Museums get involved with US immigration debate
October 01 2009 by Bryan Palmer
Liz Sevcenko
A new programme which sees museums deal with the US immigration debate intends to get people talking about the issues involved with creating a path to residency for the millions of unregistered immigrants living in the US.
A total of 13 museums around the States are participating in the scheme that plans to get leaders and activists together to discuss issues such as citizenship and identity. The organisers of the event, which is called "Face to Face: Immigration Then and Now," claim that reform will only come about as a result of people talking openly about the issues.
The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is behind the programme and its director Liz Sevcenko says, “part of the reason that there hasn't been a reform bill is that everybody is afraid of opening the debate. They're afraid of igniting their constituents, so nothing gets done."
She told the Associated Press, "Immigration is one of these central issues in American life, I think the way it is being framed is profoundly dishonest."
Sevcenko says that she hopes people will gain an understanding of the issues through the museum project. She adds, "reform will happen because people are able to look at this issue in a much more informed and measured way."
See the latest Immigration News
