Focus on Illegal Immigrants Decried

NORTHRIDGE — President Clinton’s warm reception in Mexico, at a time when the U.S. is cracking down on illegal immigration and pressing other policies viewed by some as racist, left sociologist Jorge Bustamante stunned Thursday.

“This is something I cannot explain scientifically,” said Bustamante, a keynote speaker at a U.S.-Mexico symposium at Cal State Northridge. “He demonstrated how excellent a politician he is.”

As the president and the first lady late Wednesday completed a three-day visit to Mexico, the university was in the middle of its symposium marking the donation of Julian Nava’s ambassadorial papers to the school’s Urban Archives Center.

Bustamante, president of El Colegio de la Frontera Norte in Tijuana, was one of several speakers scheduled for the three-day symposium. Though much of his talk focused on praise for Nava, a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and now a CSUN history professor, Bustamante also commented on immigration, the North American Free Trade Agreement and Clinton’s statesmanship.

Bustamante said the U.S. government’s focus on illegal immigrants from Mexico was offensive. Other parts of the United States are experiencing high numbers of illegal immigrants who are, for example, Canadian, Irish or Asian, he said.

NAFTA, the 3-year-old trade pact among the United States, Mexico and Canada, was praised by Clinton for providing such benefits as an improved environment and more secure jobs.

Bustamante said NAFTA has been beneficial only to parts of Mexico. “NAFTA should not be thought of as a panacea,” he said.

Nava said the symposium, which was held the same week as the Clinton visit by coincidence, was designed to help place his papers in historical context. The papers include personal notes, newspaper clippings, photos and letters from President Jimmy Carter during Nava’s ambassadorship.

“They ought to be made available to everyone,” he said.

The event will culminate in today’s presentation of the Nava papers at the Delmar T. Oviatt Library.

For several students and other participants, the symposium was a chance to learn about U.S.-Mexico relations from people who have lived in both countries and could explain past and present developments.

“I wanted to hear people who experienced history,” said Jesse Carrizal, 19, who is completing his freshman year at CSUN.

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Lucinda Solorzano, 25, a junior, said she was majoring in Chicano studies. The symposium was helping her cope with the issue of Mexican Americans feeling like outcasts in Mexico because they were born in the United States, yet experiencing discrimination in their birthplace.

“I think this would help a lot of people understand the struggle,” she said, adding that her participation had nothing to do with the president’s trip. “I didn’t even know Clinton was in Mexico. It’s finals. But this is beneficial.”