Pictured top from left to right:  Alesha Doan, Mako Fitts, Nicole Guidotti Hernández, Lori Baralt, Kathy Spillar (Ms. Executive Editor), Audrey Bilger, Irma McClaurin (Ms. Committee of Scholars), Elizabeth Kissling, Michel Cicero (Ms. Managing Editor), Amelia M.L. Montes. Pictured sitting row left to right: Pamela Redela, Marla Kohlman, Michele Kort (Ms. Senior Editor), Karina Eileraas, Jessica Stites (Ms. Asst. Managing Editor), María Ochoa.  

These are our Ms. Magazine Feminist Scholars who met in Los Angeles!  What an amazing group of women from universities and colleges across the country.  We spent this weekend together learning how to think differently about our research.  This is what I learned:

--As scholars, we need to have a more strategic approach toward accessing public readers

--Our goal is to advance public knowledge

--It's not about educating the public.  The public "is" smart.  It's about advancing knowledge vs. educating them

--Oftentimes our research, although important to scholarly audiences, is irrelevant to the general public

--Learning to write for both a scholarly audience and general public is the key 

--It is time to reclaim our positional power and reach everyone!  

And how do we do this? One of the key changes is--taking the step in actually contacting the expert/scholar to get the quote instead of searching archives for the journal article quotation --timeliness is the key in reaching readers via media outlets like Ms. Magazine, our blogs, the web, twitter. Our students are there already--we need to reach them!  And we will!  Thanks Ms. Magazine editors and to Irma McClaurin's work for this most wonderful opportunity in learning to connect with many more readers!  

Las Mujeres!  Mako Fitts, Amelia M.L. Montes, Nicole Guidotti Hernández (who just received tenure--Orale Nicole!)

Amelia M.L. Montes, Kathy Spillar (Ms. Executive Editor)

The first of May--thousands of people are walking the streets to protest Arizona's legislation which requires police officials to stop anyone who may "look" like an immigrant.  This legislation teaches hatred, fear, suspicion. Who "looks" like an immigrant?  What does this do except to oppress and discriminate.   

The United States Immigration Policy Center has years of research to prove that immigrants "are LESS likely to commit crimes or be behind bars than the native-born" (CLICK here for article).  

My familia, like thousands of other immigrants, came here to escape poverty, war, and today they also come to escape the violence caused by narcotrafficking.  They come here to work hard, to begin a new life.  In 2009, the CATO Institute conducted a study showing that there could be a $180 Billion dollar benefit to legalizing undocumented workers (CLICK here for article). The article emphasizes that "simply enhancing border enforcement and applying restrictive immigration laws would actually hurt the U.S. economically."  

I hope for a country without fear, suspicion, hatred.  I hope for a country who places generous and loving creativity first as the way toward sound legislation.  

May this legislation be reversed soon so that we may truly work toward a sound and productive solution.  

It's been a while since I've written more regularly.  My spring resolution is to stick with two entries a week, no matter how short--to keep connected to you.  Thanks as well to your lovely replies to my posts.  

Earlier this spring I was chosen as a Ms. Magazine Feminist Scholar.  What does this mean?  

Ms. Magazine launched this program because they see a need for feminist scholarship to reach a wider audience. Those of us who are in academia often find ourselves writing our articles and books which only end up being read by other academics.  This is a chance to translate our work to the mainstream public for the purpose of change!

I'm one of 24 Feminist Scholars chosen this year.  Over one hundred academics applied across the country. As one of the scholars, my charge is to write an article (and possibly more in the future) for Ms. Magazine.  For the past month, we've been meeting weekly via "webinars," learning all about the history of Ms. Magazine, how articles are queried (the query letters are called "pitches"), and the types of articles Ms. publishes.  They also (in the mail) sent us a number of past magazines so we could study and read the articles published in the last five years. In addition to learning all about magazine writing, it's been great getting to know the other feminist scholars through their research and their "pitches."  Topics include women judges and the struggles regarding judicial appointments, critiques regarding the film "Precious," how children's toy companies market products for girls such as The American Girl Doll, pesticides and the environment . . . 

I decided to connect my article to my present research on Latinas on the Great Plains/Midwest, specifically those working in the meatpacking industry.  Among the many Latina immigrants who are here, there are groups of Maya women who have formed community and have organized themselves to support and keep each other strong. These women challenge the stereotype that immigrants are helpless individuals who drain our resources and/or are more of a problem rather than a contributing member to our communities.  In actuality, "Immigrants pay more than $90 billion in taxes every year and receive only $5 billion in welfare.  Without their contributions to the public treasury, the economy would suffer enormous losses" (click here for quote citation and more information!).

On Friday, April 23rd, Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer signed legislation that requires all immigrants to carry their immigration papers at all times and also gives police/government authorities directives to search anyone who they may suspect is undocumented--racial profiling as law. The law also considers undocumented workers criminals (there is more).  

The United States has a very long (centuries long) history of fearing/hating immigrants (Irish, Italians, Jews, etc.). And when there is a recession, the immigrant becomes the scapegoat for the public's economic frustrations.  My article focuses on a specific immigrant group and how they are surviving despite these difficult and painful political events and societal misconceptions.  

In May, the Ms. Magazine Feminist Scholars will be gathering in Los Angeles to workshop their pieces. I'm sure by then, there will be more to add regarding what is happening in Arizona.