Heads up: In Longmont Dialogues on Immigrant Integration will be facilitating five-week Dialogue Groups of 8 to 14 people who meet once a week from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. starting April 11. Community members are invited to participate in this unique opportunity to share their perspectives about immigrant integration, and seek to understand and respond to our community's challenges and opportunities.
Dialogues are free and professionally facilitated. All views are welcome! To register or for more information, contact Leslie Irwin, Coordinator, at 303-443-0419, ext. 117 or email: info@immigrant-integration.org.
The insights possible in this kind of running workshop can really change stereotypes you may not even know you have. In a similar vein, my involvement with Intercambio de Comunidades has given me a wider perspective than I had growing up and is helping me connect with people I wouldn't have otherwise met. Consider it.
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Glad you mentioned this, Dan. Lafayette will be having a similar one day event. Details are below.
Dialogues on Immigrant Integration in conjunction with the Lafayette Cesar Chavez Celebration invites you to join in a special opportunity to share your perspective, increase understanding, and generate solutions together.
Dialogue Day features free and professionally facilitated
small- and large-group dialogues on issues of immigrant integration.
Where: Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer, 101 E. Baseline Road, Lafayette
LUNCH AND SNACKS PROVIDED
When: Saturday, April 28, 2007
Time:
-8:30 am – Registration and continental breakfast
-9:00 am to 12:30 pm – Half-day session – or –
-9:00 am to 3:30 pm – Full-day session
Childcare and language interpretation offered free of charge with advance registration.
Contact Leslie Irwin, Coordinator, or Sharone Goin, Project Assistant 303.443.0419, ext. 117 info@immigrant-integration.org
Thanks Chris! Do you know if there is any kind of agenda and/or list of topics for the sessions? Are ther topics that are off-limits or not encouraged? I'm curious because I know the topics can be intense and passionate, and if the setting is to be open to such discussions people should know that going in.
Hate to pee in your fresca, but...
TimesCall 3/24/07 - Economic boycott in works
Goal is to show the power of immigrants
Nice beginning to the "dialogue". I'm interested in (legal) immigrant integration, but why do I feel this will be more "illegal immigrant acceptance"? Whoops, sounding cynical again, but been there, done that. I remember the first AIDSWalkLA, I went, walked (alot in the heat), and alas it turned into something else completely.
If any of you have guilt or stereotypes, that's your own issue, and anyone verifying it for you won't change a thing. You're wondering what's politically correct to bring up on such an important issue?....comon. Love ya guys, but my PC-BS sensor is pegged, but maybe I have a sensitivity to agenda/propaganda cloaking.
Can we just call you Wrongmont now, Chris, to avoid confusion?
Well, the cost to hold such a dialogue is within reason. Not exorbitant. And there might be some benefit. Please tell me if there is.
Not interested.
I'm called so many things (not all durogatory), so knock yourself out. Chris R(odriguez), Wrongmont (Mr. Wrongmont to you boulderites), whatever.
Not that I was looking for any affirmation of my opinion on this topic, but todays TimesCall "TC Line" was chock full of fairly pissed off comments about illegal immigration and this boycott.
It is curious to me that people always jump to illegal immigration whenever immigration is mentioned. Why the assumption that the issue is legality?
Even American born Latinos are still facing discrimination and racism. This is worsened by the assumption that people are breaking laws because they have dark skin and/or an accent.
I like to always keep in mind that we are all human beings with more in common than different, and that somehow we have to find a way to live on this planet together.
I think that is what these dialogues are about. There are people from all over the world who end up in a room together trying to bring more understanding to all their lives.
Curious? It's only one of the top issues in our society today. As an "american born latino" (a label I neither like or see necessary) I try not to jump to any conclusions based on skin color, gender, height, or shoe size.
What I find curious, and somewhat contradictory, is this kumbaya attitude that we're all the same and need to learn to get along - yet we must also label, categorize, and group people (mostly by race)?
No, I'm more of the "melting pot" mentality. Bringing the best the world has to offer and integrating it into our society. Not trying to change or categorize their culture. But also not allowing it to undermine and violate us.
As I fall off the soapbox I'll just add this: the supposedly tolerant people I've known or heard of, have also been the most condescending bigots (not all white).
We'll just see where this "dialogue" goes, I look forward to an objective report.
Chris
I wasn't looking to clarify only PC-safe topics for any such dialogues meetings; quite the opposite. I want the organizers to be blatantly clear that the uncomfortable, complex topics that get people worked up WILL be spoken about. That way anyone easily offended can avoid showing up.
That doesn't mean people have permission to be jerks. As most of this blog demonstrates, we can argue without deeply personal or bigoted comments. Its all about debating policy and ideas. Its when people too closely identify themselves - their actual body, home, job, tangible things - with the ideas they believe, that they can't handle getting into a debate about merits because they take everything personally.
It's a fine line to walk, and if you are honest enough to recognize the topics with which you so deeply identify as being "you", you can then choose whether or not you can stomach going to a discussion or debate about the topic.
If you can't step outside your identity and look at why you believe something (and argue with someone who feels differently), then a public forum for debate - whether in person or electronic - is just a source for rage and discontent. And what's the point in that? Unless you're just someone who likes being fired up so you can fight, swear, flip out, etc.
Of course, you can call BS on someone's ideas. You just have to be in control enough that you answer their calling of BS on your ideas with either an articulate reply or you walk away. Some people have a hard time accepting that someone believes differently from them, and that fuels their anger and intolerance. Just stay in the debate long enough to try to make a point, then sit back for a while and watch other people argue. May the best ideas be heard!
The major concern I have been hearing is that we are heading away from the 'melting pot model' and the focus on assimilation to a 'separate but equal model'. This is reinforced by the demand for in-language services. Further, when you scan the presses use of politically correct terminology of ethnicity, immigrants from other countries are referred to as Italian American, African American, etc. whereas you only hear Latinos referred to as Latinos, not Latino American or Mexican American.
Illegal immigration is a separate issue, and we keep focusing on the symptom (how to stop border crossings) and not the cause, which is lack of economic opportunity in the home country. Europe is facing the same problem, but without having the experienced the cultural 'melting pot' benefits our country has (not perfectly) embraced. Curiously the Europeans in the past handled the language issue better, as multiple language proficiency was considered a necessity in the school system, not optional as it is here.
No easy answers here, but ongoing dialogue is a necessary avenue to pursue.
I see two issues to address: 1)national immigration policy, which each of us here can impact only insomuch as we vote for people with plans/concepts we endorse. It's just a hypothetical acedemic argument on that scale.
2) How we each determine to interact with/assist/ignore/ involve people who live in our town today; who are here now.
The second area is where our true values and true influence can manifest.
Personally, I don't see enough D's or R's in any great number with any good plan for immigration. All I see is pandering and vote buying.
My prediction: the illegal immigrant acceptance plan is in full swing, coupled with do-nothing politicians. The public will just throw up their hands and ask that we at least keep the criminal element of the illegals out and look the other way on the rest. Yep, apathy. The criminals will always have the attorney lobby to lean on, and that's some serious cash that can't be ignored. End result? Financial and cultural chaos.
A prediction I hope to be wrong.
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