Immigration and the U.S.
Why is Latin American immigration to the United States, and particularly Mexican immigration, the subject of such fierce antipathy in much of the American electorate? Gregory Rodriguez, columnist for the L.A. Times and senior fellow at the New America Foundation, a non-partisan think tank, answers that question in his new book Mongrels, Bastards, Orphans, and Vagabonds: Mexican Immigration and the Future of Race in America. In a recent interview with The Indy, Rodriguez said that while he’s disappointed by the current antipathy toward Mexican immigration among many Americans-something he chalked up partly to racism, partly to economics, and partly to fear of demographic shifts-he believes that Mexican Americans are breaking down old social stratifications. Mongrels, Bastards, Orphans, and Vagabonds offers a finely written and vigorously convincing testimony to that belief. Rodriguez will speak at UCSB’s Campbell Hall on Monday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 893-3535 or visit artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.
