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October 2, 2008 - The Times-Picayune
Immigration expert shares views on N.O.
By Ana Gershanik
Three years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast, Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization that creates solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice, recently convened in Denver to discuss issues affecting the Gulf Coast and the work that remains to be done.
Martin Gutierrez, executive director of Neighborhood and Community Services for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, was invited to participate in the discussion to address recovery challenges facing the New Orleans area.
Gutierrez is an expert on immigrant rights and the challenges that the growing Latino population in New Orleans faces post-Katrina. The roundtable event, moderated by former Nightline host Ted Koppel, took place at the Denver Public Library a few days before Hurricane Gustav prompted the evacuation of New Orleans.
Along with Gutierrez, other participants included Democratic leaders such as Senator Mary Landrieu, historian Douglas Brinkley, Democratic strategist Donna Brasile, Oxfam America President Roy Offenheiser, Ethel Kennedy and actor Sean Penn.
"One of the most important things for me was to be present to voice the needs of the Hispanics in the area and the issues impacting the immigrant community," Gutierrez said.
Hispanics face additional challenges such as language and cultural barriers and immigration issues. He also emphasized that there is a growing immigrant community in Louisiana, especially in the New Orleans area.
Although the immigrants have great needs such as housing and health care and they are sometimes victimized by robbers, some immigrants are thriving because of the job opportunities mainly in the construction business, he said.
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