University of Nebraska Kearney

James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs

Immigration and the Globalization of Labor

September 25-26, 2012

Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Rooms

 Many issues that shape the quality of our lives have an international dimension. Global economic interdependence, the development of appropriate environmental strategies, the resolution of regional conflicts, and the enhancement of human rights all require a global perspective. Important aspects of the educational experience include discussion and interaction with people from diverse cultures. Since 1964, Kearney State College, now the University of Nebraska at Kearney, has sponsored an international conference to discuss issues of global importance. In 1988 the name of the conference was changed to honor Professor James E. Smith.

From the moment of its discovery, the United States has been a nation of immigrants. People came to America seeking to benefit from the advantages provided by its size and material resources as well as the benefits that its religious, political, and economic freedoms provided to citizens. The advantages of this relationship were of course mutual. The United States was made strong and productive by the labor and creative energies of immigrants (both voluntary and enslaved) from all continents of the Earth. Nonetheless, as the nation matured and globalization increased, the United States (along with most other countries) enacted laws restricting immigration. Today we live in a world in which information, goods, capital, and businesses may travel freely from country to country, yet human beings continue to face restrictions in their efforts to follow those free flowing finances and jobs.

This year’s World Affairs Conference investigates the multiple issues associated with immigration and the globalization of labor. It is indeed a wide ranging theme that spans the spectrum from U.S. Immigration Law, technology and outsourcing, and wages and working conditions at home and abroad, to crime, human trafficking, child labor, and slavery. Our speakers this year include experts on labor laws, citizenship and visa requirements, education, economics, travel regulations, health care, and criminal law. These experts come to us from countries that include Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.

Through the information provided at this conference, we hope to introduce UNK faculty and students, as well as the broader Kearney community, to the critical issues relating to immigration and the globalization of labor. We hope that at least some members of the audience will be sufficiently inspired by what they hear at the conference to maintain a lifelong interest in international affairs.   

Tuesday and Wednesday, September 25-26, 2012
Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room

Tuesday, September 25, 2012  

Wednesday, September 26, 2012  

Biographies

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Carola Suarez-Orozco  

Professor, Psychological Studies in Education  

University of California, Los Angeles  

Carola Suárez-Orozco is a Professor of Psychological Studies in Education at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. She publishes widely in the areas of immigrant families and youth, educational achievement among immigrant origin youth, immigrant family separations, the role of the "social mirror" in identity formation, the role of mentors in facilitating youth development, and gendered experiences of immigrant youth. Her books include: Learning a New Land: Immigrant Children in American Society; Children of Immigration; Transformations: Migration, Family Life, and Achievement Motivation Among Latino Adolescents; and The New Immigration: An Interdisciplinary Reader. In 2006, she was awarded an American Psychological Association Presidential Citation for her contributions to the field of cultural psychology and immigration. She also served as the Chair of the APA Presidential Task Force on Immigration.  

Conference Speakers:

 

Dr. Iyad Azzam, MD, FACP, FSCAI
Interventional Cardiology Specialist
TPN-Midlands Cardiology Group, Kearney, NE
Dr. Iyad Azzam is a valued member of the Kearney medical community—a physician board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases, and interventional cardiology. But his path to Kearney—and his experiences regarding immigration and the globalization of labor—are unique among the participants at this year’s conference. Dr. Azzam is Jordanian and received his medical degree from the University of Baghdad College of Medicine before immigrating to the United States. His post-graduate training includes fellowships in Interventional and General Cardiology and a residency at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, New Jersey.

Ms. Khurshida Begum, Public Speaker, Survivor of international modern day slavery
Airline Ambassadors International, Washington, D.C.
South Puget Sound Community College ASB President, speaker, and child trafficking survivor Ms. Khurshida Begum wonders how many people saw her during the years she lived in slavery and survived other tortures from the age of three, south of Olympia, Washington, wondering about her but doing nothing. Begum and eight of her family members were bought by a man who visited her impoverished village in Bangladesh and convinced her father that he would be selling her into a better life in the United States. She speaks emphatically and urgently for public education about human trafficking, awareness and community engagement.

Mr. Jeffrey Blom, Founder and President
Global Sentry Group, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Jeffrey Blom, former law enforcement professional, internationally published author and speaker on human trafficking, has conducted over 300 anti-human trafficking operations in 19 countries and interviewed hundreds of trafficking victims from 31 countries. His efforts have directly resulted in the rescue of victims, as well as indirectly through his training programs. Recently, his experience, videos and investigations as an undercover investigator in Cambodia were used to incorporate facts in the movie Trade of Innocents, where he also provided personal training to the actors. In 2011, he founded the Global Sentry Group, a non-profit organization focused on reducing the threat of sexual predators world-wide and targeted interventions for victims of human trafficking.

Ms. Allison Churilla
Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, University of New Hampshire
Research Scientist, Wilder Research, St. Paul, MN
Ms. Allison Churilla is a Research Scientist at Wilder Research in St. Paul, MN, and a Ph.D candidate in Sociology at the University of New Hampshire. Her dissertation examines the influence of the foreign-born workforce on the gender wage gap in metropolitan labor markets. Her work at Wilder is primarily on the Minnesota Compass project, a social indicators project that tracks demographic, economic, and social trends in the state.

Mr. Steven Daubendiek
Visa Sponsorship/Immigration Specialist
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE Steven has traveled extensively to many parts of the world, including studying Chinese at Guangxi University, lecturing at Beijing University, and leading tour groups to China. In all, he has made 15 trips to China since 1999. Prior to that, Daubendiek studied and taught English in Japan from 1996 – 1998. For the past 13 years, he has managed all issues involving UNMC sponsorship of international employees at UNMC, as well as the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Mr. Paul Eurek, CEO and Chairman
Xpanxion, Kearney, NE
A longtime technology entrepreneur, Mr. Paul Eurek founded Xpanxion and now serves as CEO and Chairman. The software development company was founded with a commitment to integrate rather than to mandate, delivering value and quality to its clients every day using the right resources from the right locations. This vision led to the creation of Xpanxion's rural quality assurance center in Nebraska. As an active supporter of the technology and venture community, Eurek has advised entrepreneurs and venture capital groups in matters related to software products and services.

Dr. H. Richard Friman
Eliot Fitch Professor for International Studies
Professor of Political Science
Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Dr. H. Richard Friman is Eliot Fitch Professor for International Studies, Professor of Political Science, Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Major in International Affairs, and Director of the Center for Transnational Justice at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His current research focuses on the intersection of the licit and illicit global economies, politics of (im)migration and crime, trafficking in persons, and drug control policy in advanced industrial countries. He has written/edited seven books including Crime and the Global Political Economy, and is the author of numerous book chapters and journal articles.

Mr. Patrick Green, Senior Quality Assurance Lead
Xpanxion, Kearney, NE
Mr. Patrick Green brings over 14 years of experience in the information technology industry to Xpanxion. As a senior quality assurance test engineer, Green epitomizes Xpanxion’s core strength of understanding the customer’s business needs. By investigating these needs, he is able to determine the qualities and features a software product should contain and designs tests to track how efficiently the software performs against detailed requirements.

Mr. Tyson Hyatt, Project Manager/Product Manager
Xpanxion, Kearney, NE
Mr. Tyson Hyatt brings a unique perspective to the panel as one of the original two employees of Xpanxion’s Kearney location. He has progressed with the company, beginning as a quality assurance tester with an eagerness to lead. Hyatt now serves as a project and product manager, coordinating people, business needs, and processes to see projects through to completion. He is adept at helping clients determine what they need from their software and making sure their expectations are exceeded.

Ms. Amy Miller, JD, Legal Director
ACLU Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
Ms. Amy Miller is a native Nebraskan originally from Papillion. She attended Grinnell College and returned home for law school at UNL. She has worked for ACLU Nebraska as Legal Director since 1999. ACLU Nebraska is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that works to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights. Miller is responsible for the ACLU Nebraska legal program as well as legislative lobbying and public education. She currently represents five Fremont residents in their challenge to the city's anti-immigrant ordinance.

Dr. Carolina Bank Muñoz, Associate Professor
Department of Sociology
Brooklyn College – CUNY, Brooklyn, NY
Dr. Carolina Bank Muñoz’s work focuses on immigration, globalization, labor and work, and race, class and gender. Her book, Transnational Tortillas: Race, Gender and Shop Floor Politics in Mexico and the United States, is the winner of the Terry Book Award. Muñoz is currently working on a book project about WalMart in Chile.

Ms. Deborah Quigley, Chief Researcher/Trainer
Airline Ambassadors International, Honolulu, HI Ms. Deborah Quigley is the chief researcher for Airline Ambassadors International's training on human trafficking designed for the airline/airport/travel industry. She now serves as one of the core trainers, after retiring from her long career at United Airlines. AAI (a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization affiliated with the United Nations and recognized by US Congress) was started in 1996 by flight attendants using their travel privileges to help children in need. AAI is the only independent relief and development non-profit in the United States that works directly with commercial airlines.

Mr. Lance Rall, Director of Quality Assurance
Xpanxion, Kearney, NE
Mr. Lance Rall is an alumnus of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. After receiving his degree in computer information systems, he served as a lead web developer before beginning his career in software quality assurance. Rall is currently the Director of Quality Assurance at Xpanxion, and, with his experience in software development process engineering, he has helped the young company develop a mature business structure through comprehensive processes.

Mr. Thomas Rauner, PCO Director
DHHS Office of Rural Health, Lincoln, NE Mr. Thomas Rauner works with a number of programs involving the preparation and placement of health care providers in federal and state underserved areas. Those programs include the National Health Service Corps, Nebraska J1 Visa Waiver Program, National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network, and the Nebraska Office of Rural Health Incentive Programs. Rauner was directly involved with creating the Health Professions Tracking System in Nebraska, which continuously monitors the practice location of various health care providers. He enjoys addressing healthcare-workforce and health-policy issues.

Mr. Michael Ronning, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
The Physician Network, Lincoln, NE Mr. Michael Ronning provides leadership in the areas of corporate responsibility, governance, human resources, marketing, and risk management for The Physician Network, a subsidiary of Catholic Health Initiatives. With over twenty years of experience in health care operations, Michael has been with CHI since 2001. Additionally, he is the senior executive for the Nebraska Heart Institute. He has overall strategic operational responsibility for physician services and practice administration at NHI’s six clinic locations, as well as the 40 communities where NHI provides outreach clinic and mobile diagnostic services. Michael is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in health policy and management.

Mr. Carl Schaffner, Candidate
City Council Ward Four, Fremont, NE
Mr. Carl Schaffner is a retired Licensed Certified Arborist currently running to unseat the Fremont City Council President in the Fremont Ward 4 Council race. He graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1979 with an AAS in Forest Technology. During the Iran Hostage crisis, Schaffner enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After his active service, he stayed in the Reserves until his separation in 2000. Schaffner has been involved in the Fremont Ordinance since the fateful August, 2008 City Council meeting. He is an active sportsman and member of several military fraternal organizations.

Ms. Sabrina Thomas, Ph.D. Candidate in History
Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Ms. Sabrina Thomas is a Ph.D. candidate in History from Arizona State University. Her research focuses on immigration policy and citizenship as it relates to children born during international conflict. Her dissertation, "The Value of Dust: The Politics of Citizenship and Vietnam’s Amerasian Children", combines elements of history, foreign and domestic policy, and gender. Thomas has presented at the Rocky Mountain Interdisciplinary History Conference at the University of Colorado, and has contributed to two conferences at A.S.U, the Barack Obama and American Democracy Conference and Breaking Down the Walls: Foreign Diplomacy Conference.

Ms. Darcy Tromanhauser, Director
Immigrant Integration & Civic Participation Program
Nebraska Appleseed Center, Lincoln, NE Ms. Darcy Tromanhauser is the Director of the Immigrant Integration and Civic Participation Program at Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public interest law center dedicated to justice and opportunity for all. She has worked with immigrant communities in the Great Plains region for more than ten years. Prior to Appleseed, Tromanhauser worked with Catholic Charities in Des Moines, Iowa to help launch a new Latino Community Outreach Program. She serves on the national board of Welcoming America. She has also worked in Guatemala, Peru and El Salvador. 

International Diplomats

Dr. Christian Brecht, Consul General
Federal Republic of Germany, Chicago, IL
Dr. Christian Brecht, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chicago, began his foreign service in 1980. Prior to this, upon completion of his undergraduate degree and military service, Dr. Brecht earned his Ph.D. and completed the bar examination in 1978, while gaining professional experience as a research assistant at the University of Geneva. His first position abroad was in China, followed by assignments in Myanmar, Chile, Australia and France. In 2008, he was promoted to Consul General in Karachi, Pakistan, followed by a year as Senior Adviser at the Forum of Federations in Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Brecht began his U.S. assignment this summer.

Mr. Jorge Ernesto Espejel Montes, Consul
Consulate of Mexico, Omaha, NE Mr. Jorge Ernesto Espejel Montes holds a degree in International Affairs from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico. He has been part of the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs since 1982. Until his appointment as Consul of Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, he served several roles: Department Head of the Legal and Interagency Coordination of the General Office of Protection and Consular Affairs, Sub-Director of Nationalization and Naturalization of the General Office of Legal Affairs, OIC of the Protection Area in the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, and Deputy Consul in the Mexican Consulate of McAllen, Texas. He has been the Consul of Mexico in Omaha for four years.

Mr. Ramin Navai, Deputy Consul General
British Consulate, Chicago, IL Mr. Ramin Navai was appointed British Deputy Consul General to Chicago in October of 2010. A career diplomat, he arrived in Chicago from Bogota, Colombia, where he led political affairs at the British Embassy. Prior to that, Navai held a variety of positions in London, including in the Counter Terrorism Policy Department and Caribbean Team. He was also a member of the British delegation to the 2003 G8 Summit, and travelled to France with the Prime Minister. Navai was born and raised in London. He studied politics and economics at Leeds University.

Ms. Silvia Ontaneda, JD, Consul General
Consulate of Ecuador, Minneapolis, MN
Ms. Silvia Ontaneda is an International Law Attorney with 20 years of experience in foreign policy related to the rights of immigrant children and women, including intellectual property rights pertaining to ancestral knowledge and the impact on immigration. She founded the International Latina Women Association, Minnesota Chapter and works with Mujeres Siglo XXI, a nonprofit organization that promotes political and academic leadership among Latina women. Ontaneda has been honored by the Minnesota Women’s Press, as the Change Maker of the Year, as well as being named Woman of the Year by the En Familia television program.

Mr. David Saide, Technical Assistant, Education Sector
Consulate General of Brazil, Chicago, IL Mr. David Saide is the Technical Assistant for the Education Sector at the Consulate General of Brazil in Chicago. Currently, he is the Midwest consular coordinator for the new Brazilian Federal Government Program, Science without Borders. In addition to providing support and orientation for Brazilian students, professors, and researchers interested or in the region, Saide is a liaison for Brazilian and U.S. Midwest higher education partnerships.

Mr. Jack Jiuh-Chung Yang, Director General
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Kansas City, KS
Mr. Jack Jiuh-Chung Yang is the Director General for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Kansas City. He holds a B. A. in Political Science from National Taiwan University and an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from National Chengchi University. He began his career with the Coordination Council for North American Affairs in Honolulu. After advancing through several positions in different locations in the U.S. and abroad, he came back to the U.S. to become the Deputy Secretary General for the CNNAA Headquarters for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representatives Office.