KU News Release

Latino/a studies minor hosts panel discussion on immigration issues

LAWRENCE — As the 2008 presidential election approaches, much attention is focused on the potential “swing vote” represented by Latino/a voters and the impact immigration policies could have on the national elections.

The University of Kansas’ Latino/a studies minor program is sponsoring a panel discussion with guest speaker Jane Guskin and KU experts on immigration policy and politics at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the Big 12 Room in the Kansas Union.

Jane Guskin is co-author of “The Politics of Immigration: Questions and Answers” and edits Immigration News Briefs, a weekly newsletter covering immigration issues. Guskin and co-author David Wilson have been active in immigrant and labor rights efforts over the past decade in New York City. Since the book’s release they have facilitated more than 20 dialogues on immigration around the country.

The panel will be moderated by Marta Caminero-Santangelo, associate professor of English and adviser to the Latino/a studies minor. KU speakers include:

— Christina Bejarano, assistant professor of political science, on “Insights into Latino/a Political Behavior in the United States.”

— Tanya Golash-Boza, assistant professor of sociology and American studies, on “The Immigration Industrial Complex: The Connection between the Profit Potential and Immigration Policies Destined to Fail.”

— Gary Reich, associate professor of political science and director of the international studies master’s program, on “One Nation, 50 Immigration Policies? The New State Activism in Immigration Policy.”

The Latino/a Studies minor, offered for the first time this fall through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, provides a comprehensive curriculum on the importance of the Latino community’s broad impact on U.S. culture, society and politics. Courses for the minor are spread out among several disciplines including American studies, anthropology, English, political science, Spanish and Portuguese, social welfare, sociology, geography, history and Latin American studies.

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