Come check out this month’s featured book and DVD to learn more about multiculturalism and diversity or browse the rest of our library, either in our office or online!

• Featured book for August – Spiritual Perspectives on Globalization: Making Sense of Economic and Cultural Upheaval - by Ira Rifkin
  • (From the back cover:) The economic and cultural dynamic of globalization is transforming the world at an unprecedented pace. But what exactly is it? What are it’s origins? What is it’s impact on our spiritual lives?
  • This lucid introduction surveys the religious landscape, explaining in clear and nonjudgmental language the beliefs that motivate spiritual leaders, activists, theologians, academics, and others involved on all sides of the issue. Included are the points-of-view of: Baha’is, Buddhists, Earth-based and tribal religions, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Protestants, Roman Catholics
  • Unlike many other books on this controversial issue, this easy-to-read introduction won’t tell you what to think; it gives you the information you need to reach your own conclusions.

• Featured DVD for August – The Least of These: Family Detention in America - a documentary film by Clark Lyda and Jesse Lyda
  • (From the back cover) THE LEAST OF THESE takes a penetrating look at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, a former medium-security prison that re-opened in 2006 as a prototype family detention center. The facility houses immigrant children and their parents from all over the world who are awaiting asylum hearings or deportation proceedings. As information about troubling conditions at the facility began to leak out, activist attorneys sought to investigate and address the issues. In telling the story of their quest, the film explores the role (and limits) of community and legal activism in bringing about change.
  • The film leads viewers to consider how core American rights and values – protection of children, presumption of innocence, upholding the family structure as the basic unit of civil society, and America as a refuge of last resort – should apply to immigrants, particularly children.

We should stop scapegoating immigrants

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Counterpoint:

FaithAction Executive Director Dr. Mark Sills

By the Rev. Mark Sills

Anti-immigrant feelings are nothing new. In the late-1700s, Benjamin Franklin complained about the influx of Germans, whom he described as dirty, lazy, unwilling to learn English and having a negative influence on our culture.

In the mid-1800s, the “Know-Nothing” movement argued that Irish immigrants were damaging the nation’s culture. Sound familiar? Fortunately for my Ulster-Scot ancestors, the “Know-Nothings” lost. When my family arrived here, most likely by crossing the Canadian border to avoid the Immigrant Tax like millions of other Irish families, they did not face police roundups or fear highway checkpoints.

Instead, they quickly found jobs, put down roots and soon became the backbone of the Carolinas.

In the 1920s, with pressure from the Ku Klux Klan, and with the rise of theories about the racial inferiority of certain ethnic groups, Congress enacted “national origins” quotas that severely restricted the number of immigrants allowed each year into the United States.

The door for Irish immigrants slammed shut in 1925, with an annual quota of 28,567. For those labeled “swarthy” Italians, the annual quota admitted to the United States was only 4,000.

Today our government limits employment-based immigration to a maximum of 140,000 persons each year worldwide.

Those who keep saying that the Mexicans and other Latino immigrants should “just get in line and come here legally to get a job” should understand that our country provides no general immigrant visas for Mexicans. Not one. The average Mexican facing literal starvation at home has no way to get legal permission to enter the United States, except for a family reunification visa.

From 1900 to 1910, America absorbed about 10.4 immigrants for every 1,000 residents. Today, legal immigration is just 3.1 immigrants for every 1,000 residents. Not only are we not being overwhelmed by immigrants, we do not have anywhere near the percentage of immigrants in our population that most other Western societies have.

Let’s quit blaming immigrants for our problems. In a few years, with our aging population and low birth rate, we’ll all be trying to find a way to encourage more immigrants to come to America to do the work that keeps our economy alive.

The writer is executive director, FaithAction International House in Greensboro.
From the Greensboro New and Record

The Border and Greensboro from Patricia Perkins on Vimeo.

The events in the border region between the US and Mexico impact our our lives here in Greensboro, NC, the group gathered Monday night concluded. The more than 50 participants watched the documentary film, “Dying to Get In,” a project created by Brett Tolley, a senior at Elon University at the time, about the problems [...]

Global Music Night at Greensborough Coffee from Patricia Perkins on Vimeo. FaithAction was Charity of the Month in March for Greensboro Coffee. The last Friday of the month, we celebrated with music from around the globe with live performers from several countries and traditions over snacks and a cup of coffee.