Thread: Week Long Series on Immigration in Central Nebraska

Go to the links and you will find a video of the newscast.

Monday http://www.nebraska.tv/news/local/5405891.html

Immigration and Crime
January 29 2007 Monday 7:31 pm

In the last five to ten years, a size able number of immigrants and refugees have come to the Midwest, many following jobs. But as evidenced by the Swift raids, not all have done so legally. Nebraska is part of the U.S. immigration and customs enforcement's Saint Paul district, which also includes Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Last year, the Saint Paul office deported nearly three thousand illegal aliens captured in those five states. But the number of illegals has decreased in recent years.

Sgt. Debb Rea said "And I believe there are a lot of immigrants, especially in Grand Island because we have Swift, that are upstanding citizens. They pay their bills. They pay their taxes . They do what they are supposed to do. They have jobs. And I think they're the ones that are overlooked."

In 2000, Grand Island held 569 inmates for ICE.


Story Created: Jan 29, 2007 at 7:55 PM CST

Tuesday http://www.nebraska.tv/news/local/54213 ... kipthumb=Y

Economic Impact of Immigration
January 30 2007 Tuesday 10:20 pm

Video is best viewed using the latest version of Windows Media Player.Tuesday night with a look at the economic impact of immigration.

Are immigrants a drain or boost to the economy? But as we found out that's the million-dollar question.

Economists have crunched the numbers, studies have been done, and all sorts of conclusions have been drawn.

Dr. Douglas Kinnear, an economics professor at Hastings College, says, "Harry Truman once said, 'I wish I had a one armed economic advisor, so they can't say one hand this, but on the other hand...' I can't give you a point-blank answer. Good or bad to the ecomony? Like most things in economics there are costs and there are benefits."

Let's first look at wages. Increased competition for jobs can drive wages down, and getting paid just $1 less per hour reduces an annual salary by $2,000.

"Immigration primarly effects lower skilled, lower wage workers," Dr. Kinnear says. "It produces more competition for those jobs and may create some impact on wages."

However even with that scenerio, not everyone loses. Certainly not the company, and in some cases not the consumer.

Employers may earn larger profits and customers may get those goods and services at a lower prices.

So how much of the immigrant's paycheck stays in the United States?

"Not all money goes south of the border. They need to survive. At least some stays here in the economy," Kinnear says.

But the amount of money sent to other countries every year from workers in the United States is staggering. The term is "remittance" sending money over a distance. The annual amount, according to one study published in the Washington Post, is $45 billion.

What about taxes?

Julio Ibarra, of El Centro Hispano says, "The only way you can not report income tax is if you work strickly in cash, which is a small percentage."

A Swift & Company spokesman says, "We have manditory deductions at Swift & Company."

And illegal's won't claim any of that money.

So illegals may pay taxes, but aren't eligable to claim any refunds or social security benefits. It's so widespread, the unclaimed cash from illegals equals as much as $7 billion a year. That surplus of cash may keep the social security system afloat.



Story Created: Jan 30, 2007 at 9:00 PM CST

Wednesday http://www.nebraska.tv/news/local/5435011.html

Big Picture: Professional Immigrants
1/31/2007 6:30pm

They help better technology, teach your children and keep you healthy among other things. With more than 6,000 immigrants in the Tri-Cities, the impact is increasing in the professional field. Officials say that it can be more difficult for immigrants to get a professional job than an American-born citizen, but some are defying the odds to better Central Nebraska.

Syed Hossain, an Associate Professor for the UNK Mathematics Dept. said, "We need immigrants."

For years, the professional field has gone international. Hossain is a UNK Professor from Bangladesh. He says immigrants are vital to the state and the nation.

"If it would be just one kind of people, I don't think the U.S. would be that great," explains Hossain. "It would be tough to get a full-blown American with a PhD and actuary science degree in a small town like Kearney."

UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen says, "They have a really broad base of experiences and things that they can give our students as a practical knowledge base and assist as they go out in this world and try to find a job."

Officials say Americans sometimes don't understand the value of an education overseas.

"Many of the developments, inventions, and discoveries in the United States are made by immigrants," adds Hossain.

Dr. Ahmed Kutty came from India, invited by Good Sam for the Cardiology Department, a practice rarely accessible in the area.

"This, area that I specialize in, while not unique is not widely available back in 1992 nor today," describes Ahmed Kutty MD, FACC, "It brings skills and talents that are not often available from the local pool."

With a variety of opportunities.

"So medicine, computer science, engineering as well as PhD's," notes Kutty.

Employers realize the value of immigrant professionals.

"Nebraska has been great to us and we hope that what we have done for Nebraska has been appreciated also," concludes Kutty.



Story Created: Jan 31, 2007 at 7:05 PM CST

Thursday http://www.nebraska.tv/news/local/5497651.html

Big Picture: Making It
Thursday 2/1/07 5:00pm

Katia Valencia taps the chalkboard with conviction. Her compassion for those learning English is grounded in her own experience.

She said, "If you don't speak the language, you can do nothing."

And nothing was about all she knew when she arrived nearly six years ago. She entered the classroom not as a teacher, but a student.

"I was like them," she said of her students learning English now. "I went to the hospital and they asked questions, and I didn't understand."

What she did understand was the American dream.

"America is the land of freedom," Valencia said.

Katia's dad came to central Nebraska for a manufacturing job. Adjusting to the culture and climate was difficult, although she says it reminds her of her hometown in Mexico. To fit in, she decided she had to learn English.

She said, "I am in the United States now and I have to be part of the community. I have to speak English."

That was step one. Getting a job came next. The final step was becoming a citizen.

"We have to understand the steps to stay here," she said, emphasizing there's a legal process to follow.

Katia says she encounters legal workers who have no desire to learn English or become citizens. Still, she hopes to inspire others.

"I think of myself like an example. If I can do that, all students can do the same," she said.

Reporter's Notes by Steve White:
Valencia said her dad first worked in the fields of California before deciding to move to Nebraska. Katia and her father are both citizens now.

Valencia teaches English as a Second Language as part of the Adult Basic Education program, sponsored by Central Community College. Classes are held at the St. Stephen's building in downtown Grand Island.



Story Created: Feb 1, 2007 at 5:00 PM CST

Friday http://www.nebraska.tv/news/local/5533231.html

Immigration: Changing Communities
Friday 02/02/07

In many communities, the population of immigrants outnumber native Nebraskans. They're drawn to the meat-packing plants.

This is especially true in Lexington after the Tyson plant took root. In his New York Times bestseller "Fast Food Nation," Eric Schlosser claims immigrants bring drugs, poverty and crime to communities. He specifically names Lexington as one of the most hard-hit cities. So we went there to see how immigration has changed the community.

"It is Mexington, because all the Mexican's moved to Lexington making it Mexington," said one life-long Lexington resident.

That's what some call call this place, where white English speakers are the minority. Author Eric Schlosser says immigrants have have a negative impact on the community. Some here agree.

"We have a lot of gang activity, graffiti on nice buildings, and a lot more drugs and violence here now," said another resident of Lexington.

Others claim this book has no merit, saying immigration only creates positive changes for Lexington.

"To be honest, I don't think there is anything negative about it. I think everyone benefits from learning from other cultures," said Bob Roos, a certified court interpreter.

Lexington City Manager Joe Pepplitsch also discredits the book. He calls the book garbage. He thinks the author never even stepped foot in the city.

Even researchers say the book fails to take economy into consideration.

"Immigrants are people. They are consumers and spend a large part of their income in their own community," said Hendrik Van den Berg, an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Nebraska.

Van den Berg says there may be some negative effects on communities, but the research shows the good outweighs the bad.

"Actually we found the incomes of Lexingtonians have gone up, business went up, and housing values went up," he said.

Researchers say immigrants change communities in many ways. Lexington a prime example, but in a good way.

"They add size and vitality to the community," said Van den Berg.

Researchers say you can argue either way, but over all, immigration is a positive thing for communities. As for the book, the movie version of "Fast Food Nation" is coming out on DVD in March.

Story Created: Feb 2, 2007 at 7:12 PM CST

Never went to Lexington but I saw what happened to Norfolk and other small towns around there..........how anyone can say it's good for a town is beyond me. If I want to experience other cultures and see how they live......I'll go there thank you very much..........