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By Robby McKittrick
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Dedham, Walpole, and Westwood hosted an immigration forum at the Westwood Public Library on Monday, October 1.
The event was hosted by the convener of the LWV, Marcia Hirshberg, and included a three-person panel: Marion Davis, Jose Carrasquillo, and Ernesto. Davis is the Director of Communications for the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Carrasquillo is an immigration law associate at Maiona Ward Law Firm in Boston, and Ernesto is an immigrant in Massachusetts.
Hirshberg began the event by introducing the panelists and explaining why they were hosting the event.
“We believe there is a lot of misinformation out there [about immigrants], so we want to make sure that people get the facts,” she said. “It is our feeling that we need to educate not only our members, but also our community … This is one of the most pressing issues in the upcoming elections.”
After Hirshberg spoke, the panelists took it away. Carrasquillo first explained the importance of immigrants to society.
For example, there is a high prevalence of immigrants in the population, they represent a high percent of the workforce, generate a high percent of income, and they are crucial in the creation of many different companies.
“Immigrants are immersed in the economy of the state,” explained Carrasquillo.
In addition to providing statistics to demonstrate his point, Carrasquillo told personal stories that he has experienced as a lawyer.
“Every day is an interesting day to try to help somebody,” he said.
After Carrasquillo spoke, Davis then gave her perspective on the issue.
Davis described the current problems with the immigration policies, why it is challenging for immigrants to receive legal registration, and why being an immigrant in the United States is difficult.
Quite simply, Davis said that the United States has room for improvement.
“We have always been a much rougher country than we thought,” she stated.
After the two panelists spoke, Ernesto finished by revealing his experience as an immigrant living in Massachusetts. After finishing high school last year, Ernesto received a scholarship for college. Ernesto, whose goal is to become a neurosurgeon, discussed the mindset for most immigrants.
“We want to make America a better place and contribute to society,” he said. “We are not bad people like many people may think … I still believe the American dream exists, and I can accomplish it.”
After the three panelists completed their discussion, members of the audience asked a few questions. Then, Hirshberg asked each panelist to summarize a main point from his or her talk.
“You will be more than surprised by how many immigrants are in our community,” stated Jose Carrasquillo.
Then, Ernesto spoke with a simple message.
“We are the future of America.”
