to the right answer than any other politician whose position I have heard. Yes, we need to enforce our borders and clamp down on illegal immigration, but it must be simultaneous with massively increasing the quantity of work visas available (at all skill levels) as well as reducing the time it takes to get these visas...especially for high-skill workers whom we would rather see working for the benefit of our nation than competing against us.
These immigrants love the United States. In the full study, the NVCA notes that "Immigrant-founded venture-backed public companies today employ an estimated 220,000 people in the United States" and that "Nearly all the immigrant founders in private companies (95 percent) would still start their companies in the United States if given the choice today."
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Cristo in the Heartland
Across the nation, Latino pastors like Orel Garcia are leading immigrant ministries in the most unlikely places.
By Libby Page
christianitytoday.com: Gladys Garcia stands quietly before a room of 50 Latinos. She places a transparency on a projector with the lyrics to the hymn "Vivo por Cristo" ("I live for Christ"). The light shines the words on the wall, and the congregation, most of them from Oaxaca, Mexico, joins her in the worship song. This service, which is conducted entirely in Spanish, wouldn't be out of place in Mexico, California, or Texas. But this service is happening in Osage Beach, a town of 4,000 in the heart of rural Missouri.
The Hispanic ministry at Osage Hills Baptist Church is the work of Gladys and her husband, Pastor Orel Garcia. Orel started the ministry in September 2001 as a Bible study in the church basement. But as the Hispanic population grew, so did the meetings, until they became full-fledged church services.
This is only one of many signs of the largest demographic shift in recent history taking place before our eyes. Store signs, product packaging, television, and radio are all turning up in Spanish, so bilingual and Spanish-only church services seem a natural progression. However, the changes are not without controversy. On Dec. 16, 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill—HR 4437—that would have ushered in a more aggressive policy on illegal immigration. If the bill were passed in the Senate, social-service organizations—and even churches—helping undocumented immigrants would have been considered in violation of the law. The bill did not pass in the Senate, but it demonstrates the dilemma churches face. As demonstrators and protesters hit the streets in our nation's cities to ask for immigration reform, Orel and Gladys felt the pressure rising.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Libby Page
christianitytoday.com: Gladys Garcia stands quietly before a room of 50 Latinos. She places a transparency on a projector with the lyrics to the hymn "Vivo por Cristo" ("I live for Christ"). The light shines the words on the wall, and the congregation, most of them from Oaxaca, Mexico, joins her in the worship song. This service, which is conducted entirely in Spanish, wouldn't be out of place in Mexico, California, or Texas. But this service is happening in Osage Beach, a town of 4,000 in the heart of rural Missouri.
The Hispanic ministry at Osage Hills Baptist Church is the work of Gladys and her husband, Pastor Orel Garcia. Orel started the ministry in September 2001 as a Bible study in the church basement. But as the Hispanic population grew, so did the meetings, until they became full-fledged church services.
This is only one of many signs of the largest demographic shift in recent history taking place before our eyes. Store signs, product packaging, television, and radio are all turning up in Spanish, so bilingual and Spanish-only church services seem a natural progression. However, the changes are not without controversy. On Dec. 16, 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill—HR 4437—that would have ushered in a more aggressive policy on illegal immigration. If the bill were passed in the Senate, social-service organizations—and even churches—helping undocumented immigrants would have been considered in violation of the law. The bill did not pass in the Senate, but it demonstrates the dilemma churches face. As demonstrators and protesters hit the streets in our nation's cities to ask for immigration reform, Orel and Gladys felt the pressure rising.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Asian immigrants preserve culture while adapting to western ways
By RAMESH SANTANAM, Associated Press
CentreDaily.com: PITTSBURGH - Archana Patel celebrates Hindu religious festivals, cooks Indian vegetarian food, watches Bollywood movies with friends and knows her marriage will be arranged.
Chandrasiri Jayakody and Ananda Gunawardena join fellow Sri Lankans at monthly alms-giving ceremonies at a new Buddhist temple and cultural center just outside of Pittsburgh.
And architect Mimi Jong, who plays an ancient Chinese musical instrument known as the erhu, founded a musical group to nurture crosscultural understanding through art.
She and the others are all American citizens and part of a growing number of Asians who have settled in western Pennsylvania. And while they've adapted to living in America, many still find ways to maintain and promote their cultural heritage.
"I am very adamant about my Indian identity. It's a big part of me and it stays with me all the time," said Patel, 25, a University of Pittsburgh law student who has lived in the U.S. for 18 years.
Patel has sought out Indian friends at Pitt and believes it's important for her to do so.
"We are a lost generation of Indian-Americans. We are Indian and American and we fit into neither completely," Patel said. "We try to figure out which culture to fit into our lifestyles and identity."
In the past two decades, Asians have made up half of the immigrants coming to western Pennsylvania. Lured here by the region's growing high-tech and medical industries or to be educated at one of the universities, many make sure they pass their cultural traditions on to their children.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
CentreDaily.com: PITTSBURGH - Archana Patel celebrates Hindu religious festivals, cooks Indian vegetarian food, watches Bollywood movies with friends and knows her marriage will be arranged.
Chandrasiri Jayakody and Ananda Gunawardena join fellow Sri Lankans at monthly alms-giving ceremonies at a new Buddhist temple and cultural center just outside of Pittsburgh.
And architect Mimi Jong, who plays an ancient Chinese musical instrument known as the erhu, founded a musical group to nurture crosscultural understanding through art.
She and the others are all American citizens and part of a growing number of Asians who have settled in western Pennsylvania. And while they've adapted to living in America, many still find ways to maintain and promote their cultural heritage.
"I am very adamant about my Indian identity. It's a big part of me and it stays with me all the time," said Patel, 25, a University of Pittsburgh law student who has lived in the U.S. for 18 years.
Patel has sought out Indian friends at Pitt and believes it's important for her to do so.
"We are a lost generation of Indian-Americans. We are Indian and American and we fit into neither completely," Patel said. "We try to figure out which culture to fit into our lifestyles and identity."
In the past two decades, Asians have made up half of the immigrants coming to western Pennsylvania. Lured here by the region's growing high-tech and medical industries or to be educated at one of the universities, many make sure they pass their cultural traditions on to their children.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Key to U.S. industry? Immigrants
By Michael Kanellos
news.com: The U.S. tech industry is dependent on people from foreign lands, according to a study from the National Venture Capital Foundation.
Over the past 15 years, immigrants have founded 25 percent of all publicly-traded companies that had venture backing, from tech companies to consumer ones. Most of the companies these immigrants start, moreover, are based around technology. And 40 percent of all publicly traded companies with venture backing in technology manufacturing were founded by immigrants.
Legal immigrants only constitute a small fraction of the population: approximately 6.7 percent of the population in 1990 and 8.7 percent today.
These businesses founded by immigrants employ 400,000 people, the study found.
Unfortunately, the number of foreigners enrolling in science and engineering graduate programs in the U.S. have been declining since 2002.
"While the debate in Congress has focused on illegal immigration, American companies have identified significant problems with our current system for admitting skilled foreign born professionals on temporary visas and green cards," the report stated.
news.com: The U.S. tech industry is dependent on people from foreign lands, according to a study from the National Venture Capital Foundation.
Over the past 15 years, immigrants have founded 25 percent of all publicly-traded companies that had venture backing, from tech companies to consumer ones. Most of the companies these immigrants start, moreover, are based around technology. And 40 percent of all publicly traded companies with venture backing in technology manufacturing were founded by immigrants.
Legal immigrants only constitute a small fraction of the population: approximately 6.7 percent of the population in 1990 and 8.7 percent today.
These businesses founded by immigrants employ 400,000 people, the study found.
Unfortunately, the number of foreigners enrolling in science and engineering graduate programs in the U.S. have been declining since 2002.
"While the debate in Congress has focused on illegal immigration, American companies have identified significant problems with our current system for admitting skilled foreign born professionals on temporary visas and green cards," the report stated.
Legal immigrants to U.S. face green card logjam
By Tim Gaynor, Reuters
washingtonpost.com: PHOENIX (Reuters) - Following all the rules, Indian national Sanjay Mehta came to the United States on a temporary work visa in 1997, hoping to build a glittering career in the fast-moving information technology sector.
But nine years later his application for a green card remains snarled up in a bureaucratic logjam, and he looks with frustration at the strides made by illegal immigrants who he says simply jumped the fence from Mexico.
"Washington has taken notice of them ... But what about the plight of legal immigrants to this country? We seem to have been forgotten," said Mehta, who settled in Arizona with his wife and raised two children.
Many of the estimated 10 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States are hopeful of gains from a new Democrat-led Congress next year, after massive street protests in U.S. cities pushed their cause to the top of the political agenda earlier in the year.
But more than a million legal immigrants like Mehta from as far afield as Europe, India and China complain that their lives have been placed on hold as they battle red tape to become permanent residents in the United States.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
washingtonpost.com: PHOENIX (Reuters) - Following all the rules, Indian national Sanjay Mehta came to the United States on a temporary work visa in 1997, hoping to build a glittering career in the fast-moving information technology sector.
But nine years later his application for a green card remains snarled up in a bureaucratic logjam, and he looks with frustration at the strides made by illegal immigrants who he says simply jumped the fence from Mexico.
"Washington has taken notice of them ... But what about the plight of legal immigrants to this country? We seem to have been forgotten," said Mehta, who settled in Arizona with his wife and raised two children.
Many of the estimated 10 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States are hopeful of gains from a new Democrat-led Congress next year, after massive street protests in U.S. cities pushed their cause to the top of the political agenda earlier in the year.
But more than a million legal immigrants like Mehta from as far afield as Europe, India and China complain that their lives have been placed on hold as they battle red tape to become permanent residents in the United States.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Millions of U.S. households "linguistically isolated"
By Suzannah Gonzales, Eunice Moscoso, AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Statesman.com: Spanish tops the list of languages other than English spoken in the Austin area, followed by Asian languages like Vietnamese and Korean. But Urdu also can be heard in Austin, along with Dutch in Round Rock and Russian in Hays County.
It's a language smorgasbord prevalent throughout the state and the country.
About 6 million Texans older than age 5 spoke a language other than English in 2000, and of those, about 2.7 million spoke English less than "very well," the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
In 14 million U.S. households, people speak a language other than English. Of those households, 3 million are "linguistically isolated," where all members 14 years and older have at least some difficulty with English, the report found.
The Census Bureau's national data, which were based on information from the 2000 census, also showed that about one in five people over the age of 5 spoke a language other than English that year and that about one in eight spoke English less than "very well."
The data included new details about foreign language speakers in each state, including income and education levels that show the difficulty non-English speakers may face in finding good paying jobs.
"I definitely feel that bilingual education is important," said Cook Elementary School teacher Brooke Holland, who speaks both English and Spanish in the classroom. "As a fifth-grade teacher, it's important for (students) to gain the skills in English to be successful in middle school."
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Statesman.com: Spanish tops the list of languages other than English spoken in the Austin area, followed by Asian languages like Vietnamese and Korean. But Urdu also can be heard in Austin, along with Dutch in Round Rock and Russian in Hays County.
It's a language smorgasbord prevalent throughout the state and the country.
About 6 million Texans older than age 5 spoke a language other than English in 2000, and of those, about 2.7 million spoke English less than "very well," the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
In 14 million U.S. households, people speak a language other than English. Of those households, 3 million are "linguistically isolated," where all members 14 years and older have at least some difficulty with English, the report found.
The Census Bureau's national data, which were based on information from the 2000 census, also showed that about one in five people over the age of 5 spoke a language other than English that year and that about one in eight spoke English less than "very well."
The data included new details about foreign language speakers in each state, including income and education levels that show the difficulty non-English speakers may face in finding good paying jobs.
"I definitely feel that bilingual education is important," said Cook Elementary School teacher Brooke Holland, who speaks both English and Spanish in the classroom. "As a fifth-grade teacher, it's important for (students) to gain the skills in English to be successful in middle school."
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Despite challenges, teachers and students forge ahead
A school that is using English immersion to quickly teach immigrant children, instead of bilingual, which takes a long time. DP
By Deborah Turner, The Dallas Morning News
KansasCity.com: CACTUS, Texas - "Torns?" asks one student.
"No, `T-H-orns,'" responds another.
"Que? Que dijiste? (What? What did you say?)"
Peals of laughter blend with conversations in Spanish as students in Stacy Murphy's class quiz one another for their impending English vocabulary test.
On the other side of the room, Anna Vazquez, a bilingual transition assistant, works with third- through sixth-grade students who are learning the language.
These are the children of immigrants who call Cactus home - their parents drawn to the Swift & Co. meatpacking plant by the prospect of a steady wage and a chance to provide their children with a decent education.
At Cactus Elementary, 99.3 percent of students are Hispanic, and 77 percent are classified as limited English proficient, the highest rate in the state.
In sharp contrast, the teaching staff is 95.1 percent white and mostly non-Spanish-speaking, including Murphy.
So educators have turned to total English immersion - bypassing the state-mandated bilingual education - to teach the children. That's partly out of necessity, said Cactus Elementary principal Carla Tafoya, because the state does not have enough qualified bilingual educators to go around.
But also because Tafoya believes that total immersion works.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Deborah Turner, The Dallas Morning News
KansasCity.com: CACTUS, Texas - "Torns?" asks one student.
"No, `T-H-orns,'" responds another.
"Que? Que dijiste? (What? What did you say?)"
Peals of laughter blend with conversations in Spanish as students in Stacy Murphy's class quiz one another for their impending English vocabulary test.
On the other side of the room, Anna Vazquez, a bilingual transition assistant, works with third- through sixth-grade students who are learning the language.
These are the children of immigrants who call Cactus home - their parents drawn to the Swift & Co. meatpacking plant by the prospect of a steady wage and a chance to provide their children with a decent education.
At Cactus Elementary, 99.3 percent of students are Hispanic, and 77 percent are classified as limited English proficient, the highest rate in the state.
In sharp contrast, the teaching staff is 95.1 percent white and mostly non-Spanish-speaking, including Murphy.
So educators have turned to total English immersion - bypassing the state-mandated bilingual education - to teach the children. That's partly out of necessity, said Cactus Elementary principal Carla Tafoya, because the state does not have enough qualified bilingual educators to go around.
But also because Tafoya believes that total immersion works.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Beach school stresses Vietnamese heritage, values
These people understand how important it is to retain their heritage, but still become Americans. It is possible to do both. DP
By GILLIAN GAYNAIR, The Virginian-Pilot
HamptonRoads.com: VIRGINIA BEACH - On a dry erase board, Quynh-Uyen Nguyen drew a series of straight and squiggly lines and a dot.
She pointed to the figures and, in Vietnamese, asked a group of 5- to 7-year-olds to repeat after her as she identified them: "Dau sac! Dau huyen! Dau hoi! Dau nga! Dau nang!" Each of the five accent marks alters how words are pronounced and what they mean.
Across the hall, older students read and translated sentences out loud. Around the corner, others practiced vocabulary.
It was a typical Sunday afternoon for nearly 50 children who are learning - reluctantly, at first - their parents' native language and traditions. The two-hour classes take place in rented rooms at Kings Grant Elementary School and are one of the main endeavors of the newly formed Vietnamese Youth of Hampton Roads organization.
The language school, called Lac-Viet, was launched in September out of parents' concern that their children had little knowledge of their roots and couldn't communicate with their grandparents.
Among the estimated 47,800 Asians in Hampton Roads, about 3,600 are Vietnamese. While Lac-Viet is the only one of its kind here, other language schools in the area include those that focus on Greek and Chinese.
"We are the bridge" to help them understand their heritage, said Tri Barsell, a parent and the school's principal. Parents also hope that through the classes, children will gain an appreciation for certain Vietnamese values the adults grew up with, in addition to the American values they've adopted.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By GILLIAN GAYNAIR, The Virginian-Pilot
HamptonRoads.com: VIRGINIA BEACH - On a dry erase board, Quynh-Uyen Nguyen drew a series of straight and squiggly lines and a dot.
She pointed to the figures and, in Vietnamese, asked a group of 5- to 7-year-olds to repeat after her as she identified them: "Dau sac! Dau huyen! Dau hoi! Dau nga! Dau nang!" Each of the five accent marks alters how words are pronounced and what they mean.
Across the hall, older students read and translated sentences out loud. Around the corner, others practiced vocabulary.
It was a typical Sunday afternoon for nearly 50 children who are learning - reluctantly, at first - their parents' native language and traditions. The two-hour classes take place in rented rooms at Kings Grant Elementary School and are one of the main endeavors of the newly formed Vietnamese Youth of Hampton Roads organization.
The language school, called Lac-Viet, was launched in September out of parents' concern that their children had little knowledge of their roots and couldn't communicate with their grandparents.
Among the estimated 47,800 Asians in Hampton Roads, about 3,600 are Vietnamese. While Lac-Viet is the only one of its kind here, other language schools in the area include those that focus on Greek and Chinese.
"We are the bridge" to help them understand their heritage, said Tri Barsell, a parent and the school's principal. Parents also hope that through the classes, children will gain an appreciation for certain Vietnamese values the adults grew up with, in addition to the American values they've adopted.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Immigrants Voice Their Stories
More stories showing the hard time immigrants have when they first come here, yet they are all thankful and feel it was worth while. DP
By Angela Pang
AsianWeek.com: Culture shock is what a 25-year-old Talat Hasan faced when she emigrated from India to the United States in 1977.
"When our waitress brought out a plate of food, I thought it was enough for the four of us to share," recalls Hasan. "I was horrified to discover that the plate was for one person!"
Hasan is just one of eight Bay Area residents who will be sharing their personal immigration experiences in an original 30-minute documentary premiering on KQED Jan. 24. The film, Immigrant Voices – American Stories, is part of KQED’s Immigration in Focus, a yearlong collection of thought-provoking programs, special reports and events about the complex issues surrounding immigration.
Vince Gutierrez received his green card in May 2004, and is waiting for his wife and young son in the Philippines to join him. Current immigration laws prohibit his family from coming to the U.S. for at least five years.
"I sometimes feel like giving up and just returning to the Philippines to be with my wife and son," said Guiterrez, who has only seen his newborn son twice in the last year. "But when he comes here, he’ll have good opportunities."
Guiterrez has been receiving emotional support from UniteFamilies.org, an organization that is lobbying Congress to reinstitute the V-visa, which would allow spouses and children to be reunited with green card holders more quickly.
For Jade Wu, who emigrated from China in 1999, living in the U.S. without being able to speak English has been hard. She spent four months in Ohio with her husband before deciding to move to San Francisco.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Angela Pang
AsianWeek.com: Culture shock is what a 25-year-old Talat Hasan faced when she emigrated from India to the United States in 1977.
"When our waitress brought out a plate of food, I thought it was enough for the four of us to share," recalls Hasan. "I was horrified to discover that the plate was for one person!"
Hasan is just one of eight Bay Area residents who will be sharing their personal immigration experiences in an original 30-minute documentary premiering on KQED Jan. 24. The film, Immigrant Voices – American Stories, is part of KQED’s Immigration in Focus, a yearlong collection of thought-provoking programs, special reports and events about the complex issues surrounding immigration.
Vince Gutierrez received his green card in May 2004, and is waiting for his wife and young son in the Philippines to join him. Current immigration laws prohibit his family from coming to the U.S. for at least five years.
"I sometimes feel like giving up and just returning to the Philippines to be with my wife and son," said Guiterrez, who has only seen his newborn son twice in the last year. "But when he comes here, he’ll have good opportunities."
Guiterrez has been receiving emotional support from UniteFamilies.org, an organization that is lobbying Congress to reinstitute the V-visa, which would allow spouses and children to be reunited with green card holders more quickly.
For Jade Wu, who emigrated from China in 1999, living in the U.S. without being able to speak English has been hard. She spent four months in Ohio with her husband before deciding to move to San Francisco.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
A passion to teach
Fifth in a seven-part series of stories exploring how Mainers are helping neighbors in need.
By TREVOR MAXWELL, Staff Writer
PressHerald/MaineToday.com: Give her some violet or gold fabric, a sewing machine and a well-lit space, and Adele Ngoy can make a beautiful dress for you.
But she would rather have you pull up a chair alongside hers, so she can explain how certain colors work together, show you the precision of the stitching.
She would rather give you something that will last.
"My passion is to teach people, so women can do sewing and alterations in their homes," said Ngoy, who fled civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo and arrived in Portland in 2000. "I know I have a lot in me. I want to share that."
Ngoy, 41, is known as a local expert on African clothing.
More than that, she is earning a reputation as a helper in the city's growing immigrant community. Ngoy first volunteered to teach sewing three years ago, and she has made the annual classes a mission of empowerment, designed to provide skills and confidence to refugee women.
Some of her students are mothers who want to make clothes for their families. Some work as laborers full time, and want to find better jobs. All struggle to make ends meet in their new city.
"Some of them have never gone to school," Ngoy said. "Sewing is not easy, but they enjoy it. It's a better job than carrying heavy boxes."
You don't have to look far to see Ngoy's impact. Some of the colorful garments worn here by the women of Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan and other African nations were stitched by Ngoy. Many others were crafted by women who have gone through her free class at the Parkside Neighborhood Center.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By TREVOR MAXWELL, Staff Writer
PressHerald/MaineToday.com: Give her some violet or gold fabric, a sewing machine and a well-lit space, and Adele Ngoy can make a beautiful dress for you.
But she would rather have you pull up a chair alongside hers, so she can explain how certain colors work together, show you the precision of the stitching.
She would rather give you something that will last.
"My passion is to teach people, so women can do sewing and alterations in their homes," said Ngoy, who fled civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo and arrived in Portland in 2000. "I know I have a lot in me. I want to share that."
Ngoy, 41, is known as a local expert on African clothing.
More than that, she is earning a reputation as a helper in the city's growing immigrant community. Ngoy first volunteered to teach sewing three years ago, and she has made the annual classes a mission of empowerment, designed to provide skills and confidence to refugee women.
Some of her students are mothers who want to make clothes for their families. Some work as laborers full time, and want to find better jobs. All struggle to make ends meet in their new city.
"Some of them have never gone to school," Ngoy said. "Sewing is not easy, but they enjoy it. It's a better job than carrying heavy boxes."
You don't have to look far to see Ngoy's impact. Some of the colorful garments worn here by the women of Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan and other African nations were stitched by Ngoy. Many others were crafted by women who have gone through her free class at the Parkside Neighborhood Center.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Speaker hails the contributions made by immigrants
This speaker encouraged immigrants who are working at low level jobs and showed them how important they are to keep this country running. We do need them. DP
Policy expert notes they fill need for workers in low-level jobs during forum at Holy Rosary School, South Beach
By LARISSA RANDALL, ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
SILive.com: Immigrants are taking American jobs!" That's the claim you often hear people make. Tamar Jacoby is trying to change their minds.
Ms. Jacoby, a leading national expert on immigration policy and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, was the featured speaker at yesterday's forum on immigration reform, held at Holy Rosary School, South Beach. It was co-sponsored by the Staten Island Immigrants Council and other groups.
Ms. Jacoby focused on the contributions immigrants make to our country, especially working at jobs that more educated Americans don't want to do.
To the Island immigrants, mostly Hispanic, who were among the majority of her audience of 50 people, Ms. Jacoby said reassuringly, "You're right that you're doing work that needs to be done, and you should keep doing it."
She pointed out that in 1960, half of all American men dropped out of high school to work at unskilled jobs. Today, less than 10 percent do so, but the need for these jobs has not disappeared. Immigrants have filled these positions that Americans no longer wish to take.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Policy expert notes they fill need for workers in low-level jobs during forum at Holy Rosary School, South Beach
By LARISSA RANDALL, ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
SILive.com: Immigrants are taking American jobs!" That's the claim you often hear people make. Tamar Jacoby is trying to change their minds.
Ms. Jacoby, a leading national expert on immigration policy and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, was the featured speaker at yesterday's forum on immigration reform, held at Holy Rosary School, South Beach. It was co-sponsored by the Staten Island Immigrants Council and other groups.
Ms. Jacoby focused on the contributions immigrants make to our country, especially working at jobs that more educated Americans don't want to do.
To the Island immigrants, mostly Hispanic, who were among the majority of her audience of 50 people, Ms. Jacoby said reassuringly, "You're right that you're doing work that needs to be done, and you should keep doing it."
She pointed out that in 1960, half of all American men dropped out of high school to work at unskilled jobs. Today, less than 10 percent do so, but the need for these jobs has not disappeared. Immigrants have filled these positions that Americans no longer wish to take.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Feds Redesign Citizenship Exam
This might be a better test for new citizens. It will be a good start to civic participation. DP
By MELISSA TRUJILLO
Forbes.com: In an effort to make the citizenship exam more meaningful, the federal government said Monday it will test an exam that relies less on trivia - such as asking the name of the president's house - and more on applicants' grasp of American democracy.
The new exam will be given to volunteers beginning this winter in Albany, N.Y.; Boston; Charleston, S.C.; Denver; El Paso, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; Miami; San Antonio; Tucson, Ariz.; and Yakima, Wash.
The current test is heavy on historical facts, and includes questions about the colors of the U.S. flag and the name of the form used to apply for citizenship. The new exam will ask about the Bill of Rights and the meaning of democracy.
"The idea is not to toss up roadblocks, it's to make sure people who apply for citizenship and want to become citizens understand and adhere to the values we have as a society, the values that are part of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights," said Shawn Saucier, spokesman for the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The current exam doesn't guarantee knowledge of those values, Saucier said. A person may know which state was the 49th to be added to the union, for example, but not understand voting rights, he said.
The portion of the citizenship exam used to test basic English reading and writing skills also will be changed to include civic vocabulary words, Saucier said.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By MELISSA TRUJILLO
Forbes.com: In an effort to make the citizenship exam more meaningful, the federal government said Monday it will test an exam that relies less on trivia - such as asking the name of the president's house - and more on applicants' grasp of American democracy.
The new exam will be given to volunteers beginning this winter in Albany, N.Y.; Boston; Charleston, S.C.; Denver; El Paso, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; Miami; San Antonio; Tucson, Ariz.; and Yakima, Wash.
The current test is heavy on historical facts, and includes questions about the colors of the U.S. flag and the name of the form used to apply for citizenship. The new exam will ask about the Bill of Rights and the meaning of democracy.
"The idea is not to toss up roadblocks, it's to make sure people who apply for citizenship and want to become citizens understand and adhere to the values we have as a society, the values that are part of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights," said Shawn Saucier, spokesman for the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The current exam doesn't guarantee knowledge of those values, Saucier said. A person may know which state was the 49th to be added to the union, for example, but not understand voting rights, he said.
The portion of the citizenship exam used to test basic English reading and writing skills also will be changed to include civic vocabulary words, Saucier said.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Program two curriculums in one
By Jeffery Whitfield
OnlineAthens.com: FOREST PARK - Nearly three months ago, Cy Dunson and her husband sparred over whether to enroll their daughter Loyalti in Georgia's first dual-language school, but their worries faded after they saw her grades - and Spanish-speaking skills - improve.
"If she hadn't done well, I would've taken her out," said Dunson, now co-president of the school's PTA.
Like many parents, Dunson enrolled her daughter in the Unidos Dual Language Charter School so the girl would learn another language.
While several states, including California and North Carolina, already have dual-language schools, the Unidos school in Forest Park is Georgia's first.
Proponents of schools where students learn reading, writing and arithmetic in a mix of English and Spanish say children can learn languages easier when they are younger - and still make better grades than they would in a single-language school.
The school has drawn the eye of Clarke County School District officials, who will visit Unidos on Monday as they consider whether they want to establish a similar type of program in Athens.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
OnlineAthens.com: FOREST PARK - Nearly three months ago, Cy Dunson and her husband sparred over whether to enroll their daughter Loyalti in Georgia's first dual-language school, but their worries faded after they saw her grades - and Spanish-speaking skills - improve.
"If she hadn't done well, I would've taken her out," said Dunson, now co-president of the school's PTA.
Like many parents, Dunson enrolled her daughter in the Unidos Dual Language Charter School so the girl would learn another language.
While several states, including California and North Carolina, already have dual-language schools, the Unidos school in Forest Park is Georgia's first.
Proponents of schools where students learn reading, writing and arithmetic in a mix of English and Spanish say children can learn languages easier when they are younger - and still make better grades than they would in a single-language school.
The school has drawn the eye of Clarke County School District officials, who will visit Unidos on Monday as they consider whether they want to establish a similar type of program in Athens.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Let naturalized Americans run for president
It might be time to revisit this debate. DP
Restricting the presidency to only those born in the United States is unfair and un-American.
Editorial
LATimes.com: ON TUESDAY, CITIZENS in an electoral-vote-rich state reelected a governor who had once seemed in danger of defeat. That sort of political resurrection ordinarily would be good for a mention or two in the endless speculation about 2008 presidential candidates. Unfortunately, this reelected governor can forget about aspiring to the highest office in the land.
Why? Because the governor, though eligible to administer a major state of the union, is barred from the White House by Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which says: "No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."
A reflection of the framers' worries about meddling in the new nation's affairs by European monarchies, this restriction makes no sense in the 21st century, when even opponents of legalizing undocumented aliens acknowledge that this is a nation of immigrants. It's insulting that a legal immigrant to the U.S. who has twice won election as governor cannot aspire to the presidency.
The Constitution shouldn't be amended lightly. But this is a matter of principle: a core principle about the equality of opportunity in our society to strive for the highest office. Congress and state legislatures should adopt a 28th Amendment to the Constitution that would put all citizens 35 and older on equal footing when it comes to the highest office in the land. Americans should be free to decide whether they want to be led by President Jennifer Granholm.
Gotcha! Who'd you think we were talking about? Jennifer Granholm, a naturalized American who was born in Canada, was reelected governor of Michigan on Tuesday. Were you perhaps thinking of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger?
Be sure to read the rest of this opinion piece! This is only a small part of it.
Restricting the presidency to only those born in the United States is unfair and un-American.
Editorial
LATimes.com: ON TUESDAY, CITIZENS in an electoral-vote-rich state reelected a governor who had once seemed in danger of defeat. That sort of political resurrection ordinarily would be good for a mention or two in the endless speculation about 2008 presidential candidates. Unfortunately, this reelected governor can forget about aspiring to the highest office in the land.
Why? Because the governor, though eligible to administer a major state of the union, is barred from the White House by Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which says: "No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."
A reflection of the framers' worries about meddling in the new nation's affairs by European monarchies, this restriction makes no sense in the 21st century, when even opponents of legalizing undocumented aliens acknowledge that this is a nation of immigrants. It's insulting that a legal immigrant to the U.S. who has twice won election as governor cannot aspire to the presidency.
The Constitution shouldn't be amended lightly. But this is a matter of principle: a core principle about the equality of opportunity in our society to strive for the highest office. Congress and state legislatures should adopt a 28th Amendment to the Constitution that would put all citizens 35 and older on equal footing when it comes to the highest office in the land. Americans should be free to decide whether they want to be led by President Jennifer Granholm.
Gotcha! Who'd you think we were talking about? Jennifer Granholm, a naturalized American who was born in Canada, was reelected governor of Michigan on Tuesday. Were you perhaps thinking of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger?
Be sure to read the rest of this opinion piece! This is only a small part of it.
Immigration likely to put bipartisan pledges to test
Let's hope immigration reform can begin now. DP
By John Simerman, CONTRA COSTA TIMES
CONTRACOSTATIMES.com: Last week's shift to a Democratic majority in Congress gave new life to the prospect of an overhaul in the nation's immigration laws to include a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, say advocates on both sides of the debate.
But though many Democrats seem to find common ground with President Bush, the road remains strewn with many of the same political mines that halted passage of a reform bill earlier this year.
Supporters were guardedly upbeat, citing a cooler post-election-year climate. If reform happens, it would likely come next year, before the presidential election season reaches full throttle.
"Yes, there's a lot of optimism," said Jerry Okendo, a Republican who heads the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "And I hope the Democrats do not forget the Latinos who registered to vote and got out to vote this election."
Immigration reform was not among the handful of less-volatile proposals that presumed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, laid out as the Democratic majority's early agenda.
But she raised it with Bush at their meeting Thursday, said Pelosi spokeswoman Jennifer Crider, who declined to offer specifics on their talk.
Crider called Bush's position "quite close" to the so-called "Kennedy-McCain" Senate proposal for new security measures, a guest-worker program and a road to legal status for an illegal immigrant population pegged at 10 million to 12 million.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By John Simerman, CONTRA COSTA TIMES
CONTRACOSTATIMES.com: Last week's shift to a Democratic majority in Congress gave new life to the prospect of an overhaul in the nation's immigration laws to include a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, say advocates on both sides of the debate.
But though many Democrats seem to find common ground with President Bush, the road remains strewn with many of the same political mines that halted passage of a reform bill earlier this year.
Supporters were guardedly upbeat, citing a cooler post-election-year climate. If reform happens, it would likely come next year, before the presidential election season reaches full throttle.
"Yes, there's a lot of optimism," said Jerry Okendo, a Republican who heads the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "And I hope the Democrats do not forget the Latinos who registered to vote and got out to vote this election."
Immigration reform was not among the handful of less-volatile proposals that presumed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, laid out as the Democratic majority's early agenda.
But she raised it with Bush at their meeting Thursday, said Pelosi spokeswoman Jennifer Crider, who declined to offer specifics on their talk.
Crider called Bush's position "quite close" to the so-called "Kennedy-McCain" Senate proposal for new security measures, a guest-worker program and a road to legal status for an illegal immigrant population pegged at 10 million to 12 million.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
US to unveil new citizenship test
Some groups are wary of this new proposal, but it might be more of a true test than the previous ones. DP
By Ben Arnoldy | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
CSMonitor.com: BOSTON – To gain American citizenship, immigrants must be able to answer such questions as: What was the 49th state added to our Union? What color are the stars on our flag? And who wrote the Star Spangled Banner?
Sound trivial? The US government thinks so, and plans to roll out a new pilot test this winter.
It will continue to be an oral test, conducted in English, and will have 10 questions. Six correct answers will earn a passing grade. But the content, which is tightly under wraps, is expected to shun simple historical facts about America that can be recounted in a few words for more explanation about the principles of American democracy, such as freedom.
The changes raise the bar - critics say too high - for immigrants to show not only that they care enough to study for a test, but also that they understand and share American values. Behind the shift is rising anxiety among Americans about high levels of immigration and European troubles with large, unassimilated communities, say observers.
"Whenever there is a large number of immigrants, people talk about having an assimilation policy," says John Fonte, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a think tank in Washington. "We've always had an Americanization policy of some type [but] we haven't so much in the last 20, 30 years.... I'd see this as continuing that tradition, which Europe did not do."
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Ben Arnoldy | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
CSMonitor.com: BOSTON – To gain American citizenship, immigrants must be able to answer such questions as: What was the 49th state added to our Union? What color are the stars on our flag? And who wrote the Star Spangled Banner?
Sound trivial? The US government thinks so, and plans to roll out a new pilot test this winter.
It will continue to be an oral test, conducted in English, and will have 10 questions. Six correct answers will earn a passing grade. But the content, which is tightly under wraps, is expected to shun simple historical facts about America that can be recounted in a few words for more explanation about the principles of American democracy, such as freedom.
The changes raise the bar - critics say too high - for immigrants to show not only that they care enough to study for a test, but also that they understand and share American values. Behind the shift is rising anxiety among Americans about high levels of immigration and European troubles with large, unassimilated communities, say observers.
"Whenever there is a large number of immigrants, people talk about having an assimilation policy," says John Fonte, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a think tank in Washington. "We've always had an Americanization policy of some type [but] we haven't so much in the last 20, 30 years.... I'd see this as continuing that tradition, which Europe did not do."
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Contractors tackle language barrier
By Blake Farmer, News Correspondent
NashvilleCityPaper.com: The number of working Latinos fatally injured on the job has climbed to its highest point since comprehensive record keeping began in 1992, according to the U.S. Labor Department. And knocking down the language barrier could turn the trend.
The danger has been chalked up to the sheer numbers of immigrants who are in dangerous lines of work such as construction, but also to the communication barriers between Spanish-speaking workers and English-speaking supervisors. Last year, 917 Latinos died nationally, up slightly from 902 in 2004.
Foreign-born Latinos are the most at risk. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 625 of the 917 Latino workers who died on the job in 2005 were born outside the U.S.
Oscar Lainez, who moved from El Salvador to Nashville 10 years ago for a construction job with the Nashville-based Rogers Group Inc., said that communication with his supervisor can still be confusing.
“I get nervous sometimes,” Lainez said. “It’s normal I guess.”
To minimize the chance of further injury and death, Rogers Group in September started teaching English. Lainez and eight other road workers have been attending a two-hour English class each Wednesday afternoon. Rogers Group hired Thuy Nguyen, an instructor with the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute, to come out to a job-site on Briley Parkway where she goes through a specially designed curriculum with the men, who receive their hourly wage for taking the class.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
NashvilleCityPaper.com: The number of working Latinos fatally injured on the job has climbed to its highest point since comprehensive record keeping began in 1992, according to the U.S. Labor Department. And knocking down the language barrier could turn the trend.
The danger has been chalked up to the sheer numbers of immigrants who are in dangerous lines of work such as construction, but also to the communication barriers between Spanish-speaking workers and English-speaking supervisors. Last year, 917 Latinos died nationally, up slightly from 902 in 2004.
Foreign-born Latinos are the most at risk. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 625 of the 917 Latino workers who died on the job in 2005 were born outside the U.S.
Oscar Lainez, who moved from El Salvador to Nashville 10 years ago for a construction job with the Nashville-based Rogers Group Inc., said that communication with his supervisor can still be confusing.
“I get nervous sometimes,” Lainez said. “It’s normal I guess.”
To minimize the chance of further injury and death, Rogers Group in September started teaching English. Lainez and eight other road workers have been attending a two-hour English class each Wednesday afternoon. Rogers Group hired Thuy Nguyen, an instructor with the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute, to come out to a job-site on Briley Parkway where she goes through a specially designed curriculum with the men, who receive their hourly wage for taking the class.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Immigrants celebrate diversity
Another piece of proof that immigrants want to learn English and understand how important it is. DP
By GREG SMITH, Norwich Bulletin
NorwichBulletin.com: NORWICH -- In 1996, the Norwich Adult Education English language program was "one class, one room and one teacher," according to regional director Mary C. Berry.
"It's grown exponentially," Berry said, gazing across the sea of diverse faces seated in the cafeteria Tuesday at the former Buckingham School in Norwich.
Hundreds of students, from the English for Speakers of Other Languages and High School Credit Diploma programs, attended a mid-morning cultural celebration, complete with a variety of international dishes.
"If people are saying foreign people don't want to learn English, they should come here in the mornings," said ESOL regional coordinator Cheryl Egan.
More than 225 people are enrolled in morning language classes alone, along with another 100 at night. Classes, offered in 14 towns, are specially designed to suit a student's level. Last year, 602 students enrolled in the ESOL program and 298 in the high school diploma program, Berry said.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By GREG SMITH, Norwich Bulletin
NorwichBulletin.com: NORWICH -- In 1996, the Norwich Adult Education English language program was "one class, one room and one teacher," according to regional director Mary C. Berry.
"It's grown exponentially," Berry said, gazing across the sea of diverse faces seated in the cafeteria Tuesday at the former Buckingham School in Norwich.
Hundreds of students, from the English for Speakers of Other Languages and High School Credit Diploma programs, attended a mid-morning cultural celebration, complete with a variety of international dishes.
"If people are saying foreign people don't want to learn English, they should come here in the mornings," said ESOL regional coordinator Cheryl Egan.
More than 225 people are enrolled in morning language classes alone, along with another 100 at night. Classes, offered in 14 towns, are specially designed to suit a student's level. Last year, 602 students enrolled in the ESOL program and 298 in the high school diploma program, Berry said.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The other immigrants
Even though most people only think of Mexicans when they think of immigrants, they rank sixth in Philadelphia and the nearby communities. DP
By: KEITH PHUCAS, Times Herald Staff
TimesHerald.com: NORRISTOWN - Over the past decade, when the subject of illegal immigration is raised, Mexicans came to mind for many people.
Though the Mexican population living in the Delaware Valley has increased since 2000, immigrants from Asian countries make up the largest group of foreign-born residents living in the Philadelphia region, according to U.S. Census data.
Until recently, the top five foreign-born residents living in Montgomery County were natives of Korea, India, China, Italy and the United Kingdom, according to 2000 U.S. Census figures. At the time of that last census, Mexicans ranked seventh as foreign-born county residents.
In the city of Philadelphia, the top-ranked foreign-born people living there were from China, India, Jamaica, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By: KEITH PHUCAS, Times Herald Staff
TimesHerald.com: NORRISTOWN - Over the past decade, when the subject of illegal immigration is raised, Mexicans came to mind for many people.
Though the Mexican population living in the Delaware Valley has increased since 2000, immigrants from Asian countries make up the largest group of foreign-born residents living in the Philadelphia region, according to U.S. Census data.
Until recently, the top five foreign-born residents living in Montgomery County were natives of Korea, India, China, Italy and the United Kingdom, according to 2000 U.S. Census figures. At the time of that last census, Mexicans ranked seventh as foreign-born county residents.
In the city of Philadelphia, the top-ranked foreign-born people living there were from China, India, Jamaica, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Schools aim to break language barrier
This education director understands how hard it is for immigrants to become proficient in English and how important it is. DP
By Nicole Geary, Lansing State Journal
LSJ.com: Sergio Keck came to the United States from Argentina when he was 14.
He didn't want to leave his friends, to learn another language, to start fresh.
More than 20 years later, he's using that understanding to build new programs and awareness as the Lansing School District's bilingual education director.
He was a teacher and principal before taking the job just last school year.
"Research says they can learn English in two years," Keck said of young immigrants. "But to express themselves in academic English, it takes about seven years. We need to make sure they can read and especially write at a proficient level."
Serving Spanish-speaking students is important not only for their success, but for the district's.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Nicole Geary, Lansing State Journal
LSJ.com: Sergio Keck came to the United States from Argentina when he was 14.
He didn't want to leave his friends, to learn another language, to start fresh.
More than 20 years later, he's using that understanding to build new programs and awareness as the Lansing School District's bilingual education director.
He was a teacher and principal before taking the job just last school year.
"Research says they can learn English in two years," Keck said of young immigrants. "But to express themselves in academic English, it takes about seven years. We need to make sure they can read and especially write at a proficient level."
Serving Spanish-speaking students is important not only for their success, but for the district's.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
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