The Education for Justice Office will culminate a year of immigration-related speakers and events with a large-scale Immigration Teach-In on Tuesday, April 28.
Students will be able to both learn about current events as well as pick up extra credit for many of their classes by attending the Teach-In.
“The goal is to make it impossible for any student to graduate without being involved in social justice issues,” said Sister Mary Anne Foley, professor of theology and director of the Education for Justice Office. “It has been possible up to this point, but we hope to engage students through the Teach-In.”
This is the first year the office has chosen a theme around which groups and clubs may build events, including guest speakers and discussions.
For example, as part of the orientation program, incoming first-year students read Ted Conover’s “Coyotes,” which detailed the author’s first-hand experiences with “coyotes”—those who transport immigrants over the border.
Kathleen Erickson, RSM, who co-founded the Women’s Intercultural Center in Anthony, NM, led discussion March 4 on the topic “Detaining Immigrants to the United States: One Woman’s Experience.”
The Justice Club’s brief service around a replica border fence on the DeNaples patio was part of the immigration theme as well.
The Education for Justice Office also sponsored an essay contest with the prompt, “Strangers in our Midst: Responding to the Challenge.” The challenge asked students to produce creative works about “What’s it like to immigrate to the U.S.?” and “How does the U.S. treat those who come?” Winners of the contest will be announced during the Teach-In next Tuesday.
“We used the theme to create synergy among groups on campus,” Foley said. “We have had many activities throughout the year to promote this theme. The Teach-In reflects the theme in a concentrated way.”
The office expects many to attend the Teach-In, which will present a variety of panels, discussions and presentations from a range of people including students, faculty, staff and friends of the University.
“We definitely do not advocate a single position,” Foley said. “The immigration system is broken and we need to do something about it.”
The Teach-In will not just focus on students, although they are encouraged to approach professors regarding extra credit opportunities. One professor had already told Foley that more than 200 of her students intend to participate in the Teach-In for extra credit.
In order to obtain extra credit, students will receive an Education Visa, which will work, as Foley explained, much in the same way a Work Visa does.
“The visas are designed to urge participants to complete various tasks from different activities over the course of the day,” said senior Justin Krul, who designed the visas. “Upon completion of the requirements the students can turn in their education visa and the Education for Justice Office will distribute them to the appropriate professor or department that has agreed to give credit for participation.”
Students must attend one of the three major events, and five of the smaller activities, where they will have their visas stamped or signed.
“It’s not just for students,” Foley said. “I would hope that we would all reflect on what is at stake in the decisions that have to be made regarding immigration in the United States, and that we would be prepared to participate in that process of decision-making.”
The Teach-In will feature three major events: one on Monday and two on Tuesday.
The Henry George Lecture on Monday at 4 p.m. in Brennan 228 will be counted as part of the Teach-In. there, Howard F. Chang, Ph.D., faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, will present “The Immigration Paradox: Alien Workers and Distributive Justice.” Chang’s expertise ranges from environmental law and international trade to immigration law and economics.
Mori, M.D., Rosette Adera of the Office of Equity and Diversity and sophomore Maria Cabrera will serve as members on the Panel of Immigrants’ Stories. Foley noted that Mori’s father was an illegal immigrant who traveled from Italy to the United States during the 1930s, when Mussolini was in power.
A panel on the “Future of U.S. Immigration Policy” acts as the final major event students may attend. Panelists include Mayor Lou Barletta of Hazleton, Sister Margaret Gannon, IHM, of Marywood University, and Peter J. Gonzalez, a University alumnus and lawyer at Rapposelli & Gonzalez in Philadelphia.
“The make-up of the panel is an indication that we are entertaining a variety of different views,” Foley said.
The movie “The Visitor,” which documents the tale of a college professor who returns from a conference to discover two immigrants squatting in his apartment, will be shown at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Richard Jenkins was nominated for an Oscar for his role as professor and widower Walter Vale.
“I think this is a very important event for all students to attend because immigration policy is one of the most talked about and emotional issues facing our society today,” Krul said. “This is one topic that is hotly debated by both proponents and opponents constantly. It has been the subject of countless government hearings, protests, and dinner-time discussions.
“Most importantly, this event is designed to give faces to the immigrants,” he added. “These people are escaping hardships, looking for a better life, and searching for the proverbial American dream.”
THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON