Skagit Valley Farmworkers and ICE

US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agents arrested 24 year old Medardo Cruz-Ventura on January 24th.    Edgar Franks, Political Director of Familias Unidas por la Justicia describes how ICE activities impact Washington’s Skagit Valley where farmworkers make up 30% of the population.

Repatriation of Mexican Immigrant Families and Mexican Americans

Imagine being a US Citizen and being deported to a country where you don’t know anyone? This happened in the 1930’s here in America. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage, this series focuses on the history of immigration and repatriation of Mexican immigrants in the US. In this two-part series, KBCS’s Yuko Kodama recently spoke with Dr. Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, Professor at Seattle University, regarding the impact of the Repatriation program of the 1930’s.

Part 1 – KBCS’s Yuko Kodama and Dr. Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs discuss a program in the 1930’s which sent US citizens to Mexico against their will.

Part 2 – KBCS’s Yuko Kodama continues the discussion with Dr. Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs about the Repatriation program and its lasting impacts on the psyche of the Mexican American community.

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New Perspectives on Immigration in the US

Last year, the United States deported nearly 370,000 people. That’s nine times the number 20 years ago.  Meanwhile, a recent study on trends in Mexico released by the Pew Research Center finds that 34% of its pool said they would like to migrate to the US.  Over 70% said top concerns were with crime, corruption and drug cartel related violence.  This week we look at the real life conditions that draw people from Mexico and other countries to the United States.

• Episode 1 & 2 – Former Federal Public Defender, Jay Stansell speaks about current policies toward immigration and the conditions that undocumented immigrants face in the US with KBCS Producer, Yuko Kodama
• Episode 3 –  Masahiro Sugano is the Director of the documentary, “Cambodian Son”.  He speaks with KBCS Producer, Yuko Kodama about the  some Camdodian Americans who were deported to Cambodia from the US
• Episode 4 – Writer and activist, Dori Cahn speaks with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama about the conditions Cambodian American deportees to Cambodia are faced with when they are forced to build their lives in a home country they hardly know.