Immigration Reform

Credit AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

As Congress moves forward with immigration reform, we take a look at how this issue connects to culture, business and families in the Northwest.

Our region is home to a unique blend of immigrants who work in all parts of our economy — from high-tech to agriculture. This population already has a deeply-rooted history here. And its ranks are expanding rapidly.

Proposals for comprehensive immigration reform address border security, employment verification, guest-worker programs and pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the US.

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Poetry
11:56 am
Wed May 15, 2013

Poet Colleen McElroy On "Crossing Oceans"

Credit Ingrid Pape-Sheldon
Author Colleen McElroy

One of the most persistent stories about America — that it was made by immigrants fleeing "the old country" — is also one of the most incomplete. And since stories shape our perception of reality, poet Colleen McElroy is intent on telling another aspect of America's story in "Crossing Oceans."  The poem appears in her most recent collection "Here I Throw Down My Heart" (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2012).

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Intimidation at Work
4:12 pm
Sun May 12, 2013

Farm Worker Harassment Draws Increased Scrutiny

Credit Flickr Photo/Au Zut
Farm workers picking strawberries.

In her green minivan, Angelica Villa navigates the farm roads north of Bellingham like a seasoned tour guide. She points out a cannery, a potato plant and miles of berry fields.  Villa previously worked at many of these places and she rattles off story after story about harassment on the job.

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RadioActive Spring 2013
9:38 am
Thu May 9, 2013

Finding Peace: From Ethiopian Refugee To United States Citizen

Nigisti Hailemariam has been in the United States for over 20 years. She has two kids, a stable job, and a red Honda outside her three-bedroom apartment. But life wasn't always this peaceful for Nigisti. RadioActive youth producer Yafiet Bezabih tells the story of his mother's journey.

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News & Analysis
9:00 am
Mon May 6, 2013

The Week Ahead In Washington DC, Charles Ives, And Digital Manners

Credit Flickr Photo/Ted Eytan
A rise in texting at dinner has given rise to a popular game: Participants place their phones in a stack in the middle of the table at a restaurant. The first person to cave in and answer a call or text pays for the rest of the table.

The Week Ahead In Washington, D.C.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking up an immigration bill. Amendments are being added to the bill that might threaten whether or not it passes. Also, the fight is on over how the United States should intervene in Syria. CBS News' Jill Jackson looks ahead at this week in Washington, D.C. 

Composer Charles Ives
Charles Ives is remembered as one of America’s most important and influential composers of the 20th century.  Yet this artist’s relationship with composition, musicians and the musical establishment in America was controversial and complex.  He was American to the core, but also a puzzling musical outsider. The UW School of Music hosts a Festival of Ives this week.

How To Behave In A Digital World
Do you text at the dinner table? Can you tag your friends in photos on Facebook without their permission? Should you play Angry Birds at work or in the dentist's office? While the Internet might seem like the perfect place for “anything goes” behavior, there is an etiquette to how and when we use it. Author Daniel Post Senning gives advice on the proper use of our technologies in his new book, "Manners in the Digital World."

Choosing Words
2:17 pm
Fri April 26, 2013

What Do You Say When You Mean "Immigrant Living Here Illegally"?

Credit Flickr Photo/andrethegiant
Border fence

The Associated Press Stylebook says "illegal immigrant" shouldn’t be used by news organizations. It says "illegal" is an action, not a person. So, what should we say? KUOW is partnering with other public media, including Fronteras, to examine how the language is evolving. The plan is to map our results.

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Senate Bill Filed
8:58 am
Thu April 18, 2013

Immigration Reform Bill Draws Mixed Reaction

Credit Liz Jones / KUOW
Immigrants Otts Bolisay and Xochitl Rojas hug at a press conference about immigration reform.

The mood was upbeat Wednesday afternoon as supporters of immigration reform gathered in Seattle for a press conference. Students, union workers and immigrant advocates cheered the long-awaited arrival of a proposed bill in Congress. But many at the event also voiced mixed feelings about a few things the bill includes and a few things it leaves out.

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Education
9:00 am
Wed April 17, 2013

Closing The Opportunity Gap For Students Of Color

Credit Flickr Photo/Paradox 56
Closing the opportunity gap for students.

Trish Millines Dziko co-founded the Technology Access Foundation in 1996 to provide science, math, engineering and technology education for Seattle's students of color. Access to technology has improved since the foundation was created, but many low-income students and students of color still face obstacles to becoming innovators and creators. How can we close the gap so all students have equal opportunities? Can programs like this work in all of our school districts? Trish Dziko joins us.

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Immigration Backlogs
5:58 pm
Mon April 15, 2013

Feds Agree To Changes for Asylum Seekers

Credit USCIS
Naturalization ceremony at the Grand Canyon.

Attorneys with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project in Seattle say they’ve reached agreement with federal officials on a nationwide class action lawsuit.  The case was filed on behalf of immigrants requesting asylum in the US who say they face persecution or harm in their home countries. The settlement aims to speed up the process for asylum seekers to get a work permit.

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