Amending America – Immigration: Barriers and Access
Date: November 19, 2016
Time: 10am – 4pm PST
Location: Japanese American National Museum, 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The National Archives and Records Administration presents a National Conversation on Rights and Justice – Immigration: Barriers and Access in partnership with the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California, on November 19, 2016.
At 10am PST, David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States; Ann Burroughs, Interim President and CEO of JANM; Mike Silacci, Regional Vice President, External Affairs for AT&T; and Congresswoman Judy Chu will open the National Conversation, followed by a keynote conversation with author and activist Julissa Arce and author and cultural critic Jeff Yang.
At 1pm PST, Ann Burroughs will moderate “Coming to America,” exploring past and current immigration barriers, with a panel of activists and experts, including Stewart Kwoh, Asian Americans Advancing Justice; Allen Orr, attorney; Karthick Ramakrishnan, UC Riverside School of Public Policy; and Paul Spickard, UC-Santa Barbara.
At 2:15pm PST, Irene Hirano Inouye, U.S.-Japan Council, will moderate a discussion on “Becoming an American,” looking at the varied experiences of immigrants – at work, at home, at school, and in the community – with Cynthia Buiza, California Immigrant Policy Center; Rocio Diaz Gonzalez, California State University, Los Angeles; Nahla Kayali, Access California Services (AccessCal); and Luz Borjon Montvalo, California State University, Los Angeles.
At 3:15pm PST, Irene Hirano Inouye and David S. Ferriero will deliver closing remarks.
Registration is closed for this program, but we encourage day-of participants to come!
Related Records in the National Archives
Quota Map, Immigration Act of 1924
About the Speakers
Keynote Conversation: Julissa Arce is a writer and author of MY (UNDERGROUND) AMERICAN DREAM. She is an emerging and leading voice in the fight for immigrant rights and education equality. She is the chairman, and co-founder of the Ascend Educational Fund (AEF). AEF is a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students in New York City, regardless of their ethnicity, national original or immigration status. She made national and international headlines when she revealed that she had achieved the American Dream of wealth and status at Goldman Sachs while undocumented. Arce now uses her success and platform to help shift the conversation around immigration and other social justice issues. Arce often gives talks at events such as Tedx and the Forbes Reinventing America Summit (alongside Nancy Pelosi, Jessica Alba, and Gayle King), and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Fox Business News, Telemundo, Bloomberg TV and Univision. Her writing has been published on Huffington Post, Fusion, CNN, CNN en Español, The Hill, and Univision. She serves on the board of directors of the National Immigration Law Center and CollegeSpring. She was officially sworn in as an American citizen in August of 2014.
Keynote Conversation: Jeff Yang is a veteran author and cultural critic whose work appears regularly on CNN Opinion, NPR and Quartz, the business publication of the Atlantic Monthly. He was the founder of the pioneering Asian American periodical aMagazine: Inside Asian America, and has authored and edited a number of bestselling books, including Eastern Standard Time; I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action (the international action hero’s official autobiography); Once Upon a Time in China; and the graphic novel collections, Secret Identities and Shattered. His older son, Hudson Yang, is the star of the groundbreaking ABC TV series Fresh Off the Boat, now in its third season.
Cynthia Buiza is the Executive Director of the California Immigrant Policy Center. Cynthia has over two decades of experience in nonprofit management and human rights advocacy. She worked on international refugee, migration, human rights and civil rights issues in Southeast Asia before working with ACLU as Policy Director for its San Diego regional affiliate. She was also Policy and Advocacy Director at CHIRLA in Los Angeles from 2007-2010. For the past three years, she worked as a consultant with various immigrant rights and civil rights institutions and social justice organizations in California and the U.S., helping shape their strategic direction and plans for sustainability. Most recently, she managed a statewide capacity building project involving nine regional coalitions in California, which aims to strengthen these coalitions’ viability through a combination of highly customized training, grantmaking and leadership coaching. Before moving to the United States, she worked with various international organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Open Society Institute-Burma Education Project in Thailand, and the Jesuit Refugee Service. She earned a Master’s in International Affairs from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, with a concentration on human security studies. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from the Philippines and a Certificate in Refugee and Migration Studies from the Oxford University Refugee Studies Centre in England. In June, 2003, she co-authored the book Anywhere But War, about the armed conflict and internal displacement in the Indonesian Province of Aceh.
Ann Burroughs brings more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and management, resource development, strategic planning, and strategic communications. She has worked at the executive director level, as an interim director, as a member of senior management teams, as a nonprofit consultant, and as an executive coach. She has deep experience working with organizations in transition, and with diverse communities in the US as well as multiple countries abroad. Burroughs is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International USA, and has served on several other boards. Burroughs’s work with Amnesty International USA is particularly meaningful to her because as a young activist in her native South Africa, she was imprisoned as a result of her anti-apartheid activism and Amnesty International helped to secure her release. These experiences will help inform her work as the Interim President and CEO at JANM. Prior to coming to JANM, Burroughs served as Senior Consultant at Social Sector Partners, an organization that focuses on supporting social sector organizations through strategic adaptation and repositioning. She has previously served as Executive Director of the Taproot Foundation in Los Angeles and as the Executive Director of LA Works. She has also been a consultant to the Rockefeller Foundation in its Communications for Social Change Initiative, to HandsOn Network in its corporate engagement program, and to the government of South Africa.
Rocio Diaz Gonzalez is a senior at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), majoring in Theatre Arts and Dance with an option in theatre. Rocio is a Chicana poet, playwright, actress, dancer, co-producer, and activist/artivist. She made her first debut as an actress in the play, 12-1-A at CSULA playing the lead role of Koko Tanaka. She then made her debut as a playwright and co-producer at Casa 0101 in the production called Chicanas, Cholas, y Chisme 2015 & 2016. Previous works from CCC include Pink Scars, and Tired. Pink Scars was then produced by Josefina Lopez in her production called Drunk Girl. She is blessed and honored to always be representing the voice of the Latino community. Rocio would like to take the time to thank her, family, friends, and community for always believing and supporting her in her dreams.
Irene Hirano Inouye serves as President of the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC). She has held this position since the organization’s founding in late 2008. USJC administers the TOMODACHI Initiative, a public-private partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, with support from the Government of Japan. TOMODACHI invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges and leadership programs. She is the former President and Founding CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, a position she held for twenty years. A recipient of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree from SMU, Ms. Hirano Inouye has extensive experience in non-profit administration, community education and public affairs with culturally diverse communities nationwide. Ms. Hirano Inouye’s current professional and community activities include serving as Trustee and immediate past Chair, Ford Foundation; Trustee and immediate past Chair, Kresge Foundation; Trustee, Washington Center; Trustee, Independent Sector; and Vice-Chair, Smithsonian Institution Asian Pacific American Center. Her previous positions include: Chair, Board of Directors of the American Alliance of Museums; Board Member, National Trust for Historic Preservation; Member, National Board of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of American History; Member, Toyota Corporation’s Diversity Advisory Board; Member, Business Advisory Board of Sodexho Corporation; Member (by Presidential appointment), President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities; and Chair, California Commission on the Status of Women. She was married to the late U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii.
A recipient of the “Champion of Change” award from the White House in 2014, Nahla Kayali is described as an advocate and a leader who inspires, elevates, and empowers underserved individuals and families to ensure they have access to health and human services. Arriving to the United States as a Syrian immigrant/Palestinian refugee at the age of 16 and only having finished the 9th grade, Nahla founded Access California Services (AccessCal) in 1998, a culturally and linguistically competent health and human services non-profit organization in Anaheim dedicated to empowering under-served populations, with a focus on Arab- American & Muslim- American communities. Under Nahla’s executive leadership, AccessCal has grown from a budget of $2,000 to $1.9 million serving close to 10,000 clients and providing close to 40,000 services, annually. AccessCal‘s programs include: case management and advocacy, healthcare access services, employment and tax services, counseling and support services, financial assistance services, education services, citizenship and immigration services, community services and civic engagement and refugee services. Nahla’s work at the local and national level has awarded her multiple recognitions from public officials, foundations, corporations and service providers. In addition to her leadership role at AccessCal, Nahla serves as the President of the Orange County Refugee Forum and holds the State Refugee Forum Seat for the State Advisory Council on Refugee Services and also holds a seat with the State Office of Health Equity. Nahla serves on national and international boards including the Arab American Institute, Palestine Children Relief Fund and Community Action Partnership of Orange County.
Stewart Kwoh is the founding President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles (formerly known as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center). Kwoh is a nationally recognized leader and expert in race relations, Asian American studies, nonprofit organizations and philanthropies, civil rights, and legal services. In 1983, Kwoh co-founded Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, the nation’s largest Asian American legal and civil rights organization that serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year. The organization provides direct services to individual clients; engages in policy advocacy, research and analysis; litigates impact lawsuits; and provides social change-based leadership training. Advancing Justice – Los Angeles has successfully challenged garment sweatshops, English-only policies, racially discriminatory employment practices and unfair immigration laws as well as advocated for stronger protections for low-wage workers, limited-English-speaking immigrants, and hate crime victims. He was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 1998, becoming the first Asian American attorney and human rights activist to receive this highly prestigious recognition, often referred to as the “genius grant.” Kwoh earned his B.A. and J.D. from UCLA.
Allen Orr is the founder of Orr Immigration Law Firm PC, a minority-owned law firm based in Washington, DC and focusing on a US corporate compliance as well as global corporate representation and assistance on immigration issues. Mr. Orr previously helped to build one of the leading global immigration practices at a large global law firm, where he developed a global network of immigration practitioners, government officials and business leaders. Mr. Orr managed an I-9 compliance audit for a Fortune 10 company which involved review and analysis of all immigration records relating to its 250,000 employees. Mr. Orr is the recipient of the 2009 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award for contributions made in the immigration law field and specifically for his work with the Young Lawyers Division, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). He is listed in The International Who’s who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers and The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers. He is the Immigration Section Chair for the National Bar Association and the National Secretary for AILA. Mr. Orr is a frequent speaker on US and global emerging business immigration issues. He is a Senior Editor of the Immigration and Nationality Law Handbook and an Associate Editor of the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s (AILA) Global Immigration Guide: A Country-by-Country Survey. Mr. Orr received a BA in Philosophy from Morehouse College and a JD from Howard University’s School of Law.
Karthick Ramakrishnan is associate dean of the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, and professor of public policy and political science. He is also a Board Member of The California Endowment and a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Ramakrishnan received his Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University, and has held fellowships at the Russell Sage Foundation, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). He has received many grants from sources such as National Science Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation, and has provided consultation to public officials at the federal and local levels. In addition, Ramakrishnan is director of the UC-wide program on AAPI Policy, an appointee to the California Commission on APIA Affairs (2014-2017) and an adjunct fellow at PPIC. He has written dozens of opeds and appeared in over 1,000 news stories, many in major national news outlets. Ramakrishnan’s research focuses on civic participation, immigration policy, and the politics of race, ethnicity, and immigration in the United States. He directs the National Asian American Survey and is founder of AAPIdata.com, which features demographic data and policy research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He is the author, most recently of Framing Immigrants (Russell Sage, 2016) and The New Immigration Federalism (Cambridge, 2015). His writings can be found at http://karthick.com
About the National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, so people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education, and facilitates historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and on the Internet at: archives.gov.
About the Japanese American National Museum
Established in 1985, the Japanese American National Museum promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese Americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite and traveled 17 of its exhibitions to locations around the world, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America. Learn more at janm.org.
About the National Archives Foundation
The National Archives Foundation is an independent nonprofit that increases public awareness of the National Archives, inspires a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage, and encourages citizen engagement in our democracy. The Foundation generates financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, introducing America’s records to people around the U.S. and the world. Learn more at: archivesfoundation.org.
The “National Conversation on Rights and Justice” in Los Angeles is presented in part by AT&T, Ford Foundation, Seedlings Foundation, Toyota, and the National Archives Foundation.
