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Pomona
College Hosts Debate on U.S. Immigration Policy By
National Commentators
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In the belief that “one cannot possess a firm belief in
anything unless it is challenged,” the Pomona Student Union
(PSU) at Pomona College will present a debate on “U.S.
Immigration Policy: After the Election” at noon on Friday,
Dec. 3. The event is open to the public and will be held in
Pomona College’s Frank Dining Hall Blue Room (260 East
Bonita Avenue, Claremont). There is no charge to attend.
The speakers are Bill Hing, author of the book “Defining
America Through Immigration Policy” (2004), who believes
that, “public policies that hinder immigrants’ ability to
become self-reliant, responsible community members hinder
the successes of all Americans,” and Ira Mehlman,
spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration
Reform (FAIR). Mehlman opposes measures such as granting
driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, a policy he feels
is “clearly intended to make sure that the illegal aliens
who are here can remain here and get amnesty.”
Hing, a professor of Asian American Studies and member of
the law school faculty at the University of California,
Davis, has written several books on the subjects of cultural
pluralism and assimilation, the effects of immigration and
the effects of immigration policy on the Asian American
community. In addition to “Defining America,” they include
“Making and Remaking Asian America Through Immigration
Policy, 1850-1990” (1994) and “To Be an American: Cultural
Pluralism and the Rhetoric of Assimilation” (1997). He has
also written numerous articles on immigration in prominent
publications such as The Washington Post, and The Chicago
Tribune.
Mehlman, who as the media director and spokesperson for
FAIR, promotes the organization’s policy goals of improving
border security and putting an end to illegal immigration.
He is the co-founder of the American Jewish Immigration
Policy Institute and has worked as both a special assistant
to former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm, and as a press
secretary for the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
He has appeared as an expert commentator on both television
and radio, and has written columns appearing in The New York
Times, The Washington Post and other national publications.
The Pomona Student Union, founded in the fall of 2002, is a
non-partisan Pomona College student organization dedicated
to “raising the level of honest and open dialogue on campus.
By helping students become more knowledgeable and better
informed on the political and social issues that confront
our society, we create informed citizens to better serve us
all.” In addition to bringing in speakers, the Pomona
Student Union sponsors student and faculty debates and
panels, as well as informal social events structured around
current events.”
Erica Lai, a PSU board member for domestic policy, notes
that “California is certainly one of the key states that
have a stake in shaping new immigration policies,” adding
that, “several states have shown their dissatisfaction with
existing immigration policies, from California's Proposition
187 to Arizona's Proposition 200 this past fall… It will be
thrilling to have two high profile speakers debate one
another about the hotly contested topics of undocumented
immigration and Bush's upcoming policy.”
Pomona College, one of the nation’s premier liberal arts
institutions, offers a comprehensive program in the arts,
humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Its
hallmarks include small classes, close relationships between
students and faculty, and a range of opportunities for
student research. More information about Visit Pomona
College can be found on the web at www.pomona.edu. More
information about the Pomona Student Union can be found on
the web at www.pomonasu.com. |
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