Frequently asked questions about the Interethnic Dialogues on Immigration
1. How can I get involved?
If you or your organization would like to be involved in a dialogue, please contact Coordinator Jamie Pitts. Unfortunately, resources are limited, so there is a limit to the number of dialogues we can host (around 15 local and one national). If there is not a dialogue in your area, Jamie would be happy to share information with you about how to host your own.
Other planning factors also necessarily limit the number of people any one dialogue can hold. Please contact Jamie as soon as possible to let him know you are interested in participating.
2. Why dialogue? Haven’t we talked enough? Isn’t it time for action?
Yes and no. Though we have been talking about immigration for a long time, we have made little progress. There are a number of reasons why we have not progressed, but among them are our tendencies to only talk with people who agree with us and not to listen to those who disagree. Interethnic Dialogues on Immigration create space for people with a wide array of opinions to share those opinions and respectfully listen to others. We believe the give and take of sharing and listening -- dialogue -- is central to our democratic process and will help our national discussion on immigration.
Additionally, we do plan for action to come out of the dialogues. We have chosen the "Open Space Technology" format (www.openspaceworld.org) for the dialogues because it allows for open dialogue and encourages action. Dialogues are especially good at facilitating new alliances and identifying common ground where action can take place.
Finally, the dialogues are a great way to connect with organizations that are active on immigration in your community. But if you really can’t wait to get involved, please contact us and we will be happy to put you in contact with an organization.
3. Why interethnic? Aren’t we really talking about Latinos here?
Immigration affects people of all ethnicities. Yes, Latinos are at the forefront of our current debates, but it is time to recognize that immigration is about far more than Latinos. For instance, few of our debates take into account the impact of immigration policies on our Asian and African populations. And few of our discussions on undocumented immigration talk about the thousands of Irish and other European undocumented people.
Political debate in our country is far too often fractured along ethnic and racial lines. By hosting interethnic dialogues, Church World Service hopes to contribute to the long-term healing of our race relations.