Czech Visitors and the FBI

Hi!
I’m Mel, an intern here at CDCSD and earlier this week I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of visitors from the Czech Republic to their appointment at the FBI. These fascinating visitors included a captain of the terrorism and extremist unit of the Czech National Police, a judge, a member of the Ministry of Justice, a public prosecutor, and the director of the International Police Cooperation Division of the Czech Republic. The focus of their visit was to explore U.S. methods of preventing, investigating, and prosecuting international crime, and to discuss innovative methods and best practices in combating international crime.

I met our visitors outside the FBI building and prior to entering for our appointment we were asked to walk through metal detectors, had our purses/briefcases searched, and had to obtain visitor badges. Our visitors remained in good spirits despite the protocol for entering the building as I’m sure they understood the importance of it being secure. Once we cleared the security checks, we were escorted to the fourth floor where we met an intelligence analyst who gave us a very informative presentation on the many functions of the FBI as well as the Joint Terrorism Task Force. After the presentation, the visitors were permitted to ask questions, and they seemed very interested in the FBI’s ability to work so closely with so many other related organizations and their ability to share and disseminate information among those organizations.
Overall the visitors were very pleased with their appointment and appeared to be enjoying their stay here in San Diego. I too had a wonderful time getting to know a little about our Czech visitors and cannot wait to meet many more international visitors this semester.

Austrian For A Day

Hello all! I am Andi Barton, a UCSD intern with CDCSD. Last week I was fortunate enough to accompany Dr. Valeria Heuberger, a Professor and researcher from the Austrian Institute of East and Southeast European Studies (OSI), to her appointments around San Diego. The primary focus of her stay in San Diego was to explore the extensive ethnic, religious and cultural diversity within the city and the various organizations, academic groups, and individuals that work to promote and maintain the exceptional multiculturalism that characterizes San Diego.

Our first appointment was with Mr. Tomás R. Jiménez, an Assistant Professor at the University of California at San Diego with the Sociology Department and the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies (CCIS). The informal meeting began with getting coffee at the local dining hall and asking our guest about her recent stay in Washington, D.C. and her prospective travels in the coming weeks. Once we were seated, Tomás began to explain the purpose and mission of the CCIS and his role at the Center. We discussed the history of immigration in San Diego and contemporary national issues that are having a direct impact on immigration policy and trends of San Diego. Dr. Heuberger was eager to discuss the differences between Austrian and San Diegan immigration patterns, and we were soon enveloped in a conversation about immigration trends within Europe and how this was influencing EU policy goals for future expansion and integration. I found this to be exceptionally interesting because, though I have studied the larger immigration trends of France, Germany and the United Kingdom in relation to Eastern Europe, North Africa and Turkey, Dr. Heuberger discussed Austria’s patterns and the local impacts of immigration, which was, indeed, distinctly unique from the Big Three’s experience. Primarily because of its small size, Dr. Heuberger explained that Austria, and especially Vienna, has developed a very diverse social composition that has been able to integrate successfully and flourish, generating a tolerant and multicultural community singular within the European Union. The appointment ended with a satisfying feeling that we had all learned something new and had gained a valuable contact for our future research.

Our next appointment was in the eclectic neighborhood of North Park at The Chicano Federation with organization President and CEO Mr. Raymond Uzeta. We were running a bit late, but Mr. Uzeta warmly welcomed us to his office and began to explain the role of the Chicano Federation within the San Diego Community. Mr. Uzeta elucidated that The Chicano Federation provides minority groups, primarily Latino immigrant families, with social services such as subsidized housing, education and childcare, and acts as a forum for the advocacy of Latino civil rights within San Diego and California. Because of the difficulty in expanding civil rights recognition to Latino immigrant families, The Chicano Federation has become a vital asset to the greater San Diego region in affirming Latino livelihood and social integration. Dr. Heuberger was intensely interested in the program of the Federation as it offered a new perspective to minority integration. Because Austria has little to no Spanish speaking population, Dr. Heuberger was unable to relate to the primarily Latino experience. However she offered insightful comparisons with similar Viennese minority groups and appreciated the work the Federation was involved in.

We then headed to lunch. After researching dining possibilities the night before, I suggested an all-time Californian favorite, In-N-Out Burger. Dr. Heuberger and her English Language Officer Mr. Robert Means (from Washington, D.C) were enthusiastically up for the idea. We thus dined in authentic Californian style, discussing her research, my future studies and the culinary delights of Austria and California.

After lunch we headed a few blocks down to the Islamic Center of San Diego, where we were greeted by Imam Taha Hassane. The Islamic Center is the largest mosque in the greater San Diego area, and is one of the most inclusive and interactive within the community. Imam Hassane explicated that the Islamic Center’s purpose is to serve the religious needs of the San Diego Muslim population and participate with the wider community of San Diego in education, awareness and non-profit involvement. He explained that his wife has actually initiated the first Muslim Girl Scout Troop in San Diego to promote inclusion, involvement and cultural exchange within the youth population. He also regularly meets with other religious leaders in the area to promote tolerance, awareness and understanding among the various faiths of San Diego. Dr. Heuberger was extremely impressed with the activities of the Center and was able to actively involve herself in a discussion of Islamic relations with the local community. Her main area of focus is Islam in East and Southeast European society; to say the least, the discussion was immensely fascinating. Dr. Heuberger conveyed her most recent research to Imam Hassane to illustrate similarities between San Diego and Vienna. During the previous Ramadan, her institute conducted surveys of the Viennese population and their attitudes towards the city’s Muslim population. Tents were set up along the street and members of the Institute offered Iftar to passers by, along with power-point presentations and general discussions about Ramadan, Islam, and Islamic integration within Vienna. Dr. Heuberger and her fellow researchers found that those who participated in the study were receptive to ideas of further integration and increased tolerance of the Muslim population. After further discussion, afternoon prayers were to begin, and Imam Hassane invited us to observe in the women’s hall. Due to my academic interest in Islam, I had always wanted to observe salat, so found this opportunity extremely fulfilling. We left our last appointment with a deep sense of appreciation and satisfaction for the generosity of Imam Hassane and the Center.

Overall, my experiences that day were immensely fulfilling. I probably learned more about San Diego in those three appointments than I have in the past three of four years living here (besides where the best places to eat are). Additionally, my discussions with Dr. Heuberger and her dialogue during each appointment further heightened my interest in Eastern European religious and ethnic issues. The comprehensive cultural, intellectual and social exchange of the day will certainly be one of my most memorable experiences.