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Greenville, NC – The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina [AMEXCAN] celebrated its 10 year anniversary this week. AMEXCAN hosted a special roundtable discussion on Latino immigration into North Carolina at East Carolina University. Dr. Helen Marrow, professor of Sociology and Latin American Studies at Tufts University, keynoted the address.
“As we grown into our second decade, we are undertaking increased advocacy work to grow Hispanic voter registration and civic engagement” said Juvencio Rocha-Peralta, President & CEO of AMEXCAN. “Our event is a testament to our supporters and our institution’s good work” he went on to add.
The keynoter, Dr. Marrow, is a Tarboro native who graduated from Harvard University with a PhD in Sociology and Social Policy in 2007. She has written and edited a variety of publications, and will present her most recent book, Destination Dreaming: Immigration, Race, and Legal Status in the Rural American South, at the roundtable discussion. In addition to her written work, she is also the recipient of the 2008 Best Dissertation Award from the American Sociological Association.
This roundtable discussion comes at an important moment for Latinos living in the United States because many have experienced extreme changes regarding stricter immigration laws, especially in Arizona and Alabama. Dr. Marrow addressed the roundtable discussion by presenting evidence from her most recent work, which has investigated resistance to strict anti-immigration laws in the eastern North Carolina region. According to Dr. Marrow, this resistance has yielded a variety of programs designed to help immigrant populations, rather than police them according to laws passed in other states around the nation.
AMEXCAN has chosen to celebrate its 10th anniversary by continuing the advocacy work that has been so vital in providing educational, medical and civic support for minority populations throughout the rural eastern North Carolina region. For more information please contact AMEXCAN by phone at 252-757-3916 or by email at amexcan@amexcannc.org
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