Last week, a group of students, faculty members and community organizers came together to discuss immigration.
“In the Shadows: Voices on Immigration in the United States” was organized by the Center for Multicultural Excellence, Community Engagement and Service Learning, The [dis]claimer, Partners In Learning and Second Year Experience of the DUPB. The audience of several dozen was composed of not only DU students and faculty but also many interested members of the community.
The fishbowl structure of the evening’s discussion lent itself well to a well-reasoned discussion of immigration.
“What I especially enjoy about the fishbowl format is its inclusiveness,” said Joseph Peha. “Everyone has an opportunity to be heard in a civil, respectful manner.”
The event’s intention was to have as normal a conversation as possible.
“What we really want is the type of conversation you’d have over coffee with friends,” said Glenn Fee, associate director of the Community Engagement and Service Learning. The ultimate purpose of the fishbowl was to allow for both the participants and audience to understand better a variety of perspectives on immigration.
The guiding question under discussion was “What are the realities of immigration in the United States?”
The inclusiveness of the fishbowl format was reflected in the diversity of speakers and opinions on the issue. DU’s College Republicans chairman Dan Cutts defined the issue strictly in terms of security.
“What I truly believe is that this is a matter of national security. Our porous borders are being exploited by drug dealers and might be used by terrorists.”
He added that the only solution would be to seal the borders and make illegal immigration a felony.
Sarah McCune offered a more humanitarian vision, emphasizing the need to work on economic development of Central and South America.
“It’s not right to punish people for wanting to provide a better life for their children,” she said.
African immigrant and international studies student Olga Tunga had the most poignant view of the issue. “What are also at stake are the futures of everyone who wants to come to America,” she said.
The faculty members who spoke after the students offered starker views of the issue.
“Economics is at the core of immigration,” said a professor from the Daniels College of Business. “While the face of immigration maybe Mexican now, 100 years ago it was Italian or Polish.”
One woman who works closely with asylum seekers from West Africa categorically rejected the conception of national boundaries. “There really should be no borders at all. They are all illegitimate limits on human freedom,” she said.
“America, as a country, has lost sight of what it means to be an American citizen. As a society, we lack any clearly defined virtues towards which we can aspire and work,” said a student.
After both groups had finished speaking, the audience was divided into smaller groups and given the chance to reflect on what had been said.
The discussion was the final in a series of fishbowl discussions covering the major issues of the world today. The fishbowl series will return this fall. The event was held in the community room of the Graduate School of Social Work.
