Morrison Institute debuts new Public Policy Quarterly

One out of three Arizona children has at least one immigrant parent, and almost 80% of these youngsters are U.S. citizens. Together, young immigrants and children of immigrants comprise "Generation Global," or "Gen G," the thousands of children with global ties who will help shape Arizona's economy.

But while most Arizonans see immigration as a critical issue, little attention has been focused on Gen G and the opportunities and challenges they present to Arizona. As noted in "Immigration: From Global to Local to Kids," immigration is as much about parents and children as it is about employers and workers.

"Immigration: From Global to Local to Kids" is the first topic in the a new series of short briefing papers on public policy issues, Forum 411: Engaging Arizona's Leaders, by Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University. Migration is a global phenomenon today, putting the United States in the midst of another historic wave of immigration. As a "gateway" and a destination, Arizona is certainly not alone in coping with people crossing borders.

The briefing describes immigration as a global, national, local, and family phenomenon and asks "Is Arizona ready to make the most of Gen G?"

"Morrison Institute created Forum 411 to give policy makers and business and community leaders a timely user-friendly source of information on critical topics. Most important, we want to engage more people in Arizona issues and challenge conventional thinking," said Rob Melnick, director of Morrison Institute. "Forum 411 is a new resource that will inform readers and help us to reach out to even more Arizonans. We appreciate Westcor's support of this series as the presenting sponsor."

"How Arizona grows - and how we prepare for and respond to the issues that affect its future - is something we all play a role in," Tracey Gotsis, executive vice president for Westcor explained. "For Westcor, Arizona is more than a place of business. It is a place we have called home for 40 years and so we care deeply about our state's future. Forum 411 was an idea born out of that passion and we wanted to join Arizona's leaders - and our next generation of leaders - as Morrison Institute guides us all in examining and probing the challenges and opportunities impacting our future."

Forum 411 is designed to provide information on important issues and engage Arizonans in civic activities. The name Forum 411 refers to Morrison Institute for Public Policy's location at the ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus, which is located at 411 North Central. Morrison Institute seeks to be a source of public policy ideas and provide a venue for discussion. In addition to each of the briefings, additional information on Forum 411 topics and related events may be found at www.morrisoninstitute.org.