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About the Documentary Immigration reform is one of the most polarizing subjects in America today. Many Americans assume that it is only gateway states, bordering Mexico and Canada, where immigration issues are of critical concern. Missouri, in the heartland of America, is a state with no international borders that may seem far removed from the rancor of the immigration debate. Yet the same tensions, anger and political polarization develop there as in the border states. In Homeland: Immigration in America, a three-hour documentary series, Missouri becomes a metaphor for all of America, emblematic of the complicated immigration debate and the changing narrative of what it means to be and become American.

Each of the three Homeland episodes revolves around core themes focusing both on the fine line separat-ing success and failure for immigrants and refugees in America, and the fierce debate about whether legal and illegal immigrants and refugees threaten the American way of life.

Homeland illuminates a new chapter in American history. The series offers viewers personal insights into Amer-ica’s immigrant experience as a guide in exploring one of the most important public policy debates of our time. The series serves as a vehicle to explore just how much we as a country and a community value assimilation and inclusion, the extent to which we are bound by language, and ultimately, whether we as a nation are still a beacon for immigrants.

JobsHour one of the Homeland series focuses on the effect of immigration on jobs and the American economy at a time when recession and the rise of new economic power-houses like China, India and Brazil raise questions about American competitiveness in a high-tech global econo-my. Should the U.S. continue to welcome immigrants? Can it afford not to? Many new immigrants to America come in believing that job opportunities are more avail-able than in their homeland. Two years of the worst

Immigration in America

Community Discussion Guide

The Homeland Discussion Guide can help facilitate group discussions. The guide is intended for anyone to use,

and was created to connect community members with each other. It is a resource to familiarize a community with key issues and themes surrounding the immigration conversation. The Homeland Discussion Guide provides some guiding questions through which any informal meeting or faith group can mediate their thinking.

#HomelandPBS

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recession since the Great Depression have left almost 10 percent of Americans looking for work. Yet throughout this economic downturn, more than a million legal im-migrants and refugees have been allowed into America every year. With fewer jobs available, what effect does immigration have during a down economy?

The influx of unskilled immigrants can be found in large, urban areas and small, rural towns. Over the course of the past decade many seasonal workers are putting down roots, buying property and calling rural America home. What effect does this have on the economy and cultural identity in both urban and rural areas? Do im-migrants take jobs from hardworking but unemployed Americans or are they filling low-paying jobs that Ameri-cans don’t want and won’t take? Are unskilled immigrants hurting the economy or helping it to grow?

Unskilled laborers aren’t the only immigrant workers com-ing to America. For generations, the best and brightest from other parts of the world have been attracted by ad-vanced educational opportunities along with jobs—espe-cially in technical and scientific professions. But America is no longer perceived as the unchallenged leader in many professional fields. While American higher educa-tion is still seen as the best in the world, the world’s edu-cated and talented increasingly see countries like China, India and Brazil as offering more lucrative opportunities. Are American immigration policies putting the U.S. in danger of losing its competitive edge?

EnforcementThe second hour focuses on enforcement, as we follow a cross section of people either caught up in, or con-fronting the complications often associated with current U.S. immigration policy. We explore the issue of “illegal aliens,” commonly called undocumented immigrants. It is a phrase some Americans consider ludicrous. As one national anti-immigrant crusader puts it, “Calling an illegal alien an undocumented immigrant is like calling a thief an undocumented owner.”

In spite of agreement on both sides that current U.S. immigration law is contradictory, complicated and bro-ken, the rhetoric mostly centers on just two issues: how to seal the borders, and how to deal with the estimated 11 million illegal aliens currently in the U.S. While not a gateway state like Arizona or Texas, immigration issues in the Heartland are just as divisive as in states along the Mexican border.

For the illegal immigrant, there are three options: re-maining under the radar, deportation, or a taking a path to residency and possible citizenship. While a group of new Americans are sworn in at city hall in Saint Louis, a shackled group of deportees is loaded aboard an Immi-gration and Customs Enforcement flight in Kansas City to take them back to Mexico. These two extremes frame this episode.

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RefugeesOne million immigrants arrive legally in America each year, according to official figures, but fully 60 percent of these people have experienced a “change of status,” meaning they were already in America before being given legal status.

Of the 400,000 who newly arrive each year, 20 percent are refugees—people fleeing political or religious per-secution in their own countries. Some of these refugees are educated, English-speaking and able to establish themselves successfully in their new country. But many are not. For them, the adjustment can be much more difficult. Many are already traumatized by war or religious conflicts occurring in their home countries. Some come from tribal societies that provide a level of cultural and extended family support not available in America. Many speak little to no English and are unable to find work beyond menial and low-paying jobs.

For such immigrants, the difference between success and failure is often measured by a roll of the dice—where they happen to be relocated, who they know and whether they can establish themselves in a new land before the support services provided for only a limited time run out. Yet for all these refugees, America offers safety and relative peace, a chance to start again in a land where they’ve been told that success can be achieved through hard work, courage and determination. Is this American dream still alive, and how accessible is it for these vulner-able immigrants at a time of anti-immigration sentiment and economic recession?

This episode of Homeland focuses on this unique 20 percent of legal immigrants who arrive in America each

year as refugees. At the center of the episode is a school where refugee families learn English, the language that will make the difference between success and failure in this new land. As we follow a diverse group of refugees from the school into their different communities, we reveal the fine line that separates those who will achieve the American dream from those who won’t.

Producer’s StatementAt a rally for a congressional candidate in the 2010 election, a woman in the audience stood up to complain about illegal immigration. She referenced a video she’d seen of people illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico bor-der. She asked the audience, “If the media can catch them, why can’t the authorities catch them?” We asked her to be one of the subjects of the series, because she seemed to be asking the kinds of questions we had heard from many people in our community during the conversations that preceded production. It was essential that that point of view and her concerns about the future of America be part of this story. We documented conver-sations with thousands of individuals across the state, interested in portraying perspectives from within a com-munity affected by immigration.

We didn’t want to present stories and opinions as simply pro-immigrant or anti-immigrant. The issues involved are complicated and often don’t fit neatly into “pro” or “anti”, or even liberal or conservative. We chose to profile people whose situations illustrate the policy options that legislators, and by extension the voters who elect them, will have to face.

Homeland initially was not planned to be an election-year public affairs program. We set out in early 2010 to tell meaningful immigration stories in an “observational docu-mentary” style without narration or formal interviews. We sought out people whose situations could be viewed from different points of view by individuals and communities.

Only as the stories developed did we decide to add inter-views with immigration experts for the so-called 30,000 foot view. Even later, when it appeared that broadcast of the program would be in the 2012 election year, we decided to interweave the stories and interviews in a more traditional news documentary style. When PBS NewsHour senior correspondent Ray Suarez agreed to narrate the series that completed the transformation. The stories are still the heart of the program, presenting the questions and issues facing candidates and voters in this election year.

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Background and Discussion QuestionsMuch of the policy and practice of current immigration enforcement was determined by the events of September 11th, 2001. Some see these security measures – back-ground checks and visa restrictions – as necessary, oth-ers find them ineffective and discouraging for immigrants trying to get their education here. Failures in immigration law were part of the 9/11 story. Three of the attackers vio-lated immigration law, obtaining commercial pilot licenses on tourist visas, and others were able to secure student visas easily. Since then, these laws have changed. Life has become a lot harder for people who are caught undocumented, and their position in the American landscape has been hotly debated. Are these measures necessary? How do we find a balance between enforce-ment, safety, and global competitiveness?

Are There Jobs Americans Won’t Do?

Some might say there is a great need for undocumented immigrants in America’s agricultural sector. There is a labor shortage, and it appears that native-born Ameri-cans don’t fill these positions even in a weak economy. Agriculture is a global marketplace, which means if em-ployers were to double their wages, fruit and vegetable production would go overseas. These businesses strive to attract immigrants, which has dramatic social impli-cations. If there is a need, should we allow temporary workers to come for agricultural positions? Is there such a thing as “a job an Americans won’t do”?

A Changing America?Tensions arise when immigrants move into

communities that have never experienced immigration before. In parts of the Midwest, where they haven’t heard foreign languages spoken in public, there’s an adjustment process. In southern Missouri, in Monett, there is a ro-bust Hispanic community. They have come to work in the chicken processing plant, and have changed the entire nature of the community. Certain community members feel like they’re being displaced, while others find enthu-siasm as their economy is being revitalized. From your perspective, is Monett helped or hindered by this new population? Why?

Is it Complicated?While both immigrants and non-immigrants

struggle to adapt, national currents can determine the course of their lives. Frank, 26, holds a job in Missouri. He came illegally with his parents at age 3. He now faces deportation. Frank’s only chance for legalization is to be sponsored by a relative, as he is a part of a mixed status family. If he were to adjust his status to a green card, he’d have to do so from Mexico, and because he’s been here illegally for so long, he’d be barred for a decade from re-entering the United States. What should be done in Frank’s case? Would a measure like the Dream Act help the situation?

Room for Reform?In immigration court you’re guilty until proven

innocent, and you are not provided a lawyer. Immigra-tion courts are overloaded, where judges are dealing with a hundred cases a day. There are 30,000 people in immigration prison on any given day. The basic immigra-tion law in the United States was written in 1952, when the country was admitting tens of thousands of people. Now the U.S. admits over a million immigrants each year. Those who work in immigration policy agree that the statute is an incoherent mess. Immigrating here legally is difficult and time-consuming. It can take years if you follow the rules, but it’s easy to get here illegally and stay. How could policies create a balance?

A Right To Choose?Immigration enforcement is fundamentally a fed-

eral affair, implemented by an agency called Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Over the last decade, the federal government has attempted to deputize state and local police, granting them the power to turn un-documented immigrants over to ICE. This power is at the heart of Arizona’s enforcement issue, where local police claim this power as an inherent right. Should laws like Arizona’s be adopted by other states? How would this impact your community?

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To Serve and Protect?There are “sanctuary cities,” like Kansas City,

that tacitly agree not to enforce particular immigration laws, but rather works with undocumented immigrants in order to better serve the community and save money. If undocumented immigrants are the victims of a crime, and they are afraid of being turned over to ICE, they are less willing to report it. Cities like Kansas City feel that coop-erating with federal immigration enforcement undermines their ability to carry out their primary function to serve

and protect all members of the community. What is the solution when federal law doesn’t meet local needs?

A Popular DebateThere is a tension between national concerns

and individual lives. For every policy expert that suggests immigration law needs reform, there is a politician that walks the hard line, interested in expressing the strict federal law.

Additional Questions to Consider and Discuss

Is the stance that illegal immigrants are “illegal” and should be actively deported too simplistic? Does it ignore the complexity of labor and immigration laws?

Does the term “illegal alien” dehumanize undocu-mented immigrants? Does the term “undocumented immigrants” gloss over a federal offense?

Do immigrants take or create jobs?

Do immigrants documented and undocumented fill a role in the American economic landscape, and how should policy reflect that?

If the country cracks down on the illegal work-force, will existing worker visa programs be sufficient to meet the demand?

How does the national interest reflect itself in a global setting? Polarizing political agendas fuel angry rhetoric, raising questions about the value of immigrants in our society and our nation’s longstanding position as a beacon to immigrants. In light of increasing competition from India, China, Korea, and Japan, is the U.S. doing enough to attract the world’s best and brightest?

As America seeks to maintain its technical edge in this world, is it underutilizing a potentially valuable resource in the great number of under-employed immigrants?

How can immigrants assimilate into our culture? What values will they preserve? What do Ameri-cans perceive as a threat?

Can a policy be bad for the unity of a family, the safety of a neighborhood, the economic success of a community, but good for our country?

Kris Kobach is a constitutional lawyer who helped draft Arizona’s approach to immigration that attempts to closely reflect Federal law. Should states approach immigration as a national concern, or focus closely on immigrant communities?

Is the American dream for refugees still alive? Are there enough institutions in place to help them learn English and find a job? Are anti- immigration sentiments too overwhelming? Are their cultures accepted?

Refugees are often relocated to low incoming housing in areas with high crime rates. Does this give them enough of a chance to succeed in America?

There is a trend that suggests in times of economic recession the nation is less accepting of immigrants. Yet many suggest that immigration can help our economic situation. If this is true, should the United States be more open to immigration? Why?

For more teacher resources visit PBS’s website on immigration, Thematic Teaching: Immigration

www.pbs.org/teachers/thismonth/immigration

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