Immigration ~ The road from 'undocumented' to 'citizen' and why it should matter to you!

IMMIGRATION, WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?    Please join us Wednesday, March 20 at 7:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marblehead, 28 Mugford Street, Marblehead for an informational evening that explains the plight of the undocumented people in our midst and why providing a pathway to citizenship benefits us all.

Panelists include: Alexandra Pineros Shields, long-time advocate and expert in the field of immigration policy, Avi Chomsky, author of "They Take Our Jobs and 20 Other Myths about Immigration," Isabel Vargas, Student Immigrant Movement activist and leader, Jessica Rizzo Garcia, former Arizona Attorney General Office employee and Rev. Wendy von Zirpolo, immigration reform activist and minister of the UU Congregation of Marblehead.  The panel will be moderated by former Globe columnist Linda Weltner and will include a question and answer period.

This forum on immigration is one of a series of offerings planned by North Shore residents, educators and leaders interested in demystifying the immigration issue. 

“As a country we are embroiled in a battle here at home rife with misinformation, misconceptions and fear.  Much of that fear is unfounded.  We may not all agree on what the pathway toward immigration reform looks like but we can agree to start from a place of facts and respect for all human beings.  This panel is the start of a series we hope will help provide essential facts behind immigration, the impact of undocumented people on our existing systems and the impact of our policies on their lives as well as the lives of other historically marginalized citizen communities,” said Rev. von Zirpolo, adding that each forum will also provide a question box for people to place their questions for discussion at each event and for consideration at future forums.

The first, March 20, 7:30 pm offers a demystifying of terms and truths about the undocumented in the US and here on the North Shore. Additional offerings will include documentaries about the deportation raids in New Bedford, the strict laws in Arizona and other relevant films and discussions. All are welcome to attend. For more information about this event, future programming or becoming involved in this group, please be in direct touch with Rev. von Zirpolo at rev.uucm@yahoo.com