On January 19, students gathered in the Nee Room to listen to presentations and discussions on the current status of immigration in the United States. The event was hosted by Ms. Reem Aweida-Parsons’s College Level Immigration & Ethnicity class.
Although CL Immigration is only a term course, the class covers a vast range of topics, exploring the perspectives and experiences of Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latino immigrants. Hoping to educate the community on what they have learned thus far, Ms. Aweida-Parsons and her students designed a symposium open to the entire school.
In addition to providing a space for students to express their opinions about immigration and learn about current immigration politics, the event included snacks, drinks, and even a raffle. Students sipped on seltzer and enjoyed pizza while discussing.
The symposium began with informative presentations from six panelists in the immigration class. Samantha Tishler ’23 opened the presentations and focused on past and present immigration laws. Arthur Beaugeard ’23 presented on the journey migrants take through Central and South America to get to the US-Mexico border and the current immigration stance of the Biden administration. Nandini Ramanathan ’23 spoke about the inhumane conditions at the border. Rene Russell ’23 informed the audience of border patrol, ICE, and USCIS and their role in immigration politics. Justas Bardauskas ’23 spoke about DACA, the ways immigrants can obtain legal status through different visas, and the challenges millions of immigrants face when trying to obtain Legal Permanent Residency. Lastly, Madison Oh ’23 described the discrimination and marginalization of refugees and immigrants in America.
Moderators Anusha Satheesh ’23 and Nicholas Sticka ’23 facilitated the discussion and encouraged audience participation. They asked open-ended questions relating to immigration reform, what the ideal immigration process should include, and the ethical dilemma of taking in refugees. These questions sparked lively discussion surrounding international affairs, US immigration policies, and the rights of undocumented immigrants.
After the symposium, raffle winners were announced. Prizes included a Loomis Chaffee bookstore t-shirt and gift cards to the Bean.
Describing her philosophy on the class, the symposium, and her overall stance on tackling difficult political topics such as immigration, Ms. Reem Aweida-Parsons said, “Leaning in but looking out.”
With support from the History Department, the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and the Shultz Fellowship, the CL Immigration class informed the community and facilitated discussion on a contentious issue in support of the common good at Loomis and beyond.
