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   from the issue of March 1, 2007

     
 
Forum to explore Nebraskans' beliefs on immigration

 UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

More than half of rural Nebraskans do not believe Latin American immigration benefits the state. That finding and others from the 2006 Nebraska Rural Poll conducted by the Center for Applied Rural Innovation and UNL researchers, will be discussed at a public forum 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. March 7 at Great Plains Art Museum.

"It is my view that the negative opinions of Hispanics and immigrants in general is generated by the term 'illegal.' This fortifies the argument I have tried to make when stating we need immigration reform/guest worker programs," said Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island, who is scheduled to participate as a panelist in the forum.

The poll released Nov. 13 also found that many rural Nebraskans have mixed feelings on policies that would grant citizenship or other benefits to undocumented immigrants. Opinions were mixed about the creation of a guest-worker program for immigrant workers. These findings have significant implications for the state and its rural communities.

"I think the state of Nebraska is at a crucial crossroads in terms of economic development, and immigration will play a key - and potentially positive - role in which path we travel," said Miguel A. Carranza, professor of sociology and ethnic studies at UNL. "There is much to be gained by finding ways to utilize and reinforce the positive impact of immigration on our statewide labor force."

This is the first time in its 11-year history that the Nebraska Rural Poll researched perceptions of immigration from Latin America. Responding to the poll were 2,482 residents of rural Nebraska, with polling conducted in both English and Spanish. This year's questionnaire was also sent to a sample of rural households with Latino/Spanish surnames, thus resulting in a total sub-sample of 126 respondents who identified as Spanish, Hispanic or Latino.

"The attitudes expressed by rural Nebraskans in the 2006 poll seem to have had more to do with the power of stereotypes and political rhetoric than with the empirical reality of the impact of immigration," said Randy Cantrell, Community Development Specialist with the Nebraska Rural Initiative. "A critical question for Nebraska's future will involve how rural communities come to understand and adapt to that impact."

Cantrell and Carranza will provide an overview of the poll's findings and discuss the implications of the results with a panel of other researchers and policymakers.

Other panelists include: Lourdes Gouveia, director, Office of Latino/Latin American Studies and professor of Sociology at University of Nebraska at Omaha; Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln; Jose J. Soto, Vice President for Affirmative Action/Equity/Diversity at Southeast Community College; Darcy Tromanhauser, Immigrant Integration Participation Program Director, Nebraska Appleseed; and Todd Wiltgen, State Director, Office of U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel.

Audience questions and a reception will follow the conclusion of the panel. The event is free and open to the public.

It is co-sponsored by the UNL College of Arts and Sciences, Nebraska Rural Initiative, and University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.

The annual survey provides insight on the trends and concerns of rural Nebraska. It is conducted by the UNL Center for Applied Rural Innovation in partnership with the UNL Department of Agricultural Economics, Nebraska Rural Initiative, and the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. Poll results can be found at http://cari.unl.edu/ruralpoll/report06.shtml.


GO TO: ISSUE OF MARCH 1

NEWS HEADLINES FOR MARCH 1

Treasure from the Attic (and a few storage closets)
Download ranking prompts reminder
Forum to explore Nebraskans' beliefs on immigration
Real Nebraska fuels Burge's anchor run
Scientists report breakthrough in spin electronics
Women's Week activities begin March 2

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