While speakers, students and community members gathered at the Communication Arts and Sciences Building on Wednesday evening for an immigration forum, many were unaware of students protesting the event outside.
Seven members of Young Americans for Freedom held signs and an American flag to protest against the forum's topics - the history of immigration as well as the demographics and consequences of immigration policies in the United States.
"We are out here to distribute the facts that the people inside won't tell you," said Dennis Bentley, a political science sophomore and spokesman for Young Americans for Freedom. "The reason why we think limiting immigration is a good idea is because with outsourcing, especially in Michigan, workers are going to be looking for jobs, and now is just not the time to have an influx of laborers from other countries.
"Our interest is basically what's best for the American worker."
But the purpose of the forum was to speak out and inform the public about immigration issues, policies and problems, said Rosa Morales, the director of Hispanics in Journalism and Minorities in Journalism programs, who coordinated the event.
"As a journalist and as a journalism teacher, I understand that young people and the American public may not be aware of the factors that are at play when we are discussing immigration in the United States," Morales said. "My goal here is to educate the next generation of journalists so that you'll know a little bit better about how to approach this topic."
Jeffrey Passel, a senior researcher and demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C.; Dionicio Valdes, acting director of MSU's Julian Samora Research Institute and MSU history professor; Manuel Chavez, assistant director at MSU's Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and journalism professor; and John Carlos Frey, an actor, screenwriter and director, were among the speakers at the event.
During the forum, Frey's film about illegal immigration, "The Gatekeeper," was to be featured and discussed.
"I was born in Tijuana, Mexico, but grew up on the other side of the border in San Diego, Calif.," Frey said. "The issue of immigration has always been a part of my life. It's a film about illegal immigration but from the perspective of the immigrants themselves. It's sort of the other side of the story that's rarely told."
Students and other members of the community came to the event with interest in the topic of immigration and immigration reform.
"Part of my dissertation is on immigration, and I thought this might be a good place to get some general information on the laws being proposed right now in Congress," economics graduate student Mike Allgrunn said.
Lansing resident Dick Preston said he has a special interest in immigration.
"I worked for a while in Central America and for a while helped settle Central Americans here in our area both legally and illegally," Preston said. "I just wanted to come and get an idea of what's happening these days."
