With the failure to secure comprehensive immigration reform in Washington – including the inability to pass even the DREAM Act – two things seem clear. The first is that what is driving the debate is not simply the immigration system per se, but also a deeper anxiety about the changing demographics and economics of our nation. The second is that the challenge of immigration policy is moving down the geographic scale: increasingly, the battles about integrating or restricting immigrants will occur at the state, regional, and local levels.
What are the key issues facing supporters of immigrant integration in the current moment? How can we "break through" the noise of the debate with solid data on the contributions of and progress by immigrants over time? How can new grassroots coalitions of business, community, and civic leaders impact their own regions and bubble up their efforts for a more welcoming approach as a nation?
Join us at Which Way, America? as we explore these questions, share the most recent research, and discuss how to reframe, regroup and realign for immigrant integration.
This conference was made possible with funding from the James Irvine Foundation.
Co-sponsors include:
California Community Foundation, Center for American Progress, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Los Angeles Area Chamber Of Commerce, and USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Which Way, America?: Reframing, Regrouping and Realigning for Immigrant Integration