MEDIA RELEASES
ContactKristin Peterson
kpeterson@dom.edu
(708) 524-6452
October 21, 2009
Students from three Chicago universities organize immigration conference
Students and faculty at Dominican University, Loyola University Chicago and DePaul University, as well as the Office for Immigrant Affairs & Immigration Education of the Archdiocese of Chicago have been working together for the past 15 months to organize a day-long conference on immigration issues on Friday, October 23. “Perspectives on Immigration,” will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in room 120 of the Student Center at DePaul University, 2250 N. Sheffield, Chicago. Over 300 people are registered to participate in this free event.The conference is designed to enhance college students’ understanding of immigration issues and to inspire them to do advocacy work on behalf of immigrants. The conference will open with a keynote address by Carlina Tapia-Ruano, an expert in immigration law, which will be followed by a panel presentation of personal perspectives on immigration. Break-out sessions will be led by representatives from such organizations as the Consulate General of Mexico, the National Immigrant Justice Center, and Catholic Relief Services. Topics will include immigration raids, the “1.5 generation” (young people who came to the U.S. as teenagers), the DREAM Act (legislation that will give undocumented students a path to legalization), and the economic impact of immigrants in Chicago and Mexico.
Undergraduate students at Dominican University, law students at DePaul University and social work graduate students at Loyola University Chicago will serve as moderators for panel discussions and present papers and posters during the conference.
The immigration issue is particularly meaningful for Dominican University as 25% of undergraduate students are Hispanic and almost half are first-generation college students.
For more information on this conference, please visit the website at www.law.depaul.edu/immigration.
Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as a doctoral degree in library and information science. In the 2010 edition of “America’s Best Colleges,” U.S. News & World Report ranked Dominican University in the top 20 of Midwest master’s level universities and included it as one of 15 Midwest “Great Schools at Great Prices.”
Jessica Mackinnon
Director of Public Information
jmack@dom.edu
(708)524-6289
Kristin Peterson
Public Relations Coordinator
kpeterson@dom.edu
(708)524-6452