How immigration policy changed once Ronald Reagan met Fernando Valenzuela | Fernandomania @ 40 Ep. 9

, Mark E. Potts, Jessica Q. Chen and Steve Saldivar

July 29, 2021 7 AM PT

In June of 1981, amid his remarkable rookie season, Fernando Valenzuela was invited to the White House to meet with President Ronald Reagan and Mexico President José López Portillo. At the time there had been no meaningful U.S. immigration law passed for 30 years. But in the 1986, the Reagan White House helped pass the Immigration and Control Act, which granted amnesty to many undocumented immigrants. Many credit “the Fernando factor” for helping raise the President’s awareness on the issue.

Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein

Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein is a former senior video director for features, sports and long-form videos at the Los Angeles Times. The UC Berkeley graduate has been an editor at Spin, Los Angeles Reader, Orange Coast and other publications. His work as a documentary writer and producer has appeared on VH1, ESPN, Food Network, Biography and TLC. His short story, “Fried Chicken,” was included in the anthology “Another City” (City Lights, 2001). He started his career on The Times’ prep sports desk.