“˜Memo’ supports immigrant workers
By Shaun Bishop
Nov. 12, 2002 9:00 p.m.
The first event in the United States under a new “Memo of
Understanding” between UCLA and Universidad Nacional Autonoma
de Mexico took place Monday on campus, raising awareness about
neglected human rights issues for immigrant workers.
Speaking on behalf of Mexican immigrant workers, presenters in
Tom Bradley International Hall worked Monday to educate legislators
and policy makers on the basic human rights issues they say the
state of California has overlooked.
“Gray Davis has failed to understand that they’d
better serve the population or else,” said James Wilkie,
chairman of the UCLA Program on Mexico and UCLA history
professor.
In combination with Mexico’s National Human Rights
Commission, UCLA and UNAM signed a “Memo of
Understanding” facilitating the exchange of professors,
ideas, and research between the two universities.
Their hope is that the organizations in tandem might better
inform officials and legislators of the California state government
on issues that affect the basic human rights of workers coming from
Mexico and Central America.
“They can’t solve the problem if they don’t
know what it is,” said Wilkie.
“It is entirely appropriate that the speakers come to Los
Angeles, the second largest city of Mexico, to talk about these
human rights issues,” he added.
Speakers discussed the right of immigrants going through the
process of obtaining citizenship to get a driver’s
license.
Gov. Gray Davis recently vetoed a bill that would have allowed
qualified undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses
while waiting to be granted citizenship.
“These people are not hiding, they’re not living in
caves, they are just trying to fulfill the American dream,”
said Pedro Mojica-Pineda, an urban planning graduate student.
Issues addressed include the inability of undocumented immigrant
agriculture workers to open a bank account and the lack of
qualified Spanish-speaking physicians in California.
Other topics covered the new challenges immigrants face after
Sept. 11, and moral and legal assistance for immigrants.
Wilkie argued that immigrants have a basic right to public
health, and if they can’t communicate their symptoms, that
right is denied to them.
“These issues cost Gray Davis a shot at the presidency,
and almost cost him the (gubernatorial) election,” Wilkie
said.
“The myth is that undocumented immigrants come to the
United States and utilize health benefits and food stamps,”
Mojica-Pineda said.
“At times, politicians are empty vessels that need to be
filled,” he said.
California Sen.-elect Gilbert Cedillo, D”“Los Angeles,
spoke for about an hour at the conference Tuesday. UCLA Chancellor
Albert Carnesale was scheduled to make an appearance today, but is
not expected due to his attending a University of California Board
of Regents meeting in San Francisco.
The conferences are open to the general public and take place
today on the second floor of Tom Bradley International Hall from
10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wilkie expects the groups to convene again in six months to a
year to see how awareness about issues has progressed.
