The Orbis

Issue date: 2/5/07 Section: Opinion

Beware of the imminent alien invasion.

More specifically, the invasion of the undocumented, Hispanic aliens in the United States. At least that's the message Lou Dobbs sends on immigration. His staunch opposition to amnesty for illegal aliens, guest worker programs, and the integration of Latin American culture in the fabric of American society have garnered him allegations of anti-Hispanic racism.

Displaying a similar attitude, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wrote for the National Review Online in 2006 that open U.S. borders are "a grave national-security threat." He predicted economic destabilization as the result of long term immigration.

What else do these two political figures have in common? Both men will speak on campus during the annual Impact Symposium, hosted by the Vanderbilt Programming Board's Speakers Committee this March, marking the second year in a row in which strong anti-immigration voices will speak on campus, with no mitigating pro-immigration voice slated thus far. Considering the implications of such one-sided sentiment, how are Latino students reacting to the selection of Dobbs and Gingrich?

Freshman Jonathan DeGracia expressed concerns about the effects this parade of conservative speakers might have on Vanderbilt's image. "This establishment is supposed to be open minded and objective, and it doesn't want to be portrayed as close-minded or ultra conservative. Vandy always struggles with casting off this stereotype, and it's just started making advances," said DeGarcia. He also said that balanced viewpoints are necessary to prevent steps in the wrong direction.

Freshman Erica Santiago drew on her experiences with Mexican-American immigrants in her hometown of New York City, as well as her Colombian-Puerto Rican heritage to stress a need for open-mindedness and balanced discussion of the issue of immigration. "You can't just allow immigration, but you can't stop it either, and there's no easy solution. There's a big gray area," Santiago asserted. "For the kids who have been here since they were very young, all they know is America, and telling them to go back to Mexico, to a place where they know nothing about the culture, is impossible."

She was also quick to point out an ideological distinction in the labeling of immigrants. "No one can be an 'illegal' immigrant. There's no such thing as an 'illegal' human being. They're just undocumented."

Bringing speakers like Dobbs and Gingrich to campus is the responsibility of the Speakers Committee, co-chaired by senior Nate Meltzer and junior Sarah Lovatt. Though the committee has no specific social agenda, its selections "seek to encourage thoughtful reflection and dialogue on contemporary issues," according to its mission statement. "Depending on resources like time, money and venue, people you can choose (to speak on campus) understandably become limited, and personal preferences get put aside for the greater purpose of serving the community in inviting interesting or controversial speakers," Meltzer said, referring to the democratic, consensus-building process of choosing lecturers.

Continued...

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