When: Monday mornings at 6:40
Anchor: Eva Castillo-Turgeon
Sponsor: TBA
Browse the Ins and Outs of Immigration segment archives.
Eva Castillo-Turgeon
Immigration is a touchy issue. In the schools of Manchester, NH over 80 different languages are spoken, largely because of a federal government refugee resettlement program that has dumped thousands of non-Americans into the city, leaving it to fend for itself as it struggles with the challenges they pose to our schools, neighborhoods and social safety nets. Few communities across the country have been as impacted as Manchester.
In this segment, Eva Castillo-Turgeon, an immigrant herself with an astounding story, helps us get our heads, hearts and hands around the challenges the newcomers face, the immigration system that’s failing everybody, and the practical realities that have to be dealt with. Eva’s no “bleeding heart,” but she’s no “hardliner either,” which makes for some very interesting, intense discussions about immigration in our own backyard that you’ll hear ONLY on Girard at Large!
About Eva:
A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Eva Castillo has a long history of working with and advocating for immigrants. She came to the United States in 1975 to study at Western Michigan University and she began her career at the nearby Hispanic American Council. In 1984, Eva moved to New Hampshire, where she worked first at the NE Farm Workers Council and later at the Latin American Center in Manchester. She joined MIRA in 2007 as the organizer and now coordinator for our project “NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees” in 2007.
Her long standing relationship with the Latino community in NH has made her the go to person by preference for organizations and government officials to reach out to the community. Eva’s tireless work to support Latino immigrants with workers rights education, medical and legal interpreting and immigrant rights advocacy has granted her the community trust and they contact her with a wide range of issues when the need arises.
She is a strong voice for the immigrant community and works with many allies to promote their integration and equity.
Eva is also a Police Commissioner for Manchester and sits on the boards and steering committees of several NH organizations and Government councils.