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Immigration remains a hot topic

By LUZ PEÑA
Vida en el Valle

(Published Wednesday, September, 21, 2005 11:15AM)

California, like the rest of the country, must learn to tackle the undocumented immigration issue in a rational manner without resorting to rhetoric and division, according to experts who spoke about 'California's New Demographics and the Importance of Public Participation.'
Last Thursday's two-hour editorial board meeting, sponsored by The Commonwealth Club and seven newspapers from throughout the state, focused on how the state could function as the population grows and diversifies. However, most of the discussion focused on Latino voter participation and immigration.

"There's politicians out there that automatically know whatever their position is on immigration, there will be 50 percent of the population who will not agree with them," said panelist Rosario MarÃÂ*n, herself an immigrant from México who went on to become U.S. Treasurer. "Also lack of voter participation doesn't truly reflect what the population feels."

The problem, said fellow panelist Carol Whiteside, former Modesto mayor and now president of the Great Valley Center, is that the undocumented immigration issue is so polarized.

"I don't think we're doing a very good job of creating a space where we can have this conversation thoughtfully and constructively because it gets demigoded," said Whiteside, who has worked with former Gov. Pete Wilson's administration. "People start attacking each other, they call each other names, and I think for a country it's something that we really have to figure out how to do a better job of."

While the federal government has been lax on figuring out a solution, local communities and the state must deal with the impact of undocumented immigration, said Whiteside. That means local government, she said, must "deal with the everyday reality of providing services to a growing and often-changing immigrant population."

Luis Arteaga, executive director of the Latino Issues Forum and a panelist, said the 9/11 terrorist attacks "changed the dynamic about who is in this country, and the fear and hysteria that fuels it as well."

"I would really hope that this debate can get elevated, but I, frankly, don't have any hope that in the near future we're going to have this intelligent debate," said Arteaga.

Another panelist, Assemblymember Juan Arámbula, D-Fresno, recalled talking with Republican colleagues in Sacramento about the driver's license for undocumented immigrants issue.

"I challenged them. I said, 'If you're serious about dealing with immigration, with illegal immigration, why don't we focus on the employers.' And I said, 'I'll tell you who they are.' They don't want to deal with the corporations,' " said Arámbula. "They don't want to focus on someone who contributes to their campaigns. It's a lot easier to go after the little guy, the person who cannot defend themselves."

Rosalind Gold, who works for the National Association of Hispanic Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), said undocumented immigrants continue to play a vital role in the country's economy.

"Frankly, the federal policy challenge we have right now is that there is a mismatch between our federal immigration policies and the economic needs of our state and our nation," said Gold.

Kimiko Kelly, a research analyst with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and panelist, said the issue is complex and "there's a lot of misinformation about illegal immigrants." Yet, she said, legal immigrants face plenty of challenges once they arrive in the United States.

MarÃÂ*n, who chairs the California Integrated Waste Management Board, said the immigration debate should not stray from the fact that the issue impacts children who were born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants, or children who were brought over illegally as infants but have grown up here.

"Those are very serious challenges, and any public policy is going to have to deal with that," said MarÃÂ*n.

The forum is part of the 'Making California Work' editorial board meetings sponsored by the Commonwealth Club. Participating newspapers are Vida en el Valle, The Fresno Bee, The Sacramento Bee, The San Francisco Chronicle, The San José Mercury News, La Opinión and The San Diego Union Tribune.

The panel discussion will be broadcast on Oct. 24 on KVPT Channel 18.