Tuesday, April 8, 1986
Daily Nebraskan
oet Randall fights
eporiaiion; opens
Women's Week events
By Charles Lieurance
Senior Reporter
In the late 1960s Margaret Randall
poet, essayist, photographer, editor,
teacher and politicalsocial activist
advocated radical change in U.S.
domestic and foreign policy. Much of
her written work has come into ques
tion recently as Randall seeks to reclaim
the citizenship she relinquished in
1966.
Randall, who held a press confer
ence yesterday morning and addressed
the opening session of Women's Week
at the University of Nebraska last
night, has been openly critical of U.S.
involvement in Vietnam and Central
America, as well as openly supportive
of the FSLN (Sandinista) in Nicaragua
and the Cuban revolution.
Because of her alleged ties to coun
tries that are considered enemies of
the United States, the Immigration and
Naturalization Service (INS) denied
her application for permanent status
as a U.S. resident last October.
Since then Randall has appealed the
decision and won the support of The
Center for Constitutional Rights (who
have filed a federal lawsuit on her
behalf), the ACLU and a multitude of
writers including Kurt Vonnegut,
Adrienne Rich, Norman Mailer and
Arthur Miller, who believe the denial
infringes upon Randall's basic civil
liberties.
The broader picture is that, once
again, the controversial McCarren-Walter
Act has been called into question. The
act, which was passed in the '50s dur
ing the height of the red-scare and
McCarthyism, allows the U.S. to bar
from immigration anyone who may be
ideologically opposed to this country's
government.
Others who have not been allowed to
immigrate into the U.S. because of
McCarren-Walter include Graham
Greene, Pablo Neruda and Gabriel
Marquez.
At her press conference, Randall cri
ticized those in the INS and other
branches of the government for making
her past writings or her "progressive"
political stance an issue in the debate.
"Much of what they quoted to me
was part of the rhetoric of the '60s,"
Randall said, "or was taken completely
out of context."
Randall left the United States in
1966 not for political reasons, she
insists, but because her husband was a
Mexican citizen and her lawyers misled
her to believe that she needed to relin
quish her citizenship here to further
her economic security in Mexico. She
said she was never made aware that her
decision would be irrevocable.
According to Randall, the lawyers
and members of the INS continually
declare that the issue is not free
speech but then consistently arm
themselves with her politics and writ
ings in their efforts to have her deported.
Randall returned to America after 23
years in Latin America (Mexico, Cuba
and Nicaragua) and began teaching in
the Women's-and American Studies
programs at the University of New Mex
ico in Albuquerque.
Randall's current husband, one of
her children and both of her elderly
parents are United States Citizens.
Randall said that one reason she
wanted to return was to be near her
parents in their last years.
"Mostly I just want to come home,"
she said.
At the keynote address in the Union
Centennial Room, Randall discussed
the history and current status of women
in Cuba and Nicaragua.
She charted the advances in femi
nism from the inception of the Cuban
and Nicaraguan revolution, the tumul
tuous road to women's economical and
social recovery in those countries and
the relationship between these two
countries and the international women's
community.
(M 'Nhioioi
11 sessions
just
$30
May
J
1 1 r '-im
-0"
A Frank We Can All Afford"
Look What We've Got For You
Ice-Cream Delights
Shakes Best in town! Made just the
way you like um. Try a
Cookie Crunch. 89 cents.
Sundaes .... They taste great! Fudge is the
most popular but try them
all. 74 cents.
1320 Q Street
It's new. It's pinball! H"":ga9mTi:"m
Rock like
never before
iVLjt Sjl'tcjslir
IpVfTriS
GUI
T. V ,
11 PM BEER RELAY RACE
1st 6 teams to sign up can compete. (5 member
teams). $50 cash to winners plus 2nd and 3rd
place prizes.
9th & P St.
A common vision problem, and it can mean
blurry vision, even with soft contact lenses. At
Family Contact Lens Center, we now fit the
new HYCROCURVE toric soft lens. It's spe
cifically designed to correct astigmatism. This
breakthrough in lens design means you can
now have the comfort of soft lenses, and good
vision too.
For more information call 483-4000
We offer free consultation,
and a 60-day trial period.
kjGontact Lens Center
Where the health of your eyes comes first.
6909 East "O" Street
Financing Available
It Wrm
TUESDAY
Margaritaville
12 Price Margaritas
WEDNESDAY
TacoBar 8:00 1200
75c Tacos
75c Draw Beers
$3.00 Pitchers
Reduced Prices on Margaritas
THURSDAY
Student Night
12 Price Mexican Pizzas
75c Draw Beers
$3.00 Pitchers
Reduced Prices on Margaritas
KEI3CAitKSPCTASTES
201 North 66th St.
Phone: 464-8281
Page 6
1