Events
September, 2006
Program: Immigration: The Real Issues Behind the Headlines
Location: Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School, Gwynedd Valley, PA
Audience: City officials, community leaders, professionals, professors, and students
Immigration: The Real Issues Behind the Headlines
September 28, 2006 -- Presented by the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians and the Montgomery Bar Association, this symposium focused on how immigration and its laws are shaping the region and Montgomery county.
The symposium was moderated by Mark A. Kearney, Esq., chairman of the board of the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians and treasurer of the Montgomery Bar Association. Patricia A. Ranieri, Esq., vice-chair of the community outreach committee of the Montgomery Bar Association presented opening remarks.
"While we are often referred to as a "nation of immigrants," this country has always been mindful to present meaningful opportunities to all persons, regardless of their port of entry or tenure in this country, and to avoid preference of one group over the other," Kearney said.
"The Montgomery Bar Association and the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians want to provide you with a context, and the real facts behind the headlines, so that you can make your independent judgements appropriately."
The panelists were:
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Fernando Chang-Muy is a University of Pennsylvania School of Law professor and former Legal Officer for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Health Organization. Chang-Muy continues to be active in the non-profit world, especially with organizations relating to immigration and refugees, human rights and public health.
During the presentation, Chang-Muy addressed the current status of immigration law and policy in the United States, including a historical context, and how it affects each individual in our community.
Chang-Muy’s presentation, A Primer on Immigration Law (PDF), addressed the present status of immigration law and policy in the United States, including the historical context giving rise to the developing policy concerns. He also addressed how present immigration policy affects the day-to-day decision making of each member of our community, almost all of whom, in some way, face immigration issues under present law and policy.
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Kelly Hunt, Manager of Immigration Policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, works with members of the business community to develop the Chamber’s position on comprehensive immigration reform and advocates on behalf of the Chamber and its members before the U.S. Congress and various administrative agencies.
Hunt’s presentation on the Economic Impact of Immigration Policy on Business (PDF) addressed the national business perspective of the current immigration structure and the regulatory, human relations and social service issues businesses are confronted throughout the United States.
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Anne O’Callaghan, Executive Director of the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, is an Irish immigrant who, in her more than 30 years of living in the United States, has experienced many of the difficulties immigrants face, despite her language abilities. Besides being a founding member of the Welcoming Center, O’Callaghan is also active in the Alliance for the Mentally III, the Visiting Nurses Association of Greater Philadelphia, and the Southwest Community Enrichment Center.
O’Callaghan’s presentation Demographic Trends in the Delaware Valley (PDF) reflects the Delaware Valley perspective on immigration policy and its effect in our neighborhoods, especially in the immigrant population growth in Montgomery County.
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Imja Choi is Founder & Executive Director of the Korean American Senior Services of Pennsylvania. Born in Seoul, Choi was the first Korean-American person to obtain a real estate license in the Greater Philadelphia region. She has received various awards for her work in human relations and is a founding Board Member of the Korean Women’s Association of Greater Philadelphia (KWAGP).
Choi’s presentation, Immigration Trends and Issues in Our Own Backyards: A View from the Front Lines (PDF), focused on the facts of immigration policy and solutions presently being addressed in Montgomery County as they affect individuals, especially in the Asian American community.
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William A. Stock, of Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer LLP is the Philadelphia chapter chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and is listed in Best Lawyers of America and was recipient of AILA’s Joseph Minsky Award for outstanding accomplishments in immigration law. As an adjunct professor of law at Villanova University School of Law, Mr. Stock is co-author of the “J Visa Guidebook” from Mathew Bender, and presently serves as the Chapter Chair of AILA’s Philadelphia Chapter and is the associate editor of AILA’s annual Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook.
Stock’s presentation, "What is Immigration Reform and What is Its Effect" addressed the effects of immigration policy and the varied reform positions on our community and our nation.
View The New York Times--"Proposals for Immigration Reform"
