“If and when” immigration reform legislation is passed, Adem said, the consulate must be prepared to receive a wave of Mexican nationals, by far the largest immigrant group in Las Vegas, seeking birth certificates and other records, and he could possibly request additionally staffing. Additionally, domestic violence is an issue within the immigrant community, as many victims are reluctant to seek help or report crimes to the police. The consulate can help Mexican nationals in applying for special visas that are available for the victims of crimes. “We also have many different communities of Mexicans here in Las Vegas organized by state,” Adem said. “I’ve looked into it and found there are 115 organizations of Mexican nationals. I’d like to meet with the principal leaders to collaborate and also address the particular concerns.” Other goals under the new consul include expanding services to Northern Nevada, which is served by a “mobile consulate” that visits Carson City and Reno regularly; promote social, educational and cultural programs in the Mexican community; and promote business and tourism between Mexico and Nevada. “Not everything we do is legal, and immigration matters,” he said. “We have a commitment to intensify the exchange between Mexico and Nevada. We want to augment the connections, with businesses from Nevada going into Mexico and vice versa.” “It’s important that we all work together,” Adem said of his philosophy as he enters the position. “I think we must accept a diversity of points of view. … We want to be as inclusive as possible and (see) that all the states of Mexico have their say and groups representing different political parties have their say. Locally, hopefully we can act as a conciliator and bring opposing groups together.”
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 21:02:24 +0000
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