Here & Now

Beisser Examines Immigrant Workforce Issues In Wisconsin

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW TO NATIONAL POLITICS AND THE ONGOING DEBATE ON THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TRAIL OVER IMMIGRATION. HERE IN WISCONSIN, GOVERNOR WALKER IS AMONG OTHER GOVERNORS WHO HAVE FILED SUIT OVER THE PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ACTION THAT WOULD PREVENT DEPORTATION OF UNDOCUMENTED PARENTS OF AMERICAN-BORN CHILDREN. WE TAKE UP THE COMPLEX TOPIC OF IMMIGRATION REFORM AND ITS IMPACT IN WISCONSIN NOW WITH THE NEWLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF CENTRO HISPANO OF DANE COUNTY, SUJHEY BEISSER. AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

SUJHEY BEISSER:

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YOU KNOW I WANTED TO ASK FIRST, WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR THE POPULATION THAT YOUR CENTER WORKS WITH TO HEAR ALL OF THIS CAMPAIGN RHETORIC AROUND IMMIGRATION?

SUJHEY BEISSER:

IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING. YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE RHETORIC JUST SEEMS A LITTLE BIT IGNORANT AND DEMEANING, AND IT KIND OF SENDS OUT A MESSAGE THAT THE POLITICIANS EITHER, ONE, DON’T UNDERSTAND THE LATINO COMMUNITY OR, TWO, ARE AFRAID TO VOICE OUT FOR OUR RIGHTS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND THE ESTIMATE THAT I READ IS THAT THERE ARE 100,000 UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN WISCONSIN, AND YOUR OWN CENTER, CENTRO HISPANO, HAS WRITTEN THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF IMMIGRANTS IN MADISON, LATINOS, ARE UNDOCUMENTED. SO HOW DO PEOPLE LIVE THAT WAY? HOW DO THEY INTEGRATE INTO COMMUNITIES?

SUJHEY BEISSER:

YEAH. THAT’S A REALLY HARD NUMBER TO VALIDATE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT LATINO — THE LATINOS ARE THE FASTEST-GROWING MINORITY IN MADISON, IN DANE COUNTY AND IN WISCONSIN. BUT WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE UNDOCUMENTED. WE WERE RECENTLY LOOKING AT SOME DATA THAT SHOWS THAT FROM 2000 TO 2010 THE GROWTH OF LATINOS IN WISCONSIN WAS 80% AND THE GROWTH OF LATINOS IN DANE COUNTY WAS 100%, GOING FROM 14,000 TO OVER 28,000 LATINOS. HOWEVER, IT’S REALLY HARD FOR US TO SAY WHO IS UNDOCUMENTED. AT CENTRO WE HELP FAMILIES. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THEIR DOCUMENTATION STATUS IS. SO WE DON’T ASK. SO WE COULDN’T SAY THAT WE KNOW WE HELP A MAJORITY UNDOCUMENTED.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IF YOU’RE LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU’RE AN IMMIGRANT, AND MAYBE YOU ARE UNDOCUMENTED, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU SEEK FROM WASHINGTON?

SUJHEY BEISSER:

YOU KNOW, I CAN’T SPEAK FOR ALL THE LATINOS, BUT I THINK THAT MANY OF US JUST HOPE FOR SOME PROGRESS ON THE IMMIGRATION REFORM. THERE ARE SO MANY FAMILIES THAT COME HERE TO THIS COMMUNITY WITH A DREAM TO HAVE A BETTER LIFE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. A LOT OF TIMES THEY EVEN LEAVE FAMILY BEHIND. AND ALL OF THOSE FAMILIES ARE ALREADY CONTRIBUTING TO THE ECONOMY OF THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO SOME DATA THAT WE WERE REVIEWING, IT SHOWS THAT LATINO OR HISPANIC-OWNED BUSINESSES HAVE GROWN OVER 43%, I BELIEVE IS THE NUMBER. SO WE ARE DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ECONOMY. AND IT’S RATHER FRUSTRATING TO SEE THAT NOTHING GETS DONE SO THAT LATINOS ARE SEEN MORE AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND PART OF THE ECONOMY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW HARD IS IT TO GET THE DOCUMENTS THAT ONE NEEDS TO STAY IN THIS COUNTRY, TO WORK IN THIS COUNTRY, TO BECOME A CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY?

SUJHEY BEISSER:

IT IS VERY HARD. IT’S NOT JUST FILLING OUT SOME PAPERWORK AND WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. I MEAN, THERE ARE FAMILIES THAT COULD BE IN THE PROCESS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. YOU KNOW, THE KIDS GROW. THEY HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL. THEY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. THEIR PARENTS WORK MANY, MANY HOURS, YOU KNOW. THAT PUTS A TOLL ON THE FAMILY AND WHO’S TAKING CARE OF THOSE KIDS. IT’S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WANT TO SEE PROGRESS ON.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IF PEOPLE ARE WORKING, HOW DOES BEING UNDOCUMENTED STUNT THEIR OPPORTUNITIES?

SUJHEY BEISSER:

HERE IN WISCONSIN, IT’S EXTREMELY HARD WHEN THEY CAN’T FIND JOBS IN MADISON AND THEY KIND OF VENTURE OUT TO OTHER PLACES. AND IN WISCONSIN IF YOU’RE UNDOCUMENTED, YOU CANNOT HAVE A DRIVER’S LICENSE. AND THAT IS A REALLY BIG ISSUE FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY THAT IS UNDOCUMENTED.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR INSIGHTS.

SUJHEY BEISSER:

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. I APPRECIATE IT.