Immigration: It is a subject on which UC Davis is flush with passionate perspectives and experts. They come from law, economics, history, sociology, medicine, Chicana/o studies and more.

And while they write, teach and speak frequently on the topic, they are reaching out to an even wider audience this year as major participants in the sixth annual Campus Community Book Project, now under way.

The book is The Devil's Highway: A True Story, by Luis Alberto Urrea, recounting a 2001 incident in which 14 men died in the desert Southwest while crossing from Mexico to Arizona.

Immigration is "a hot topic," as lawmakers struggle with reform, said Gary Sue Goodman, assistant director of the University Writing Program and coordinator of the book project, presented by the Office of Campus Community Relations.

In selecting The Devil's Highway, "We knew it was sensitive," Goodman said. "It's the most controversial topic we've ever done" in the history of the book project.

She said the selection committee picked The Devil's Highway "because it's an engaging human story — we hope people will read it and start asking questions."

The idea behind the annual book project, begun after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is to get a respectful discussion going among the university's diverse population, by having people read the same book at the same time and participate in related events.

The Office of Campus Community Relations' overarching goal is to improve the campus climate and campus community relations, to add to diversity, and to promote equity and inclusiveness.

If you have not read The Devil's Highway, consider looking for a copy at the library, or buying one at the UC Davis Bookstore, which is selling the paperback at a discounted price of $9.95.

The book will be the jumping-off point for dozens of talks, discussions and film screenings over the next two months. The author is scheduled to visit campus the last week of November.

Art exhibits are included, too. The first one opened this week and is scheduled to run through Dec. 7 on the first floor of Shields Library. The exhibit by photojournalist and UC Davis alumnus Francisco Dominguez is titled "The Immigrants' Rights Movement."

The Gallery on the Memorial Union's second floor plans to present "ProtestArte II: Screenprints from the Chicana/o Poster Workshop," Oct. 31-Dec. 6.

Films include Thirty Days with the Gonzalez Family (Nov. 6), The Great Mojado Invasion: The Second U.S.-Mexico War, Part 2 (Nov. 7) and Dying to Leave (Nov. 14), with discussions to follow all five screenings on the schedule.

Two book discussions are planned: Oct. 18, led by School of Law senior lecturer emeritus James Smith, and Nov. 5, led by Chicana/o Studies assistant professor Miroslava Chavez-Garcia.

Talks and panel discussions comprise the majority of events. Many instructors also are incorporating the book into their curricula.

"Participation by faculty is greater than ever before," Goodman said. "People from various disciplines really wanted to be involved. We have so many experts who have been doing research and teaching in this area."

Among them are two law professors: Bill Hing, who is on the book project events calendar with an Oct. 11 talk titled "History of U.S. Immigration Policy," and Kevin Johnson, associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Law, who is listed as the moderator for an Oct. 24 panel discussion titled "Why Do We Blame Immigrants … for Everything? Borders, Racism, Capitalism and the War on Terror."

A panel discussion, "Arab and Muslim American Communities in the U.S.: Immigration, Race and Terror," moderated by Sunaina Maira, associate professor, Asian American Studies, is set for Nov. 1.

Another panel, set for Nov. 28, will explore immigration policy and enforcement. Urrea is set to participate with two professors, Miroslava Chavez-Garcia of Chicana/o Studies and Philip Martin of Agricultural and Resource Economics; plus Julia Mendoza of the School of Law's Immigration Clinic and Sheriff Ralph Ogden of Yuma County, Ariz.

Other topics include:

• "Migrant Worker Health and Environmental Health," Oct. 8, with Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, professor, School of Medicine, and Marc Schenker, professor and chair, Department of Public Health Sciences. This program is set to take place at the UC Davis Health System in Sacramento.
• "Negotiation and Change: Labor, Politics and Culture in 20th-Century American Immigrant Communities," Oct. 23, with Eric Rauchway, history professor, and Candace Falk, editor of the Emma Goldman Papers Project at UC Berkeley.
• "International Migration: Challenges for the 21st Century," Nov. 9.
• "Deterrence and Death at the U.S.-Mexico Border," Nov. 13.
• "Gender and Immigration," Nov. 16, panel, moderated by Cecilia Tsu, assistant professor of history.
• "Spirit and Religion in Immigration Policy," Nov. 20.

Two student programs are planned:

• "Impact of Immigration on UC Davis Today," with immigrant students telling their stories, Oct. 16.
• "Medical Students' Perspective on Immigrant Health Issues," Oct. 29.

The book project schedule includes talks by a pair of economists:

• Professor Martin of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Oct. 12, "Mexico-U.S. Migration: Changing the Economies of Rural Mexico and Rural America."
• Associate Professor Giovanni Peri of the Department of Economics, Oct. 22, "The Impact of Immigrants on U.S. Labor Markets: How Do Economists Agree and Disagree?"

With economists coming down on both sides of the issue, Goodman said, people may be having a hard time sorting out immigration for themselves. "Everybody knows something needs to be done," she said, "but it's too complicated to determine exactly what."

Book project organizers hope everyone in the campus community will take advantage of the various programs to learn more.

"This is an important social and political issue, one that has everything to do with diversity," Goodman said. "We at UC Davis have an opportunity to frame the debate."

And in doing so, the university can present the facts and discuss the varied arguments and perspectives without letting emotions dominate, Goodman said.

More information, including the complete schedule of events, is available online: http://occr.ucdavis.edu (click on "Campus Community Book Project" near the upper left corner of the page).

AUTHOR'S EVENTS

The Devil's Highway author Luis Alberto Urrea is due on campus Nov. 28 for two public events:

Panel — Set to join Urrea for a discussion of immigration policy and enforcement are Miroslava Chavez-Garcia, professor, Chicana/o Studies; Philip Martin, professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics; Julia Mendoza, School of Law's Immigration Clinic; and Ralph Ogden, sheriff, Yuma County, Ariz. 4-5:15 p.m., Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. Free.

Author's talk — 8-9:30 p.m., Jackson Hall. Tickets required; they are available for purchase through the Mondavi Center box office, (530) 754-2787 or (866) 754-2787, or www.mondaviarts.org. Book signing scheduled from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m.