UNC-TV Turns Statewide Focus to Immigration
Focus On.Inclusion
Panel Discussion Tapes Wednesday, November 16 at 7 PM

North Carolina's population is changing. According to the US Census, the state's population grew by 4.5% between April 1, 2000 and July 1, 2003. Many of these new North Carolinians are coming to the state from other countries. In an hour-long discussion, host Shannon Vickery joins a panel of guests in Focus On...Inclusion, examining the issue of immigration in North Carolina. Who is moving to the Tarheel state from other countries and why? How do these new residents adjust to life in North Carolina when they move here? And how are these new North Carolinians changing the state?

To answer these questions, UNC-TV partners with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Focus On...Inclusion. Taped at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the program features a panel of experts, including members of the Center for New North Carolinians at UNC Greensboro.

In addition to looking at immigration in North Carolina as a whole, Focus On...Inclusion centers on Guilford County's experience as many new immigrants have moved to the Triad. In June 2004, the Center for New North Carolinians released a study of immigration trends in Guilford County. The study found Guilford County to have a diverse mix of immigrants from areas ranging from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. The study also found that these immigrants generate $868.7 million in sales revenue for the county.

In addition to discussing the issues of integration and jobs, panelists will view segments of the documentary, "Inclusion," produced by the Center for New North Carolinians and take questions from a live audience. Focus On.Inclusion will be taped Tuesday, November 16 at 7 PM before a live audience in UNC-Greensboro's Alumni House. Representatives from the media are encouraged to attend the filming.

Panelists:

• Raleigh Bailey, Director, UNC-G Center for New North Carolinians
• Nolo Martinez, Senior Advisor, El Pueblo
• Jerono Rotich, Doctoral Student at UNC-G and coordinator of Immigrant Health ACCESS Project at the Center for New North Carolinians. Jerono is an immigrant from Kenya.
• Renee Griffin, Program Director, Senior Resources of Guilford, overseeing a project serving the needs of elderly immigrants.

In addition, UNC-Greensboro chancellor Pat Sullivan and Andrew Brod, director of the UNC-G Office of Business and Economic Research will contribute to the discussion from the audience.

Focus On.Inclusion airs Tuesday, November 23 at 8 PM, preceding another UNC-TV public affairs special from Guilford County, Focus On.Refugees.

UNC-TV is North Carolina's only statewide broadcasting system, made possible through a unique partnership of public investment and private support. UNC-TV's commitment to producing and broadcasting local and national programs about our state resources make it one of the state's most important sources of information. For more information about UNC-TV and its programs, please visit www.unctv.org.

-UNC-TV-