‘Immigration in the News’

DALLAS (SMU) – How does the media’s coverage of immigration issues shape public opinion and policy? To answer that, a respected Latino politics scholar and Texas Tribune reporter will share compelling research and insight during a free public forum at SMU Monday, March 14.

“Immigration in the News: How the Media Covers the Issue, and How the Public Responds,” sponsored by the John G. Tower Center for Political Studies and Dallas’ Latino Center for Leadership Development (LatinoCLD), will be 5:30–7:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater. Afterward, a 7:30–9 p.m. reception in Centennial Hall will feature music by the Cuban Jazz Project in celebration of the LatinoCLD-Tower Center Policy Partnership’s one-year anniversary. To RSVP, email tower@smu.edu by March 13.

Guest speakers will be Aileen Cardona-Arroyo, the Tower Center’s new Latino Politics Post-Doctoral Fellow, and Julián Aguilar, a reporter for The Texas Tribune with extensive experience covering immigration issues.

Cardona-Arroyo, a San Juan, Puerto Rico, native, graduated summa cum laude with a political science degree from the University of Puerto Rico in 2009. In 2013 she earned a M.A. in government from Cornell University, where she is completing Ph.D. work in Latino politics/public opinion.

“Aileen is an emerging superstar in her field,” says Joshua Rovner, Tower Center Distinguished Chair of International Politics and National Security. “Her thoughtful, creative research on public opinion is shedding new light on the very old question of how Americans view immigrants.”

Aguilar reports on politics and border affairs from the Texas-Mexico border, with focuses including immigration reform and enforcement, voter ID, international trade, border security and the drug trade. He has covered local, legislative and congressional races in Texas, and local and national elections in Mexico.

Prior to joining The Texas Tribune, Aguilar worked as a freelance writer for the Fort Worth Weekly; a government and crime reporter for the Laredo Morning Times; and a political writer for the Rio Grande Guardian. The El Paso native holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in journalism from the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas.

During the forum Rovner will be joined by LatinoCLD founder/SMU alumnus Jorge Baldor ‘93 and LatinoCLD president Miguel Solis, who will provide updates on the LatinoCLD-Tower Center Policy Partnership. Announced at SMU March 14, 2015, the unique interdisciplinary think-tank was created with funding from the LatinoCLD to engage scholars and thought leaders in developing policy priorities while providing public forums and outreach events. The partnership goal is to support greater understanding of and support for issues that are important in the Latino community, from educational and economic opportunities to voting rights and immigration reform.

LatinoCLD President Miguel Solis is confident the LatinoCLD-Tower Center Policy Partnership “will grow into a national resource for direct, actionable solutions supporting the Latino community,” he says. “There’s no better place to house the program than Southern Methodist University, which has a prestigious reputation and the necessary resources to be a premiere place for thought.”

About SMU

Southern Methodist University is a nationally ranked private university in Dallas founded 100 years ago. Today, SMU enrolls approximately 11,000 students who benefit from the academic opportunities and international reach of seven degree-granting schools.

About the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies

In the spirit of John Tower’s commitment to educate and inspire a new generation of thoughtful leaders, the Tower Center seeks to bridge the gap between the world of ideas, scholarship and teaching, as well as the practice of politics. The primary mission of the Tower Center is to promote the study of politics and international affairs and to stimulate an interest in ethical public service among undergraduates. The Tower Center is an academic center where all parties and views are heard in a marketplace of ideas, and the Center pursues its mission in a non-partisan manner.

About the Latino Center for Leadership Development

The Latino Center for Leadership Development is a privately funded foundation with a vision of developing future leaders with an understanding of Latino-focused policies and actionable solutions. The three pillars of LatinoCLD are the annual Leadership Academy, which brings together national future leaders; a policy program; and ongoing initiatives on critical issues, such as KeepHB1403.com, which led bi-partisan efforts to preserve in-state tuition at Texas universities for all state residents. 

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