Published: April 21, 2010
Updated: 10:36 a.m.

Card game takes on illegal immigration

BY CINDY CARCAMO
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER


COMMENTS 83| RECOMMEND 3|

Never mind the plethora of textbooks, studies and scholarly articles exploring the cost-benefits dynamic of people who live in the country illegally.

Now there's a new game designed to break this complex issue into digestible fare for millions of Americans who feel lukewarm about the issue.

(photo) Peter Gadiel, who lost his son during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, created Illegal Immigration: a "Game." Gadiel says the question-and-answer game is meant to inform the general population about people who come into the country illegally. Critics of the illegal immigration game say it's a biased interpretation of statistics and is meant to incite and not inform.
Cindy Carcamo, The Orange County Register

Peter Gadiel, who became an anti-illegal immigration activist after his son died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, says he created Illegal Immigration – a "Game" as a way to expand the debate and create a new legion of anti-illegal immigration activists.

"We want to reach people. I want people to understand what's going on and what's happening in their country," Gadiel said from his Connecticut home. "I want to get them interested and know enough and go out there and oppose amnesty."

The trivia question-and-answer game launched April 5 and sells for $39.95 on the Internet. Gadiel said he's not sure how many have sold so far but figures it's not many because he has yet to get the word out to mainstream groups, he said.

Still, chatter and e-mails about the game are already circulating among local anti-illegal immigration circles, including e-mail blasts sent by the Huntington Beach-based California Coalition for Immigration Reform.

The game has also been criticized by some local immigration scholars and immigrant rights advocates who questioned what are described as facts in the game.

"Basically it's his interpretation of statistics... with the kind of information they've selected," said Louis DeSipio, an immigration expert who is an associate professor of political science and Chicano/ Latino Studies at University California Irvine. "It's not designed to inform as much as it is to inflame."

Illegal Immigration is a simple game with 600 cards and a booklet with about 500 footnotes. Many of the questions are answered with true or false, followed by what the author calls facts and a bit of commentary.

CLICK HERE to read some of the sample questions and answers.

Gadiel said he turned illegal-immigration activist after the death of his 23-year-old son James, who worked for Cantor-Fitzgerald and died on 103rd floor of the North Tower in the World Trade Center.

He said national officials have to place greater control and put more restrictions on those who come into the United States.

Gadiel was compelled to create the game because he said there are already tons of reports and books on the subject.

"Who's going to want to read another book on immigration?" he said. "How do you get this information out in a palatable form?"

He spent about a year researching different sources. Some of the answers originate from governmental Web sites and mainstream media while many others are sourced from conservative publications, such as WorldNetDaily.com and anti-illegal immigration advocacy groups, such as Center for Immigration Studies – which also seeks to restrict immigration in general.

Gadiel said he hopes to donate some of the profits to 9/11 Families for a Secure America, a group for which he is president.

DeSipio said the game is made to fit into the anti-illegal immigration agenda.

"I'm not sure it would be a lot of fun to play,'' he said. "I see this as sort of a resource for people who have very strong opinions about immigration and aren't open to alternative interpretation. They would use this to reinforce what they already believe...,"

"I don't think it would be interesting to the vast American public that doesn't have strong opinions about immigration. They're not going to spend their time reading through cards as a recreational activity or to get political information."

Gadiel begs to differ. He says the game is based on fact and invites the "other side" to contact him if they believe otherwise.

"If someone finds a mistake and we're wrong we're going to correct it," he said.

Wendy Sefsaf, spokeswoman for the Immigration Policy Center, issued a scathing critique of the game. The center is the pro-immigration, research and policy arm of the American Immigration Council.

"The Immigration Policy Center awards the new ... game, Illegal Immigration, A Game 10 points for taking facts out of context, 10 points for absurdity and 10 points for using an outdated medium to spread an anti-immigrant agenda," she said in a written statement.

Gadiel said he hopes to some day get free copies out to decision makers in Washington, D.C.

He can't for now.

"Frankly we can't afford it," Gadiel said.

The game is expensive, he said, because it's made in the U.S.A.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7924 or ccarcamo@ocregister.com

http://www.ocregister.com/news/immigrat ... legal.html