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Town Hall Meeting on immigration in California

High school students from around the state will meet with policymakers for a Town Hall Meeting on Feb. 8 from 1 – 2:30 p.m. in the State Capitol, Room 4203. The meeting, titled “California and Immigration: An Examination of Public Policy and Student Perspectives,” is sponsored by the LegiSchool Project, a civic education collaborative between Sacramento State’s Center for California Studies and the California Legislature.

The debate over immigration came to a head last year as the public and policymakers grappled with concerns surrounding the impact of illegal immigration on our country’s resources and safety. Questions that will be addressed at the meeting include: What are the impacts of illegal immigration in California? What rights do American-born children of unauthorized immigrants have?

The meeting will give students the opportunity to ask questions and share their concerns on this important issue with guest panelists Senator Gilbert Cedillo and Assemblymember Bonnie Garcia. Audience participants will include students from Castro Valley High School, Castro Valley; San Pasqual Valley High School, Winterhaven; Palm Springs High School, Palm Springs; Upland High School, Upland; Marysville High School, Marysville; McClymonds High School, Oakland; Global Youth Charter High School, Antelope; Truckee High School, Truckee and San Joaquin County Office of Education. Sacramento State professor of education, Paula Gardner, will moderate the meeting.

From Feb. 12 – 16, the LegiSchool Project will host an online web dialogue to give students, policymakers, educators and others interested in the topic an opportunity to hear from experts, ask questions, share their views and learn about the many issues that surround the immigration policy reform debate. Teachers are encouraged to participate as a class, in small groups or have individual students participate. To join the dialogue, register at www.webdialogues.net/legischool/ca_immigration.

The LegiSchool Project’s mission is to engage young people in the democratic process by creating opportunities for students and state leaders to meet and share ideas on public policy issues affecting Californians and the nation. This particular forum is designed to educate students about the role of citizens in a representative democracy. For more information, call (916) 278-6906. For media assistance, contact the Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.