| June 2005
Families | Immigration
| Media | Multiculturalism/Multicultural
Society | Religion | Senior
Citizens | Women | Youth
Culture
E1 - Character and Culture
Wilson, James Q.
Public Interest, Spring 2005, #159; pp43-56
"After many years of worrying about economic cycles, industrial
management, and the negative income tax, Americans began to be
troubled by problems that seemed to arise out of a failure of
character: poor school achievement, rising welfare rolls, a tolerance
for deficits, and predatory crime. It is time to take account
of what has happened about these matters in the last 20 years.
Although a lot of progress has been made with crime and welfare
and some with education, and though it is possible that these
gains may influence the culture that helps shape our character,
it would be rash to suppose that our culture has changed in any
profound way. The most important character-shaping institution
is the family, and it is still in deep trouble - not only here,
but throughout the West." James Q. Wilson has written for
The Public Interest since 1966, and has been a professor at Harvard
and the University of California-Los Angeles. Fulltext
E2 - Love, Marriage- and Family Law
Cere, Daniel
Public Interest, Spring 2005, #159, pp.77-89
"The courts are actively engaged in reconstructing the public
meanings of family and marriage, while lawyers and legal theorists
have been pressing forward on new, cutting-edge issues. Family
law now operates in a global context, with legal scholars in one
nation often influencing their peers elsewhere. Recently, two
influential reports on the family have been published in the United
States and Canada. These reports, written by committees of lawyers,
seek to push family law in new directions far removed from its
traditional role of supporting marriage and protecting the best
interests of children. The first study, entitled Principles of
the Law of Family Dissolution, is a major American report published
in 2002, by the American Law Institute (ALI). Its reports carry
considerable authority within the legal community." Daniel
Cere teaches ethics at McGill University, and is director of the
Institute for the Study of Marriage, Law and Culture. Fulltext
E3 - Reforming Immigration Policy
Bhabha, Jacqueline
Boston Review, Summer 2005, v30, #3, online version
”An estimated 500,000 undocumented migrants enter the European
Union each year, and comparable numbers have been entering the
United States since 1990. Although reliable statistical information
is elusive, by all accounts the numbers are growing as opportunities
for legal migration steadily decrease. … as a matter of settled
policy, the United States and other developed countries continue
to treat irregular immigration principally as a law enforcement
problem: they focus on the effects of unregulated migration on
the state and aim to limit potential injuries to the state through
harsh border control, thus driving up the dangers and the costs
of human smuggling. This approach obscures the underlying labor
and human-rights issues. … A new strategy is needed, and human-rights
principles, which address the utter powerlessness of the useful
migrant, must be an essential part of it. Jacqueline Bhabha
is the executive director of the Harvard University Committee
on Human Rights Studies and a lecturer at Harvard Law School.
Fulltext
E4 - Alternatives to Amnesty: Proposals for Fair and
Effective Immigration Reform
Meese, Edwin III, James Jay Carafano, Matthew Spalding, and Paul
Rosenzweig
The Heritage Foundation, Backgrounder #1858, June 2, 2005,
6p.
Currently discussed initiatives aiming to curb illegal immigration
government’s often rely on amnesty for unauthorized migrants.
The quartet of authors of this backgrounder comes to a different
conclusion: “Immigration reform should be a matter of national
priority. To be successful, reforms must include a comprehensive
package of measures to reduce illegal entry into the United States
as well as to reduce the current population of unlawfully present
persons. The cornerstone of any such initiative must be a fair
and practical program for repatriating foreign persons who are
illegally present in the United States.”
Fulltext
E5 - Unauthorized Migrants: Numbers and Characteristics
Passel, Jeffrey S. Pew
Hispanic Center, June 14, 2005, 44p.
“Contrary to the stereotype of undocumented migrants as single
males with very little education who perform manual labor in agriculture
or construction, a new Pew Hispanic Center report shows that most
of the unauthorized population lives in families, a quarter has
at least some college education and that illegal workers can be
found in many sectors of the US economy.“ Fulltext
E6 - Backfire at the Border: Why Enforcement Without Legalization
Cannot Stop Illegal Immigration
Massey, Douglas S.
Cato Institute, Center for Trade Policy Studies. Trade Policy
Analysis No. 2,9 June 13, 2005, 16p.
”Despite increased enforcement at the U.S.-Mexican border beginning
in the 1980s, the number of foreign-born workers entering the
United States illegally each year has not diminished. Today an
estimated 10 million or more people reside in the United States
without legal documentation… A border policy that relies solely
on enforcement is bound to fail. Congress should build on President
Bush’s immigration initiative to enact a temporary visa program
that would allow workers from Canada, Mexico, and other countries
to work in the United States without restriction for a certain
limited time. Undocumented workers already in the United States
who do not have a criminal record should be given temporary legal
status.” Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University Fulltext
E7 - Immigrants and Local Governance: The View From City
Hall
Ramakrishnan, S. Karthick and Paul G. Lewis
Public Policy Institute of California, June 2005, 136p.
”More than one-quarter of California residents are foreign-born.
Yet, very little is known about the effects of immigration on
public policymaking and representation at the local level. In
this report, the authors address three major questions. First,
how do municipal officials become aware of the needs and preferences
of immigrant populations? Second, how do they attempt to communicate
city policies to their immigrant constituents, many of whom do
not speak English? Third, how – if at all – does the presence
of immigrants alter the policies and routines of city government?”
Fulltext
E8 - Guest Workers. Devising a New Immigration
Policy
Congressional Digest, June 2005, v84, #6, pp159-192
In 2004 President George W. Bush proposed a new immigration reform
measure that would “match willing foreign workers with willing
employers when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs.” The
Presidential proposal reopened the immigration debate and triggered
a flurry of activity in Congress. One of the proposals was the
Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act. Commonly
known as AgJOBS, the bill is the culmination of five years of
intense negotiations between growers and farm workers and has
broad bipartisan support.” This issue of Congressional Digest
provides background about the current issues. It also offers statements
arguing pro and con the AgJOBS Act. Order
article
E9 - Real Challenges for Virtual Borders: The Implementation
of US-VISIT
Koslowski, Rey
Migration Policy Institute, June 2005, 70p.
“The US-VISIT program may deter terrorists from attempting to
enter the United States through legal channels but probably will
not catch them, concludes a new report from MPI. The entry-exit
tracking system for foreign nationals traveling to the United
States was initially designed as an immigration enforcement tool
and then recast into a counterterrorism role after September 11.
However, author Rey Koslowski finds that the program will need
a clearer mandate and serious investments of political and economic
capital to provide more than an illusion of national security.”
Rey Koslowski, Rutgers University. Fulltext
E10 - Refugee Renewal
Fulton, William
Governing, May 2005, v18, #8, pp32-38
”Cities have long benefited from an influx of immigrants, but
a recent wave of political refugees is providing a major economic
boost to struggling localities.” Fulton describes how “absorbing
the displaced from overseas can be a tough urban task. But for
a city in decline, it can be an unexpected opportunity.” Immigration
continues to be a consistent source for renewal. Bill Fulton
is editor of California Planning & Development Report (CP&DR).
Order article
E11 - Re: Immigration. Ten Points for a Successful Presidential
Candidate
Krikorian, Mark
National Review, May 23, 2005, v57, #9, pp33-35
“The next presidential election may be years away, but potential
candidates are already staking out positions on issues that should
figure prominently. One of these is certain to be immigration.
… It is therefore an opportune time to outline an immigration
agenda for the 2008 presidential candidates. Here is a ten-point
package, which includes both measures that a candidate should
pledge to undertake on his own, and legislative changes that he
should promote, as president.” Mark Krikorian is executive
director of the Center for Immigration Studies. Fulltext
E12 - Second-Generation Immigrants in California
Ramakrishnan, S. Karthick and Hans P. Johnson
California Counts. Population Trends and Profiles, May 2005,
v6, #4, 10p.
This report “examines the demographics, socioeconomic characteristics,
and geographic location of second-generation immigrants in California
– i.e., U.S.-born individuals with at least one foreign-born parent.
{It} finds that over half (54%) are children and that a majority
live in Los Angeles County. As these children age over the next
decades, they could dramatically transform California’s adult
population with their increasing presence in the state’s colleges,
labor force, and voting population.” S. Karthick Rankrishnan
and Hans P. Johnson are research fellows at the Public Policy
Institute of California. Fulltext
E13 - Ties that Bind: Immigration Reform
Should be Tailored to Families, Not Just Individuals
Paral, Rob
American Immigration Law Foundation, Immigration Policy Brief,
May 2005
”An analysis of data from a variety of sources, including the
2000 census, suggests that a temporary worker program alone is
not a workable solution for the many undocumented immigrants who
belong to U.S.-based families. Immigration policies that affect
undocumented immigrants have an impact on entire families, some
members of which may be legal permanent residents of the United
States or U.S. citizens. Policymakers would do well to recognize
the bonds of family and look beyond temporary worker programs
as they seek to reform the U.S. immigration system.” Rob Paral,
Immigration Policy Center, Sargent Shriver National Center on
Poverty Law in Chicago. Fulltext
E14 - Social Security Benefits for Noncitizens: Current
Policy and Legislation Nuschler, Dawn and Alison Siskin
The Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Updated
May 11, 1005, 28p.
”Concerns about the number of unauthorized (illegal) aliens residing
in the United States and the recently signed totalization agreement
with Mexico have fostered considerable interest in the eligibility
of noncitizens for U.S. Social Security benefits. The Social Security
program provides monthly cash benefits to qualified retired and
disabled workers, their dependents, and survivors. Generally,
a worker must have 10 years of Social Security-covered employment
to be eligible for retirement benefits (less time is required
for disability and survivor benefits). Most jobs in the United
States are covered under Social Security. Noncitizens (aliens)
who work in Social Security-covered employment must pay Social
Security payroll taxes, including those who are in the United
States working temporarily and those who may be working in the
United States without authorization. There are some exceptions.”
Dawn Nuschler and Alison Siskin, Domestic Social Policy Division
of the Congressional Research Service. Fulltext
E15 - Remittances: International Payments by Migrants
The Congress of the United States
Congressional Budget Office, May 2005, 30p.
“Immigrants seeking economic opportunities often send money –
referred to as remittances – home to their families. This paper
reviews the available data on remittances from immigrations in
the United States. It describes the population of remittance senders,
the motivations that lead workers to send remittances and the
channels that they use, and the economic effects of remittances
in the United States and recipient countries.” Fulltext
E16 - Ethnic Media in America: The Giant Hidden in Plain
Sight
NCM Poll conducted by Bendixen & Associates, Jun 07, 2005
"The study reveals the striking impact of ethnic media in the
United States. Forty-five percent of all African American, Hispanic,
Asian American, Native American and Arab American adults prefer
ethnic television, radio or newspapers to their mainstream counterparts.
These "primary consumers" also indicated that they access ethnic
media frequently. This means that a staggering 29 million adults
(45% of the 64 million ethnic adults studied), or a full 13% of
the entire adult population of the United States, prefer ethnic
media to mainstream television, radio or newspapers." Fulltext
E17 - A Bright Future for Newspapers
Farhi, Paul
American Journalism Review, June/July 2005, v27, #3, pp54-59
A contrarian argues that despite those discouraging circulation
numbers, the old behemoths are well positioned to thrive in the
new-media world. “To be certain, all is not as well as it once
was at the average daily. Circulation, which has been on an orderly
downward trajectory for two decades, has lately shown signs of
free fall. And yet all of this misses a bigger, more positive
picture. Media accounts of the rise and fall of newspapers are
greatly exaggerated, if not flat wrong. The case for the survival
of the daily paper is at least as compelling as the one for its
much-reported demise.” Paul Farhi, a Washington Post reporter,
writes frequently about the media. Fulltext
E18 - Ethnic Identity and Imperative Patriotism: Arab
Americans Before and After 9/11
Salaita, Steven
College Literature, Spring 2005, v32, #2, p146, 24p
“This article examines the effects of 9/11 on the Arab American
community with emphasis on how notions of patriotism have altered
both American and Arab American life. Analyses of pedagogy, ethnic
studies, xenophobia, racism, and stereotype are offered in order
to highlight the complexities of the interaction between Americans
of Arab origin and other domestic ethnic groups. The author concludes
that 9/11 did not actually alter American attitudes toward Arab
Americans, but rather reinforced attitudes both positive and negative,
that had existed for decades. 9/11 simply offered racists and
xenophobes a rhetorical trope that could legitimize their views,
while it offered multiculturalists more reason to promote inclusionary
ideals.” Steven Salaita is assistant professor of Multicultural
literature at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the author
of Anti-Arab Racism: How Myth and Patriotism Combine to Inhibit
Democracy (2005). Fulltext
E19 - Multiculturalisms: Western, Muslim and Future
Rauf, Imam Feisal Abdul
Cross Currents New Rochelle, Spring 2005, v55, #1, pp100-105
Rauf traces the history of tolerance in both Muslim and Western
societies. The multiculturalist paradigm now on the rise in Europe
and the West was the operational paradigm that ruled the Muslim
world for thirteen centuries, flowing from the teachings of the
Quran and the Prophet Muhammad as understood and implemented by
his immediate successors. Feisal Abdul Rauf, American Society
for Muslim Advancement (ASMA Society). Fulltext
E20 - Diversity: In Our International Interest
Jenkins, Karen
Black Issues in Higher Education, May 19, 2005, v22, #7, p52,
1p
“Jenkins conveys that it is important to stress to students that
the diverse population of the US is the most valuable asset that
drives it economically, socially and culturally and that diversity
is indeed the country's international interest. She opines that
as a superpower, the greatest challenge facing the US is not the
ability to deploy an overwhelming military force, but to be an
example of how diverse cultures can live together peacefully.”
This article is suitable reading material for German students
(11th to 13th grade) and can be used as a basis to discuss the
assets of diversity. Karen Jenkins is former president of
Brethren Colleges Abroad and an international education consultant.
Fulltext
E21 - Riding into the Sunset: The Geezer Threat
Greider, William
The Nation, June 27, 2005, v280, #25
“In 1900 Americans on average lived for only 49 years and most
working people died still on the job. For those who lived long
enough, the average "retirement" age was 85. By 1935, when Social
Security was enacted, life expectancy had risen to 61 years. Now
it is 77 years--nearly a generation more--and still rising. Children
born today have a fifty-fifty chance of living to 100. This inheritance
from the last century -- the great gift of longer life -- surely
represents one of the country's most meaningful accomplishments.
Yet the achievement has been transformed into a monumental problem
by contemporary politics and narrow-minded accounting." The nation
faces a severe economic threat from the aging of its population
combined with escalating health costs," a Washington Post editorial
warned. Others put it more harshly. "Greedy geezers" are robbing
from the young, bankrupting the government." Fulltext
E22 - Ageless Aging: The Next Era of Retirement
Dychtwald, Ken
Futurist, Jul/Aug2005, v39, #4, pp16-22
This article explores the need to rethink and redefine old age
and retirement as human life expectancy surges. Most discussions
about increasing longevity have been focused on how to live longer
rather than on why. In youth, boomers were self-indulgent in their
priorities. In their late teens and 20s, many shared an idealistic
commitment to bettering society. During the past several decades
of career building and child-rearing, these boomers had to put
aside many of their early ideals. In the decades ahead, the boomers
will complete America's transformation into a gerontocracy, as
they take control of the nation's social and economic power."
Ken Dychtwald, founder of Age Wave, is a gerontologist, psychologist,
public speaker, and best-selling author. Fulltext
E23 - Survey Finds Freedom Gap for Women Throughout Middle
East Freedom House, June 24, 2005
A study by the independent, non-governmental organization Freedom
House has found that, despite progress in some countries, women
in the Middle East continue to suffer discrimination and lack
full legal and civil rights, according to a State Department press
release. The Freedom House study - the first comprehensive, comparative
study of women's civil and legal status throughout the Middle
East -- was funded by the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative
(MEPI), a Presidential initiative that supports economic, political
and educational reform in the region. The report, “Women's Rights
in the Middle East and North Africa: Citizenship and Justice,”
is the culmination of an intensive 20-month-long research process
by a team of 40 leading scholars, analysts and women's rights
experts primarily from the region. Fulltext
E24 - Kitchen Witches: Martha Stewart: Gothic Housewife,
Corporate CEO
Cohen, Emily Jane
Journal of Popular Culture, May 2005, vol. 38, #4, pp650-678
This article provides a context for the provocation being represented
by Martha Stewart, a television personality and Female CEO who
is facing several controversies in relation to her company Martha
Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. In revisiting her career as both
housewife and professional, this article shows how she has come
to be the scourge of feminists and their detractors alike. Emily
Jane Cohen is currently affiliated with Stanford University.
Fulltext
youth culture
E25 - Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers
in Major U.S. Denominations
Schwadel, Phil; Smith, Christian
National Study of Youth and Religion, May 2005, 70p
“This report examines the religious beliefs and practices of American
Protestant teenagers. It provides a numerical description of the
role of religion in the lives of Protestant teens and lays out
denominational differences in religious beliefs, religious activities,
religious faith andpractices, evaluations of church, moral views,
risk behaviors and civic activities. … The goal of this report
is to follow up on a book recently published on NSYR findings,
‘Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Lives of American
Teenagers’, in order to help denominational and congregational
leaders and religion scholars and observers better understand
the religious situations of Protestant adolescents in the United
States.” Philip Schwadel, National Study of Youth and Religion.
Christian Smith, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Fulltext
E26 - The Hip-Hop Discourse: Coming to a Campus
Near You
Keels, Crystal L
Black Issues in Higher Education. May 19, 2005. pp40-, 6p
For many years, Black women have been negatively portrayed --
in hip-hop videos and song lyrics -- and yet to some, it's taken
a long time to engage the Black community in a serious discourse
about the more divisive, derisive aspects of both hip-hop music
and culture. Here, Keels delves deeper into the issue. Fulltext
E27 - They’re Wearing Religion on Their Sleeves
Collins, Clayton
Christian Science Monitor, May 4, 2005, p11
“T-shirts with edgy religious slogans or Christian imagery are
suddenly in fashion. But what message do they send?” The article
discusses the new trend among young people of wearing clothes
with religious symbols or slogans. Fulltext
E28 - The Factors Behind Changes in How Students Relax
National On-Campus Report, v33, #11
“How students spend their free time has changed significantly
over the past 30 years, and technology is mostly – but not completely
– responsible for the difference.” The article discusses a study
conducted by University of Minnesota-Twin Cities faculty members
Darwin D. Hendel and Roger D. Harrold, which shows the changes
in undergraduate student leisure interests over the last 30 years.
Fulltext
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