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University of Nebraska
Public Policy Center
215 Centennial Mall South
Suite 401
Lincoln, NE 68588-0228
tel 402 / 472-5678
fax 402 / 472-5679
ppc@nebraska.edu
For more information, contact
Mr. Tarik Abdel-Monem
at (402) 472-3147 or email him at tabdelmonem@nebraska.edu
Tuesday, March 4, 2008, "Immigration Politics and Policy"
Location: W.H. Thompson Alumni Center
University of Nebraska at Omaha
67th and Dodge St.
Time: Tuesday, March 4, 2008
5 – 7 pm
Free and Open to the Public
Immigration has become a critical public policy issue of importance to both Nebraska and the United States. Making sense of immigration policy issues within the political context of the 2008 elections is crucial to understanding the challenges and dynamics of immigration. In this seminar, immigration experts and advocates will discuss a variety of issues, including the current status of the immigration system, impact of immigration on local economies, state level legislation, public understandings of human migration and the role of globalization, and the politics of immigration reform and border enforcement.
Panel speakers include Dr. Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado from the University of Nebraska at Omaha Department of Political Science; Dr. Miguel Carranza from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Sociology and Institute for Ethnic Studies; Angel Freytez from the Mexican-American Commission; and Darcy Tromanhauser from the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest. Local immigration attorney Bassel El-Kasaby will serve as discussion facilitator.
The event is free and open to students, faculty, staff, and members of the public. The seminar is made possible from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Arts and Sciences’ Thomas C. Sorensen Endowment. For more information, contact Mr. Tarik Abdel-Monem at (402) 472-3147 or tabdelmonem@nebraska.edu
Participant Biographies
Dr. Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado
Dr. Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado is Associate Professor of Political Science and the Assistant Director for Research and Outreach of the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His research focuses on International Security, Economic Development and their implications for American foreign policy. Locally, he has led efforts to promote Latino political participation through a voter mobilization and public information campaigns. He served six years on the Board of Directors for the Chicano Awareness Center of Omaha.
Dr. Miguel Carranza
Dr. Miguel Carranza is Professor of Sociology & Ethnic Studies/Latino and Latin American Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Dr. Carranza's areas of interest/specialization are Chicano/Latino Studies, Minority/Majority Relations, Minorities in Higher Education, Sociolinguistics, and the Sociology of Health. Dr. Carranza is co-author of the book, Ethnic Studies in the United States: A Guide to Research, published by Garland Publishing. Presently he is involved in several collaborative research projects, including being Principal Investigator of a HUD Community Outreach Partnership Center New Directions grant; he is project manager of the Latino Achievement Mentoring Program, and is conducting research on the integration of Latino immigrants into the northern Great Plains region.
Bassel El-Kasaby
Bassel El-Kasaby, managing partner of the law firm of Kasaby & Nicholls, practices primarily in the areas of immigration law and civil rights. The firm represents individuals, corporate entities, government, and non-profit organizations in a wide range of legal issues. Mr. El-Kasaby speaks several languages including English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. He received his B.S., his M.S., and his J.D., with distinction, from the University of Iowa.
Angel Freytez
Angel Freytez is the Public Information Officer for the Mexican American Commission, a state agency which serves as a voice for Hispanics in Nebraska. His practice focuses on media networking, bilingual communicational platforms, and interactive web mastering. He is also the writer and editor of MAC’s newsletter, a publication that reaches out to more than 6000 readers across the state of Nebraska. Angel has also appeared in several media outlets, including an appearance on CNN’s Glenn Beck show, Radio Lobo, and La Voz Latina TV. He is also the Director and Producer of Diversity TV, a biweekly/ bilingual Television program that will start airing on Time Warner's Channel 13 in March, 2008. Angel is a graduate of Andrés Bello Catholic University (Caracas, Venezuela).
Darcy Tromanhauser
Darcy Tromanhauser is director of the Immigrant Integration and Civic Participation Program at Nebraska Appleseed Center. Appleseed’s immigrant program works to address immigration policy at the federal level and integration policy at the state and local level, as well as a variety of related issues – such as access to mainstream financial services and meatpacking worker health and safety – that impact newcomer integration and Nebraska’s future.
For more information, contact Mr. Tarik Abdel-Monem, at (402) 472-3147 or email him at tabdelmonem@nebraska.edu
