Apple pies and enchiladas have a different meaning other than food for Jorge Chapa.

Chapa uses the two foods to represent Latin and Midwestern cultures intertwining and he titled his latest book “Apple Pies and Enchiladas: Latino Newcomers in the Rural Midwest.”

He co-wrote the book with Ann Millard in 2004.

Apple pies are recognizable within the United States as are enchiladas in Mexico, said Jennifer Sipes, academic adviser for the office of minority affairs and coordinator for Latino Heritage Month Celebration.

Chapa is the first director of the center on democracy in a multiracial society at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and before that, he was professor and founding director of Latino studies at Indiana State University in Bloomington.

He will speak at 7 p.m. today in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union about Latino migration to the Midwest, why immigrants come to the Midwest and the challenges they face.

It is open to students, faculty, staff, community members and high school students. Five signed copies of Chapa’s book will be given away.

About 12 million people in the United States are immigrants, which is close to the population of Illinois and bigger than the smaller five or six states, Chapa said.

Chapa will base his speech on his book about Latino migration. But originally he wanted to write the book about immigration history.

“I wanted to write the history of immigration, but I realized it’s the history of America,” he said.

Immigration has been a part of the United States since the 16th century with European exploration and settlement along with the English establishing colonies in the 17th and early 18th centuries.

Just last spring, congress looked at immigration laws and Sipes said that was a reason why she wanted to bring to Eastern someone to speak on the issue.

“We need to be aware of diversity (and) to diverse issues and learn how to work together and live together,” Sipes said. “Diversity is important to all of us.”

Some of the bills that congress was approached with would raise the penalties of illegal immigration and classify those who help illegal aliens and illegal aliens themselves as felons.

“It’s a political situation still being discussed,” Sipes said about the bills.

Chapa said that illegal immigration is “something that happens” and “you can’t say it’s an accident.”

He explained that it is not an accident because employers are purposefully recruiting immigrants because it is “no risk and expense to the employer.”

“They say ‘I like the way you work and I want more of you,'” Chapa said.

Chapa sees the way immigration is being handled as a problem.

“The system is crazy,” he said.

Many states and cities are passing immigration laws but Illinois is one state that has not. However, Chapa said, “Illinois passed the law trying to make all states have a consistent policy toward immigration.”

Chapa, who in March of 2004 received the Indiana University Trustees Teaching Awards, was highly recommended by Eastern faculty in the department of communication studies and department of history.

“He’s probable the best speaker in the Midwest on this issue,” Sipes said. “In light of the political issues the United States is facing and working with, he was the perfect choice.”

Chapa hopes that his talk about immigration will give people a more informed perspective on the topic so they can form there own stances.

Sipes also thinks that people need to be more informed.

“I hope that people gain an increase awareness of the realities of immigration,” she said.