Immigration Paves the Way to Promise in America
The arrival of immigrants to America is an integral part of United States history and culture. During the 16th century, the first European settlers came to America from Spain, France, England and the Netherlands. By1607 British colonists had established Jamestown, Virginia and one cannot forget the arrival of the Pilgrims to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. Seeking religious freedom, land, riches and better lives, these first immigrants helped to build a nation and lay ground for future American immigrants.
Though immigration slowed down after the Revolutionary War, it surged again between 1841 to 1860. This is attributed in part to the arrival of 1.6 million Irish men, women and children coming to the America to escape the perils of the potato famine in Ireland; the signed Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 that gave the U.S. the Mexican territories of California, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico making approximately 75,000 Mexicans living in those areas American citizens; and Chinese immigrants who arrived via San Francisco in the 1850s to work as laborers on the western railroads. Between 1861 and 1880 mostly Northern Europeans entered the United States but between 1881 and 1920 immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe arrived in masses – many coming through New York’s Ellis Island – and they met the need for laborers in the new factories that were sprouting up in cities throughout the U.S.
In the mid-1920s new government regulations instilled a quota permitting only 164,000 immigrants to enter the country each year. Though immigration decreased as a result of this mandate, after World War II and the commencement of the Cold War, many immigrants coming into the U.S. were refugees defecting from their communist homelands. In 1965 President Johnson passed the Immigration Act that eliminated the quota and new laws where put in place which gave preference to those immigrants with practical skills or who had families that were permanent residents or U.S. citizens. As a result of this regulation, immigration increased again in the 1980s and ’90s but this time the majority of immigrants came from Mexico and Asia.
Hope, freedom, prosperity, equality, opportunity and a better life has lured millions of immigrants to America and paved the way for dreams to become a reality. This country would not have become the great industrialized nation of the 20th century without the hard work and perseverance of these new citizens. The United States is a unique country comprised of many diverse ethnicities and cultures; we are one nation formed by many nationalities and this diversity is significant to our identity, our culture, and even our governance.
In recent news however, issues concerning immigration, particularly illegal immigration, have become a national debate. It is estimated that as many as 12 million unauthorized immigrants are now living in the U.S. The majority of illegal immigrants come from Mexico where poor economic conditions have forced people to seek opportunities in the United States – and pursue the same dreams of millions of immigrants before them.
On one side of the debate groups are anxious about illegals utilizing government services such as public schools and hospitals, taking jobs away from U.S. citizens, and working for very low wages. While on the other side it is noted that these immigrants pay income and Social Security taxes, work jobs that many Americans do not want and as an undocumented worker, are often exploited or cheated by their employers. There are also the concerns of Border Control and National Security in this post 9/11 era.
As citizens, government officials, immigration experts and the media bandy ideas for resolutions to these colossal problems and differences of opinions, they touch on sensitive issues of race, human rights, economics, and governance. In a country so divided on such an important issue, it is often difficult for people to remember that immigration is what built this country — and to use the skills of dialogue to understand each other’s ideas and concerns.
Our solutions to these challenges will send important messages to both current and future citizens about our values for human dignity. Interculturalists are ideally skilled to assist in the conversations about how to resolve differences in a way that values diverse needs and points of view. We encourage those reading this newsletter to become educated about the range of options being proposed and to engage in the discussions in a manner that encourages dialogue and understanding.
(Information for this article came from “Current Issues of Immigration, 2006” by Matz, Croddy, and Hayes, Constitutional Rights Foundation, Los Angeles, CA.)
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Calendar of Events
September 2006
4th - Labor Day
Labor Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. commemorated on the first Monday of September. Labor Day originated from the secret Catholic labor union, Knights of Labor, which protected people who worked for a living. The holiday has been celebrated in the United States since the 1880s and is intended to be a day of rest. Labor Day usually marks the end of the summer season.
10th - Grandparents' Day
National Grandparents Day was established by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, and is observed on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
11th - Patriot Day
Patriot Day is the official day of remembrance for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 even though the public and media simply refer to the day as “September 11th”. President Bush proclaimed Patriot Day in 2002 and has since commemorated the anniversary date by flying the flag at half-mast and requesting Americans to observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. EST – the time when the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center.
Sept 15-Oct 15 – National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated September 15-October 15th to recognize Hispanic Americans, their contribution to the U.S. and the Hispanic culture. The commemoration begins September 15th because that is the anniversary of independence for the countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; September 16th is Independence Day for Mexico while the 18th is Independence Day for Chile. This commemorative month also includes October 12, Columbus Day.
October 2006
12th - Columbus Day (traditional), Indigenous Peoples Day, Dia de la Raza
Columbus Day commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas in 1492. Where Columbus Day is celebrated primarily in the U.S., Latin American countries mark this occasion with Día de la Raza (Day of the Race). As of 2002 Venezuela renamed the holiday as Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of the Indigenous Resistance).
24th - United Nations Day
United Nations Day is celebrated in the U.S. and all country members of the UN to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations in 1945. The initial purpose of the organization was to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. United Nations Day is part of the United Nations Week commemoration.
31st – Halloween
Halloween originates from the Celtic celebration of Samhain which commemorated the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the long winter. This time period was associated with death and on the last day of October, the Celts believed that the souls of the dead visited the earth. The word “Halloween” comes from the Catholic Church in which All Hallows Eve is the day before All Hallows Day (or All Saints Day) which is observed on November 1 honoring the saints. Today Halloween is mostly celebrated in the U.S. by costumed children going door-to-door trick-or-treating for goodies.
23-24 – Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year – a holiday of renewal commemorating the anniversary of Creation. Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year” and in the Jewish tradition one is guided through self-reflection to emerge renewed.
24-Oct 23 – Ramadan
Ramadan or Ramadhan is the holiest month in Islam; Muslims around the world spend the month fasting from dawn until dusk. . The word Ramadan is derived from the word “ramd” meaning to burn and fasting at this time is often thought to burn away all sins. Muslims also believe that the Koran (the sacred text of Islam) was sent down to the earth during this month.
NW Diversity Learning Series is conducting its 8th annual speaker series throughout 2006 focusing on values of diversity and inclusion, and fostering change in organizations. The following is a list of upcoming speakers. For more information contact www.DiversityCentral.com
Session V: Thursday, September 28, 2006
Asking for and giving directions: Using coaching, mentoring and ownership as a strategy to guide you toward opportunities and growth.
Presenters: Kay Iwata, President, K. Iwata Associates, Inc., Union City, CA, and Greg Clark, Principal, Coach Centric, LLC, Austin, TX
Session VI: Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Recovering from taking a wrong exit: Turning negative feedback (failure), or loss of face into a positive and capacity-building outcome.
Presenter: Michael Hyter, President and COO, Novations Group, Inc., Boston, MA
November 1-4: 2006 SIETAR USA's annual conference is being held at Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information visit www.sietarusa.org
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New at EDS
In recent years, there has been a lot written and reported on the changing demographics in the US and the impact diverse populations are and will continue to have on society and the workplace. One area that continues to evolve is the growing diversity among consumers and the buying power they bring to the marketplace. EDS has designed an exciting new course that addresses the challenges of meeting the needs of a growing diverse consumer base and highlights the skills necessary to be successful.
Introducing: MARKETING AND SELLING TO DIVERSE CONSUMERS
In this course, participants explore the impact of ongoing demographic changes in the U.S. Marketplace and learn how culture plays a critical role in marketing and selling to diverse populations. The class explores three strategies and nine techniques for effective multi-cultural marketing and sales. Participants form marketing teams that design multi-media marketing strategies that include audio, visual and print aimed at one of three selected diverse populations. They then prepare a press conference and deliver their plans, receiving feedback from facilitators and other participants about the effectiveness of their plan. Case studies help participants increase personal awareness and apply tools to improve sales effectiveness in a multi-cultural marketplace. Contact EDS to schedule a class for your workplace: eds@executivediversity.com
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People
Isabel Allende is a Chilean-American writer born in Lima, Peru August 2, 1942. She is one of the most popular contemporary writers in the world having sold over 35 million copies of her books in 27 different languages. Allende became a U.S. citizen in 2003 and lives in San Rafael, CA with her husband.
Marcus Mosia Garvey, Jr. was born on August 17, 1887 in Jamaica and is most noted for his influence of the Rastafarian Movement in the United States. As a young man Garvey began spreading his messages of Black Nationalism in Latin America before coming to the State in 1916. His influences are viewed as one basis for the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
Singer, songwriter Gloria Estefan was born Gloria Maria Milagrosa Fajardo on September 1, 1957 in Havana, Cuba. She came to the United States as a young child when her parents fled Fidel Castro’s regime. Known as the “Queen of Latin Pop”, Estefan is globally renowned with over 70 million albums sold. She is a five time Grammy Award winner and is considered the most successful crossover performer (from Hispanic music to pop) in Latin music history.
African American novelist Richard Wright was born September 4th 1908. He wrote the classic, Native Son.
Biochemist Severo Ochoa de Albornoz was born September 24, 1905 in Luarca, Spain. He received his M.D. from the University of Madrid in 1929 and after teaching in universities in Madrid, Heidelberg and Oxford, Dr. Ochoa de Albornoz came to the U.S. in 1940. He was made chair of the biochemistry department at New York University, received his American citizenship in 1956 and was the recipient of the 1959 Nobel Prize for Physiology of Medicine for his work in the synthesis of RNA (ribonucleic acid), a compound that transmits genetic information.
Former tennis champion Martina Navrátilová was born October 18, 1956, in Prague, Czechoslovakia. During her illustrious career, Martina won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 40 doubles titles. And she holds the record of nine single title wins at Wimbledon.
Martina defected to the U.S. in 1975 and became a citizen in 1981.
Actor Béla Lugosi was born Bela Ferenc Dezső Blaskó in Lugos, Hungry on October 20, 1882. He was most noted for his role as Dracula both on Broadway as well as in film. Exiled from his homeland, Lugosi lived in Germany after the collapse of the Hungarian Soviet Republic before immigrating to the United States in 1921. He became a naturalized citizen ten years later. Lugosi died August 16, 1956.
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Data Dump (Did You Know?)
Top five countries for legal immigration to the U.S.: Mexico, India, China, Philippines and Vietnam
As of March 2005, 11.3 million unauthorized migrants are estimated to be living in the U.S.
California, Texas and Florida have the highest percentage of illegal immigrants.
Latin Americans are the largest immigrant group coming to the U.S. with Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba among the highest sender countries.
It is estimated that 6.3 million illegal immigrants are in the labor force; 33% of which work in the service industry.
An average annual income for an illegal immigrant family is approximately $27,400.
Though the country is divided on issues of immigration (legal and illegal), recent polls conducted show that:
- 61% of the people polled by the NYT/CBS News felt that illegal immigrants living in the U.S. for at least two years should have the chance to stay and keep their jobs and apply for legal status; 35% believed they should be deported.
- In a NBC/WSJ poll, 61% favored allowing illegal immigrants the chance to stay as long as they passed a security check, paid taxes and met certain conditions; 35% said they should be deported.
Kudos for Best Practices for Diversity
This quarter’s kudos goes to PepsiCo International under the leadership of President Mike White and Magda Nowak who is responsible for the diversity and inclusion programs. For the past 18 months Magda and her team have identified some “universals” that include a process for developing the business case for diversity, training on 8 core tools for effectiveness and leadership skills. In June 19 people from across the seven global divisions came together to learn the basics of this initiative. Rather than asking every global region to do things in the same way, however, President White gave a compelling message: “Make this information relevant to your region.” In other words, President White has acknowledged that there are important differences across global regions. While each region is expected to provide specific diversity and inclusion messages, they are also expected to do so in a way that will resonate with people within each country. This is the best of all worlds: consistent concepts but delivered in ways that recognize and value the differences. Way to go President White and Ms. Nowak!
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Quotes to live by...
Mike Fishman, President of Service Employees International Union
Our immigration system is outdated, inadequate and ineffective -- but H.R. 4437 is not the answer. We need sweeping reform to ensure that immigration is safe, legal, orderly and fair to workers and employers throughout the United States. As a union of immigration workers, we call on our elected officials to adopt comprehensive reform that respects our tradition as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.
Ralph Nader
Support democracy abroad so fewer will immigrate.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Remember, remember always, that all of us... are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.
John F. Kennedy
Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life.
James Baldwin (1924-1987) African-American writer
The making of an American begins at the point where he himself rejects all other ties, any other history, and himself adopts the vesture of his adopted land.
President George W. Bush, Speech in Washington, D.C. Jun 26, 2000
"Latinos come to the US to seek the same dreams that have inspired millions of others: they want a better life for their children. Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande. Latinos enrich our country with faith in God, a strong ethic of work, community & responsibility. We can all learn from the strength, solidarity, & values of Latinos. Immigration is not a problem to be solved, it is the sign of a successful nation. New Americans are to be welcomed as neighbors and not to be feared as strangers."
Anonymous Attribution: Bible: Hebrew, Exodus 22:21.
You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Barbara Mikulski, U.S. politician, as quoted in The Decade of Women, by Suzanne Levine and Harriet Lyons (1980). Said in June 1970
America is not a melting pot. It is a sizzling cauldron.
Attributed to Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826),
from “A Summary View of the Rights of British America” (1774).
Our ancestors ... possessed a right, which nature has given to all men, of departing from the country in which chance, not choice has placed them.
Pat Paulsen American comedian, statesman and politician 1927-1997
All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an unenlightened immigration policy on the part of the American Indian.
Emma Lazarus (July 22, 1849 November 19, 1887), American poet born in New York City.
From the Statue of Liberty Plaque
Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp! cries she with silent lips. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
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Story telling is a time-honored way of learning about other peoples’ lives and experiences. Film is one of the easiest ways to tell stories because it can, through the use of dubbing or sub-titles allow people to hear others who are not speaking their native language. This month, rather than providing one or two movie reviews, we offer a potluck of movies related to the immigrant experience. These reviews, as well as others, can be found on www.murthy.com/films.html:
La Tragedia de Macario (2005) Writer, director, editor Pablo Véliz brought this immigrant story to Sundance 2006 for its world premiere. In the title role, Rogelio Ramos is drawn to the U.S. to find a better life for his wife in this Spanish language film. Joined by his best friend, the two set out on the dangerous journey undertaken by so many each year. Véliz's insight is the desperation that drives them and the spirituality that sustains them as they risk their lives.
Crossing Arizona (2005) A documentary presented at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival by Director Joseph Mathew, this film explores escalating tensions over illegal immigration at their epicenter - the Arizona/Sonora border. Human rights, national security, class, and culture are explored through the personal experiences of the locals on both sides of the border in this balanced look at the issues.
Spanglish (2004) Mexican mother, Flor (Paz Vega), enters the U.S. with her young daughter seeking a better life. When she accepts a position as a domestic with an American family it becomes very difficult to maintain her privacy and distance. A story about assimilation, this film provides lessons on tolerance for the misguided but good intentions of immigrants as well as the Americans who employ and/or befriend them.
Maria Full of Grace (Maria Ilena eres de Gracia) (2004) This film is billed as not being based on a true story, yet it is something that happens everyday. Maria Alvarez (Catalina Sandino Moreno) lives a modest life in a rural area outside Bogotá, Colombia. At 17, her work and her life seem futureless, but Maria's nature is strong and assertive. She meets Franklin (Jhon Alex Toro) at a party. He is stylish and charismatic and tempts Maria with talk of work involving adventure and travel to America. So Maria becomes a mule in the dangerous drug underworld. Joshua Marston directed this film that won awards at Sundance and Berlin.
The Terminal (2004) This Steven Spielberg film is about an eastern European man, played by Tom Hanks on his way to New York when his homeland is overthrown in a coup. He arrives at Kennedy Airport as a man without a country, without a valid passport. Kumar Pallana plays Gupta. From Madras, Gupta becomes an unlikely hero in the story.
A Day Without a Mexican (2004) One third of the population of California is Latinos, Hispanics, Mexicans. How would it change life for the state's other residents if this portion of the populous was suddenly not there? Director Sergio Arau calls his film a "mockumentary." Yareli Arizmendi, married to Arau, co-wrote and stars in the film. She says it is their hope that lawmakers and moviegoers will recognize the valuable contributions made everyday by Latinos.
In America (2003) Nominated for 3 Academy Awards, this is the story of a modern-day Irish family who crosses the Canadian border, headed for New York in a struggle to shake off their nightmares in search of their American dreams. While it may not be wealth and success that they find, there is a neighbor who gives them friendship and helps them to finally attain peace. Writer / director Jim Sheridan needed to look no further than his own childhood for inspiration for this film.
House of Sand and Fog (2003) Nominated for three Academy Awards, this directorial debut for Vadim Perelman is a gripping drama in which Sir Ben Kingsley plays a proud Iranian colonel living a lie, when he finds an opportunity to improve things for his family by purchasing a home being sold at auction. But Jennifer Connelly is losing her home - the last shred of hope in her life - through a bureaucratic error, and she will not go down without a fight. It is a story of the American Dream spinning out of control.
Real Women Have Curves (2002) Ana (America Ferrera) has graduated from her east Los Angeles high school and won a full scholarship to Columbia University. Rather than support her own dreams, however, Ana's Mexican American parents believe it is time for her to work and help to support the family. Spending the summer working in a sewing factory with other Chicanas, Ana learns a respect for these women and what is essential for her to make her own way in the world.
Bend it Like Beckham (2002) This delight, directed by Gurinder Chadha, is the story of Jesminder Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), daughter of strict Indian Sikh immigrants living in the U.K. Jess is a very gifted football, or soccer, player. Unfortunately, her parents are less than thrilled by this!
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) An independent film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos. Toula is the dutiful daughter, 30 years old and working in the family-owned Greek diner. She meets and falls in love with Ian Miller - not the nice Greek boy her family had in mind for her! How far are Toula and Ian willing to go to make a marriage her family can live with?
Tortilla Soup (2000) It is a story that has been told and will continue to be retold with every new generation and every culture that immigrates to the U.S. Hector Elizondo shines as the Mexican- American patriarch in this successful adaptation of Eat Drink Man Woman 1994, which told a part of the story from the Chinese perspective. It is the tale of a father, his daughters, and the men in their lives. As with every culture, especially when transplanted to another country, food plays a very important part in cultural identity and connections. Directed by Maria Ripoll.
Catfish in Black Bean Sauce (1999) Directed by Chi Moui Lo, who also starred in the film, this is the story of Vietnamese siblings, Dwayne (Lo) and Mai (Lauren Tom), who were adopted by an African American couple (Paul Winfield and Mary Alice) in the U.S. Dwayne is engaged and has adjusted well to his American life. Mai, however, was older when she left Vietnam. She has memories of her birth mother and is driven to search for her.
The Joy Luck Club (1993) Wayne Wang directed this adaptation of Amy Tan's bestselling novel. It is the story of four Chinese women who immigrated to the U.S. and their first-generation daughters. When one of the women dies, her daughter, June (Ming-Na) plays Mahjong with the older women and begins to really learn what her mother endured in China and of her sisters who were left behind.
Stand and Deliver (1988) This is the inspiring true story about an immigrant teacher working in his Hispanic community in L.A. To the credit of Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos) and his creative teaching, students in one of the country's toughest neighborhoods turn from gang life to become top algebra and calculus students. Escalante believed in them when no one else cared. Olmos was nominated for an Academy Award for his role, as was Lou Diamond Phillips for his supporting role as one of the students. Directed by Ramon Menendez.
El Norte (1983) Mayan Indian peasants, tired of being thought of as nothing more than "brazos fuertes" ("strong arms", i.e., manual laborers) and organizing in an effort to improve their lot in life, are discovered by the Guatemalan army. After the army destroys their village and family, a brother and sister, teenagers who just barely escaped the massacre, decide they must flee to "El Norte" ("the North", i.e., the USA). After receiving clandestine help from friends and humorous advice from a veteran immigrant on strategies for traveling through Mexico, they make their way by truck, bus and other means to Los Angeles, where they try to make a new life as young, uneducated, and illegal immigrants.
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The Book Nook
Suro, Roberto (1998) Strangers Among Us: How Latino Immigration is Transforming America. NY: Alfred Knopf.
If anyone thinks s/he understand the life of an immigrant for whom English is not a native language, this book is a must read. Beginning with the Puerto Rican migration to the United States mainland in the 1950s and proceeding through the 1990s with Central and Latin American immigration, Suro provides personal stories that give the reader both information and the ability to empathize with those whose stories he shares. Unlike many other immigrant populations, many Mexican and Central American immigrants live close enough to their native home that they can frequently return home to visit family, thus literally living in two cultures simultaneously. Not unlike others who write about the immigrant experience, Suro has his own suggestions for how to create positive immigrant policies and services. Whether one agrees with his ideas or not, this book is a worthy read. It is chock full of information about how Latino immigrants have changed the United States culture and economy and how they will continue to do so. Donna Stringer
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Feedback & Referrals
We have designed this newsletter to share information with our friends and colleagues. We would like to hear from you about what you have found useful, in addition to, referrals of anyone you feel might benefit from receiving this newsletter or our services. Please e-mail us with any comments or ideas to kcwhite@executivediversity.com
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