2008 Woodie Awards
Students Hear Former Mexican President Speak
Maggie Fried
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
In recent years, the issue of immigration -- especially illegal immigration -- from countries south of the United States has been the focus of much debate. On October 29, a group of Colgate students traveled to Syracuse University to hear about the issue of immigration, not from the perspective of a U.S. official, but from the perspective of the leader of Mexico, former President Vincente Fox.
"I went to see [Fox] speak because I took CORE Mexico last year and we discussed many current events that were going on in Mexico," sophomore Lauren Paverman said. "One of them being the end of Fox's presidential term and the current political chaos in Mexico because of the most recent election. I thought I would get a lot of out seeing him speak because I already had background information on the topic."
Fox began his speech by addressing, in Spanish, Hispanics who had come to the United States in search of a better life. Later, he discussed a variety of topics such as his personal history, the issue of illegal immigration and the United States' response to it, unemployment and education levels in Mexico and U.S-Mexican relations.
In addition to giving his speech, Fox also interacted with the audience.
"President Fox spoke about the great attributes and faults that the United States has as a nation," first-year Ana Almeyda-Cohen said. "Fox emphasized the importance of having immigrants in the U.S. and how they help the economy grow. He disagrees with building a wall that physically separates the U.S. and Mexico as well as the current war taking place overseas. What I found most compelling was when a protester irrespectively challenged Fox's views on NAFTA [the North American Free Trade Agreement]. I am currently learning more about NAFTA and the effects that it has on the indigenous population in Latin America, but Fox's response to the protester did not seem genuine."
Students were impressed by Fox's presence as well as his words.
"I went to see [Fox] speak because I took CORE Mexico last year and we discussed many current events that were going on in Mexico," sophomore Lauren Paverman said. "One of them being the end of Fox's presidential term and the current political chaos in Mexico because of the most recent election. I thought I would get a lot of out seeing him speak because I already had background information on the topic."
Fox began his speech by addressing, in Spanish, Hispanics who had come to the United States in search of a better life. Later, he discussed a variety of topics such as his personal history, the issue of illegal immigration and the United States' response to it, unemployment and education levels in Mexico and U.S-Mexican relations.
In addition to giving his speech, Fox also interacted with the audience.
"President Fox spoke about the great attributes and faults that the United States has as a nation," first-year Ana Almeyda-Cohen said. "Fox emphasized the importance of having immigrants in the U.S. and how they help the economy grow. He disagrees with building a wall that physically separates the U.S. and Mexico as well as the current war taking place overseas. What I found most compelling was when a protester irrespectively challenged Fox's views on NAFTA [the North American Free Trade Agreement]. I am currently learning more about NAFTA and the effects that it has on the indigenous population in Latin America, but Fox's response to the protester did not seem genuine."
Students were impressed by Fox's presence as well as his words.
Be the first to comment on this story