Of all the political talk filling the air this spring, no issue has caused more national controversy than the debate over illegal immigration.
Sadly, the topic has barely been acknowledged here at Northwestern.
There has been no significant speaker, no protest, no press release and not even a whisper from any of the political groups on campus. Believe it or not, NU has a proud tradition of activism and the lack of relevant programming or awareness activities is disappointing.
Groups at NU have focused their energies on Darfur and the war in Iraq, both worthy issues, but that is not an excuse to simply ignore such a pressing problem. Illegal immigration presents a unique opportunity for student group coalition-building: Perhaps College Democrats and Alianza could co-sponsor a speaker, or Americans for Informed Democracy and CaribNation could host a roundtable two group partnerships that otherwise would have little in common.
We live on the border of a city with one of the largest Latino populations in the country. We have hundreds of professors, staffers and students of Latino descent. We have an even larger number of first-generation Americans, all of whom are affected in some way by the proposed legislation.
Whether a student is Republican, Democrat or neither, liberal, conservative or apathetic, illegal immigration is still a critical issue, and a battle over core American values that could potentially define our country for decades.
We should be part of this discussion.
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