Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Ninety-nine percent of immigrants who come to the United States want to come here legally, said Chris White, graduate teaching assistant for the history department, during an afternoon lecture at the Multicultural Resource Center.
The lecture was held two days after the Minuteman Project ended its month-long patrol of the Mexican border. The project was created by a group of Americans who didn’t think the United States government was doing a sufficient job of patrolling the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
“I figured that the entire campaign focused on getting media attention,” White said.
He said the group’s goal was to gain the public’s trust by deceiving them into thinking it was a non-violent organization.
The Minuteman Project patrolled a 23-mile area of Naco, Arizona, with more than 800 volunteers. Project workers took credit for the apprehension of more than 330 Mexicans attempting to cross the border.
While the project claims a 98 percent reduction in illegal immigration in Naco, White said that the number of immigrants who crossed the border in April was close to the number last year. He said people simply went around where they were stationed.
“I really fear that they will set a precedence based on ignorance and violence,” White said.
Lindsey Rohwer, Omaha, Neb., junior, said she wanted people to learn more about the issue than just the short news clips.
“I think it’s important for people to look at it through the immigrants’ perspective,” she said.
White grew up in California and knew many people who had fled their countries during many of the violent conflicts in Central America during the ’80s.
He was also a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and has traveled around the world.
He said one of the situations that made the immigration problem unique was that a first-world country like the U.S. was bordering with a country that was almost a third-world country. And the way to fix the problem was not by having civilians patrol the borders, he said.
“I think that should be the job of the federal government, especially since many of them are carrying weapons,” said Aude Negrete, Lenexa freshman, who moved to the United States four years ago from Mexico City.
She said she didn’t think the volunteers saw immigrants as humans.
White said groups like these validated the use of force without looking at the root of the problem. He said the problems with immigration could start to be fixed if the U.S. became honest about political vs. economic reasons for immigration, and if the government made employers more accountable for hiring illegal immigrants, rather than blaming the immigrants.
— Edited by John Scheirman
Letter to the Editor: Immigration problems fueled ...
Controlling illegal immigration should be confronted at both federal and local levels.
Living in limbo: Javier
Javier lives everyday knowing that he is not welcome in the country ...
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and ...
Some people have ignored the reasons behind immigration, letting their biased views ...
Acting group presents immigration issues
Troupe from Cornell University performed “Desiertos,” a play that highlights Mexican-American border ...
Living in limbo: Raul
Raul is pictured on a KU recruitment poster that says "You have ...
Arguing immigration
Many factors influence voters' positions on immigration.
Cinco de Mayo: under the influence
Although many Americans may think Cinco de Mayo originated in Mexico, its ...
Police patrol checkpoints for drunk drivers
Professor discusses politics abroad
Burdett Loomis traveled to several countries talking about the U.S. government. He’s ...
Speaker asks for change
Derek H. Davis explains problems with religious practices and their interaction with ...
Foreign to the Fourth
International students have opportunities to celebrate more than just Fourth of July ...
Two professors win Fulbright Scholar Grant
Recipients will use the grants to conduct research in Morocco and China.
No country for young men
Visa laws, refugee status and politics have contributed to one senior’s statelessness.
McNaughton: Profiling never acceptable
The media often perpetuates biases with its labels.
Weighing the collateral damage
Iraqi war veterans have trouble justifying civilian casualties on urban battlefields in ...
International Law Society discusses world politics
Several KU professors think the United States and its next president will ...
Students protest immigration bill at Wescoe Beach
White Owl in tears about rumors
White Owl, KU’s bearded mascot, thought he could be banned from campus.
Film festival expands students’ horizons
This year, the Center of Latin American Studies is showing four documentaries ...
Improbable Dream
Every day, the immigration issues infiltrate the news. This is the story ...
KUlture: He's the new bird on the ...
Campus celebrity White Owl encourages, entertains, inspires.
An undocumented DREAM
If passed, the DREAM Act would give temporary legal residence to undocumented ...
Officials debate improving national wi-fi coverage
Politicians at the Democratic National Convention focus on broadband access Tuesday morning
White: Gov. decides too much for society
The long-standing American tradition of lighting fireworks is banned in Lawrence. Society ...
Displays of patriotism mark Osama bin Laden's ...
In Lawrence and around the country, citizens celebrate the death of Osama ...
Students, faculty share mixed feelings on diversity
Despite the number of minority students increasing over the past 10 years, ...
Doctoral student shares experiences in Iraq
Major Andrew Harvey spent the duration of 2006 in Iraq working to ...
Students defy statistics, give back to community
Three KU students split their time between studying and volunteering.
‘Generation Debt’ afflicting students
KU students are finding it difficult to foot the bill of increasing ...
A question of identity
The Comanche Nation informed KU that a professor who claims he's Comanche ...
Who’s who: Milton Wendland
Graduate teaching assistant breaks down stereotypes in his women, gender and sexuality ...
Nobel winner returns
Evaluating presidential platforms
Obama and McCain differ on three major points during campaign.
Nowhere to run
Former KU running back June Henley couldn't adjust to life without football. ...
Horror movies inspire student group
'Bleeding Kansas' looks to organize genre fans, campus events.
Sex registry brings up more questions than ...
The national sex offender registry list is almost complete, but many feel ...
Man donates $100,000 for research
Pakistan’s future debated
KU International Program sponsored a Pakistan Panel to discuss the country’s election ...
University photographer’s work goes on display in ...
After traveling to over 30 countries in his life, University photographer Pok ...
Blackmon: Consequences of drug trafficking shared by ...
Pot smokers should think about the consequences their habit may have on ...
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
KUnited presidential candidate Libby Johnson and vice presidential ...
1 comment
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID