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Teachers, sociologists, members of the media, and anyone else interested in immigration are all invited to the “2009 Four Corners Conference: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Immigration” at Mesa State College Friday and Saturday.
A free concert and Tango dance performance in the Recital Hall follows the conference's conclusion Saturday night.
“The conference is an attempt at bringing multiple facets and perspectives on this complex issue to public attention,” said MSC Spanish professor Tom Acker, and an event organizer. “There's been a lack of clarity, depth and balance on the issue of immigration for many years.”
In fact, misunderstanding when it comes to immigrants, has always been a part of America's past, Acker said, citing past discrimination against Germans, Japanese, Italians and the Irish.
Speakers will include members of academia, as well as a variety of professionals including doctors, lawyers, and social workers from Grand Junction, Denver, Glenwood Springs, Canada and Costa Rica.
“It's a fascinating collection of people (working at all levels of immigration) coming together,” said organizer Julie Barak, and MSC English professor.
Organizers purposely sought an interdisciplinary approach to the conference.
“We didn't want to section it off,” Barak said. “People all across the culture are looking at immigration issues. When you bring disciplines together like that, people can expand their view.”
Former Mesa State College art professor Toro Sugita will open the conference Friday with a presentation on immigration and art. Other topics covered Friday include border culture and film, sociolinguistic perspectives, the Constitution and undocumented immigrants, and immigration in the classroom.
Saturday, topics include immigration and politics; immigrant integration and Mesa County; plus history and slavery — past and present.
After the conference Carlos and Andrea Elias, will perform a violin and piano duet in the college Recital Hall at 7 p.m. There will also be a choreographed student tango performance by Abigail Ferolla, and Argentine ballads sung by Adriana Rojas.
The conference is $20 for the public; and free for students. The concert and music Saturday night is free for everyone.
Friday's conference will take place in the Grand Mesa Multipurpose Room, just south of the Fine Arts Building. Registration is at 8 a.m. and the opening ceremony begins at 9.
Saturday, the conference is on the third floor of the Academic Building, north of the Fine Arts Building. Registration is at 8 a.m., with the first topic of the day, “Immigration and Politics, Framing the Issue,” starting at 9.
For more information or to see a complete schedule of speakers and topics visit http://new.mesastate.edu/spanish/fcc/espanol/html.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
A free concert and Tango dance performance in the Recital Hall follows the conference's conclusion Saturday night.
“The conference is an attempt at bringing multiple facets and perspectives on this complex issue to public attention,” said MSC Spanish professor Tom Acker, and an event organizer. “There's been a lack of clarity, depth and balance on the issue of immigration for many years.”
In fact, misunderstanding when it comes to immigrants, has always been a part of America's past, Acker said, citing past discrimination against Germans, Japanese, Italians and the Irish.
Speakers will include members of academia, as well as a variety of professionals including doctors, lawyers, and social workers from Grand Junction, Denver, Glenwood Springs, Canada and Costa Rica.
“It's a fascinating collection of people (working at all levels of immigration) coming together,” said organizer Julie Barak, and MSC English professor.
Organizers purposely sought an interdisciplinary approach to the conference.
“We didn't want to section it off,” Barak said. “People all across the culture are looking at immigration issues. When you bring disciplines together like that, people can expand their view.”
Former Mesa State College art professor Toro Sugita will open the conference Friday with a presentation on immigration and art. Other topics covered Friday include border culture and film, sociolinguistic perspectives, the Constitution and undocumented immigrants, and immigration in the classroom.
Saturday, topics include immigration and politics; immigrant integration and Mesa County; plus history and slavery — past and present.
After the conference Carlos and Andrea Elias, will perform a violin and piano duet in the college Recital Hall at 7 p.m. There will also be a choreographed student tango performance by Abigail Ferolla, and Argentine ballads sung by Adriana Rojas.
The conference is $20 for the public; and free for students. The concert and music Saturday night is free for everyone.
Friday's conference will take place in the Grand Mesa Multipurpose Room, just south of the Fine Arts Building. Registration is at 8 a.m. and the opening ceremony begins at 9.
Saturday, the conference is on the third floor of the Academic Building, north of the Fine Arts Building. Registration is at 8 a.m., with the first topic of the day, “Immigration and Politics, Framing the Issue,” starting at 9.
For more information or to see a complete schedule of speakers and topics visit http://new.mesastate.edu/spanish/fcc/espanol/html.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
