Immigration Issues Hit Home
By Christopher Walker

Immigration reform issues are sparking debate and controversy across the nation this week. With the fastest growing Hispanic population in the country, North Carolina has an important voice in the debate.

The Carolina Hispanic Association presented its views on immigration Monday at a forum hosted by the Young Democrats.

Freshman Pedro Carreno spoke about his personal experience with the issue. He'll finally become an American citizen this month after coming to America from Colombia as a 3-year-old with his parents.

"A lot of people say this is the land of opportunity but this opportunity isn't being given to these people," said Carreno.

There are currently 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Most of these people are living and working without access to health care and higher education.

Carrboro's El Centro Latino assists local immigrants, documented or not, in finding jobs, child care and education opportunities in Orange County.
Director Ben Balderas says most of Orange County's immigrants are Hispanic and work where other people won't.

"What we find is that a lot of the male Latino population goes into construction or service related hotel, restaurant industries," said Balderas.

A recent study at the University’s Kenan Institute found that North Carolina's Hispanic population works mostly in jobs without higher education requirements.

More than 40 percent of North Carolina’s Hispanics work in construction and about 10 percent each work in manufacturing, retail and agriculture. Only about four percent have jobs in health care and education.

Law professor Hiroshi Motomura says these work opportunities started North Carolina's immigration flow and stopping that now isn't simple.

"These industries have been using immigrant labor, some legal some illegal, for long enough time now that people tell their cousins and brothers and sisters and friends and so you've got a lot of migration based on word of mouth,” said Motomura.

That migration is being challenged in a House bill proposing to build a wall on the Mexican border and to charge undocumented workers as felons.

As immigration is a matter of federal law, the state's immigration stance will follow whatever action Congress takes.

The Kenan Institute study also found that North Carolina's Hispanic immigrants contributed $9 billion to the state's economy in 2004.

Without Hispanic workers, North Carolina’s construction industry would lose around $10 billion.