Thread: Nashville: Radio Host Opposed to Illegal Immigration

Local radio host gets national attention with illegal immigration stance
By Amanda Maynord, amaynord@nashvillecitypaper.com
March 14, 2007

It’s no secret to the Rev. T.J. Graham’s listeners that he is opposed to illegal immigration and now his radio show has captured the ears of documentary filmmakers from New York.

Graham is a staple at Nashville’s WVOL 1470-AM, a station that mainly caters to the black community, where his weekday show “Open Forum” is broadcast.

“The station has that notoriety, but what I like about [the documentary] is now it gives it a little more notoriety, a little more class — it lets people know the station is more than just a radio station,” Graham said. “It’s here to inform people, to enlighten people and to educate people on the community, national issues, local issues and statewide issues.”

One of the issues Graham focuses on is illegal immigration, something two sophomore college students hope to expand on in their upcoming documentary.

Adam Rivera and Colleen Goodhue attend Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y., and they first became interested in the issue of illegal immigration in Nashville after hearing talk of Councilman Eric Crafton’s “English First” bill that came before the Metro Council.

Rivera said the timing of the bill, plus the immergence of Nashville’s Latin American and Kurdish population, led them to the city as a focus for their film.

“We’ve been searching through hundreds and hundreds of topics across the nation and we just found that Nashville was kind of an area where there’s a growing Latin American community and also a Kurdish community – different languages coming together,” Rivera said. “We thought that would be a nice dichotomy – to see how it meshes together.”

Graham said he’s excited about the documentary and the opportunity it affords for spreading the message that illegal immigration in this country is a problem.

“When the illegals come in, that’s where the problem comes in,” Graham said. “A lot of people can’t see the damage that it does to the country. No. 1, you have people walking around your cities, your states, your towns with no identification. You don’t know who they are, where they come from or what type of people they are.”

Graham is not the only radio talk show host Rivera and Goodhue hope to film during their stay. They also want to interview WWTN FM 99.7 host Phil Valentine and include interviews already filmed with local Hispanic nonprofit Conexión Américas.

“We’re trying to get a comprehensive view of this issue of immigrants learning English and the difficulties and struggles they have, basically assimilating to American culture,” Rivera said.

Rivera and Goodhue plan to show their finished documentary sometime in May at the college and hope to have as many members of the community attend as possible.

“We just want [viewers] to see every single part of it – understand the issue as a whole and maybe form their own opinions on it,” Goodhue said.

Graham has his own plans for the summer with several upcoming anti-illegal immigration rallies similar to those he organized last September in response to a pro-immigration rally held in downtown Nashville in May.

“I want the American people to see how the American people really feel about the issue and hopefully some officials will see that the American people are really against illegal immigration,” Graham said. “Lawmakers need to see this and hear this. I’m hoping it touches other state and cities and they see that they’re having the same problem that we’re having here – we can come together as Americans and solve the problem.”



Reader Submitted Opinions:


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By: idgaf on 03-15-2007
It is about time we are hearing from the black community as it is their jobs that are being threatened more then anyone elses and their political power that is being diluted by the larger minority. We are being invaded and Americans must stand united to repell that illegal invasion.

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By: Nasrudin on 03-15-2007
"plus the immergence of Nashville’s Latin American and Kurdish population" im·merge verb, -merged, -merg·ing. –verb (used without object) 1.to plunge, as into a fluid. 2.to disappear by entering into any medium, as the moon into the shadow of the sun. –verb (used with object) 3. Archaic. to immerse. Will you idiots PLEASE proofread your frakkin copy? The word you're looking for is EMERGENCE.

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By: LadyM on 03-15-2007
Anyone serious about ending Illegal Immigration needs to join www.numbersusa.com and use the services they provide to fax your representatives and voice your opinions directly to them. The service is free and they'll alert you when new issues on this subject come up. All Americans need to unite and make our stance heard by Congress, before they vote in another Amnesty like the one in 1986, which by the way didn't work.

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By: MC Daddy D on 03-15-2007
What is really no secret is that Rev. T.J. Graham is a hater and an egomaniac. No humble man of the cloth, Graham is a bigoted grandstander who is loving all the personal attention he's getting from the media. He's actually doing the work of the devil with his divisive, dualistic, us- vs.-them point of view. If WVOL had an ounce of self respect, they would pull the plug on this poser.

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By: idgaf on 03-15-2007
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

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By: Dragon on 03-15-2007
These two student from Ithaca College are looking at immigrant culture clash and assimilation. They should go to California where east Los Angeles doesn't want to assimilate, they want to form their own hispanic city.

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By: exportlaw on 03-15-2007
Mr. Graham is defending working people against predatory affluent bigots who prefer to hire low wage illegal immigrants who can be easily intimidated into doing dangerous work without the health and safety precautions required by law. Many times, the hiring is done through "brokers" or independent contractors who in reality function as overseers, sort of kinder and gentler prison camp guards. What is especially sickening is to see educated otherwise liberal bourgeoisie and intelligentsia who think they deserve servants paid a slave's wage, and then think themselves superior because they're hiring someone with brown skin, when they would never hire a working class black person from North Nashville.

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By: lori390 on 03-15-2007
Hey Dragon. From the looks of Nolensville Road, it doesn't look like they are too eager to assimilate here either.


http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index ... s_id=55157

By: MC Daddy D on 03-15-2007
What is really no secret is that Rev. T.J. Graham is a hater and an egomaniac. No humble man of the cloth, Graham is a bigoted grandstander who is loving all the personal attention he's getting from the media. He's actually doing the work of the devil with his divisive, dualistic, us- vs.-them point of view. If WVOL had an ounce of self respect, they would pull the plug on this poser.

That's interesting. The only hater I see here is people like MC Daddy who hate America and those of us standing up to this mess.

“We’re trying to get a comprehensive view of this issue of immigrants learning English and the difficulties and struggles they have, basically assimilating to American culture,” Rivera said.

All the illegals are not having any difficulties assimilating. They simply refuse to do so!!!

This will wind up being an OBL piece.....just wait!