3/15/01

LC010315

VAL>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

IT WAS A THROWBACK TO THE 60'S AS STUDENTS TOOK OVER A BUILDING AT UCLA ALL IN THE NAME OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.

STUDENT>> THE UNITED STATES HASN'T SEEN STUDENT ACTIVISM LIKE THIS IN A LONG TIME.

VAL>> AND ON TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS, THIS WOMAN CAME TO THE UNITED STATES FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY. NOW SHE WANTS US TO THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT WHO WE LET IN.

YEH LING-LING>> LET'S COME UP WITH A SENSIBLE IMMIGRATION POLICY GOOD FOR FUTURE IMMIGRANTS, GOOD FOR ALL EXISTING LEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND U.S.-BORN AMERICAN CITIZENS. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?

VAL>> AND HE BRINGS THE PAST TO LIFE THROUGH MUSIC.

[FILM CLIP]

VAL>> WE TALK WITH A COMPOSER WHO CREATES A MODERN-DAY SOUNDTRACK FOR OLD-TIME SILENT MOVIES.

THESE STORIES COMING UP NEXT ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION
WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMED CALIFORNIA CITIZENRY.

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
UNDERWRITING THE SPANISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATION OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

VAL>> GOOD EVENING, I'M VAL ZAVALA.

OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BRING YOU A ONE-HOUR LIFE AND TIMES SPECIAL, AN L.A. MAYORAL DEBATE FROM THE CAMPUS OF UCLA, BUT ON THE WAY TO CAMPUS, STUDENT POLITICS DISRUPTED MAYORAL POLITICS.

THE LANDMARK ROYCE HALL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE SITE OF A LONG-PLANNED DEBATE BETWEEN THE SIX MAJOR CANDIDATES FOR L.A. MAYOR, BUT BY 5:00 P.M. IT WAS CLEAR THE BEST LAID PLANS WERE FALLING PREY TO A NOISIER STUDENT AGENDA. ABOUT 200 STUDENTS, MOSTLY MINORITIES, HAD TAKEN OVER THE LARGE AUDITORIUM. THEY WERE DEMANDING THAT RACE BE CONSIDERED IN ADMITTING STUDENTS TO UC CAMPUSES.

ELIAS ENCISO>> THIS HERE TODAY WAS THE TOP STORY IN ALL OF L.A.

VAL>> SENIOR ELIAS ENCISO WAS ONE OF THE STUDENT LEADERS.

ELIAS ENCISO>> WE JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES WERE NOT OUR TARGET AT ALL. OUR TARGET IS THE UC REGENTS AND WE OCCUPIED THIS SPACE HERE TO MAKE A STRONG POLITICAL STATEMENT, YES.

VAL>> THE REGENTS OF THE ENTIRE UC SYSTEM WERE MEETING AT UCLA.

WAS OCCUPYING ROYCE HALL PART OF THE STUDENT PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING?

ELIAS ENCISO>> THAT'S TOP SECRET INFORMATION, SORRY.

VAL>> IN 1998, THE FIRST YEAR THAT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WAS ELIMINATED, MINORITY ADMISSIONS TO UCLA PLUNGED 37 PERCENT. THEY'VE CREPT UP SLIGHTLY SINCE THEN, BUT EVEN LAST YEAR, ADMISSIONS OF LATINOS AND BLACKS WAS DOWN 28 PERCENT. THE PICTURE IS BETTER IF YOU LOOK AT MINORITY ADMISSIONS TO ALL NINE CAMPUSES. THEY'RE DOWN ONLY TWO PERCENT. BUT EVEN BEFORE VOTERS PASSED PROP 209 FIVE YEARS AGO, THE UC REGENTS HAD ADOPTED A POLICY CALLED SP 1 AND 2, WHICH ELIMINATED RACE AS A CONSIDERATION IN UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS, HIRING AND CONTRACTING.

ELIAS ENCISO>> WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE REGENTS TO SIGN A LETTER OF INTENT SAYING THAT THEY WILL PUT THE REPEALED SP 1 AND 2 ON THE NEXT REGENTS MEETING AS AN ACTION ITEM, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY VOTE ON IT.

STUDENT>> I MEAN, WE HAVE CERTAIN DEMANDS. I MEAN, WHEN WE SPOKE TO YOU LAST....

CHANCELLOR ALBERT CARNESALE>> ....BUT IT'S NOT IN MY POWER TO MEET THEM.

STUDENT>> WELL, I KNOW....

VAL>> UCLA CHANCELLOR, ALBERT CARNESALE, HAD GIVEN THE STUDENTS UNTIL 6:30 TO CLEAR THE HALL IN TIME FOR THE DEBATE TO BEGIN AN HOUR LATER, BUT IT BECAME CLEAR THE STUDENTS WOULD NOT BE LEAVING IN TIME.

CHANCELLOR ALBERT CARNESALE>> LET ME SAY, IF THEY WILL PROMISE ME THAT AT 7:30 THEY WILL ALL LEAVE AND NO ONE WILL HAVE TO BE ARRESTED, SO I CAN KEEP THE MINIMUM.

>> 7:30?

CHANCELLOR ALBERT CARNESALE>> 7:30. IN OTHER WORDS, ADD ON AN HOUR. THAT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT, THAT NO ONE WOULD BE -- IF I CAN HAVE A PROMISE, AND I'LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT, THAT THERE WILL BE NO NEED FOR ARRESTS, THAT EVERYBODY WILL LEAVE VOLUNTARILY. I COULD EVEN MAKE THAT -- 7:30, I THINK, ADD AN HOUR.

VAL>> SOME OF THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO APPEAR IN THE TELEVISED DEBATE ENDED UP ON STAGE ANYWAY. FORMER SPEAKER OF THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY, ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, CONSIDERS HIMSELF A POSTER BOY FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.

ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA>> WE WANT THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOT THE SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE ADVANCED PLACEMENT CLASSES, THAT DON'T HAVE HONORS CLASSES, THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE SAT PREPARATION, BUT THEY DID THE BEST THAT THEY COULD DO AND THEY GRADUATED WITH A 4.0. THEY OVERCAME ADVERSITY. THEY DESERVE A SHOT.

VAL>> ALSO COMING TO THE SUPPORT OF THE STUDENTS WAS L.A. CITY COUNCILMAN, JOEL WACHS.

JOEL WACHS>> I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT THEY CANCELED THE DEBATE. THEY SHOULD HAVE LET THE STUDENTS BE PART OF THE DEBATE. WE WOULD HAVE HAD A REALLY INTERESTING EVENING.

VAL>> AND U.S. CONGRESSMAN AND MAYORAL HOPEFUL, XAVIER BECERRA, TOOK THE MIKE AS WELL.

XAVIER BECERRA>> DON'T LET ANYBODY HERE TELL YOU TODAY THAT YOU DISRUPTED DEMOCRACY FOR A CITY ELECTION. DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT THE NEXT LEADERSHIP OF THIS COUNTRY. UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT YOU DID AND WHAT 25 YEARS AGO MANY OF US TRIED TO DO IS RESTORE OUR RIGHTS AND YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO THAT. STAND PROUD. MARTIN LUTHER KING AND CESAR CHAVEZ ARE PROBABLY LOOKING DOWN AT THIS RIGHT NOW AND SAYING, BY GOD, WE MAY HAVE PASSED, BUT THE NEXT GENERATION IS STANDING TALL, SO GIVE YOURSELVES CREDIT.

VAL>> BEFORE LONG, VILLARAIGOSA AND BECERRA WERE ACTING AS GO-BETWEENS FOR THE STUDENTS AND THE CHANCELLOR.

XAVIER BECERRA>> WHAT IF YOU WERE TO SAY THAT AT 7:30 PEOPLE KNOW THEY'D HAVE TO START CLEARING OUT? YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS IN THERE. IT IS GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. THAT MEANS THAT BY 7:30 FOLKS KNOW THEY SHOULD START MOVING OUT SO THAT, CHANCES ARE, BETWEEN 7:30 AND 8:00, EVERYONE HAS CLEARED OUT OF THE HALL.

CHANCELLOR ALBERT CARNESALE>> IF BY 8:00, EVERYBODY'S OUT BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE THE OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY THAT LONG TO DO IT ANYWAY.

VAL>> BY 6:30, THE VOLUME AND THE CROWD INSIDE ROYCE HALL WAS ON THE RISE WITH CHANTS REMINISCENT OF THE 60'S.

STUDENT>> WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE VICTORY THAT WE HAVE IS THAT WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED WHAT REAL EDUCATION LOOKS LIKE. (APPLAUSE) YOU GUYS SAT IN THIS ROOM FOR OVER THREE HOURS AND THERE WASN'T A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHO'S LATINO, WHO'S AFRICAN-AMERICAN, WHO'S WHITE, WHO'S BLACK, WHO'S PURPLE OR GREEN. WE SAT HERE SOLELY TO ESTABLISH OURSELVES ON THE ISSUES....

VAL>> ONE THING THE 60'S DIDN'T HAVE, STUDENT ORGANIZERS WITH SOPHISTICATED HEADSETS AND RADIO FREQUENCY PHONES TO KEEP COMMUNICATIONS FLOWING. AND MUCH LESS VISIBLE WERE CAMPUS POLICE. THERE WERE PLENTY OF THEM, BUT MOST WERE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

WERE YOU PREPARED TO MAKE ARRESTS IF NECESSARY?

CHANCELLOR ALBERT CARNESALE>> YES, YES. WE DO HAVE A POLICY FOR A WHOLE HOST OF REASONS THAT THE STUDENTS UNDERSTAND AND, AS YOU CAN SEE, DO UNDERSTAND. THEY WERE WILLING TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WHERE THEY WOULD LEAVE WITHOUT IT BEING NECESSARY TO MAKE ARRESTS.

ELIAS ENCISO>> ALSO, WE HAVE GOT A WRITTEN COMMITMENT FOR THE STUDENT REGENTS TO AGENDIZE THE ITEM FOR THE REVOLT IT MADE, SO IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

VAL>> BY 7:30 P.M., AN AGREEMENT HAD BEEN WORKED OUT. THE STUDENTS WOULD LEAVE PEACEFULLY. IN RETURN, ONE OF THE REGENTS WOULD PUT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ON THE OFFICIAL AGENDA OF THE NEXT REGENTS MEETING.

STUDENT>> COMMUNITY LEADERS CAME OUT. COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HADN'T SPOKEN TO EACH OTHER IN YEARS CAME OUT IN SOLIDARITY FOR OUR ISSUE. (APPLAUSE) AND ALL OF YOU IMPACTED THIS. BEFORE WE EVEN WALKED INTO THIS ROOM, THAT WAS A VICTORY WHICH BROUGHT OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER OVER THIS ISSUE. (APPLAUSE)

VAL>> FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, THEY BEGAN FILING OUT, THE END OF A DEMONSTRATION THAT HAD BEGUN EIGHT HOURS EARLIER. SO ALTHOUGH THE STUDENTS ARE CLAIMING A VICTORY FOR TONIGHT, THE REAL TEST CASE COMES IN MAY. THAT'S WHEN THE REGENTS WILL TAKE UP THE ISSUE OF SP 1 AND 2 AGAIN, AND WHETHER OR NOT IT PASSES IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT QUESTION. BUT CHANCELLOR CARNESALE SAYS EVEN IF THE REGENTS REPEAL SP 1 AND 2, PROPOSITION 209 WOULD STILL BE IN EFFECT.

CHANCELLOR ALBERT CARNESALE>> IT'S PROPOSITION 209 THAT MAKES IT THE LAW AND IT'S REALLY NOT A MATTER OF CHOICE. THE DEBATE OVER SP 1 AND 2 IS NOT A DEBATE ABOUT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. IT'S A DEBATE ABOUT SYMBOLISM AND DOES THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA APPEAR TO BE UNWELCOMING BECAUSE IT HAS THIS ON ITS BOOKS? BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ADMISSIONS POLICIES BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SUPERSEDED BY THE LAW OF THE LAND, PROPOSITION 209.

VAL>> BUT A PROFESSOR AT UCLA WHO TEACHES A COURSE ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SAYS THE STUDENTS' CAUSE GOES WELL BEYOND THE UC SYSTEM.

PAULE CRUZ TAKASH>> THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP. WE GET SP 1 AND SP 2 REPEALED AND WE ALSO TAKE THIS ISSUE OUT TO THE VOTERS IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAT IT'S AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN EXPLOITED TO OTHER STATES, MORT CONNELLY BEING ONE OF THE PRIMARY PERSONS WHO HAS CARRIED IT OUT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO PLACES LIKE FLORIDA. THEY WERE ALSO SAYING THAT WE ALSO CAN'T ALLOW GOVERNOR JEB BUSH TO CONTINUE HIS DISMANTLING OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN THAT STATE AS WELL. SO THEY SEE IT AS PART OF A MUCH LARGER AGENDA.

VAL>> AND IF THE PASSION THAT THE STUDENTS BROUGHT TO ROYCE HALL WAS ANY INDICATION, THEY'RE IN THIS FIGHT FOR THE LONG HAUL.

OUR TOP STORY TOMORROW, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF SOMETHING CALLED OPEN COURT? IT'S NOT ANOTHER TV JUDGE SHOW. IT'S A CONTROVERSIAL READING PROGRAM THAT IS TAKING HEAT.

>> THE GOAL OF THE SOUNDING AND BLENDING THAT YOU SAW WAS NOT TO -- IT'S JUST GETTING THE SOUNDS DOWN. WHEN I WAS ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO COULD GIVE ME A SENTENCE OR WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, ACTUALLY AT THAT TIME THEY DON'T REALLY CARE WHETHER THEIR CHILD UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT WORD MEANS, WHERE IN MY CLASSROOM, I GO FOR COMPREHENSION ALWAYS.

VAL>> A READING CONTROVERSY TOMORROW ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT AT 7:00.

WELL, IMMIGRATION IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE ISSUES IN CALIFORNIA. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COME HERE, LEGALLY OR NOT, IN SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE. THE TWO SIDES ARGUE ABOUT WHETHER IMMIGRANTS ARE A DRAIN ON LIMITED RESOURCES OR A CHEAP LABOR POOL, BUT ONE VOICE WE SELDOM HEAR FROM IS THAT OF AN IMMIGRANT WHO BELIEVES IT'S TIME FOR THE UNITED STATES TO CLOSE ITS BORDERS. YEH LING-LING IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BERKELEY-BASED GROUP DIVERSITY ALLIANCE FOR A SUSTAINABLE AMERICA. WE LEARN MORE IN TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS.

YEH LING-LING, WITH THE DIVERSITY ALLIANCE FOR A SUSTAINABLE AMERICA, WELCOME TO LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

YEH LING-LING>> THANK YOU.

VAL>> NOW YOU ARE A LITTLE BIT OF AN UNUSUAL PERSON. YOU ARE AN IMMIGRANT WHO WAS ORIGINALLY -- YOU'RE CHINESE, LIVED IN MANY ASIAN COUNTRIES, WENT TO FRANCE AND THEN IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES, BUT YOU SAY PUT THE BRAKES ON IMMIGRATION?

YEH LING-LING>> LET ME ADD SOMETHING, OKAY?. I IMMIGRATED FROM FRANCE IN 1980 WHERE TWO OF MY SIBLINGS STILL RESIDE. AFTER I CAME OVER, I SPENT TEN YEARS WORKING FOR IMMIGRATION LAW FIRMS AND BROUGHT IN ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY -- OF THE WORLD. ALSO, WE ARE NOT ADVOCATING ZERO IMMIGRATION. WE'RE SAYING THAT LET'S COME UP WITH A SENSIBLE IMMIGRATION POLICY GOOD FOR FUTURE IMMIGRANTS AND GOOD FOR ALL EXISTING LEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND U.S.-BORN AMERICAN CITIZENS. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?

VAL>> SO WHAT IMMIGRANTS DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE KEPT OUT? WHICH ONES?

YEH LING-LING>> WELL, I WOULD SAY, FIRST OF ALL, LET'S HAVE SOME SORT OF TIME OUT FOR IMMIGRATION. REDUCE THE RATES DOWN TO, LET'S SAY, APPROXIMATELY 20,000 A YEAR FOR A FEW YEARS AND THEN -- OKAY, WE DO NOT, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT WE DO NOT SUPPORT RACIST IMMIGRATION POLICY. OUR IMMIGRATION POLICY HAS TO BE RACE-BLIND AND COUNTRY-BLIND. CUT IT DOWN TO 20,000, ALLOW FIRST CHILDREN AND SPOUSES OF U.S. CITIZENS, CHILDREN WHO ARE UNDER 18, AND THEN WORKERS THAT THE U.S. REALLY NEED AND REFUGEES THAT REALLY SUFFER DIRECT PERSONAL PERSECUTION. UNFORTUNATELY, CURRENTLY THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

VAL>> SO WHO ARE WE LETTING IN NOW THAT YOU REALLY DON'T THINK SHOULD GET PRIORITY?

YEH LING-LING>> THAT SHOULD BE SCREENED OUT?

VAL>> YES.

YEH LING-LING>> OKAY. PARENTS OF U.S. CITIZENS --

VAL>> PARENTS?

YEH LING-LING>> PARENTS, SIBLINGS, AND WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS THAT --

VAL>> -- ADULT CHILDREN?

YEH LING-LING>> OH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. UNFORTUNATELY, WE CANNOT ABSORB ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO WISH TO COME.

VAL>> PEOPLE WOULD ALSO SAY IT'S NOT JUST IMMIGRATION. IT'S FERTILITY RATES THAT ARE DRIVING UP --

YEH LING-LING>> WELL, ACTUALLY, NO. IF YOU LOOK AT U.S.-BORN WOMEN'S FERTILITY, IT'S ALMOST REPLACEMENT LEVEL. THEREFORE, YOU COULD SEE THAT VIRTUALLY ALL U.S. POPULATION GROWTH IS IMMIGRATION-RELATED. ACTUALLY, THE CENSUS BUREAU SAID IN 1996 THAT TWO-THIRDS OF FUTURE U.S. POPULATION GROWTH RESULTED FROM IMMIGRANTS ARRIVING SINCE '94 AND THE U.S.-BORN DESCENDANTS. AND ALSO ASK OURSELVES, LOOK, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE IN LOS ANGELES. IN 1950'S WHEN CALIFORNIA HAD ABOUT ONE-THIRD CURRENT POPULATION, DID WE SEE CONGESTION? URBAN SPRAWL? OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS? INSURMOUNTABLE RACIAL TENSIONS? AND ALSO DID WE HAVE POLLUTION OF A DEGREE? NO. WHY THOSE CHANGES? ONE OF THE MAIN FACTOR IS POPULATION GROWTH. AGAIN, UNFORTUNATELY, IF YOU START LOOKING AT POPULATION GROWTH, YOU MUST ADDRESS IMMIGRATION, WHICH IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND U.S. POPULATION GROWTH.

VAL>> WHAT DO YOU SAY, OKAY, IT'S ALL FINE AND GOOD TO CUT DOWN ON LEGAL IMMIGRATION, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO STOP THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL --

YEH LING-LING>> -- WELL, ACTUALLY, THAT'S NOT TRUE. WE HAVE HAD POLICIES THAT ENCOURAGE ACTUAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. OFFERING AMNESTIES? WE HAVE OFFERED A NUMBER OF AMNESTIES SINCE 1996. IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES ARE PUSHING FOR A NUMBER OF AMNESTIES. WE ARE GIVING BENEFITS TO ALL SORT OF ILLEGALS. AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO DESERVE COMPASSION. MANY EVEN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DESERVE COMPASSION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT STABILIZING U.S. POPULATION, IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT ADDRESSING VOTERS' CONCERNS ABOUT EDUCATION, CONGESTION, SHORTAGE OF HOUSING, URBAN SPRAWL, HEALTH CARE REFORM, WELFARE REFORM, EVEN SOCIAL SECURITY PROBLEMS. WE MUST, AT THE SAME TIME, ADDRESS IMMIGRATION.

IF YOU LOOK AT -- PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE, VAL. YOU AND ME, WE NEED HOUSING, WE DRIVE, WE POLLUTE. IF WE HAVE CHILDREN, THEY NEED EDUCATION. SO CAN WE ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, THOSE CONCERNS OF VOTERS, WITHOUT AT THE SAME TIME ADDRESSING IMMIGRATION? WE ARE NOT SAYING THAT, ONCE YOU ADDRESS IMMIGRATION, ALL THE PROBLEMS WILL DISAPPEAR. NO, WE'RE SAYING THAT ALL CAUSES ARE LOST CAUSES UNLESS, AT THE SAME TIME, WE ADDRESS U.S. POPULATION.

VAL>> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE WHO SAY THAT YOU CAN ALMOST ALWAYS TELL THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A GOOD ECONOMY BECAUSE GOOD ECONOMY AND HIGH IMMIGRATION COINCIDE?

YEH LING-LING>> WELL, ACTUALLY, THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS UP. SO MANY TIMES ALMOST EVERY DAY, WE HAVE BEEN BOTHERED BY, YOU KNOW, STATEMENTS THAT WE'RE LIVING IN UNPRECEDENTED ECONOMIC GROWTH. LOOK AT MOST AMERICANS. THEY'RE NOT LIVING BETTER. LOOK AT CALIFORNIA. (LAUGHTER) LOOK AT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND LOOK AT HOUSING THAT WE HAVE TO PAY. WE ARE NOT LIVING BETTER. FORTY YEARS AGO, UNDERSTAND, MOST AMERICANS NEEDED ONLY ONE INCOME. THEY COULD LIVE A MIDDLE-CLASS LIFESTYLE. NOWADAYS, MOST FAMILIES NEED TWO INCOMES AND MOST FAMILIES HAVE A HARD TIME MAKING ENDS MEET. SO DO WE REALLY -- YOU KNOW, ARE WE REALLY EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED ECONOMIC GROWTH? THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

VAL>> HOW ABOUT THOSE WHO SAY THAT IT IS THE IMMIGRANTS WHO MAKE THE QUALITY OF LIFE NOT THAT EVERYBODY ENJOYS, BUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT MANY, MANY PEOPLE ENJOY BECAUSE OF LOW IMMIGRANT LABOR, THE RESTAURANT PEOPLE, THE GARDENERS, THE NANNIES, THE, YOU KNOW, GARMENT WORKERS?

YEH LING-LING>> WELL, ACTUALLY, THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CAME UP WITH A STUDY IN '97. THEY'RE SAYING THAT HIGH IMMIGRATION RESULTS IN TRANSFER OF WEALTH FROM THE AMERICAN WORKERS TO WEALTHY AMERICANS AND EMPLOYERS. THAT'S WHY THE CHEAP LABOR LOBBY IS THE BIGGEST IMMIGRATION LOBBY IN THE U.S.

VAL>> THE CHEAP LABOR LOBBY?

YEH LING-LING>> CORRECT. AND IF YOU LOOK AT, TRUE, THERE ARE A LOT OF IMMIGRANTS WORKING THOSE JOBS, BUT YOU ALSO LOOK AT THE SERVICES RENDERED TO THEIR FAMILIES. PEOPLE WHO ARE LOW SKILLED, HOW MUCH TAXES CAN THEY POSSIBLY PAY? SEE, IF YOU'RE PAID LESS THAN $8 AN HOUR, HOW MUCH CAN YOU POSSIBLY PAY IN TAXES? AND THE COST OF EDUCATING IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AND U.S.-BORN CHILDREN, IT'S ABOUT $5,000 PER CHILD PER YEAR, IF NOT $6 OR $7,000 IN MANY INSTANCES, AND MANY IMMIGRANT FAMILIES HAVE MANY CHILDREN. SO, THEREFORE, IN A HIGH IMMIGRATION, REALLY, IT'S ALSO A DRAIN TO THE SYSTEM, AND IF YOU'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY AS WELL, YOU HAVE TO UNFORTUNATELY AT THE SAME TIME ADDRESS IMMIGRATION.

VAL>> YEH LING-LING, FROM THE DIVERSITY ALLIANCE FOR A SUSTAINABLE AMERICA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEH LING-LING>> THANK YOU, VAL.

VAL>> NOW WE KNOW THAT TOPIC WILL SPARK CONTROVERSY AND I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH MS. LING-LING. WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. HERE ARE THE WAYS YOU CAN REACH US:

LIFEANDTIMES@KCET.ORG
WWW.KCET.ORG.
LIFE & TIMES TONIGHT
4401 SUNSET BLVD.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90027
(323) 953-5555

VAL>> WELL, SILENT FILMS, AS YOU KNOW, GAVE WAY TO THE TALKIES IN THE 1920'S, BUT THEY DIDN'T DISAPPEAR. YOU CAN CATCH THOSE SILENT FILMS ON TV, AT FILM FESTIVALS AND AT THE NEWLY-REOPENED SILENT MOVIE THEATER IN LOS ANGELES. PART OF THE TRADITION FOR THESE SILENT FILMS, OF COURSE, IS TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY LIVE MUSIC. SO WHO'S PLAYING THAT PIANO? IN THESE PARTS, IT'S MOST LIKELY MICHAEL MORTILLA, WHO WE MEET IN TONIGHT'S PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS.

[FILM CLIP]

VAL>> MICHAEL MORTILLA HAS MADE A NAME AND CAREER FOR HIMSELF ACCOMPANYING SCREENINGS OF SILENT MOVIES THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BUT HE'S ALSO WRITTEN THE SCORES FOR VIDEO VERSIONS OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN FILMS AND A SERIAL STARRING MAGICIAN, HARRY HOUDINI. JOINING US NOW IS MUSICIAN-COMPOSER, MICHAEL MORTILLA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> THANKS.

VAL>> IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT, IN THIS NEW MILLENNIUM, YOU CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A CAREER OUT OF BEING A PIANIST FOR SILENT FILMS.

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> IT'S PRETTY AMAZING, ISN'T IT? (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> WOULD YOU HAVE BELIEVED IT? (LAUGHTER)

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> NO, IT KIND OF CAME UP BY SURPRISE.

VAL>> SO HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? YOU HAVE NO FORMAL TRAINING AS A MUSICIAN. HOW ON EARTH DID YOU FALL INTO THIS LINE?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> WELL, I'VE HAD A FEW PIANO TEACHERS. I'VE HAD SOME FORMAL TRAINING, BUT IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. I USED TO HAVE FRIENDS THAT WOULD SHOW SILENT FILMS AND I NEVER THOUGHT OF CONNECTING MY PIANO SKILLS, EVEN THOUGH I WAS WORKING FOR MARTHA GRAHAM AT THE TIME AS A PIANIST WITH THE FILMS. THEN AFTER MOVING TO SANTA BARBARA, I MET A WOMAN AND SHE HEARD ME PLAYING AND SHE RECOMMENDED ME TO THE SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.

VAL>> WHAT WAS IT ABOUT YOUR PLAYING THAT MADE HER THINK YOU WOULD BE A GOOD LIVE PIANO PLAYER? WAS THERE SOMETHING UNUSUAL ABOUT IT?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> SHE JUST LIKED IT. I WAS PLAYING A PIECE OF RAGTIME THAT I HAD WRITTEN ABOUT 15 YEARS EARLIER AND SHE JUST LIKED THE WAY I SOUNDED. SINCE IT WAS RAGTIME, MAYBE SHE THOUGHT IT WOULD GO GOOD WITH SILENT FILM. I GUESS SHE WAS RIGHT.

VAL>> WELL, LET'S LET PEOPLE HEAR HOW YOU SOUND. HERE'S A CLIP FROM A CHARLIE CHAPLIN FILM CALLED "EASY STREET".

[FILM CLIP]

VAL>> THIS IS ACTUALLY ORCHESTRATION. SOMETIMES YOU PLAY JUST THE PIANO. IN THIS CASE, YOU HAVE THE LUXURY OF WATCHING THE FILM AND COMPOSING, YES?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> YEAH, EVEN THE ADDITIONAL LUXURY. IT WAS PERFORMED AT THE 1996 OLYMPICS AND THAT PERFORMANCE YOU JUST HEARD WAS PERFORMED BY A 70-PIECE ORCHESTRA THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY RICHARD KAUFMAN AT MGM UNITED ARTISTS.

VAL>> SO HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE YOU? HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU HAVE TO WATCH THE FILM? IS IT A WEEK PROCESS? TWO WEEKS OR A MONTH?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> WELL, WHAT'S INTERESTING WITH "EASY STREET", THAT FILM TOOK 36 HOURS TO COMPOSE. IT TOOK ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO ORCHESTRATE. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> OH, I SEE.

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> SO WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITHIN A COMPUTER, YOU CAN WRITE THE MUSIC VERY QUICKLY, BUT WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY DETAILING ALL THE NOTES AND PRINTING OUT THE SCORES, IT'S A VERY TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS.

VAL>> NOW YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE LUXURY OF EVEN SEEING THE FILM ONE TIME AHEAD OF TIME. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WALK IN AND YOU'RE LITERALLY WATCHING THE FILM ON THE SCREEN AND -- IS THAT RIGHT?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> YEAH, AND SOME OF THE FILMS ARE ABOUT TWO HOURS LONG. FOR EXAMPLE, "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA", I'M PLAYING NEXT TUESDAY AT UC SANTA BARBARA. I'VE SEEN THAT FILM TWICE BEFORE, ONCE WHILE I PERFORMED IT AND ONCE WAS A PREVIEW ON A 16MM THAT DIDN'T EVEN MATCH REALLY WHAT I WAS PLAYING. THIS FRIDAY, I'LL BE PLAYING AT THE SILENT MOVIE THEATER. WE'RE DOING A BUSTER KEATON FILM, "THE THREE AGES OF MAN". I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET.

VAL>> YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO WALK IN AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT RIGHT? HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO STRIKE THE RIGHT NOTE, THE RIGHT CHORD, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> THIS FRIDAY, I'M GOING TO CHEAT BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE LASER DISC. BUT USUALLY YOU DON'T KNOW AND SOMETIMES YOU GET CAUGHT BY SURPRISE WHERE YOU THINK A GUN IS GOING TO GO OFF AND IT DOESN'T GO OFF. I'VE PLAYED FILMS THAT THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES I COULD SWEAR THEY WERE DRAMAS AND THEY WERE COMEDIES. I'M PLAYING DARK AND STRAIGHT AND, ALL OF A SUDDEN, PEOPLE ARE LAUGHING. YOU START PAYING ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN AND, OH YEAH, THEY'RE GRIMACING. IT'S A COMEDY. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> BETTER CHANGE TONE HERE REALLY QUICKLY.

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> QUICKLY.

VAL>> WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT A CLIP. THIS IS FROM A HOUDINI MOVIE. HOUDINI IS ACTUALLY IN IT. IT'S CALLED "THE MASTER MYSTERY". HERE IT IS.

[FILM CLIP]

VAL>> SO YOU SCORED THE MUSIC HERE FOR A SERIES OF HOUDINI MOVIES?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> YEAH, THIS SERIES IS ABOUT FOUR HOURS LONG, FOUR AND A HALF HOURS LONG. I GOT THE VIDEOTAPES, OH GOSH, ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE I ACTUALLY COMPOSED THIS SCORE. BECAUSE OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON IN MY LIFE, I GOT TO LOOK AT THEM ONCE AND SET UP A CAMERA IN FRONT OF MY PIANO AND WILLED MY WAY THROUGH THREE TIMES SO THE PRODUCER WOULD HAVE SOME CHOICE AND HE TOOK THE FIRST TAKE OF EVERYTHING, SO I WAS PRETTY LUCKY.

VAL>> SO NOW WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND? WHAT IS THE CREATIVE PROCESS WHEN YOU'RE DOING THIS? IS IT VERY SPONTANEOUS OR ARE YOU MORE INTELLECTUAL ABOUT IT?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> OH, IT'S A PRETTY INTELLECTUAL PROCESS. I'M CONSTANTLY COMPUTING IN MY BRAIN WHAT POSSIBLE PLOT VARIANCES WILL BE AND BE PREPARED FOR SOMEONE TO FALL OR NOT FALL. MUSIC IS ALWAYS GOING THROUGH MY HEAD AS WELL. YOU KNOW, WHERE I AM ON THE KEYBOARD. AM I IN A MAJOR OR AM I IN D MINOR? WHERE CAN THAT LEAD TO AND, IF SOMEBODY FALLS, SHOULD I GO TO A B7 CHORD AND THEN GO TO E MINOR? THEN WHAT'S THE MELODY GOING TO BE? WHAT'S THE RHYTHM? AM I IN THREE? AM I IN FOUR? IT'S ALL THOSE THINGS GOING ON AT ONCE, BUT THE OVERRIDING PROCESS FOR ME IS WATCHING THE FILM AS AN OBSERVER. I FEEL LIKE I'M REALLY THE CAMERA AND I'M COMMENTING. IT'S LIKE CONVERSATIONAL FOR ME.

VAL>> WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING THE MUSIC FOR A FILM, ARE YOU WATCHING THE FILM IN THE SAME WAY THAT A VIEWER IS? COULD YOU GO OUT AND BE ABLE TO TELL THE STORY OR IS YOUR MIND SOMEWHERE ELSE?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> NO, I CAN TELL THE STORY. I CAN PROBABLY TELL THE STORY BETTER THAN MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE I'M ABSOLUTELY FOCUSED ON THAT AND NOTHING ELSE.

VAL>> AND ANOTHER INTERESTING ASPECT IS THAT YOU DON'T JUST PLAY THE MUSIC FOR AMERICAN SILENT FILMS. YOU PLAY THE MUSIC FOR FOREIGN SILENT FILMS, FILMS MADE IN RUSSIA --

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> -- RUSSIA, ITALY, GERMANY, BUT IT'S A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. IT'S ALL GESTURE LIKE DANCE.

VAL>> EXACTLY. SINCE IT'S SILENT, I GUESS IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT LANGUAGE, RIGHT?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> YEAH. SOMETIMES THERE WILL BE TITLE CARDS AND THEY HAVE TO BE TRANSLATED, BUT IT'S NOT UNUSUAL IN SOME SCREENINGS THAT THE FILMS ARE SO DETERIORATED THAT YOU'LL HAVE SOMEBODY NARRATING THE TITLE CARDS WHILE I'M PLAYING.

VAL>> SO HOW MUCH OF YOUR LIFE IS COMPOSED OF THIS? YOU CAN REALLY MAKE A LIVING BEING A SILENT MOVIE PIANIST?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> IT TAKES A LOT OF YOUR TIME. I'M A FULL-TIME COMPOSER AS WELL AND I'VE WRITTEN, YOU KNOW, FILM AND VIDEO AND TV AND RADIO STUFF AS WELL. BUT PROBABLY 50 PERCENT OF MY LIFE IS CONSUMED RIGHT NOW WITH SILENT FILM.

VAL>> THAT'S QUITE A BIT.

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> YEAH.

VAL>> NOW AT THE END OF A PERFORMANCE, DO PEOPLE CLAP FOR YOU, FOR THE MOVIE, FOR BOTH, OR DO THEY JUST WALK OUT OF THE THEATER LIKE THEY DO ANY OTHER FILM? WHAT HAPPENS?

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY CLAP FOR THE FILM. IF THERE'S NOT AN ACCOMPANIST THERE, THEY WILL CLAP. BUT IF THERE IS AN ACCOMPANIST THERE, THEY SEEM TO CLAP A LITTLE BIT LOUDER AND BE MORE APPRECIATIVE. YOU CAN GET SEVERAL CALL-BACKS, YOU KNOW, CURTAIN CALLS.

VAL>> OH, NOW NICE. AND YOUR UPCOMING IS A PERFORMANCE. WE'RE GOING TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS. MICHAEL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND SHARING YOUR UNUSUAL CAREER WITH US.

MICHAEL MORTILLA>> THANK YOU.

VAL>> AS WE MENTIONED, MICHAEL WILL BE ACCOMPANYING A SHOWING OF THE "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA". THAT'S AT UC SANTA BARBARA NEXT TUESDAY. YOU CAN CALL THE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN FOR MORE INFORMATION OR YOU CAN CHECK MICHAEL'S WEB SITE FOR FUTURE PERFORMANCES.

[805-893-3535]
[WWW.MUSICMMAN.COM]

VAL>> THAT'S IT FOR OUR PROGRAM THIS EVENING. WE'RE GLAD WE'RE NOT SILENT. FOR ALL OF US HERE AT LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT, HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING. THANKS FOR WATCHING.

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