2015 HJHP Author Spotlight

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting the authors whose work will be included in the 2015 Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy. We are excited to present cutting edge work by these thought leaders; we expect to see many of them growing in our field. To pre-order the 2015 journal click here.

State Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair of the CA Latino Legislative Caucus, is one contributor writing on professional opportunities for undocumented immigrants. Senator Lara has spent his career in California state and local politics. A Los Angeles native and child of undocumented immigrant parents from Mexico, Senator Lara has championed Latino issues in the California state senate. His article, Realizing the DREAM: Expanding Access to Professional Licenses for California’s Undocumented Immigrants will provide a window into his current work and challenges facing state leadership across the country.

Carolina Rizzo is a recent fellow at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute interested in the intersection of the law, immigration, and human rights. Born in Uruguay, Ms. Rizzo moved to the United States to attend the University of Michigan. She went on to earn her J.D. at American University and has worked in policymaking related to immigration and foreign relations. Her article, Catch-and-Detain: The Detention Bed Quota and the United States’ Overreliance on Detention as a Tool for the Enforcement of Immigration Laws will consider these overlapping interests of law enforcement, human rights, and cross-border migration.