[Air-l] AoIR conference venues

[Maria Garrido]

Good night to everybody,

I think that the visa policy that Wu Mei is referring to has the following 
"democratic" components:
1.- For people traveling from the middle east and other Muslim countries it 
is basically impossible to obtain a tourist visa from a US Embassy or 
Consulate
2.- For nationals of countries like China, Russia etc., you may get a visa 
but they give you hell in the airport.
3.- For nationals of some countries in Latin America (I can speak for 
Mexico) it takes an entire day to get the visa, you need to schedule your 
appointment some times with 4 months in advance, pay 135 USD, and even being 
a NAFTA national, doesn't protect you against "special" security checks at 
the airports.
4.- Last but not least, EVERY international visitor to the US is 
finger-printed and photographed which some people find humiliating.

It is unfortanate that immigration policies of this sort deter/limit the 
chances for people to participate in academic conferences. We are missing a 
truly valuable exchange of knowledge in the name of national security.

Maria Garrido
PhD Candidate
Department of Communication
University of Washington