Gordon Evans

Western Michigan University Economics Professor Susan Pozo says that when the debate over immigration heated up in 2016, it was important to hear from economists who had studied the issue. She says several of them came to the Western Michigan University campus during the 2016-17 academic year for the Economics Department’s Werner Sichel Lecture series. Note: This interview was originally heard in January. 

Pozo is the editor of The Human and Economic Implications of Twenty-First Century Immigration Policy. The book published by the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research includes summaries of the work by the economists who spoke at Western that year.

Western Michigan University Economics Professor Susan Pozo says she admires immigrants. Her dedication in a new book on the economic impact of immigration says “in honor of your many achievements and in sympathy for the sacrifices that come from leaving your home to offer your talents in a new country.” Pozo is the editor of The Human and Economic Implications of 21st Century Immigration Policy. Note: A version of this interview was first heard in January of this year. 

The U.S. and Iran have a long and fraught history, including the 1979 hostage crisis in Tehran. Dr. Michael Khaghany, a retired cardio thoracic surgeon in Kalamazoo, and native of Iran says Iranians don’t trust the U.S. or British governments. He says that’s because they helped orchestrate a coup against Prime Minster Mohammad Moassdegh in 1953. 

Tension between the United States and Iran is nothing new. It goes back decades. Dr. Michael Khaghany, a retired cardio thoracic surgeon in Kalamazoo says it can be traced back to 1953. Khaghany, a native or Iran says the CIA led coup in Iraq has left “a bad taste in the Iranian psyche.”