Immigration reform came to the forefront once again last month, when Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a tough new immigration bill into law, which some fear will lead to racial profiling of Latinos. And now legislators in other states may be following suit.

Meanwhile, a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll found that while Americans are concerned about securing the borders, they are also concerned about the fate and welfare of undocumented immigrants who work and stay out of trouble.

Latinos, and Mexican Americans in particular, are hardly new to the United States. Many are the third-, fourth-, or fifth-generation descendants of immigrant who came nearly a century ago. Others trace their roots in the Southwest to a time when that territory was still Mexico. So where does the immigration debate leave Mexican Americans with long ties to the United States? And what do these bills and poll opinions say about their perceived and actual ability to assimilate and integrate into U.S. society?

A video of the event is available on The California Channel website.