Clatsop Community College

Immigration: The Great Debate

CLATSOP COMMUNITY COLLEGE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 5, 2007
Contact: Lenore Morrisson 503-338-2473

Immigration: The Great Debate

In an age identified with terrorism, understanding a complicated issue like immigration means cutting through the rhetoric and getting to the root of tough issues. Most of us without first-hand experience with immigration are left with some confusing questions: What and who is responsible for current global migration? Why do immigrants leave their homes and make treacherous journeys to the U.S.? How can we approach immigration with fairness and justice on our minds? What kind of solution to immigration would work?

In an effort to address these issues in our community, Clatsop Community College Arts & Ideas, the Rural Organizing Project, and the Pacific Unitarian Universalist Fellowship are co-sponsoring a series of four films on immigration. These films are meant to broaden our knowledge of the issues of immigration, stimulate thought and discussion, and lead to possible actions.

All films, free and open to the public, will be shown at the CCC Performing Arts Center, 16th and Franklin, in Astoria at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates:

Uprooted: Refugees of the Global Economy - Thursday, September 13
Presents three stories of immigrants who left their homes in Bolivia, Haiti, and the Philippines after global economic powers devastated their countries, only to face new challenges in the United States.

Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary - Thursday, October 11
Persistent massive unemployment has left millions of Central Americans desperately impoverished, with little choice but to migrate to jobs in Canada and the U.S. This film is a powerful record of the journey of five Nicaraguans, with no documents and little money, as they make their way north on a dangerous journey.

Oregon Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride - Thursday, November 8
In October 2003, 18 buses of immigrant workers and allies traveled across the country and converged in Washington DC and New York City to lobby and demonstrate for the rights of 31 million immigrants. This film tells the story of the 47 Freedom riders that rode the bus from Oregon across the country.

And Justice for All - Thursday, December 6
This moving documentary chronicles a public hearing that took place on Sept. 21, 2002 in Seattle as members of the Sikh American, Muslim American, East African, Arab American, Japanese American, South Asian and Latino communities testify about their experiences after 9/11, drawing parallels between the internment of Japanese Americans and Muslim Americans, mourning their loss of faith in the American dream and shedding light on the human effects of government policy.

Join us for an informative, thought-provoking series of films and discussion. For further information, please call Arline LaMear (338-6883).