Frank Sharry
Encyclopedia
Frank Sharry
was raised in West Hartford, Connecticut by an
Italian-American mother and an Irish-American father. He graduated from
Princeton University in 1978, majoring in History and American Studies.
He was captain of the soccer team his junior and senior year, served as
a Resident Advisor his senior year and was active in student protest
efforts regarding the role of private and selective eating clubs in
college life and university investments in firms operating in a South
Africa ruled by apartheid.
After graduation he taught secondary school for a year at the United
World College of Southeast Asia in Singapore. He left to work for the
American Council for Nationalities Service (ACNS) in Singapore and
Indonesia to assist with the resettlement of boat refugees fleeing
war-torn Vietnam in search of temporary safe haven in Indonesia.
He returned to the United States in 1980 and worked for ACNS in Fort
Chaffee, Arkansas, helping to resettle Cuban refugees who arrived from
the Cuban Port of Mariel. He then moved to the ACNS main office in New
York to direct a special nationwide resettlement program for Cuban
Refugees, and then was promoted to oversee the nationwide resettlement
program in 27 cities for refugees from Southeast Asia, Africa and
elsewhere.
In 1986 Sharry left ACNS and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where he
became the Executive Director of Centro Presente, a local organization
that worked with Central Americans who had fled civil war and human
rights violations in their countries of origin to seek safe haven in the
greater Boston area. While there he helped to found the Massachusetts
Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, a statewide immigrant
advocacy organization.
In 1990 he was hired to become the Executive Director of the National
Immigration Forum, one of the nation's premier immigration policy
organizations based in Washington, DC. It has been directly involved in
every major legislative policy debate related to immigration since its founding in 1982. At the Forum he emerged as one of the
leading pro-immigrant spokespeople, appearing frequently on television
and radio, being quoted regularly in print publications, and addressing
audiences throughout the country. During his tenure at the Forum, he
helped win relief for Central American and Haitian refugees, protected
family reunification, and promoted a comprehensive overhaul of the
nation's immigration system that would simultaneously reduce illegal
immigration through smart enforcement, provide a path to legal status
and citizenship to undocumented immigrants in the U.S., and reform the
legal immigration system.
In 2008 he left the Forum to become the founder and Executive Director
of America's Voice, an organization that serves as the communications
arm of the immigration reform movement. Since its inception America's
Voice has become a visible and vocal advocate for comprehensive
immigration reform, the DREAM Act (a measure that would enable young
people who came without status to attend college or serve in the
military as a way to earn citizenship), and administrative changes aimed
at relieving the sense of siege experienced in immigrant communities
throughout America as local and federal enforcement continues to be
expanded.
Sharry has also been featured in the documentary film series "How
Democracy Works Now" by filmmakers Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini.
The series features 12 films about the immigration debate in America
from 2000 through 2007. The last film in the series was aired on HBO in
March 2010 under the title "Senators' Bargain." It shows Sharry working
with both Senator Edward Kennedy and the Bush White House for an
immigration compromise that would have legalized most of the nation's 12
million undocumented immigrants, a compromise that was defeated on the
floor of the U.S. Senate.
He lives in Virginia with his two daughters and his wife.
and Michael Camerini
. A cut of the film premiered on HBO in March 2010, under the title The Senator's Bargain.
He also appeared in The Game Is On, Story One in the series How Democracy Works Now. Frank is shown in Iowa
giving a training seminar for media. Other films he appears in through the series include:
was raised in West Hartford, Connecticut by an
Italian-American mother and an Irish-American father. He graduated from
Princeton University in 1978, majoring in History and American Studies.
He was captain of the soccer team his junior and senior year, served as
a Resident Advisor his senior year and was active in student protest
efforts regarding the role of private and selective eating clubs in
college life and university investments in firms operating in a South
Africa ruled by apartheid.
After graduation he taught secondary school for a year at the United
World College of Southeast Asia in Singapore. He left to work for the
American Council for Nationalities Service (ACNS) in Singapore and
Indonesia to assist with the resettlement of boat refugees fleeing
war-torn Vietnam in search of temporary safe haven in Indonesia.
He returned to the United States in 1980 and worked for ACNS in Fort
Chaffee, Arkansas, helping to resettle Cuban refugees who arrived from
the Cuban Port of Mariel. He then moved to the ACNS main office in New
York to direct a special nationwide resettlement program for Cuban
Refugees, and then was promoted to oversee the nationwide resettlement
program in 27 cities for refugees from Southeast Asia, Africa and
elsewhere.
In 1986 Sharry left ACNS and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where he
became the Executive Director of Centro Presente, a local organization
that worked with Central Americans who had fled civil war and human
rights violations in their countries of origin to seek safe haven in the
greater Boston area. While there he helped to found the Massachusetts
Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, a statewide immigrant
advocacy organization.
In 1990 he was hired to become the Executive Director of the National
Immigration Forum, one of the nation's premier immigration policy
organizations based in Washington, DC. It has been directly involved in
every major legislative policy debate related to immigration since its founding in 1982. At the Forum he emerged as one of the
leading pro-immigrant spokespeople, appearing frequently on television
and radio, being quoted regularly in print publications, and addressing
audiences throughout the country. During his tenure at the Forum, he
helped win relief for Central American and Haitian refugees, protected
family reunification, and promoted a comprehensive overhaul of the
nation's immigration system that would simultaneously reduce illegal
immigration through smart enforcement, provide a path to legal status
and citizenship to undocumented immigrants in the U.S., and reform the
legal immigration system.
In 2008 he left the Forum to become the founder and Executive Director
of America's Voice, an organization that serves as the communications
arm of the immigration reform movement. Since its inception America's
Voice has become a visible and vocal advocate for comprehensive
immigration reform, the DREAM Act (a measure that would enable young
people who came without status to attend college or serve in the
military as a way to earn citizenship), and administrative changes aimed
at relieving the sense of siege experienced in immigrant communities
throughout America as local and federal enforcement continues to be
expanded.
Sharry has also been featured in the documentary film series "How
Democracy Works Now" by filmmakers Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini.
The series features 12 films about the immigration debate in America
from 2000 through 2007. The last film in the series was aired on HBO in
March 2010 under the title "Senators' Bargain." It shows Sharry working
with both Senator Edward Kennedy and the Bush White House for an
immigration compromise that would have legalized most of the nation's 12
million undocumented immigrants, a compromise that was defeated on the
floor of the U.S. Senate.
He lives in Virginia with his two daughters and his wife.
Film
Sharry is featured in the documentary film Last Best Chance, Story Twelve of the series How Democracy Work Now, from filmmakers Shari RobertsonShari Robertson
Shari Robertson is an American Film Director and producer. Her filmmaking credits include Twelve Stories: How Democracy Works Now, Well-Founded Fear, These Girls Are Missing, Inside the Khmer Rouge, Return to Year Zero and Washington/Peru: We Ain't Winnin'. Her films have been featured on HBO, CNN,...
and Michael Camerini
Michael Camerini
Michael Camerini is a film director, producer and cinematographer. His filmmaking credits include Twelve Stories: How Democracy Works Now, Well-Founded Fear, These Girls Are Missing, Becoming the Buddha in L.A., Dadi's Family and Born Again: Life in a Fundamentalist Baptist Church...
. A cut of the film premiered on HBO in March 2010, under the title The Senator's Bargain.
He also appeared in The Game Is On, Story One in the series How Democracy Works Now. Frank is shown in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
giving a training seminar for media. Other films he appears in through the series include:
- Story 2: Mountains and Clouds, where he and Cecilia MuñozCecilia MuñozCecilia Muñoz has served as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House since January 21, 2009. A longtime civil rights advocate, she worked as Senior Vice President for the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at the National Council of La Raza , a nonprofit organization...
discuss being at a potential "watershed moment" for comprehensive immigration reform. - Story 7: Ain't the AFL for Nothin', where he is shown helping with media for the Freedom Rides in 2003, and working behind the scenes with Hill staff.
- Story 8: The Road to Miami, which includes a focus on Sharry's efforts to foster a comprehensive immigration reform bill with Sen. Ted KennedyTed KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
and Luis GutiérrezLuis GutiérrezLuis Vicente Gutiérrez is an American politician and the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. Gutiérrez was the first Latino to be elected to Congress from the Midwest. From 1986 until his election to Congress he served as a member of the Chicago City Council representing the 26th ward...
as sponsors. - Story 9: Protecting Arizona, shows his activity fighting against the Protect Arizona Now ballot initiative.
- Story 11: The Senate Speaks, features Sharry in behind the scenes of Capitol Hill intrigue.