Stephanie Smith and Professor Richard Long, Communications
Hispanic immigration is one of the most far reaching issues in America, but ironically it is also one of the most ignored. Despite approximately eight million immigrants currently living in the country illegally, 60 percent of whom are Mexicans, there appears to be no end to the mounting numbers. These immigrants are appearing to make a significant impact to the growth of the US economy, however. The total number of low-skilled jobs will increase from 53.2 million in 2000 to 60.9 million by 2010. As native-born Americans continue receiving higher educations, Hispanic immigrants will be relied upon to fill that gap.1 Yet, America provides few options for Hispanics to enter the country legally. In 2002, the average wait for a Hispanic immigrant to receive a green card and legally enter the country was 10-12 years. In these times of war, it appears that this should be a major issue as the need to know who is entering America grows more important. Despite the numbers of organizations and individuals working to bring this topic to a political forefront, little attention has been received.
Prior to September 11, there was increasing momentum for the development of a temporary guest worker program, which would allow immigrants to legally work in the United States without receiving permanent citizenship. The September 11 attacks, however, ended those hopes. During this time of war, the need for immigrant policy change remains the same as prior to pre Sept. 11. America simply has to know who is entering the country and to make it as beneficial as possible for both parties.
By studying the major public relations campaigns both for and against Hispanics immigration based on personal interviews as well as by studying literary journals, publications, and newspapers, I have developed several conclusions about why organizations and individuals have failed to make progress in the past two years.
One well-known public relations model for analyzing public relations campaign is RACE (Research, Action, Communication, Evaluation) created by John Marston in 1963. Professor Laurie Wilson at Brigham Young University attempted to expand RACE into a more strategic planning matrix. In my research I used her model as well as RACE to develop conclusions about how immigration reform can be more strategically advocated in the future. I have concluded that four things must happen for immigration reform to once again become a legislative priority.
1) Unify the Hispanic Effort
Currently there are many organizations working to push positive immigration policy through Congress and into law. Unfortunately, these organizations often work against each other, creating a weak and vulnerable front. One example is the fight for and against the temporary workers program. Major immigration reformists such as Representative Chris Cannon (R-Utah), Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and the American Immigration Foundation strongly believe in this program. Yet other major pro immigrant advocates such as Representative Linda Sanchez (R-Calif.) and the NCLR does not. By spending too many resources battling other proimmigrant groups, the well-funded campaigns of the opposition are able to untouched.
2) Focus on National Security (Target People’s Perceptions)
During a time of war, people are most concerned with national security and unfortunately foreigners are often the victims of those fears. The statistics show that most people simply believe that if a Hispanic immigrant is legal or illegal, they are a suspect for creating harm. According to Wilson, “Perception carriers with it the power of truth. What is perceived by an individual is what is true to him/her.”2 Therefore, in order to win any debate on immigration, pro-immigrants must couch their arguments considering safety and national security. Public relations professionals have not sufficiently addressed the concerns of the American people, thus preventing progress.
3) Increase Emphasis at the State Level (Localize)
The state of Utah is a perfect example of how states can handle immigration reform without the approval of federal law. Governor Leavitt passed a bill in 2002 allowing the children of illegal immigrants to attend the University of Utah and pay in-state tuition. By directly targeting the politicians of the states where immigration reform is a high priority, real change will be the result. Starting at the grassroots level is the key for creating immigration reform.
4) Evaluate!!!
The biggest problem in all of the analyzed organizations was finding a way to evaluate progress. All thought they were making a significant difference, but there were no substantial documented results. Wilson states that “objectives should be credible in that the result can be directly attributed to the public relations campaign.”3 The pro-immigrant advocate organizations should regularly ask themselves whether they accomplished their objectives or didn’t, and why? By constantly refining objectives that did not contribute to the accomplishment of their overall goals, the organizations have a much greater opportunity for success.
In conclusion, despite what many might say, September 11 was not the defining event that forever negatively affected the opportunity for Hispanic immigration reform. Through my research, I found the primary reason Hispanic immigration reform is stalled is due to the failure of pro-immigrant individuals and organizations. Many of their tactics simply do not meet the needs of the post 9/11 environment. Yet, I still found a lot of potential for change. If public relations advocates are willing to start over and realistically look at their strengths and weaknesses and make the necessary adjustments, Hispanic immigration reform will happen and the effect will positively benefit all people living in America.
References
- American Immigration Law Foundation, “Mexican Immigrants Workers and the U.S. Economy,” Immigration Policy Focus Vol. 1 Issue 1, (Sept 2002):6.
- Laurie J. Wilson, A Matrix Approach to Solving Public Relations Problems,(Brigham Young University, 2000), 22 3 Wilson, 13.