Symposium

Berkeley Law Professor Frank Zimring discusses the modern links between criminality and immigration at the 2010 symposium. He is joined by Professor Stephen Lee (UC Irvine Law), Aarti Kohli (UC Berkeley Law, Warren Institute), Professor Claire Jean Kim (UC Irvine), and Angela Chan (Asian Law Caucus).

AALJ organizes an annual symposium to highlight, discuss and promote research on areas of law that are relevant to Asian American jurisprudence. Past symposium topics have included the 25th anniversary of the Korematsu II decision, immigration reform, affirmative action, and voting rights. Berkeley law students, undergraduates, faculty and members of the community are all welcome. MPRE credit is typically available. The symposium usually takes place during the spring semester of the academic year. The information for our 2010 spring symposium is below. Please check back in Fall 2010 for updates on our 2011 symposium.

Criminalizing Immigrants: Historical and Modern Perspectives
Asian American Law Journal 2010 Spring Symposium
Friday, March 12th, UC Berkeley School of Law

Immigrants in the United States face an uneasy relationship with their adopted home. Recent events and modern attitudes towards immigration have coalesced into a view towards American immigrants that is increasingly associated with criminality. Please join the Asian American Law Journal for our annual symposium on Friday, March 12th, as we present a spirited conversation on the link between criminality and immigration. Panelists will explore how this criminal link has been seized upon as a basis for immigrant deportation and minority isolation, spurred by events such as September 11th and effectuated through imprisonment programs like Secure Communities. The resulting effects of these developments on Americans from all walks of life, from President Barack Obama to a San Francisco MUNI bus driver, will also be discussed.

This event is free and open to everyone. 1 hour of MCLE credit is available for each panel.

Registration & Breakfast by Noah's Bagels (9:30-10:00 a.m., Goldberg Room)

Panel 1: The Rising Criminalization of Immigration in the Wake of 9/11 (10:00-11:15 a.m., Goldberg Room)
Speakers: Leti Volpp (Berkeley Law), Ming Chen (PhD candidate, UC Berkeley JSP), Juliet Stumpf (Lewis & Clark Law), Mona Lynch (UC Irvine)
Summary: The tragedy of September 11th was marked by profound shifts in the American immigrant landscape. To what degree have factors such as race, criminalization, and ascriptions of terrorism affected Middle Eastern immigrants, and how has this altered their perception by the American public? The answers to these questions will be traced to the social implications of the recent Ashcroft v. Iqbal decision, as well as to how September 11th incited the expansion of programs such as the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.

Panel 2: The Historical Nexus between Criminality and Immigration (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Goldberg Room)
Speaker: Rick Su (University at Buffalo Law)
Summary: Overtones of criminality have long been associated with immigration, but how did such a link arise? Join professor Rick Su for an exploration of this question, as he discusses how the seeds for the connection between criminality and immigration may have been sown through key legal responses over the past century.

Panel 3 & Lunch by Gregoire: The Modern Intersection between Criminality and Immigration (12:45-2:00 p.m., Goldberg Room)
Moderator: Stephen Lee (UC Irvine Law)
Speakers: Angela Chan (Asian Law Caucus), Claire Jean Kim (UC Irvine), Aarti Kohli (UC Berkeley Law), Frank Zimring (UC Berkeley Law)
Summary: How does the link between criminality and immigration manifest itself in our lives today? Panelists will consider how criminality is being used as the basis for immigrant deportation through federal imprisonment programs such as Secure Communities, and examine the relationship between immigrant youths and juvenile delinquency. Panelists will also take a look at how modern attitudes towards immigration have affected two Americans in particular: President Barack Obama, who faced accusations by the Birther movement that he was not a native-born citizen; and Charles Washington, a San Francisco MUNI bus driver who is battling the deportation of his wife and children over a schoolyard scuffle.

Generously sponsored by: Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, California Law Review, Office of Student Services, and the Graduate Assembly. Co-sponsored by: Berkeley Journal of African American Law & Policy, Berkeley La Raza Law Journal, Boalt Civil Rights Outreach Project, Boalt Muslim Students Association, La Raza Law Students Association, Native American Law Students Association, Pilipino American Law Society, and Women of Color Collective.