In this year’s U.S. presidential campaign, immigrants and immigration policy loom large. Republican candidate Donald Trump has called for building walls to keep out Mexicans and imposing bans on Muslims. Many people have condemned his ideas as “un-American” but at the same time, the United States government has deported record numbers of people over the past ten years and hate crimes against Muslims have increased. How does Pittsburgh fit into these tense national contexts?
This panel features representatives from three Pittsburgh organizations that work closely with diverse groups of people - including U.S. citizens, undocumented immigrants and political refugees - who are helping to transform Pittsburgh. Leslie Aizenman, Dire tor of Refugee and Immigrant Services, Jewish Family and Children Service; Wasi Mohamed, Executive Director and Kelcey Sharkas, Director of Programming, Islamic Center of Pittsburgh; and Rosamaria Cristello, Executive Director of the Latino Family Center will discuss their organizations’ work and how immigrants, and conversations about immigration and identity, are reshaping communities in the Pittsburgh region.