Controversial congressman, champion for reform, visits Clt

The U.S. Congress’s leading voice for immigration reform – and therefore a very controversial one – will meet with Latinos in Charlotte next week to draw attention to deportations and the toll they’re taking on immigrant families.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat, is on a 20-city tour he is calling the "Campaign for American Children and Families." He's also calling on President Obama to finally deliver immigration reform.

North Carolina's illegal immigrant population remained steady last year at about 325,000 people, after taking a slight dip the year before.

"The fear and dissatisfaction in immigrant and Latino communities is palpable and both parties shoulder some of the blame," said Gutierrez, who last year introduced an unsuccessful immigration reform bill. "Headed into an election year, the issue I am hearing about most is the record-setting pace of deportations, the price families and communities are paying, and the failure to make progress on immigration."

An estimated 11.2 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, including 325,000 in North Carolina, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

Charlotte was chosen because of its large and growing immigrant population as well as being the city that will host the 2012 Democratic Convention. The Latin American Coalition will host the visit.

During a stop last week in Boston, Gutierrez urged the president to use his authority to act independently of Congress and establish a policy that would let illegal immigrants remain in the country while immigration policy is overhauled, according to The Boston Globe. And he warned that Obama risks losing the support of the Latino community, which supported him in 2008.

“For too long, our movement has been tied to one party,’’ said Gutierrez. “Listen, this issue is greater than the Democrats, the Republicans, or any one party. This is a human rights issue.’’

The Charlotte event will be held April 20 at 6:30 p.m. at St Paul Baptist Church on Allen Street near Uptown. For more information, call 704-759-6503 or email rcampillo@latinamericancoalition.org.

Photo: Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., right, surrounded by families who have members facing deportation, in Washington, D.C. last month announces the "Campaign for American Children and Families" tour. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Dances of India returns..

The popular Dances of India, the colorful showcase of 2,000-year-old Indian classical and folk dances, will hold its 10th annual performance on April 30 at the Halton Theater.

I caught up with the group’s leader, Maha Gingrich, to talk about the group’s evolution. Here are excerpts:

For those unfamiliar with Dances of India, how would you describe it?
Dances of India will highlight classical dance styles of India, such as Kuchipudi and Bharatha Natyam from South India and the Kathak dance style from North India. We will also showcase the high energy folk dances from different regions. Our signature dance, Unity in Diversity will show the similarities between Indian dances and other international dance styles.

How did Dances of India start?
It started as a community outreach initiative during “Thursday Recital Series” of CPCC’s Arts and Communication division. CPCC wanted to celebrate and support the diversity that exists within our community and the college.

How has the program changed over the years?
We first presented our show in a small 150 capacity auditorium on CPCC’s central campus. Due to the demand for the show, the next year we moved into the Pease Auditorium with 450 capacity. Now we are in the beautiful Halton Theater that is designed for performing arts with 1,000 plus capacity. Each year, the community surprised us with their support and incredible turnout.

How do you find your dancers?
All of our performers are local to the Charlotte region. They have been training in these classical dance forms for six to eight years. Many of the local artists from CPCC and other dance groups participate each year according to the theme being presented.

What special things do you have in store for this year's performance?
Each year we have done different themes such as stick dances, clapping dances, animal dances, festival dances, etc. that are common in many parts of the world. This year we want to showcase the basis of any dance -- rhythm and emotions. This is going to be a unique presentation using international instruments and dance styles.

Will you have a solo performance this year? What can you tell us about your dance?
My teacher from my childhood Mrs. Sumathy Kaushal came to visit and taught me this incredible and powerful dance of Lord Shiva. Due to my head injury two years ago, I was not sure if I will be able to perform this dance filled with nonstop rhythms, vigor and unbelievable footwork. In spite of my apprehension, I look forward to performing this dance in a dance drama form with 10 other dancers with unique costumes and masks.

Congrats on your 10 year anniversary. How does it feel to have been successful for this long?
I feel honored to present this show to our Charlotte region. It is due to the support and encouragement of CPCC and the community that we had nine years of sold out shows. I hope the community will join us in celebrating the 10th year anniversary with the same enthusiasm.

For tickets ($10 for adults), call 704-330-6534 or visit tix.cpcc.edu.

White House official to meet with local Muslims, Latinos

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez will visit Charlotte on Thursday as part of President Obama's initiative to reach out to minority groups.

Jibril Hough of The Islamic Center of Charlotte said Perez, who also leads the department's Civil Rights Division, will meet with local Latinos and Muslims to learn about the community's concerns and instances of possible hate crimes.

Hough said the Muslim community in Charlotte has never had such a high ranking official request to meet with them in an effort to ensure the community's concerns about civil rights are being addressed.

“A meeting such as this is going beyond the typical 'lip service' that we often get from D.C.” Hough said.

Perez is also expected to meet with students and faculty at the Northwest School of the Arts, the Latin American Coalition, the Mecklenburg County Bar, Charlotte School of Law, and the John S. Leary Association of Black Lawyers while in Charlotte.

CLT professor: Laws solely can't solve immigration problems

A local professor investigates the political and social impacts of immigration in the South in a new book, “Irresistible Forces.”

Greg Weeks, associate professor of political science and director of Latin American Studies at UNC Charlotte, teamed up with his father, John R. Weeks, a geography professor at San Diego State University, for the five year investigation. The result: a 185-page examination of Latin American migration into Southeast, which has the fastest growing immigrant population. And how it may impact the political future of the South.

Weeks, who also authors the Latin American politics blog Two Weeks Notice, combed through hoards of government data, including from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mecklenburg County Health Department.

The main point of the book, Weeks says, is that to craft any immigration policy that will actually achieve its goals, leaders must take into account demographic dynamics both here and in Latin America.

“We should not view immigration as something we can turn on or off with new laws,” Weeks says. “There are much broader forces at work.”

“Irresistible Forces” starts off by stepping back to look at the current economic recession and how, since 2008, some economist have predicted that unemployed migrants would eventually return to their home countries in Latin America.

“Developers were no longer building at the same rate and thus not hiring every day, wealthier Americans began cutting back on services they used to pay others to do, and no one seemed to know how far away the light at the end of the tunnel might be. In fact, the problem of undocumented immigration might almost take care of itself. The phrase “self-deportation” came vogue as reporters began scouring the country to find people who might be leaving, and as headlines grew more and more lurid. It all makes perfect sense except for one problem: the argument is wrong. Most migrants are, in fact, choosing to stay….”

The father and son team go on to explain many factors affect immigration -- and a bad economy is only one of them. They discuss the historical background of Latin American migration, policy and demographic changes that incurred, the role of Latin American governments, and the changes in the South and the political ramification that will accompany them.

“As a new immigrant gateway region, the future of the South will hinge at least partly on how it incorporates and successfully integrates the existing and latent political, economic, and cultural strengths of the Latino population.”

“Irresistible Forces” came out in January. It can be purchased in most outlets online, including Amazon.

Latinos to clean Charlotte streets

Hundreds of Latinos, armed with litter sticks and garbage bags, will hit the streets Saturday to help clean the city.

Some 500 volunteers are expected to take part in the sixth annual citywide cleanup organized by Jesus Ministry. Maudia Melendez, head of the non-profit that works with immigrant communities, says the event is intended to help create awareness in the Latino community about American culture and combat negative stereotypes.

"We believe that everybody should give a little bit to the city where we live," she said. "We also want to raise awareness in our communities that we need to keep our city clean."

Melendez said that Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful and the Mexican Consulate will be supporting the event.

On Saturday, teams of volunteers will be dispatched to more than a sixteen streets and major city roadways, including Elizabeth Avenue, Eastway Drive, Harris Boulevard, Sugar Creek Parkway, and South Boulevard, among others.

"This is something that everyone should do," Melendez said.

Volunteers will be gathering at 8 a.m. Saturday at Statesville Road Baptist Church. For more information, contact Jesus Ministry at (704) 532-8703 or email info@jesusministrytoday.org.

File photo: Dana Romanoff for the Charlotte Observer

NC illegal immigrants released from Atlanta jail

Two illegal immigrants from North Carolina have been released from jail after being arrested Tuesday for their participation in an Atlanta sit-in to protest laws and proposed laws that bar illegal immigrants from attending public colleges.

Viridiana Martinez of Sanford said shortly after being taken to jail with the six other undocumented students who were arrested, immigration officers arrived and asked them to sign forms. All of the participants refused. She does not know why ICE did not take further action.

“We definitely felt privileged—not everyone who is undocumented is treated the way we were,” she said. “we are not sure why we were not detained.”

Martinez and Jose Rico, a student at Wake Tech, are part of the NC Dream Team, a state-wide group that advocates for immigrant rights. They were among seven undocumented students arrested in an act of civil obedience intended to raise awareness of new legislation in Georgia (and proposed in North Carolina) that bans illegal immigrants from attending public colleges.

For earlier coverage on the sit in, visit here and here.

Undocumented NC students arrested during sit in

Two illegal immigrants from North Carolina have been arrested and could face deportation after staging a sit in this afternoon in downtown Atlanta to protest laws that bar illegal immigrants from attending public colleges.

Supporters say Jose Rico, a student at Wake Tech, and Viridiana Martinez of Sanford, were arrested with five other undocumented students who were protesting recently proposed legislation in Georgia and North Carolina.

The students were taken to an area jail. The supporters said the Atlanta jails participate in Secure Communities, which identifies and places illegal immigrants into deportation proceedings.

A vigil will be held tonight outside Atlanta Detention Center for the seven undocumented youth who were just arrested.

“I’m doing this because our communities are living in fear,” Rico said before the rally.

Organizers say more than 200 supporters from Georgia, the Carolinas, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, among other states, are in Atlanta supporting the rally.

Rico is a member of the NC Dream Team, a state-wide group that advocates for immigrant rights. He is a student at Wake Tech in Raleigh and plans to transfer to NC State. After excelling in high school being accepted to numerous colleges, Rico could not afford to go to school because of the out-of-state tuition that undocumented students are required to pay. Rico wants to become an engineer.

The students are part of The Dream is Coming project, which was created to advocate for the Dream Act, legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for certain young people who were brought here at a young age. It has failed to pass congress several times, most recently in December.

“Fifty-one thousand undocumented youth had their dreams torn apart when our senators voted against the Dream Act," Rico said. "They are trying to criminalize our existence.”

The young students have started using civil disobedience as a tool in their fight, including a high-profile sit-in at the Tucson offices of U.S. Sen. John McCain, when some of them were arrested. They have likened their struggle to the civil rights movement of the 1960s and say they are bolstered by support from some of the leaders of that movement.

Legislators in North Carolina are considering banning illegal immigrants from attending public colleges and universities. Two bills in the NC General Assembly, HB 11 and HB 343, would ban illegal immigrants from attending the state's public colleges.

Viridiana Martinez, who came to the United States when she was 7-years-old and lives in Sanford, will also participate in the sit in. Last year, she was one of three undocumented young women who participated in a thirteen-day hunger strike with the hope of encouraging Senator Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, to support the Dream Act. The Dream Act succumbed to a Senate filibuster after several key Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the bill.

“Rallying and protesting are no longer enough,” Martinez said. “Remaining in the shadows is no longer acceptable.”

Associated Press Contributed.