Getting involved will foster change

World Affairs speaker focuses on making a difference




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Posted: Thursday, September 27, 2012 2:30 pm | Updated: 12:55 pm, Thu Sep 27, 2012.
By SARA GIBONEYHub Staff Writer | 0 comments

KEARNEY — Don’t underestimate your power to make a difference, says Darcy Tromanhauser, director of the Immigrant Integration and Civic Participation Program at the Nebraska Appleseed Center in Lincoln.

Tromanhauser discussed immigration and civic participation Wednesday at the 2012 James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.




“Our communities are stronger when everybody is informed,” she told the Hub after her presentation.
“Immigration and the Globalization of Labor” was the focus of the conference Tuesday and Wednesday at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

More than 20 speakers, including experts on labor laws, citizenship and visa requirements, education, economics, travel regulations, health care and criminal law, spoke at the conference.

“As a nation, we’ve benefited greatly from our immigrant heritage,” Tromanhauser said during her presentation.

Although immigrants have had an important role in the United States, she said, the country has been ambivalent about new arrivals and their role in society.

There are common misconceptions about immigrants in the United States, she explained.

Many believe that immigrants rely on government services. Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, pay more taxes than they receive in services, she said.
In Nebraska, immigrants pay 7 percent more in taxes than they
receive in services, according to a University of Nebraska at Omaha study titled “Nebraska Immigrant Population Economic and Fiscal Impacts.”

Immigrants are ineligible for welfare, food stamps Medicaid and other government services for the first five years after gaining legal status.

The immigration system in the United States is flawed, she argued. For most undocumented immigrants, there is no way to apply for legal status or citizenship.

The family based system that is currently in use, which allows immigrants to apply for legal status if they have a family member who is a citizen, involves long waiting periods that can reach up to 20 years.
“We need common-sense immigration laws that uphold our values and move us forward together,” Tromanhauser said.

Tromanhauser discussed issues that will affect immigrants.

- Voter suppression bill — The bill would require voters to bring an identification card to the polls. Identification cards must have a current address. This would make it difficult for students, who move frequently, to vote. This bill could also affect people of lower incomes and senior citizens who may not be able to afford new identification cards or may not have transportation to obtain a new card.

- Nebraska Meatpacking Workers Health and Safety — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a rule that would increase line speed at poultry processing plants. Inspectors would have 1/3 of a second to examine chickens. Tromanhauser suggested calling U.S. senators asking them to stop the poultry rule or tweeting @USDA using #poultryrule. “If the public doesn’t say something, this is going to pass,” Tromanhauser said.

- Arizona-style “show me your papers” law — Local police would be required to ask for proof of citizenship or legal status if they suspect that someone is illegal. This law could create a fear of deportation for victims and witness of crimes. This issue could come up in the Nebraska Legislature next year, Tromanhauser said.

Getting involved will foster change - Kearney Hub: Local News