Hastings Immigration Symposium

Hastings Race & Poverty Law Journal's 6th Annual Symposium is on CONFRONTING HIDDEN BORDERS: IMMIGRATION AND UNITING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2008 3:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.

Location: University of California, Hastings College of the Law 200 McAllister Street Alumni Resource Center San Francisco, California

Featured Speakers:

Eva Paterson, President, Equal Justice Society
Lucas Guttentag, Founder of Immigrants' Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union
Bill Ong Hing, Founder of Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Professor, U.C. Davis
Jennifer Chacón, Professor of Immigration and Criminal Law, U.C. Davis

Panels and Confirmed Panelists Include: In Solidarity: Deconstructing Myths, Fears, & Assumptions about Immigration Phil Hutchings, Senior Organizer, Black Alliance for Just Immigration Daniel Luna, Union Representative/Attorney, SEIU Local 1000 Belinda Reyes, Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California Quality Education for All: Reform Through Collaboration Angela Chan, Attorney, Asian Law Caucus Renee Shank, Teacher, Washington Elementary School Color Lines and Turf Wars: Responding to Divisions in Minority Communities Jeff Adachi, San Francisco Public Defender Daniel Nane Alejandrez, Director, Barrios Unidos Anamaria Loya, Executive Director, La Raza Centro Legal Rudy Corpuz, Founder, United Playaz Working for Change: How Immigration is Changing the Face of Labor Tho Do, Organizer, UNITE HERE Local 2 Sanjay Garla, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy Rene Saucedo, Community Empowerment Coordinator, San Francisco Day Laborer Program Lauren Smiley, Journalist, SF Weekly Stop, Collaborate and Organize: Combating Racial Profiling in I.C.E. Raids and Policies Saad Ahmad, Immigration Law Practitioner Hilari Allred, I.C.E. Liaison, American Immigration Lawyers Association Avantika Rao, Immigration Law Coordinator, La Raza Centro Legal Carlos Villarreal, Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild San Francisco Bay Area MCLE Credit Available RSVP and Questions to hrpljsymposium@gmail.com Communities of color are too often divided by the issue of immigration. Though these communities share a strong common interest in fairness and equal opportunity, many individuals, and particularly those who struggle the most to make ends meet, are concerned about the way their economic lives are affected by increased immigration. There is a fear among many that generous immigration policies result in unfair competition for jobs, as well as for other assets such as education. For example, a recent poll found that nearly twice as many black Americans as white Americans said that they or a family member had lost a job or not gotten a job because an employer hired an immigrant worker. By contrast however, public opinion data also shows that a majority of African-American voters support immigration reform that includes enforcement and a path to citizenship. Furthermore, a closer look shows that on average, those who advocate for restricted immigration have not proven trusted allies of African-Americans and other people of color. What causes and perpetuates this divide over immigration and what can we do about it? This symposium will focus on solutions for uniting immigrants and communities of color. Recognizing that creating "us versus them" paradigms does not help anyone in the long run, this will be an opportunity to discuss proactive strategies and to build coalitions. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 3-3:10 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME 3:10-3:40 OPENING KEYNOTE: Bill Ong Hing 3:40-4:20 PANEL: In Solidarity: Deconstructing Myths, Fears, & Assumptions about Immigration 4:25-5:10 PANELS: Stop, Collaborate and Organize: Combating Racial Profiling in I.C.E. Raids and Policies Color Lines and Turf Wars: Responding to Divisions in Minority Communities 5:15-5:35 KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Jennifer Chacón 5:40-6:25 PANELS: Working for Change: How Immigration is Changing the Face of Labor Quality Education for All: Reform Through Collaboration 6:30-6:50 KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Lucas Guttentag 7:00-8:00 CLOSING KEYNOTE: Eva Paterson 8:00 RECEPTION

KJ