Immigration Matters: Movements, Visions, and Strategies for a Progressive Future

In this lucid and well-organized anthology, three scholars from the CUNY School of Labor and Union Studies bring together activists and academics to examine the forces that have shaped U.S. immigration policy and offer ideas for achieving “meaningful, lasting reforms.” Historian Mae M. Ngai analyzes how structural shifts in the economy and demagogic politicians have fueled nativist periods in American history when anti-immigration measures were passed. Cristina Jiménez Moreta, the founder of United We Dream, details the tactics and strategies that led to a 2012 executive order protecting the Dreamers from deportation, while labor activist D. Taylor discusses how immigrant leadership has reinvigorated labor groups in Nevada, helping to turn the state from red to blue. In the book’s final sections, contributors argue for significantly increasing the number of refugees and asylum seekers allowed into the U.S., share techniques for changing the minds of xenophobic voters, and discuss what a humanitarian immigration enforcement program would look like. Each essay is packed with useful information and based on decades of experience. Progressive lawmakers and immigration activists will find this to be a valuable resource. (Apr.)