About this Video

• Video Title: Human Rights, Social Equity, and the Future of Immigration Policy w/ Pierre Berastaín
• Channel: UCR School of Public Policy
• Speakers: Pierre Berastaín, Rachel Stman (and Liam, mentioned but not directly speaking in the transcript)
• Duration: 00:46:06

Introduction

This podcast interview features Pierre Berastaín, interim executive director of the Center for Public Impact, discussing his experiences as an immigrant from Peru and how they shaped his perspective on immigration policy. The conversation explores innovative approaches to equitable policies, focusing on intersectionality and the challenges of collaboration between local and federal agencies.

Key Takeaways

• Pierre Berastaín's personal journey: His family's emigration from Peru due to political unrest profoundly impacted his understanding of immigration, particularly the dehumanization of immigrants in policy discussions. His childhood experiences in Peru highlight the harsh realities faced by many immigrants.
• Intersectionality in policy: Berastaín emphasizes the importance of an intersectional approach to policymaking, addressing the overlapping challenges faced by marginalized groups (immigrants, LGBTQ+, people of color). The concept of "creating solutions for the last girl" underscores this approach.
• Collaboration challenges: The interview reveals limited positive collaborations between local and federal agencies on immigration, with a focus instead on punitive measures against immigrant-supportive local governments. The Denver initiative is presented as a successful counter-example.
• The impact of rhetoric: Berastaín highlights how demonizing and dehumanizing rhetoric towards immigrants hinders policy reform, creating an "enemy" that makes effective solutions difficult to implement. Sharing personal stories is presented as a way to combat this rhetoric.
• Future of immigration policy: The discussion touches on the uncertainty surrounding future immigration policies under the new administration, with concerns about a potential shift towards restrictive measures while acknowledging some positive shifts in language.

Based solely on the provided transcript:

What field of public policy does this podcast represent?

The podcast primarily focuses on immigration policy, although it also touches on related areas like social equity, human rights, public health, and child welfare policy. Housing policy is not a central theme of this particular discussion.

What are 3 things that you learned that you did not know coming in?

1. The "last girl" approach to policy: The concept of designing services for the most marginalized individuals to create solutions that also benefit less marginalized groups within the same category was new.
2. The extent of the backlog in asylum cases: The significant delay (7-9 years) in processing asylum cases in the US and its consequences for immigrants was previously unknown.
3. The Denver initiative: The specific collaborative approach taken by the Denver city administration to address the influx of immigrants and turn it into a job creation opportunity was a novel approach.

What is something that you learned you would like to share with fellow students?

The importance of intersectionality in approaching social justice issues. Understanding how various forms of marginalization intersect and impact individuals is crucial for developing effective and equitable policies. The "last girl" approach is a powerful example of this.

What is one question that you have following the podcast? Think about, research the question, and provide a possible answer?

Question: What is the current legal status of the Denver initiative described in the podcast, and have similar initiatives been replicated elsewhere in the US?

Possible Answer (requiring external research): This would require researching the Denver initiative's official documentation to determine its current status (funding, expansion, etc.). Additional research would involve searching for similar job readiness programs combined with rapid asylum application processing for immigrants arriving en masse in other US cities or states. News articles, government reports, and academic papers could provide this information.

What connections did you make during the podcast to enhance your professional network?

The transcript does not provide information about making direct professional network connections during the podcast. The conversation is presented as a public interview.