Welcome to the Fulcrum Roundtable, formerly known as Democracy in Action, where you will find insights and discussions with Fulcrum's collaborators on some of the most talked-about topics.
Consistent with the Fulcrum's mission, this program aims to share diverse perspectives to broaden our readers' viewpoints.
I spoke with these Fulcrum columnists about their June writings:
Megan Thiele Strong, a Sociology professor at San José State University and a Public Voices Fellow at The OpEd Project and a member of the Scholars Strategy Network.
Faustina M. DuCros, a Sociology associate professor and scholar of race, migration, and inequality at San José State University and a Public Voices Fellow at The OpEd Project.
Elisabet Avalos is a leader in housing justice, developing programs for survivors of violence experiencing homelessness, and a Public Voices Fellow of The OpEd Project on Domestic Violence and Economic Security.
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Last month, Megan and Faustina co-authored, along with Susana Gallardo, the column: Why Doing Immigration the “White Way” Is Wrong. They write:
Immigration policies are built on colonialism and white supremacy. The hypocrisy is stark: a nation founded by colonizers who pillaged, kidnapped, and displaced indigenous populations and trafficked enslaved people is aggressively, yet selectively, anti-immigrant.
Megan spoke about access to information, "While in graduate school I was exposed to a lot of information that I didn't have. I didn't understand about wait times in our immigration system. So, when I heard people talking about 'well people should just get documented' I understood I had this insight that some people didn't have."
Faustina talked about the need to look back in order to understand what's happening right now, "Our immigration policies that we see today have historical precedent. Our country was founded in such a way that we have always had these kind of anti-immigrant sentiments. It's been embedded in our culture and then it gets embedded in our policy."
Elisabet wrote the column, Dear Latino Voter, where she shared her experience growing up in a Mexican and Nicaraguan family:
Even though Latinos voted in record numbers in 2024, millions of eligible Latino voters sat out an election whose outcome greatly impacts them.
Democrats and Republicans have mixed reputations in the Latino Community. For example, Reagan promoted himself as a compassionate conservative who sought out middle-of-the-road approaches to immigration reform. The same Reagan who also funded the Contras in Nicaragua, who were embattled with the Sandinista government.
Growing up in a Mexican and Nicaraguan family, there were those in my family who loved Reagan for his amnesty policies and others who despised him for fueling the devastating war in Nicaragua.
"Now, there's this cognitive dissonance of where do we fit in the political landscape? Because I have members of my family, mostly are Republican, very few Democrats.There's a bit of identity that's wrapped in it and a desire to assimilate to be grateful that we're living in this country now," she said. However, she sees things differently, "I see what the US has aspired to be in its ideals and where it falls short in terms of injustices and inequalities."
Check out Democracy in Action: May Retrospective
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Hugo Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum and the publisher of the Latino News Network
Congressional candidate JoAnna Mendoza has leaned into her working class background as she runs for a seat in the U.S. House to represent Arizona’s 6th congressional district. (Courtesy JoAnna Mendoza campaign)
Politicians who come from working class backgrounds, like Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (center) and Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh (right), are resonating with voters during a particularly challenging economic period. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)