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First, I would like to thank the Summit Daily News for their coverage of the Immigration Forum sponsored by Our Future Summit (SDN, Oct. 13). Hopefully, there will be more conversations like it.
However, I wish to correct an inaccurate citation. Nicole Formosa writes that, "The estimated illegal [immigrant] population (in the U.S.) is 200,000 to 300,000, 43 percent of whom live in California."
In fact, the statistic that I used at the Our Future Summit Immigration Forum was not a total of estimated undocumented immigrants living in the United States, but an estimate of the number of undocumented people who enter per year. This number is estimated by several sources, including the Department of Homeland Security, to be between 200,000 and 500,000 people annually. Taking into account variables such as the number of undocumented immigrants who return to their home country each year, mortality rates, and deportations, the estimate ranges from 200,000 to 300,000.
The Summit Daily News did not report the first statistic I presented: Approximately 1 million immigrants came to the U.S. legally last year, most of whom work hard, invest in local economies and contribute to the vibrance of their communities. They value education, family and good health, and they are willing to contribute their time and money to ensure that their children have access to those things.
As a primary source of information here in the county, it is important that the Summit Daily News present accurate information to its readers, particularly about an issue as controversial as immigration.
According to The Center for Immigration Studies, "Those counties in which the number of new legal immigrants (1991-1998) was equal in size to at least 50 percent of the existing foreign-born population in 1990 are designated as 'New Ellis Islands.'"
Summit County is ranked number 51 out of 3,141 counties in the nation. This information is accessible from The Center's website - www.cis.org. It is a good starting point for those interested in this conversation, although I encourage people to look at a broad range of sources about immigration, its history, and its implications.
The Immigration Forum was a small step in maintaining open communication about a contentious issue. To say that immigration is entirely positive or negative is over-simplification; there are challenges and benefits, and in Summit County we have the opportunity to create a healthy community that values all its members, and allows them to pursue the American dream as immigrants have done for generations.
However, I wish to correct an inaccurate citation. Nicole Formosa writes that, "The estimated illegal [immigrant] population (in the U.S.) is 200,000 to 300,000, 43 percent of whom live in California."
In fact, the statistic that I used at the Our Future Summit Immigration Forum was not a total of estimated undocumented immigrants living in the United States, but an estimate of the number of undocumented people who enter per year. This number is estimated by several sources, including the Department of Homeland Security, to be between 200,000 and 500,000 people annually. Taking into account variables such as the number of undocumented immigrants who return to their home country each year, mortality rates, and deportations, the estimate ranges from 200,000 to 300,000.
The Summit Daily News did not report the first statistic I presented: Approximately 1 million immigrants came to the U.S. legally last year, most of whom work hard, invest in local economies and contribute to the vibrance of their communities. They value education, family and good health, and they are willing to contribute their time and money to ensure that their children have access to those things.
As a primary source of information here in the county, it is important that the Summit Daily News present accurate information to its readers, particularly about an issue as controversial as immigration.
According to The Center for Immigration Studies, "Those counties in which the number of new legal immigrants (1991-1998) was equal in size to at least 50 percent of the existing foreign-born population in 1990 are designated as 'New Ellis Islands.'"
Summit County is ranked number 51 out of 3,141 counties in the nation. This information is accessible from The Center's website - www.cis.org. It is a good starting point for those interested in this conversation, although I encourage people to look at a broad range of sources about immigration, its history, and its implications.
The Immigration Forum was a small step in maintaining open communication about a contentious issue. To say that immigration is entirely positive or negative is over-simplification; there are challenges and benefits, and in Summit County we have the opportunity to create a healthy community that values all its members, and allows them to pursue the American dream as immigrants have done for generations.
