Margaret Sands Orchowski is the author of
The Law That Changed the Face of America: The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. From her Q & A with Deborah Kalb:
Q: Why did you decide to write a book focused on the 1965 immigration law?
A: I’ve been involved with migrants all my life. I particularly have been involved with Latinos. When I came to Washington in 1998, I got back into journalism; I was working for a Hispanic magazine.
It was a perfect melding of my background and interest. I was interested in how we managed immigration over our history. Immigration is about work—why is it in the Judiciary Committee? I got curious about how our laws evolved. The 1965 act affected my family; I was married to an immigrant.
I’m a lifetime Democrat, and a big fan of the Kennedys. I knew this law was [JFK’s] legacy. It’s so maligned now, this law—it’s the most liberal, generous immigration law. I’m going, Why are, particularly Democrats, demanding it be fixed? Along with this to be the 50th year, it was the perfect time to delve into it.
Q: And what do you see as the legacy and impact of the 1965 law today?
A: There were tons of unintended consequences. To understand that...[read on]
--Marshal Zeringue
Margaret Sands Orchowski is the author of The Law That Changed the Face of America: The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. From her Q & A with Deborah Kalb: