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Harvard President Bacow Demands Immigration Reform in Keynote Speech

By immigrationprof
Larry Bacow in front of a painting of a crain 
Miles J. Herszenhorn and Claire Yuan for the Harvard Crimson report that Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow urged fellow university presidents to demand immigration reform last Friday in a speech at the American Council on Education’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
 
Bacow decried the “paralysis in our capital around issues of immigration.”  “Unfortunately, at this point, in determining who was worthy of entrance into this country, the U.S. seems to increasingly prefer or give preference to those who speak English, those who come with highly valued demonstrable skills, and those who come with sufficient resources to ensure that they never become wards of the state,” he said.

Bacow stressed that institutions of higher education depend on immigration.

“We limit immigration, I believe, at our peril,” Bacow said. “Why? Because first of all, immigration furthers our national interest, but perhaps even more importantly, immigration defines our national identity.”

Bacow pointed to his own identity as the son of Jewish refugees who arrived in the United States without skills, resources, or fluency in English, “as living proof that what we do — that education — has the capacity to transform lives.”

Bacow added. “Immigration made my life possible.”

In his speech, Bacow also touted some of his proudest accomplishments as president of the University, discussing Harvard’s support for a Palestinian student who was initially ordered deported upon his arrival in the country to start college.

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