Lafayette Journal & Courier

Professor brings insights on Iran, immigration

By BRIAN WALLHEIMER
October 3, 2007

John Coatsworth, professor of history and Latin American affairs at Harvard University, was at Purdue University on Monday to talk about the future of U.S.-Latin American relations on immigration issues.

Coatsworth, also dean of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, moderated last week's controversial forum at the school with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. Coatsworth pressed Ahmadinejad to answer questions the president seemed to be ducking and was noted for being forceful with him.
Here's an excerpt of a conversation with Coatsworth before his speech Monday night.

About Ahmadinejad

Coatsworth said he greeted Ahmadinejad and found him to be polite, and even funny at times.
"He grinned back and said 'hello' in English," Coatsworth said.

During Columbia President Lee Bollinger's welcoming remarks, in which he called Ahmadinejad "cruel and petty," Coatsworth said Ahmadinejad made a joke of sorts.

"He looked at his watch and said, 'This is going on for a long time, don't you think?' "

On pressing questions

"If you invite a politician to give a speech, the politician is likely to answer the questions he wants to answer," Coatsworth said. "Unless you interrupt the politician and ask the question again, you won't get the answer to your question. Once you know that, it's easy."

On immigration

Coatsworth said he's not surprised Congress hasn't been able to make any progress on immigration issues so far. He said businesses are still profiting from the immigration situation as it is, paying illegal aliens less money to do jobs they can't find others to do.

"They all find the workers they need without making any changes," Coatsworth said. "Who's interested in changing the rules when it's working so well?"

Coatsworth said once immigrants are deported in mass numbers, areas that need their cheap labor will complain. Then he believes there will be a guest-worker program implemented.

"Where they are enforced strongly ... you will see this equilibrium break. That's starting to happen because of pressure on the Bush administration," Coatsworth said. "The pressure is going to start building when areas that need these workers start losing them to raids and deportation."