R efugio Marquez was searchingfor a way out. Her father diedbefore she was a year old when

a piece of adobe roof fell on his head.Her mother re-married the town drunkand had a new baby every year, leaving“Cuca” in charge of the younger nínos.Eventually, the drunk fell in the townwell, tainting the citizens’ water supply.Finally, at the ripe age of 14, Refugiofound her salvation in 27-year-old DelfinoCordova, a 6-foot-tall gentleman withdark eyes and a railroad job in El Norte.

The rest, as they say, is history.

BY JESSE CHRISTOPHERSON

Immigration is not a topic you’ve prob-ably heard much about during this year’spresidential election campaign — at leastnot from the candidates.

It’s not that the candidates lack officialpositions or that they agree on immigra-tion issues. It’s just that, other thanIndependent candidate Ralph Nader,they’d rather not talk about it.

Jack Martin, special projects directorfor the Federation for AmericanImmigration Reform, said the candidatesare avoiding the subject because theirpositions aren’t especially popular withthe public.

“I’d say that both parties have stakedout positions early in the year intended toattract business groups and ethnic advo-cacy groups that meet their interests inlow-cost labor and illegal aliens,” he said.In other words, both Democratic and

Republican officials support some kind ofprogram that would allow illegal immi-grants to continue working in the UnitedStates. And such programs are hugelyunpopular with most voters.

Thus the silence.But Colin McCracken, spokesman for

the Arizona Republican Party, thinksimmigration could sneak into one of thepresidential debates, the last of which willbe held Oct. 13 at ASU’s GammageAuditorium.

“I think the country’s main focus is onthe growth of the economy and nationalsecurity. Those are the issues that peopleseem to be voting on, and thus [the candi-dates] have to tailor their messages,” hesaid. “I expect the debates to focus on thewar on terror, but [discussion of immigra-tion] is definitely not outside the realm ofpossibility for this debate.”

José Cortez, public relations manager

for Chicanos Por La Causa in Phoenix,said he thinks it should come up.

“Being so close to the border, we have alot of individuals who are migrating fromMexico,” he said. “So, absolutely, I wouldsay this is an important issue in Arizonaand nationally.”

Like Cortez, ASU political sciencefreshman Joaquin Ríos, believes immi-gration should be center stage in the pres-idential election.

Ríos calls what’s happening along theArizona-Mexico border, where 164 bodiesor remains have been discovered in thepast year, a “humanitarian crisis.” “It’sreally tragic, and everyone wants look theother way,” he said. “But really, we allhave a collective responsibility for everyone of those men, women and childrenwho have died along the border.”

See JESUS MARIA page 3

BY ERIKA WURST ANDJENNIFER GIRARDIN

When it comes to immi-gration policies, ASU stu-dents don’t see a majordifference between JohnKerry and George W.Bush, according to a newsurvey of student opinion.

Students were alsoevenly divided on whetherillegal immigrants shouldbe granted amnesty andallowed to apply for citi-zenship, but most said thatillegal immigrants shouldget such Constitutionalprotections as freedomfrom search and seizurewithout just cause.

The poll of ASU stu-dents, conducted by thePrecision Journalism classin the Walter CronkiteSchool of Journalism andMass Communication,asked students about theirviews on a wide range ofimmigration issues.

Surprisingly, thirty-twopercent of students polledsaid they know someonewho is an illegal immi-grant. At the same time,34 percent said theybelieve that illegal immi-gration is a threat tonational security.

And half of ASU stu-dents agreed that immi-grants from the MiddleEast should be given clos-er scrutiny than otherimmigrants before theyare admitted to the UnitedStates.

The poll, conductedSept. 8-12, drew 149responses, and has a mar-gin of error of 7.8 percent.

A little more than half,51 percent, said theybelieve Proposition 200,which will appear onArizona’s ballot, is neces-sary. It would require peo-ple to prove citizenship inorder to vote or get publicbenefits.

Support for the proposi-tion is somewhat lower

A S P E C I A L R E P O R T B Y T H E C R O N K I T E S C H O O L A N D S T U D E N T M E D I A

ASU PRESIDENTIAL DEBATEASU PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE“Our Borders and Beyond”

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Ralph Nader

John Kerry

George W. Bush

31%

7%

38%

24%

What major candidate do you think has the best

immigration policy for this country?

There is no substantive difference

See POLL page 3

I‘m not sure

No

Yes

32%

47%

Do you know someone who is an illegal immigrant?

21%

On Oct. 13, media outletsfrom around the world willdescend upon ASU tocover the last of the presi-dential debates before thecrucial November election.

Because of the impor-tance of this debate, stu-dents from the WalterCronkite School ofJournalism and MassCommunication andStudent Media have joinedforces to present a seriesof stories in print, on theweb and on radio and tele-vision over the next fewweeks.

Today’s special report onImmigration is the secondof five to appear in TheState Press. Remainingtopics include America’simage abroad, the war inIraq and what it takes toput on a debate.

Also look for the follow-ing coverage this week bystudent journalists on TV,radio and the web:

Wednesday at noon:Special live broadcast onimmigration issues.

4 p.m.: “Press Pass at 4,” aninterview with an illegalimmigrant who is also anASU student.

Wednesday on SDTV-Ch. 26:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.The two sides speak out onProposition 200; a familydiscusses their struggleswith their immigration sta-tus; and a look at people-smuggling across the bor-der.

Mondays and Tuesdays,campaign topics will be dis-cussed after the news at thetop of each hour, noon to 5p.m.

Wednesday at noon: Speciallive newscast on immigra-tion issues

www.asuwebdevil.com■ Mall rants, with stu-

dents commenting on thepresidential campaign.

■ An interview with anillegal immigrant who isalso an ASU student.

■ Column on the nationaldebate over health care.

■ Student voters’ guide:Get your registration andvoting questions answered.

Candidates skirt the issue

WEB DEVIL

JOY HEPP / FOR THE STATE PRESS

Top: Paulina Cordova (far left) and relatives play bingo (lotería) on the porch of the family home in Jesus Maria. Bottom: Much of the life in Jesus Maria revolves around family and church. These members of a church group arrive in town for areligious procession.

ImmigrationImmigration

See POLICIES page 2

Studentsknowillegals

Mi herencia

STUDENT POLL

“My heritage”

Devi ls Debate: IMMIGRATION

In January, Bushannounced a proposal for aguest worker program thatwould allow illegal immi-grants to work legally in the

United States without offeringthem residency or citizenship.

However, Bush has shiedaway from mentioning theprogram on the campaigntrail. Neither does his cam-paign Web site carry any men-tion of the program — or anyother immigration issues, for

that matter.You have to go to the White

House Web site to find a refer-ence to the guest worker plan,which is described there as aprogram that would “matchwilling foreign workers withwilling U.S. employers whenno Americans can be found tofill the jobs.”

Conservative Republicanshave come out against the pro-posal, saying it amounts toamnesty. Twenty-three con-gressmen wrote to Bush inJanuary to warn about a back-lash among their constituentsif he pursued the idea.

And Democrats don’t muchlike the plan, either.

Raul Yzaguirre, presidentof the National Council of LaRaza, has called Bush’s plan “awarmed-over Bracero pro-gram.” That program, run bythe U.S. Department of Laborfrom 1942 to 1964, allowed alimited number of immigrantsto come to the United Statesfrom Mexico to work in agri-culture. It was widely criti-cized for exposing the legaltemporary immigrants toabuse and exploitation. Lee G.Williams, the officer in chargeof the program, called it“legalized slavery.”

Kerry has also proposed aprogram that would allowtemporary workers to come tothe United States and be pro-tected under labor laws. ButKerry went further during aspeech to the National Councilof La Raza in Phoenix in June.

He said he would offer animmigration reform bill with-in 100 days of taking officethat would allow undocument-ed workers who have lived inthe United States for fiveyears to become citizens ifthey pay taxes and aren’tsecurity risks.

In addition, the legislationwould reduce the backlog ofpaperwork that keeps legalresidents apart from theirfamilies in other countries.

According to his campaignWeb site, if elected, Kerrywould also sign two immigra-tion bills that have someRepublican support inCongress. The DREAM Act,sponsored by Sen. OrrinHatch, R-Utah, whichPresident Bush doesn’t sup-port, would allow undocu-mented immigrants who havegrown up in this country to goto college legally.

The Agricultural JobOpportunity, Benefits, andSecurity Act, sponsored bySen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho,and co-sponsored by morethan half the Senate, was sup-ported by both the agribusi-ness industry and UnitedFarm Workers. Commonlycalled the Ag Jobs Bill, itwould allow workers who hadbeen in the United Statesunder a special work programfor a few years to eventuallyobtain citizenship.

Bush’s program would notoffer citizenship.

Though both bills initially

seemed likely to pass, low-keyopposition from the WhiteHouse has stymied theirprogress. The WashingtonPost reported on July 21 thatthe DREAM Act and Ag JobsBill had “fallen prey to theBush administration’s reluc-tance to do anything thatmight rouse the ire of thenativist right.”

Kerry’s record on immigra-tion in the Senate was moder-ately liberal, analysts say.According to the NumbersUSA Web site, which analyzesthe votes of congressmen onspecific issues, Kerry “leanstoward higher immigration,population growth [and] for-eign labor.”

Specifically, he votedrepeatedly in favor of easingrestrictions on “chain migra-tion,” which would have madeit easier for people who havecome legally to the UnitedStates to bring their familieshere from other countries. Healso voted to increase immi-gration quotas in 1990.

But more recently, in 1998,he voted to require U.S. com-panies to look for Americanworkers before looking to for-eigners to fill positions. And in2002, he voted to make it moredifficult for temporary visaholders to remain illegallypast their visa expiration datein the United States.

Both and Bush and Kerrysay they will work to make theborders more secure.

Nader, whose name will not

likely appear on the Arizonapresidential ballot inNovember but can be writtenin, is more vocal about immi-gration issues than either ofthe other two candidates.Immigration is a major topicon his Web site, and his run-ning mate, Peter Camejo, isHispanic.

Nader focuses on the under-lying causes of both legal andillegal immigration, sayingthose issues are strongly con-nected to the United States’dealings with other countries.

“As long as our foreign poli-cy supports dictators and oli-garchs south of our borders,there are going to be desper-ate, oppressed people movingnorth over our border wherepeople like Tyson Foods ille-gally employ them at very lowwages,” Nader says in his poli-cy statement.

He also says that NAFTAhas hurt Mexican corn andother industries, causingunemployment that leads toswelling “urban slums” inMéxico and illegal immigra-tion into the United States.

Nader proposes supportingdemocratic movements,ensuring a living wage in theUnited States, enforcing lawsagainst sweatshops, amnestyfor undocumented workersalready in this country andbetter control of the borders.

Jesse Christopherson is a senior majoringin print journalism. He can be reached at

jesse.christopherson@asu.edu.

John F. Kerry◆ Supports a guest worker program for illegalimmigrants that would give temporary workersprotection under U.S. labor laws and allow themto become citizens after a few years. ◆ Favors granting citizenship to undocumentedworkers who have lived in the United States forfive years if they pay taxes and aren’t security

risks and the naturalization of some farm workers already liv-ing in the United States.◆ Favors resident status for undocumented students who com-plete high school and go on to college and allowing colleges tocharge in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. ◆ Favors expediting the naturalization process for non-citizensserving in the U.S. military.◆ Favors making it easier for people who come to the UnitedStates legally to bring their families here.◆ Favors expanding border patrol measures along U.S. bor-ders.

George W. Bush◆ Favors granting a limited number of illegalimmigrants guest worker status for jobs thatcannot be filled by American workers. ◆ Opposes granting long-term residency or cit-izenship to undocumented workers.◆ Opposes allowing undocumented migrantswho have grown up in this country to go to col-lege legally.◆ Favors expediting the naturalization process for non-citi-zens serving in the U.S. military.◆ Favors expanding border patrol measures along U.S. bor-ders.

There are no longer rationaldiscussions about immigration.

Avoiding the approval of politi-cal correctness and enjoying thenoble feeling of an open door forthe huddled masses are moreimportant than actually examin-ing the costs and benefits ofimmigration.

Drive along Broadway Road inMesa, between Country Club and Gilbert anymorning and you will find groups of immi-grants waiting for day work. We will neverknow their status because courts have ruledthat police who would ask them for documen-tation violate the waiting workers’ rights.

Plant yourself in the ER at any of the hospi-tals in Phoenix or Tucson and you will find thesource and location of primary medical carefor “undocumented aliens.” In yet anotherbow to the PC gods, we no longer used theterm “illegal aliens.”

Beyond what we can see in day-to-day lifein a border state are the gripping stats on thecosts of illegal immigration. The sanctuarypolicy and social taboos produce staggeringcrime stats: 95 percent of all outstanding war-rants for homicide in Los Angeles are for ille-gal aliens; Arizona’s prison population hasabout 10-20 percent illegal aliens.

L.A. County spent $350 million in 2002 onmedical care for illegal aliens, and Arizonaspends about $2 billion annually on the healthand education tabs for illegal immigrants.

Worse is the sentence we impose on theseimmigrants by looking the other way. Four ofevery 10 Hispanics in the United States donot finish high school. By creating and pro-tecting a subculture of illegal immigrants, wedeprive those who come here for theAmerican dream of the tools for achieving it.

I am one generation from immigration inmy family. My grandparents, not speaking aword of English and possessed of $15 andthree children, entered the United Statesthrough Ellis Island. They learned the lan-guage, became citizens, bought a home andraised 13 children, all high school graduateswith four holding college degrees.

The secret of their success was assimila-tion: learning the language and becoming apart of the society, not living beneath itsradar, and certainly not below its standard ofliving.

There was also one more secret of theirsuccess — no government safety net.

Immigrants who entered during the early1900s had to have money, a job or supportiverelatives.

Economist Milton Friedman, a conserva-tive, has battled mightily with the Wall StreetJournal over one simple fact: You cannothave an open immigration policy combinedwith a welfare state and expect the meltingpot effect to work.

Bilingual education and programs, freehealth care and no-questions-allowed policiesmean that immigrants remain dependent anddeprived, living in a state of illegal limbo withno incentive to become citizens.

We do indeed want the huddled masses whoyearn to come and strengthen the nation’s fab-ric with their talent and zeal. But the veryqualities that gave us our melting pot strengthhave been eliminated by those, who in thename of doing good, deprive their intendedbeneficiaries of the chance to rise above hud-dled mass status. A rational look at immigra-tion policy would help those we currentlyharm with irrational do-goodism.

Marianne Jennings is an ASU professor of legal and ethicalstudies. Reach her at marianne.jennings@asu.edu.

2 THE STATE PRESS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2004 ASU PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

With a growing immigrantpopulation comes the fear thatimmigrants are going to takejobs away from decent, hard-working folks.

But let’s look at what kind ofjobs we’re talking about.

Your typical undocumentedimmigrant will land a job either

doing manual labor for crummy pay or work-ing in some other unskilled job for crummypay. Who other than an undocumented workeris willing to stand in the 100-degree heat hold-ing a sign advertising cheap mattresses?

As of late, Mexican immigrants have takenover fast food labor. Oh no.

Believe me, this hasn’t exactly taken a biteout of the job market, even for poor highschool kids (the only ones formerly willing towork such crummy positions). You want tosee working high school kids, check the malls.And they aren’t getting screwed on overtime,comp time and training hours. Guess who is.

Many immigrants come for factory work aswell. If you don’t like this, you’d better askyourself if you like cheap stuff: cheap food,cheap clothes, even cheap computer parts.

Yes, some of these companies are violatinglabor laws, but it’s both better and cheaperthan having them move their plants south ofthe border or to a Third World country. If thatwere to happen, said company would have topay import taxes. And no company is going toeat taxes — they’ll pass the cost onto you, theconsumer.

I know, I know: Providing immigrants withhealth services costs Arizonans millions ofdollars every year and puts a lot of institu-tions in financial jeopardy. But consider this:If undocumented workers were allowed somekind of legal status, employers might actuallyhave to provide them with some health insur-ance, and then taxpayers wouldn’t have to footthe bill.

Granting illegal immigrants some sort ofcitizenship — or at least allowing them towork for a time legally — is better for localeconomies, not worse. It might even savesome mayhem on the roads. The quickerimmigrants get documentation, the quickerthey get a license, and the sooner they bearsome driver accountability.

And doesn’t it make more sense to inviteimmigrants into our banking and financialsystems?

When I sold my truck to a Mexican man, heseemed agitated until I brought him inside, atwhich time he pulled two grand in cash froma sock he was carrying. If that money was in abank, he would not only have a safer place tokeep his cash, he might use it to invest in realestate. He might take out a loan. He mightbecome part of the local economy, instead ofoperating outside of it.

And in case no one my age has noticed, theSocial Security vault is officially empty. Withthe baby-boomers retiring, this problem willonly grow worse, so why is it that we don’t letimmigrants contribute part of their incomesto the Social Security fund?

Quite frankly, we need everyone to shoul-der the financial burdens of an aging popula-tion.

God forbid that getting a bank account, dri-ver’s license or Social Security card mightactually allow workers to apply for a real job.Maybe when it comes to immigration, weshouldn’t be worried about the ones cominghere to work.

Vote for Pedro.

Darren Todd is an English literature graduate student. Reach himat lawrence.todd@asu.edu.

DARRENTODD

◆

MARIANNE M. JENNINGS

◆

Let’s stop looking the other way Legal status makes sense

POLICIESCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

TWO VOICES, TWO CHOICES: IMMIGRATION

TONY CARRILLO TONY’S TAKE TONY@FMINUS.NET

among college studentsthan the general public,judging from a poll con-ducted for KAET-PBS lastmonth.

That poll showed almostthree to one support for theproposition, said BruceMerrill, ASU professor ofJournalism and MassCommunication, who con-ducted the poll.

Rachel Aiken, a seniorreligious studies and psy-chology major who partici-pated in the Cronkite classpoll, attributes support forProposition 200 to “propa-ganda that says immigrantsare stealing Americanjobs.”

“I have friends who areillegal immigrants, and I’vehad to take them to the hos-pital,” she said. “I don’tthink it’s right to deny themrights. They’re humanbeings and they’re con-tributing to our economy.”

Gustavo Chavarria, afreshman bio-engineeringmajor at ASU, echoed thatsentiment when asked aboutputting up water and safetystations in the desert to savethe lives of illegal bordercrossers. Like 50 percent ofASU students polled, he saidsuch stations are a goodidea.

“Even though they’recrossing illegally, they’re

still people,” he said.When it comes to their fel-

low students, those polledopposed giving illegal immi-grants studying at ASUfinancial aid or scholarships,but they said internationalstudents should be able tobring their families to thiscountry.

“I don’t think studyingshould cut you off from yourfamily,” said Jason Carter, asenior interdisciplinarystudies major and a memberof the Army National Guard.

“Coming from a militarybackground, I wouldn’t wantto be cut off from my fami-ly.”

Jennifer Girardin is a senior majoring inprint journalism. Reach her at

jgirard@imap2.asu.edu. Erika Wurst is asenior majoring in print journalism. Shecan be reached at erika.wurst@asu.edu.

ASU PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE THE STATE PRESS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2004 3

BY JOY HEPP

L ike many other second- and third-gen-eration Americans, I have grown upon stories about my immigrant ances-

tors. My grandmothers’ tales about the jour-ney of my great-grandparents from JesusMaria, Mexico, to the United States are asmuch a part of my family as her method ofrolling tortillas (up, down, left, right with aperfectly powdered rolling pin).

“You have no idea how they suffered, Joy,”she told me recently, referring to her motherand father. “That’s why I don’t criticize theillegals. I would have come here, too.”

It wasn’t just the hardships that I heardabout, though. The homeland of my ancestorsoften sounded like a magical place to me.

“I remember the fireflies and the red dirtriver,” recalled my mother, who visited JesusMaria as a young girl. “On Sundays theMariachis play in the town square.”

This summer, while studying abroad inGuadalajara, I decided to see for myself thisland of tragic beauty. So one weekend, Iboarded the bus for the three-hour ride toJesus Maria to meet my cousin Paulina andher family.

After we got out of the city, I passed thetime admiring the rolling hills and fields ofaqua-colored agave plants that, from faraway, looked like bodies of water.

Aside from an old man carrying a pot ofsoup, I was the only one to get off the bus inJesus Maria. There was no Paulina. In fact,there was nothing but a taco stand and an out-of-order pay phone. I waited, weighingwhether it would be better to sleep on theground or in a horse stable, when Paulinashowed up. I knew it was Paulina because shewas a young version of my grandmother’s sis-ter, Ofelia.

She took me home to a house with peachstucco walls that opened to a lush gardencrisscrossed with clothes lines. The roomwhere I would sleep was decorated with fam-ily treasures — a rifle, a Spanish flag,Paulina’s parents’ wedding picture and thetiara her mother, Angelina, wore as a teenagebeauty queen.

Angelina herself was in the kitchen, cuttingup vegetables. She is a tall, sturdy womenwith silver-lined teeth and my mother’s eyes,the kind of woman who can cradle a grand-child in one hand and stir meatball soup withthe other.

Angelina would prepare four home-cookedmeals that weekend, featuring fresh cornsold out of the back of pick-up trucks, breadfrom the local panadería and pigs feet fromthe local butcher — the latter a favored deli-cacy for her husband, Evuardo.

That night, Paulina gave me a tour of thetown, including the tombs of my ancestors inthe Catholic church and the ovens that myfamily once used in its bakery business.

At 26, Pau, as she is called, is unmarriedand unemployed. Before the 99-cent storeclosed, she worked there as a clerk. Shewould like to leave Jesus Maria, go to theUnited States and study to become a nurse.

“All of the men here are no good,” she said.“All of the good ones have left for El Norte.”

At least 75 percent of the town’s residentshave left, at some point, to work in the States,she told me. Her father, Evuardo, a leadingcitizen who was once president of the munici-pality and who was the first to bring potablewater to Jesus Maria, spent 10 years in LosAngeles working in factories and car plants— all the while sending money back to hiswife and children.

The rest of the weekend passed quickly. Wewalked to the local market to buy vegetablesfor dinner. On Saturday, we sat on the porch

and smiled and waved as a bride, groom andtheir entire wedding party rode up and downthe street in a big white pickup.

I told the family about my mother and herthree sisters, all of whom live successful,busy lives in Arizona. They told me about mygreat-grandfather, who drove spikes for therailroad and picked citrus fruit, and about mygrandmother, who worked as a picker and amaid.

For my last meal in town we were joinedby more family members — Evuardo’s broth-er’s family from Guadalajara, including abrand new grandson. Although they were notdirectly related to me, under Mexican tradi-tion, they are considered my cousins, andthey insisted on giving me a ride back toGuadalajara with them.

Packed into the backseat between two oldladies, one of whom held her grandson in herlap, it struck me that I had traveled to JesusMaria alone on an anonymous bus and wasleaving surrounded by family, filled withfamily lore and fortified by music.

For yes, the Mariachis still play in the townsquare.

Joy Hepp graduated with a journalism degree from ASU lastsemester. She works in the ASU Office of PanAmerican Initiatives

To see all the poll results, visitthe Web Devil at

www.asuwebdevil.com.

Jesus Maria:generations away from home

JOY HEPP / FOR THE STATE PRESS

In Jesus Maria, each weekend long-time residents gather in the town plaza to catch up on news and people-watch.

BY SARAH MUENCH ANDMANUEL EGEA

It was almost 9:30 p.m. whenan FBI agent showed up onOmar Mahmood’s doorstep lastmonth.

The Pakistani national andASU supply chain managementsenior stood outside with theagent in the summer heat fornearly an hour before movinginto Mahmood’s air-conditionedhome.

“Initially, I was a little appre-hensive,” the 24-year-oldMahmood said. “We talked forabout an hour outside and then Ilet him in.”

He said the agent came with alist of questions, including oneasking if he knew a terrorist.

“He was pretty much decentfor the most part,” saidMahmood, who said he has beenliving in the United States forthree and a half years.

But that isn’t the case forsome Middle Eastern studentsstudying at ASU.

In April 2003, FBI agentsarmed with shotguns raided for-mer ASU Muslim StudentsAssociation president Hassanal-Rafae’s apartment and hand-cuffed him and his roommates,all Saudi Arabian nationals.

Al-Rafae said he and hisfriends had visited a shootingrange the year before — some-thing they said they didn’t knowwas a violation of the PatriotAct.

Middle Eastern students saythat living in the United Stateshas become increasingly diffi-cult for them since the terroristattacks on the World TradeCenter and the Pentagon.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, MiddleEastern student enrollment atASU has plummeted 33 percent,from 346 students to 232,according to Tim Desch, dean ofundergraduate admissions.

The students are from Iran,Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, SaudiArabia, Syria, Yemen, Iraq,United Arab Emirates andEgypt. No other countries expe-rienced such a decline.

The drop could be the resultof tighter restrictions on obtain-ing student visas for any nation-ality and tougher scrutiny ofMiddle Eastern students, in par-ticular.

Political and religious sciencesenior Yaser Alamoodi saidmany would-be students arehaving difficulty obtainingvisas.

“When I came here, I wasasked many questions andsought financial guarantees,but got my student visa thatsame day,” Alamoodi said.“That was before the terroristattacks.”

Now, Alamoodi said, getting avisa is a lot more difficult.

And even once a visa isissued, students face difficul-ties, such as delays at airports.

In January 2003, for exam-

ple, the U.S. Immigration andNaturalization Service requiredmen from predominatelyMuslim countries to register aspart of the counter-terrorismPatriot Act.

Males 16 years and olderfrom selected countries had togo to a local INS office to be fin-gerprinted, interviewed andphotographed.

It’s because of measures likethese that Mahmood believesenrollment is down.

“Some people can’t get in andsome people don’t want to,” hesaid. “It’s mainly a hassle.”

Russell Ahr, spokesman forthe Phoenix bureau of the U.S.Citizen and ImmigrationServices, said the drop inMiddle Eastern student enroll-ment could be the result oftougher restrictions on studentsand bothersome security meas-ures.

“I think everyone knowsbackground checks areextremely rigorous and evenmore rigorous if you are from acountry of interest,” he said.

A Sept. 12 poll conducted bythe Walter Cronkite School ofJournalism and MassCommunication showed thathalf of ASU students agree thatimmigrants from the MiddleEast, more than immigrantsfrom other regions, should begiven closer scrutiny beforebeing admitted to the UnitedStates.

“I am not saying that we needto strip people from MiddleEastern descent of rights,” saidhistory and political sciencesenior Ryan Turley, who partici-pated in the poll. “But I do thinkwe need to pay closer attentionto those who are entering theU.S., especially from that areaof the world.”

Geography graduate JamesRush, another poll taker, dis-agreed, saying that MiddleEastern immigrants seekingcitizenship are no differentfrom other immigrants.

“If they are in immigrant sta-tus, I don’t see a differencebetween them and our ances-tors,” he said. “I can’t look at anArab and say they are moreprone to be a threat than some-one from China.”

Ahr said the extra measures,such as fingerprinting and pho-tographing immigrants, havebeen effective in counteringterrorism.

But Mahmood believes tac-tics such as interrogatingMuslim students do no good.

“If someone is a terrorist,they aren’t going to say theyare,” he said. “I think they aredoing it just to show that they’redoing it. For the most part, it’suseless.”

Sarah Muench is a senior studyingjournalism. Manuel Egea is a Chicano

literature graduate student. Reach them atsarah.muench@asu.edu and

manu.egea@asu.edu.

Mid-Eastern enrollment plummets

JOY HEPP / FOR THE STATE PRESS

Joy Hepp, right, with one of her many cousins inJesus Maria.

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

19%

15%

17%

17%

31%

Immigrants from the Middle East, more than immigrants

from other regions, should be given closer scrutiny before admittance to this country

POLLCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

BY HEATHER WELLS

While the larger war ofwords about immigrationrages nationally, Arizona isfighting its own battle overimmigration in the form ofProposition 200.

The proposition, to appearon Arizona’s November ballot,would require people to provecitizenship when registeringto vote or to receive publicbenefits.

Opinion polls show it isfavored by two out of threeArizonans, but that supportcould erode as political, busi-ness and religious groups lineup against it.

Opponents include majorpolitical figures such as Gov.Janet Napolitano, U.S. Sen.John McCain and the ArizonaChamber of Commerce. Theyargue that Proposition 200would not stem the flow of ille-gal aliens, could lead to dis-crimination based on appear-ance and ethnicity and couldcost the state $27 million infederal funds.

School of Justice and SocialInquiry professor JohnJohnson said the propositioncould have a devastatingeffect on the landscaping,hotel and restaurant indus-tries.

“The brute truth is that ourimmigrants and undocument-ed workers are working in thekinds of jobs Americans willno longer take, so they arevery functional and profitablefor our economy,” he said.

Supporters say illegalimmigration costs Arizonaabout $1 billion a year in pub-lic benefits, far outstrippingthe cost of the proposal.

Besides, they say, theproposition does not changethe benefits available to ille-gal immigrants. Hospitalsmust provide care to anyoneneeding emergency treat-ment regardless of legal sta-tus or ability to pay under fed-eral law.

Critics say immigrantscould lose those benefits indi-rectly, however. Groups, suchas the Coalition to Defeat 200,say that the proposition willscare illegal immigrants fromcoming forward when theyneed police assistance oremergency care because theproposition would requirestate and local governmentemployees to notify federalimmigration officials of sus-pected undocumented immi-grants who seek public bene-fits. Those who fail to do socould face up to four monthsin jail and a $750 fine.

Johnson, advisor to ASU’sAmerican Civil LibertiesUnion and AmnestyInternational chapters, saidthe public benefits argumentdoesn’t make sense.

“Foreign nationals orundocumented people are noteligible for most public bene-fits now, save things likeemergency medical care,” hesaid. “Is this the intent of theProposition 200 proponents —to deny emergency medicalcare to those who need it?”

But Angela Paz, a broad-casting senior who has familymembers in Mexico, said theproposition would preventfraud.

“I know it’s a hard processto come here and become acitizen, but the process isthere for a reason, and peopleneed to go through it,” shesaid. “People can’t just comehere and expect to be able tovote.”

Neither does she worry thatcitizens with Hispanic sur-names will be targeted.

“I don’t think that someonelooks at me and my familyand thinks that I’m not herelegally,” she said. “If they did,I would be more than happy tohand over proof of my citizen-ship.”

ASU political science pro-fessor Adrian Pantoja saidvoting by illegal immigrantsis a non-issue.

“Anyone who would believethe undocumented immi-grants come here to vote is liv-ing in a fantasy land,” he said.“These are people that are try-ing to avoid government. Thelast thing they’re going to do isregister and give the govern-ment their information.”

Pantoja said the propositionclosely resembles California’sProposition 187, which wasstruck down by a federaljudge after being passed byvoters in 1994.

“What it resulted in was aLatino electorate that wasangry and upset,” he said.“Immigrants naturalized andvoter turnout skyrocketed,particularly among the immi-grant population. Somethingvery similar could happenhere. You’re going to have aLatino electorate that is politi-cized. Once this happens,you’re going to see a very dif-ferent Arizona.”

Pantoja said that despite itsflaws, he has no doubt that theproposition will pass.“Undocumented immigrantsdo not have friends,” he said.

Heather Wells is a print journalism senior.Reach her at Heather.Wells@asu.edu.

BY AMANDA LEE MYERS

When Luis Gaxiola Baqueiro hears asong by a Mexican artist, he gets goose-bumps.

“Even if I don’t like the singer, I listento the whole thing,” said Baqueiro, a 28-year-old graduate student with a shymanner and soft voice.

The Mexican, who left his countryabout a month ago to earn a second mas-ter’s degree at ASU, said he feels worldsaway from home in Arizona, where theMexican food is nowhere near authenticand the people are always bustling about,too busy to enjoy life.

Every time he hears Mexican music,he can close his eyes and imagine beingin Torreón, his hometown in Coahuila,México.

On a recent trip to Sedona with theAsociación de Mexicanos en ASU, a clubfor Mexico-born students who want tocelebrate and maintain their culture withother Mexicans, Baqueiro felt more athome than he has since he got here.

The stunning red rocks and architec-ture in the city two hours north of Tempecaused Baqueiro’s jaw to drop.

“Wow,” he said repeatedly as hepeered up at the vortices. He shook hishead in wonder.

Cultural preservationMembers of the Asociación de

Mexicanos en ASU meet at least once aweek to have lunch and catch up witheach other. At each meeting, they drape aMexican flag over a chair and speakSpanish, which attracts other Mexicanswho haven’t heard about the club andsometimes join on the spot.

“We felt there was need for a club likethis, so we did it,” said Oscar Ozuna, agraduate student in physics who helpedform the group about one-and-a-halfyears ago.

Ozuna, who was raised in Ensenada,said he and other founders of the clubhad thought of joining Mexican-American associations on campus, but

those groups held their meetings inEnglish and did not make the preserva-tion of Mexican culture a priority.

The Asociación de Mexicanos, howev-er, is completely devoted to culture.

On road trips, they listen to musicfrom home and speak only Spanish. Theycelebrate Mexican holidays together atlocal Mexican restaurants, and whenthey sing the Mexican National Anthem,they bow their heads as if in prayer.

Brian Gratton, an ASU professor whohas conducted extensive research on theimmigration and migration history ofMexican-Americans and Latinos,applauds the effort.

“I find it a little bit unusual when Ithink about Mexicans as whole in the cityof Phoenix,” he said.

While he said immigrants often findand socialize with others like themselves,most — especially young people — do notgo to such lengths to hang onto their cul-ture.

Most Mexicans, Gratton said, becomeAmericanized.

The graveyardAna Gonzalez, a family studies and

education senior and member of theAsociación de Mexicanos, moved withher parents to Yuma, Ariz., when she was2.

Growing up in America, Gonzalez said,caused her to lose much of her culture,such as strong religious beliefs and fluen-cy in Spanish.

“I very much regret that I can’t hold aconversation with people who only speakSpanish,” she said.

Her experience is not unique, accord-ing to Gratton.

America, he said, has become a grave-yard for languages. When foreign-bornimmigrants arrive in the United States,they continue to speak their native lan-guage, and while they may learn someEnglish, they usually favor their firsttongue.

The second generation generally will

speak English as a primary languagewhile understanding and speaking someof their parents’ language. The third gen-eration, however, typically will not haveany command over the original language,Gratton said.

So far, Gonzalez’s family is followingthat pattern.

Gonzalez said her parents always wantto speak with her in Spanish, even thoughshe feels more comfortable with English.As for the third generation of her family,Gonzalez said even though her nephewsdon’t know any Spanish, she will make ita priority for her children to learnSpanish as their first language and prac-tice their culture.

She never misses a meeting, outing orcelebration of the Asociación deMexicanos, and when she is with othermembers, she doesn’t speak English.

Ay ay ay On Thursday, about 50 members of the

club celebrated Mexican IndependenceDay together at Tres Margaritas inTempe.

They greeted each other with smiles,kisses on the cheek and hugs.

A Mariachi band circled the room,often stopping by the club’s tables to takerequests.

As they sang Cielito Lindo, one of themost popular Mexican songs in history,everyone joined in at the top of theirlungs.

“De tu casa a la mia, cielito lindo, nohay mas que un paso. Ahora que estamossolos, cielito lindo, dame un brazo … Ayay ay ay, canta y no llores. Porque cantan-do se alegran, cielito lindo, los cora-zones.”

Translation: “From your house to mine,beautiful sky, is no more than a step. Nowthat we are alone, beautiful sky, give mea hug … Sing and don’t cry, beautiful sky,because singing makes the heart happy.”

Amanda Lee Myers is a journalism and Spanish senior.Reach her at Amanda.L.Myers@asu.edu.

4 THE STATE PRESS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2004 ASU PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

Proposition 200:Protecting Arizona?

BY JEFF STENSLAND

When it comes to illegalimmigration, Arizona is groundzero.

There are at least 283,000 ille-gal residents in the state,according to the Immigrationand Naturalization Service, andthousands more cross theMexican border every day.

In an investigative reportpublished last week, Time mag-azine called Arizona the “busiestunlawful gateway” in the UnitedStates, with an estimated 4,000illegal aliens crossing the 375-mile border between Mexicoand Arizona every single day.

“Arizona is now ground zero

for illegal border crossing,” saidJohn Keeley, director of com-munications for the Center forImmigration Studies.Authorities beefed up theirforces along troubled spots inCalifornia and other borderstates, pushing the flow ofmigrants into the Arizonadesert.

The federal government’sresponse was to launch theArizona Border ControlInitiative this past June, a multi-million dollar program thatincluded everything from flyingMexican immigrants arrestedin Arizona to the interior ofMexico to sending unmanneddrones and additional helicop-

ters to patrol the border nearTucson.

The program has cost an esti-mated $23 million, excludingmanpower, and is scheduled toend Sept. 30.

Andy Adame, spokesman forU.S. Customs and BorderProtection, said the program isworking. As of last week, hesaid, the drones had captured568 undocumented aliens.

All told, 478,444 undocument-ed immigrants were caughtalong the Arizona-Mexico bor-der since October of last year,Adame said. “Last year at thissame time, we were at 331,414.We’re looking at 130,000 morepeople that we’ve apprehended

than last year.” Not everyone is happy with

the results, however. HumaneBorders, an organization thatplaces water stations in thedesert for illegal aliens, routine-ly questions the reliability of theBorder Patrol’s numbers.Members also point out thatrecord numbers of migrants aredying in the desert trying toreach Arizona.

Since October, a record 164bodies or remains have beenrecovered, The ArizonaRepublicreported last week.

Jeff Stensland is a senior majoring inbroadcasting. Reach him at

jeff.stensland@asu.edu.

Arizona busiest gateway for border crossersTotal apprehensions along

Arizona-Mexico border

470,257 449,654

331,414

616,346

478,444

333,646

453,202

0100,000200,000300,000400,000500,000600,000700,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

AMANDA LEE MYERS / FOR THE STATE PRESS

ASU students (clockwise starting from top left) Oralia Cabrera, Luis Lesser-Carrillo, Estafanía Vargas, Oscar Ozuna, meet in theMemorial Union every week to celebrate their heritage.

Students treasure their culture

Source: U.S.Customs and Border Protection