|
Public
Employee Press DREAM
Act on the agenda at CNR forum
The DC 37 Campus of the College of New Rochelle held a
lively panel discussion, Immigration, Migration and Deportation, at
union headquarters Nov. 7.
CNR professors David Luciano, M.A. Samad-Matias
and Enzo Soderini made up the panel, which was moderated by CNRs Dr. Nibaldo
Aguilera.
During his presentation, Luciano stressed the importance of building
support for passing the federal Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors
Act, known as the DREAM Act.
The legislation would pave the way to U.S.
citizenship for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and
have graduated from American high schools and stayed out of trouble. These students
would become temporary legal residents who could obtain permanent residency by
earning a two-year college degree or serving in the military for two years during
the following six years.
This would be a very important positive
change for our immigrant students, said Luciano.
M.A. Samad-Matias
pointed out that the United States would be a very different country if the Native
Americans had a restrictive immigration policy.
The issues of immigration
and citizenship are critical to our students, our communities and our nation,
said Campus Director Dr. Patrice Gouveia-Marks.
The program was the first
of a new series of academic forums announced by Gouveia-Marks upon her appointment
in August. The forums will go beyond course work to help prepare our students
for the world outside the four walls of the college, she said.
CNR
will present three additional forums early in 2009. Topics will include religion
and politics in February, United States foreign policy in March and race and ethnicity
in Africa and Latin America in April. The exact dates will be announced as soon
as possible. For more information call CNR at 212-815-1710. | |