University of California, Riverside
Professor and associate dean of the University of California, Riverside's School of Public Policy and director of AAPI, a project to make data on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders accessible; co-author of The New Immigration Federalism; director of the National Asian American Survey; contributor to Taking Local Control: Immigration Policy Activism in US Cities and States
'Asian' Label Too Broad for Some Californians Assembly Bill 176 was supported by the legislature’s black and Latino caucuses — and by many other ethnic groups in a state that is rapidly diversifying. It would have recognized the distinctions between people of different national origins, now all categorized as "Asians." Governor Brown vetoed the measure . Karthick Ramakrishnan is a professor of public policy at UC Riverside and the director of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Sanchez Stumbles into the California Senate Race Orange County Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is a candidate to replace retiring Barbara Boxer in the US Senate. At this weekend's State Democratic Convention, Sanchez had a chance to introduce herself statewide. At one stop, she gave an informal talk to a caucus of Indian Americans — that's Americans of descent from India. She told the story of a phone call from a man who wanted to support her campaign and how she confused an Indian American with Native Americans -- complete with a stereotypical war cry. That moment reportedly became the talk of the convention — and not to Sanchez's advantage. Sanchez, from Orange County, is not well known statewide. The consensus leader for her party's US Senate nomination is Kamala Harris , who's run twice for Attorney General—and won.
Unilateral Immigration Reform: A Dream or a Nightmare? President Obama has outraged Congress with his executive order delaying deportation for up to five million illegal immigrants, but that controversial action may be easier to order than implement. Immigrants who’ve spent years avoiding detection may not have proof that they qualify. Since relief will be only temporary, many may not apply — but if they do, immigration officials could well be overwhelmed, and Republicans won’t just withhold legislative or financial support, they’ll be waiting to pounce on evidence of lax oversight or possible fraud. Will cities, states and nonprofit groups be willing or able to pick up the slack?
Can't a Republican Get Any Peace? Internet moguls and evangelicals, big business and organized labor are among the odd bedfellows pushing Republicans in Congress to vote for immigration reform. Instead of waiting until the end of the August recess, the campaign is being stepped up. This morning, a caravan of 100 cars and four buses left Dodger Stadium for the office of Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy in Bakersfield. One organizer was CHIRLA , the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. McCarthy and other Republican leaders favor a step-by-step approach that emphasizes border security, but he's still getting heat from groups like Californians for Population Stabilization .
President Obama and Immigration Reform In Las Vegas today, President Obama said it's good news that bipartisan groups in both houses of Congress are finally addressing immigration reform. The President endorsed the general principles laid down yesterday by a bipartisan group of US Senators, the most controversial aspect of which may be what's called the path to citizenship. Cautioning that the debate is sure to become emotional, he warned against letting it devolve into "us" versus "them." What's the likely impact of the immigration debate on the Republican Party, currently at an historic low point in California's political history?
Is the Immigration Problem All in Our Heads? When a rancher was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant, the incident helped spark Arizona's tough new crackdown on undocumented workers . After President Obama met with Governor Jan Brewer, the White House said 1200 more National Guard troops would be deployed on the border. Rising crime requires more enforcement. But in Arizona, violent crime is declining and so is illegal immigration, according to Randal Archibold in the New York Times .
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
