Engaging with the Legislature and fellow immigration scholars

The global pandemic, tough economy, and demands for racial justice were the topics of a discussion in the new "Power of Dialogue" series organized by Ambassador Liliana Ferrer, Consul General of Mexico in Sacramento.  I was pleased to moderate a discussion on topics of diversity and inclusion among California legislators and others on developing strategies that recognize and empower communities of color.  Sen. Ben Allen (Chair, California Legislative Jewish Caucus), Senator Scott Weiner (Chair, California Legislative LGBT Caucus), Assemblymember Monique Limon (Vice Chair, California Legislative Women's Caucus), Assemblymember Shirley Weber (Chair, California Legislative Black Caucus), Assemblymember David Chiu (Chair, California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus), Dr. Eloy Ortiz Oakley (Chancellor, Community Colleges), and LeKenya Jordan (Executive Director, California Commission on Status of Women and Girls) were among the participants.   

We had a wonderful discussion -- hopefully the first of many -- about coalition building and the need to work in unity for positive social change. Education, health (and the pandemic), poverty, and racial injustice in the criminal justice system were among the topics discussed.

Immediately after the discussion with the legislative leaders, I participated in a 2020 American Sociology Association Regional Spotlight Session on the experience of immigrants to the United States. Among the participants were Beth Baker-Cristales (CSU Los Angeles), Tanya Golash-Boza (UC Merced), and Cecilia Menjivar (UCLA). Manuel Barajas and Heidy Sarabia, both of CSU Sacramento, organized the panel. The discussion was rich, and focused on the fear of immigrants living in the United States, because of the harsh policies and threats of the Trump administration. I presented my article  Trump's Latinx Repatriation.