Thread: Forum opens debate on immigration

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Forum opens debate on immigration
Saturday, September 16, 2006
By Nardy Baeza Bickel
The Grand Rapids Press
Immigrants help the economy, and the U.S. should welcome more of them, Linda Chavez believes.

"I'm very pro-immigrant. They're great for our country, for our economy. I want more people coming here -- legally," said Chavez, a syndicated national columnist and FOX Network news political analyst.

"We're still the beacon of hope and freedom. At the same time, the country needs good immigration rules to keep the borders secure and preserve our values, she added.


An all-day event

Chavez's position will be one of many voices heard here Tuesday, "Who is an American: The Immigration Policy Debate" is held at Grand Valley State University and the Gerald R. Ford Museum.

Immigration will be a key issue in the fall elections and far beyond, said Gleaves Whitney, director of GVSU's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies.

"Congress is living in a dreamland if they think they can ignore this problem any longer," he said. "The combination of living in a post-9/11 world and in a changing global economy requires we address this issue intelligently now."

The forum will cover how to secure the country's borders, how to address immigration and what to do with people already in the country illegally.

Chavez will take part in an afternoon debate with two immigration experts, Bill Ong Hing of University of California, Davis, and Peter Brimelow of Center for American Unity.

The evening keynote speaker will be Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco, a New York University professor. His topic, immigration and U.S. schools, will cover issues such as cultural assimilation and bilingual education. Other events include a panel of immigration experts, personal stories from immigrants and a historian on immigration in Michigan.

Chavez, a Republican, is critical of politicians who have used the immigration debate as a platform for November elections. She also is critical of immigrants who held foreign flags as they marched. She said they hurt their case and polarized the issue.


Many pluses

Chavez backs President George Bush's plan to have a guest program and accept immigrants into the country as needed by the economy.

"We want them here. We should have them come legally," she said. "That's one of the steps toward securing our borders: rational immigration policies."

Chavez disagrees with those who believe Hispanics are not willing to become part of the American melting pot.

"All of that is wrong," she said. "The ideal that you should hold on to ethnic ties is a recipe for disaster and for division of the country."


Send e-mail to the author: nbickel@grpress.com

Good old Linda "What do you mean I have to pay SS taxes for my illegal immigrant servant" Chavez.

No doubt this will be a completely unbiased forum, with all view points given equal time.