Immigration: Round-Up

America's Immigration Quandary: No Consensus on Immigration Problem or Proposed Fixes delivers the results of a 2006 survey that unsurprisingly found that "the public remains largely divided in its views of the overall effect of immigration." The report, prepared by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, analyzes data from a national survey of 2,000 adults and from separate surveys of an additional 800 adults in five metropolitan areas. Topics surveyed include jobs and immigration, temporary worker programs, illegal immigration, et cetera....U. of Md. prof Ron Walters calls for "a respectful Black-Latino coalition" on immigration, citing "the necessity to consider rationally the content of an agenda that will unite the potential power of both...." An Arizona congressional race is providing a test of the Republican contention that exploiting xenophobia is the way to win elections. An article in the Post, Six-Term GOP Congressman Faces a Challenge in a State Seen as Moving to the Center, says Rep. J.P.Hayworth, an immigration hawk who wrote a book on locking down the border titled Whatever It Takes, may lose to Democratic nonentity Harry Mitchell (well, he was mayor of Tempe), a candidate so low-key his advisers have to make a point of reminding voters that he really is energetic. If you feel so moved, send Harry a donation....In the spirit of know-thine-enemy, I offer you the site for the right wing Federation for American Immigration Reform, a nonprofit that "seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest -- more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year," addressing immigration issues (including national security and its support of a plan to curtail immigration) and annotating current immigration reform legislation....The National Immigration Law Center, "dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of low income immigrants and their family members," has issue briefs, articles, and other material about "immigration, public benefits, and employment laws affecting immigrants and refugees," analysis of pending immigration reform legislation affecting such areas as guest workers, driver's licenses, and border controls; plus links to related federal and California sites....The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Immigration Statistics, "responsible for developing, analyzing, and disseminating statistical information needed to assess the effects of immigration in the United States," prepares the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, demographic profiles on legal permanent residents and naturalized citizens, population estimates, maps, and working papers and special reports....Public opinion polls and arguments for and against different aspects of U.S. immigration policy; discussions of three perspectives on immigration -- honoring commitment to newcomers or cutting back because of either security or economics; government immigration statistics; a "behind the headlines" feature; descriptions of agencies and organizations concerned with immigration; and similar resources are provided by Public Agenda, "a nonpartisan opinion research and civic engagement organization...." Finally, for teachers, The Immigration Debate in the Classroom 2006 from the SCORE (Schools of California Online Resources for Education) History/Social Science project of the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools is useful for its annotated links to classroom materials about "the highly charged national debate on the issues of immigration reform and border security," background documents, lesson plans, ideas for teaching controversial topics, and such classroom activities as debates and letter-writing.