Andrea Mitchell Immigration Reform Would Be #39;Jewel in the Crown #39; of Obama Presidency
Andrea Mitchell Immigration Reform Would Be #39;Jewel in the Crown #39; of Obama Presidency Air date - February 2014.
By: Mcbogsters
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Andrea Mitchell Immigration Reform Would Be 'Jewel in the Crown' of Obama Presidency - Video
Clip: Archbishop Gomez on immigration reform
In this clip from Uncommon Knowledge, the Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez discusses the need for immigration reform. Watch the full interview here: http...
By: HooverInstitution
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In today's slow-to-no-growth global economy, politicians of all political persuasions understandably fear the consequences of action, not inaction. Some worry about the impact on core labor constituencies of potential competition by low-wage immigrants. Others ponder what numerous new citizens of Asian and Latino origin will mean for future presidential elections. Even in Asia, the largest source of high-skilled immigrants to the US, immigration is a contentious issue. Case in point: Japan's ongoing reluctance to welcome immigrants despite a rapidly aging population.
Yet, in the United States, let's not let this larger, ongoing debate and admittedly an important one on immigration stand in the way of making smaller-scale updates to what has been the traditional path forward for many seeking the American dream.
For skilled immigrants who were doctors, lawyers or other professionals in their countries of origin, first jobs in the United States typically take little to no advantage of their full skill-set given licensing or accreditation requirements. The anecdotes are legion and legend: the taxi driver who was once an engineer, or the nanny who had long worked as a nurse back home.
The story is as old as America. Immigrants sacrifice, and ultimately succeed in building better lives for their children, if not yet themselves. That was certainly the story shared among many in my own family as some 120 people, descendants of Chinese immigrants of many decades past, came together recently in Seattle for our first ever family reunion.
And like many a Pacific Northwest family, the occupations and preoccupations were varied: from Seattle public school teacher to Boeing engineer to my own recent service as one of the few U.S. ambassadors of Chinese heritage. (By some counts, I am the fourth, with Gary Locke, the former U.S. Ambassador to China, U.S. Commerce Secretary and Washington state governor, the fifth.)
Many in our extended family gathered again recently as we marked the recent passing in Yakima, Washington, of a great aunt, Jade Hong Chin, who immigrated to the United States in 1947 to be united with her husband Calvin after WWII had separated them.
These tales of immigrant life, of separation and of coming together, and of becoming American will not change.
But what could well change, in a bipartisan manner, is support for an effort focused on immigrant integration, separate and distinct from the contentious issue of immigrant admissions.
Addressing the ongoing "brain waste" of an estimated 1.5 million college-educated immigrants either unemployed or employed in relatively unskilled jobs also will help America better utilize the nation's diversity of human capital. This also should not detract from the critical challenge of job creation and ensuring all Americans, regardless of immigration status, can build careers in today's economy.
The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute a Washington, D.C., think tank focused on analysis of the movement of people worldwide has in the past noted America's uneven progress in integrating skilled immigrants. Policy implications could include a greater focus on state workforce agency partnerships and on advancing accredited work-skills training and English language programs. At the federal level, incentives could well be provided for more effective bridging programs for America's underutilized talent.
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Immigration reform advocates speak to reporters outside the Glendale office of Rep. Trent Franks. (KTAR Photo/Christina Estes)
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- They have prayed. They have fasted. Now, they're visiting congressional offices across 18 states, including the Glendale office of Rep. Trent Franks and the Gilbert office of Rep. Matt Salmon.
"The American people have spoken loud and clear. They want a solution," said Elisao Medina with Fast for Families Across America.
The group delivered letters to both offices asking the Arizona Republicans to push House leadership to vote on immigration reform. The U.S. Senate approved a reform bill last year with the help of Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake.
"It comes down to a vote of moral courage," said Donna Cheung who represented the Arizona chapters of the Japanese-American Citizens League and National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. "People in Arizona still think of immigration as a Latino issue and we know as Asian-Americans that immigration reform affects all communities and we know this because one in ten Asians is a Dreamer and the second largest group of the undocumented are Asians."
The group claims it has history on its side.
"We are strengthened both by our faith, but also by what we have seen in history," said Medina. "You know we saw the huge change that came about with the launching of the civil rights movement. We saw the big change that happened with the launching of the women's movement. We saw what happened when Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers launched their movement and we know that people who are willing to sacrifice and work hard eventually prevail."
The group launched a bus tour two weeks ago from Los Angeles. It will end in Washington, D.C. on April 9.
Christina Estes, Reporter
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The advocacy group linked to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is going after House Republicans with a new ad prodding them to act on immigration reform this year.
The 60-second spot called Do Nothing, released Monday, takes a notably tougher tone against the House GOP by putting blame on Republicans for stalling reform in Congress this year. The ad buy from the Council for American Job Growth, an affiliate of the Zuckerberg-backed FWD.us, totals about $500,000 and will run in all 50 states for two weeks, according to a person familiar with the buy.
No one debates we need to fix our broken immigration system. Republican leaders know it. Theyve even said so time and again, the ads narrator says. So why are House Republicans cooling, retreating and even privately saying theyd rather do nothing this year?
(PHOTOS: An immigration naturalization ceremony)
The ad argues that inaction on immigration reform puts jobs on ice and makes the country lose tax revenue that could be used to fund education and infrastructure projects. It also invokes so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the United States as children and are generally the most sympathetic group of undocumented immigrants.
Doing nothing on reform sends a message to millions of Dreamers who study hard and want to serve our country: They might as well dream on, the ads narrator says. The spot closes by urging viewers to call House Republicans and pressure them to pass immigration reform.
House Republican leaders unveiled a one-page list of principles for reform in January, but a rewrite of the nations immigration laws have largely been put on hold amid protests from conservatives about taking up the politically sensitive issue in an election year. GOP lawmakers also say their deep-rooted distrust of President Barack Obama makes them reticent about passing new immigration laws a reason that Democrats and other pro-reform advocates have largely dismissed as an excuse.
But leadership hasnt completely frozen the prospects of immigration reform. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who threw cold water on the prospects of an overhaul last month, told a forum in Piqua, Ohio, over the weekend that he was still committed to solving the issue.
I didnt suggest it was going to be easy, I know its going to be hard thats why its still hanging around, Boehner said then, according to a report from Civitas Media. So for the last 15 months, Ive been trying to move the ball down the field, only to be tackled by people that just dont want to deal with it.
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