This Forum will address the benefits of immigration to Maine’s society and economy, the legal aspects of seeking asylum and how this differs from regular immigration, and the personal experiences and achievements of a recent immigrant. These issues will be discussed from the perspective of four persons involved in a local program for assisting immigrants in becoming part of Maine’s society.

Kristin McLaren, Ph.D. is a lecturer in social science at UMA, where she has taught courses in religion and culture. She is a moving force behind the formation of the Capital Area New Mainers Project. CANMP is a cross-cultural organization that, with the help of community volunteers, welcomes immigrants and strives to create a thriving, integrated community in central Maine.

Barbara Taylor is a Rural Maine Project Attorney with the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. She is a University of Maine Law School graduate with a Masters Degree in Community Education form Columbia Teachers College. She has served as a fulltime Staff Attorney and Senior Staff Attorney for ILAP for ten years. ILAP works to help Maine’s immigrants to improve their legal status and to assure them of social justice and equity.

Aaminah Aleem is employed by UMA as an administrative assistant in the Student Life, Athletics and Dean of Students Offices. Her family emigrated from Pakistan. As a UMA student she received the Heart and Soul Student award, granted by the Maine Campus Compact, in recognition of her efforts in helping to transform her campus into an environment of civic engagement. She is a board member of the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

Moderator: Chris Myers Asch, Director of CANMP, teaches history part-time at Colby College. He is author of a book, The Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital.

There will be ample time for questions and interaction with the audience.

FORUM ON THE FUTURE IS FREE!
Next Forum: Our Divided Country
Sunday Feb. 2 at 2 pm (snow date 2/16/20)