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The American Immigration Law Foundation announced the winners of the 11^th annual "Celebrate America" Creative Writing Contest this week.

First place winner, Cameron P. Busby, 11, is a fifth grade student at Whitmore Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona. Busby, a Stephen King fan, beat out thousands of fifth grade students from around the country. According to Busby, the inspiration for his entry, "America is a Refuge," came from thinking about his ancestry, his immigrant friends and all the reasons why people might come to this country.

"I think a lot of immigrants are coming to this country," Busby said. "Some are not being treated as well as people who are citizens, but I think that for the most part America is a safe place. Our country is a little safer than other countries and lots of people come here for a better life. And I think that they do find it."

AILF sponsors the annual "Celebrate America" Creative Writing Contest in an ongoing effort to educate the public about the benefits of immigration to our society.

"The value of the annual essay contest is immeasurable," commented Ben Johnson, AILF'S Executive Director. "It gives America's youth the chance to express the finest of America's values. This year, Cameron's poem gives a voice to the voiceless. His poem brings to life the story of this great nation and its promise of freedom and hope for today's and tomorrow's newcomers. Cameron's words serve as a reminder of America's challenges and responsibilities of leadership in the 21st century."

According to Sharon Keown, Cameron's teacher at Whitmore Elementary, there are many challenges that arise in the classroom when teaching immigration, especially in Arizona.

"There is a lot of prejudice here in Arizona regarding illegal versus legal immigration," Keown said. "We integrate the topic of immigration into our social studies program at the beginning of the year and then I have my students look into their own family to see the immigration pattern there. We talk about the different countries everyone is from. But the immigration discussion really begins when I start explaining the naturalization process."

Keown, a teacher of 37 years, believes its Cameron's strengths as a writer, sensitivity to issues and quirkiness that make him an exceptional student and citizen.

"Cameron is an excellent writer," Keown said. "He's a very imaginative boy and very sensitive. I think that came out in his poetry. In fact, he wowed the whole class when he read the poem out loud. He's out there. But he's also concerned about a lot of serious issues. He's a deep thinker."

Other finalists include 2^nd place winner, Ananda Ewing-Boyd of Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., 3^rd place winner Kasey Bruce of Sheridan Elementary School in San Francisco, CA and honorable mention winner Noah Dearth of Our Lady of the Ridge School in St. Worth, Illinois.

As a grand prize, Busby and his family will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to AILF's Annual Benefit Dinner in Vancouver, Canada, on June 27, 2008. AILF will honor Busby who will read his winning entry aloud at the Benefit Dinner. Busby also receives a travel stipend, engraved plaque, his winning entry printed in the Congressional Record and a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in his honor.

This year's National Judging Panel for the contest included author and activist Mary Williams, Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Dave Eggers, Senator Ted Kennedy and author Gish Jen.

To read more on AILF's Fifth Grade Creative Writing Contest, including finalists' entries, a Q&A with Cameron Busby, judges' biographies and past winning entries, please visit AILF's website at http://www.ailf.org/awards/essaycontest/.

America is a Refuge

By Cameron Busby

Whitmore Elementary School

Tucson, Arizona

A small child holds out a hoping hand,

a crumb of bread,

or even a penny just to be fed

Hoping America is a refuge.

A child weeps over her mother's lifeless body,

the tears streaming down her face

Praying America is a refuge.

A child's torn sock blows in the wind,

as a bomb explodes the tiny sock catches a flame and begins to

burn to ash

Can America be a refuge?

A thirsty father and son seeking shade from the blazing sun,

all they want is a job

and for America to be a refuge.

America can be a refuge for you.

It can be a refuge for me.

I am glad that America is a refuge for all.

The American Immigration Law Foundation's Curriculum Center recently hosted the 5^th Annual Washington, D.C. Symposium "Appreciating America's Heritage: Teaching Children about Immigration." Focused on African immigration and community, the symposium featured distinguished speakers from the Smithsonian Institute, the African Immigration and Refugee Foundation, teachers from area K-12 schools and activist/author Mary Williams, founder of the Lost Boys Foundation.

Although the focus was primarily on African migration, the Curriculum Center's mission to promote a better understanding of immigrants and immigration by providing educational resources that inspire people to engage in thoughtful dialogue, creative teaching, and critical thinking was well served. Teachers and community leaders not only learned the history of immigration, immigration curriculum and the immigration experience, but heard firsthand about the lives and experiences of two young African immigrants attending high school in the Washington D.C.

The Curriculum Center at the American Immigration Law Foundation www.ailf.org is a unique clearinghouse of lesson plans, activities, and curriculum that focuses on the theme of immigration. The Curriculum Center works with teachers, principals, and students who are interested in learning more about the history of immigration to the United States, as well as current issues that drive the ever changing landscape of immigration. Most importantly the Curriculum Center showcases the importance of immigrants to our nation because of the amazing contributions so many immigrants have made.

One of the greatest features of the AILF's Curriculum Center is the Exhibit Hall located in Washington, DC. It's the only place in the DC area dedicated to exhibits that tell an immigration story. http://www.ailf.org/pubed/tc_index.asp

Most recently, the Curriculum Center worked with children's author Belle Yang in putting together an exhibition that demonstrates art imitating life-the life of an undocumented immigrant. Her art work which is shown in her book "Hannah is My Name" looks at life as an immigrant through a child's eyes. http://currents.ucsc.edu/04-05/01-10/yang.asp Belle depicted the images on her own experiences, as a young girl who witnessed the stresses of being undocumented and waiting day after day for her green card to arrive-and when it arrived it wasn't even green! Belle is very proud to be a US citizen and carries that message with passion. The reality is that many people who immigrate to the US didn't want to come in the first place, they had to come because they were threatened in their countries of origin, because of what they believe in. Most immigrants believe passionately in freedom like Belle Yang-who never takes her freedom for granted.

To learn more about Belle-check out www.belleyang.com . On Monday, July 16th, 2007, the American Immigration Law Foundation is premiering the highly-anticipated Belle Yang exhibit. The exhibit includes artwork from her two books "Hannah is My Name" and "Baba: A Return to Upon My Father's Shoulders". the exhibit will be on display at the American Immigration Law Center Exhibit Hall from July 16, 2007 to December 14, 2007. In addition, guests will be able to view the documentary "MY NAME IS BELLE". http://catalog.asianamericanmedia.org/film/276

The American Immigration Law Center Exhibit Hall is open Monday through Friday from 10am – 5pm and is located on 918 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. For more information, please call (202) 742-5600. The American Immigration Law Center Exhibit Hall is the only facility in Washington, D.C. devoted exclusively to displaying works of art about our nation's immigrant heritage.

Belle Yang's comic in Washington Post Book World, July 1, 2007 Comic Strip, "Against Forgetting": http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/06/29/GR2007062901263.html Article by Marie Arana: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/28/AR2007062802211.html