USD Magazine Spring 2021

P r o f e s s o r ’ s b o o k d i v e s i n t o i mm i g r a t i o n i s s u e s [ s a g a ] INFORMING THE DISCUSSION

can have lots of friend and ac- tivities but small enough that she can blossom,” says Marco. In addition to supporting USD financially, they’ve also been active volunteers. Through June of 2021, Kim is president of the USD Alumni Association Board while Marco is president of the USD Parents Board. Their enthusiasm and love for USD is readily apparent. “I’ve so enjoyed connecting with alumni and seeing how committed the board is to keeping alumni engaged for life,” says Kim. For Marco, a long-time financial advisor with Morgan Stanley, giving back was a family tradition, “part of my DNA,” he says. In addition to serving on the Alumni Board, much of his early support went to athletics as USD grew its basketball and other sports programs. In the last few years, he’s also become passionate about supporting USD students who are at risk for food insecurity and homelessness. He and Kim first learned about those issues while serving on the parent board at Oregon. “Of course with USD, you didn’t think that happened,” he says. “We all know USD — a paradise on top of the hill.” After becoming aware that those issues do exist at USD, he’s played a leading role in encouraging the Parents Board to provide more support “to help those at-risk kids who can’t eat, don’t have a place to sleep, can’t afford a text- book” or have other needs like flying home during a family emergency. “It’s definitely an issue that’s becoming more front and center and I think that’s great,” he says.

A

by Daniel Telles

new book by Associate Professor of Sociology Greg Prieto, PhD, aims to

immigrants have a negative net impact on wages: and whether immigrants have a negative im- pact on local and state budgets. The book is of particular inter- est for those who wish to engage in a sober and compassionate con- versation about immigrants and immigration in the United States. “Social science and history re- veal that immigrants are hardly the threat to the country and com- munity that they are made out to be, and indeed make contributions that power the economy and en- rich our society,” adds Prieto. Myth and Reality in the U.S. Immigration Debate is available now and can be ordered from bookstores everywhere.

society is critical.” In a short 80 pages, Prieto seeks to boil down the essential dimensions of the immigration debate, sharing key insights that typically stay siloed within aca- demia and making them accessi- ble to a broader audience. The book’s chapters look at the enforcement and public policy sides of immigration, providing a brief history of immigration in the U.S., debunking common myths, showing how collective political choices have created the current system and addressing the racial overtones that surround the immigration debate. Prominent myths that the book tackles include whether immi- grants commit more crimes than those born in the U.S.: whether

cut through common narratives and half-truths that surround the immigration debate and provide a short, fact-based primer on immi- gration in the United States. Myth and Reality in the U.S. Immigration Debate (Routledge) gives readers a sense of the em- pirical reality and history behind immigration so they can enter the debate armed with facts. “The constant drum of social media and the day-to-day news cycles can make it hard for the average person to feel informed about immigration,” says Prieto. “Arming people with clear and concise knowledge about the actual effect of immigration on

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Spr ing 2021