[A-List] THE POLITICS OF IMMIGRATION: Questions and Answers

["Yoshie Furuhashi" <critical.montages@xxxxxxxxx>]

<http://monthlyreview.org/politicsofimmigration.htm>
THE POLITICS OF IMMIGRATION

Questions and Answers

by Jane Guskin and David Wilson

"We desperately need to put aside false information about immigrants,
to see them as we see ourselves with honesty and compassion. This book
gives powerful meaning to the slogan 'No Human Being is Illegal.' I
hope it will be widely read."
âHoward Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States

"As the immigrant rights movement grows in size and energy, we need
quick facts and deep history. This book gives us both."
â Aarti Shahani, co-founder, Families for Freedom

"Guskin and Wilson have identified the hot-button points in the
national immigration debate, and have set out to undo the stereotypes,
misinformation and prejudice that paralyze rational thought on the
subject. This book is a great reality check, a good teaching tool, and
a powerful weapon against racism."
âDavid Bacon, author of Communities Without Borders: Images and Voices
from the World of Migration

In the spring of 2006, millions of immigrants and supporters organized
in cities and small towns across the United States to defend their
rights following the passage of HR4437, a bill designed to punish
unauthorized immigrants.  In an unprecedented show of force, tens of
thousands of workers marched out of meatpacking plants, factories,
restaurants, landscape businesses and stores, while studentsâmany of
them the US-born children of immigrantsâstaged school walkouts.
Thousands also observed a one-day national consumer boycott to
demonstrate the economic power of immigrant communities.

The spring 2006 mobilizationsâand the ensuing backlash from
anti-immigrant sectorsâpushed the topic of immigration to the front
and center of U.S. politics. Polls show the public increasingly
divided, with the debate framed as a choice between "deport them all"
and "give everyone amnesty." But dialogue is possible when we dig
deeper. Why are people leaving their homes? Why are they coming here?
What is the impact of our current enforcement policies? What kinds of
alternatives exist?

Backed with a wide range of cited sources, The Politics of Immigration
tackles questions and concerns about immigration with compelling
arguments and hard facts, laid out in straightforward language and an
accessible questionâandâanswer format.

For immigrants and supporters, the book is an effective tool to
confront common myths and disinformation. For teachers, it provides a
useful framework on the current debate, and ample opportunities for
students to reach out and explore the intersecting issues.

Those who believe immigrants steal jobs from citizens, drive down
wages, strain public services, and threaten our culture will find such
assumptions challenged here, while people who are undecided about
immigration will find the solid data and clear reasoning they need to
develop an informed opinion.

About the Authors
JANE GUSKIN and DAVID L. WILSON are the co-editors of Weekly News
Update on the Americas, an English-language bulletin covering
grassroots news from Latin America. Guskin also edits Immigration News
Briefs. Guskin produced a widely circulated immigrant rights flier
entitled "What's So Wrong About Immigration?" Her essay "The Case for
Open Borders" was published in Melting Point or Boiling Point? The
Issues of Immigration. Wilson's articles on Latin American issues have
appeared in publications including Monthly Review, Extra!, and New
York's El Diario-La Prensa.
--
Yoshie