I am pleased with the number of thoughtful responses to my post on immigrant voting rights. I feel compelled to respond to some of the questions raised. 1.Constitutionality--Previous to World War I, immigrants who had not yet attained citizenship were allowed to vote in local, state, and federal elections in 22 states. It was primarily out of concern over loyalty of the large number of German immigrants who it was thought might not support the war effort that immigrants were banned from voting in federal elections. Following World War II at the beginning of the Cold War many states moved to prevent immigrants from voting in state and in some cases in local elections. The role of largely working class immigrants in union organizing efforts and other left leaning political movements in this country during the 1930's also raised concern in some quarters. Minnesota is among those states that under a new constitution specified restrictions on voting in local and state elections to US citizens. Today, this barrier at the state level here in Minnesota remains. The state constitution would need to be ammended to allow Minneapolis to extend voting rights to immigrants. 2.Linguistic Barriers- Folks seem to be focused only on those immigrants who are refugees or here due to forced migration. This is understandable since they comprise the portion of the immigrant population that is most visible on the streets, in the media, and in the growing racial diversity of our city. Many immigrants come here at the request of our businesses, educational institutions, hospitals, cultural institutions, etc. because they have rare and unique skills that are needed and valued by these institutions. Most of these individuals speak English, as well as several other languages, very well. In many cases, they speak gramatically correct english better than those of us who grew up here! 3.Concern over foreign influence- I was surprised that the idea was raised that foreigners would take over our city and leave us holding the bag with poor policy choices. I think immigrants would add valueable new ideas to the mix having lived in other parts of the world. I don't think we here in Minneapolis are so arrogant as to think we have nothing to learn from one another's experiences regardless of our nation of origin. New ideas may help enrich our city. Much as the entrepeneurial businesses started by immigrants have brought a new life to many of our neighborhoods, new policy ideas can enrich our public discourse and help mold our city into a more world class city than it is now. 4.Competing in a global job market- Though through the good work of Lutheran & Catholic Social Services our community has welcomed and taken in many refugees to whom this policy would give voice, I think it is important that we understand the impact on our businesses, educational, cultural institutions, etc. as regards their ability to attract employees with unique skills from a global job pool. Being a community that welcomes and embraces civic input from our immigrant population is of importance to those many immigrants whose skills could take them anywhere. I feel it is of benefit to our community to be welcoming as possible to such immigrants and hope they settle in Minneapolis as opposed to the west suburbs or some other state. 5.Personal connections- I was pleased that many list members shared their personal experiences/connecitons with immigrant voting issues. I would like to share some of my own connections. My family has been the main route of exposure to these concerns. My oldest brother's wife is from Sierra Leone, West Africa. They live in La Ceiba, Honduras where my nephew and two nieces have spent their school years. They are all now US citizens. My next older brother lives in England with his girlfriend who is an executive for Coca-Cola europe. My younger sister will be married on March 24th in Florida to a fantastic young man from Bosnia-Hercegovina near Sarajevo. My father spent the last 12 years establishing a congregation for the Wesleyan Church in Plymouth,MN. The congregation had many immigrants from Liberia, India, Eastern Europe and other parts of Africa. My mother is a research and development specialist who has volunteered her services extensively to world relief agencies. In addition, I have met and made many friends here in Minneapolis. Notably a doctor originally from Russia and his boyfriend from the Netherlands who came here at the invitation of a local hospital that was in need of particular skills. They came here, as opposed to taking job offers elsewhere, in part because of the level of support here for the glbt community. 6.Immigrants more socially conservative?- Some have expressed concern that immigrants will be more socially conservative than the local population when it comes to issues such as glbt rights, women's roles, etc. Particular concern has been raised in regard to muslim immigrants. First of all, this plays into stereotypes of Islam. Islam is far more diverse and open to diversity than many of us have been lead to believe. I feel that engaging those immigrants who are more conservative respectfully in the political process will make them less isolated within the community and create greater comfort and place in the cultural plurality we value in america. One could speculate that immigrants from most other parts of the US are likely to be more social conservative than we Twin Citians as well. I don't believe we should deny other's a right to participate fully in the community out of such fear. Thanks for all the thoughtful comments, David Strand Loring Park Ward 7 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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