Why I dream of change

I'm Puerto Rican, so I can't call myself an immigrant. But I have lived as an immigrant abroad, I have been the other , the outsider looking in, and know very well how hard it is, getting used to life in a place where everything is strange. Picture how many more magnitudes of difficulty are involved then when your hands are tied by a lack of papers.
I've had the pleasure and the privilege to meet and befriend people from many different countries and from all walks of life, and through their stories I was educated to the reality just how difficult it can be to immigrate to the US. I thought i had heard it all: the endless waiting, the requests for document after document, the ridiculously convoluted rules, the fees, the crooked lawyers that stiff you out of your savings and produce no results. Yet was has fired me up the most is the plight of the undocumented students brought here as children or infants. The fact that you could grow up, go to school and strive for excellence and to get to the top and then have your life come to a dead screeching halt seemed surreal. But its all too true for thousands of youths across the land. Motto schooled me in his reality, and introduced me to many other students, who like himself, are high achieving, hard working, and have defied huge odds to become budding community leaders. It is that drive, that spirit to not only improve their personal situation but to change things for the better, ensuring that no one has to run the rat maze of obstacles with which they have been forced to deal that inspired me to become actively involved in the push for immigration reform. I refuse to stand by and do nothing while the gifts and talents of people who have enriched their communities and schools, who have shown so much promise, go to waste. I can't stand the racists and bald opportunists who rant about "criminal"and "illegal" when the topic of immigration is discussed and whose only solution is "deport them all!". They have absolutely no clue about the sacrifices, fear, worries, and hardships that have been surmounted by Dreamers and their families. I don't want to see one more family torn apart, or see any more Dreamers placed under the threat of what amount to exile.
This process has not been without personal cost. My family disdains politics, looks askance at my activism, and is pessimistic about the effects of our campaigns, they are offended by the buttons and the t-shirts; they've gone as far as to try and curtail the extent of my involvement. It is hard going when your allegiances are questioned. But I take my inspiration from each victory, whether large or small, and from the amazing tireless pro migrant community. And most of all, from all the Dreamers. They keep me going.
And this keeps me going too.

Adios Lou Dobbs

After months of relentless campaigning by Presente.org's Bastadobbs and DropDobbs.com we can finally claim victory. In what was a completely unforeseen move and after months of escalating conflict within the network, Lou Dobbs announced yesterday evening that he was leaving CNN for greener pastures.



Click to watch.

Although there was a joyous celebration yesterday throughout the pro-migrant community we should not breathe a sigh of relief just yet. It is a definite triumph that we were able to prevail over a huge network like CNN. But sadly I don't think good ol' Leprosy Lou is quite done selling his oh so special brand of anti immigrant hate. If you have time you want to waste you can read the transcript of this address here
He is clearly hinting at future plans of "active advocacy". NPR's All Things Considered mulls about the possible reasons behind his ouster and the direction he might take. Not an enormous stretch since we know he has close ties to the far right wingnut groups, i.e. birthers, FAIR, et. al. , and they thirst for the credibility they (misguidedly) believe he might grant.
Definitely we should celebrate.But we should take advantage of the momentum built and the lessons learned and pull together and use to propagate positive information about the need for immigration reform. And I predict CNN will be giving Latinos in America endless replay, to make up for the viewers they lost during the Drop Dobbs campaign.
I hope we can figure out a way to make that work for us. And Lou?
I'ma be watching out for you.

Remembering Marcelo Lucero

His last name means star. By all accounts he was a quiet, hardworking man, younger looking then his real age of 37. But his light has been snuffed out. Most of a year has gone by since Marcelo was viciously murdered by seven young men for no other reason other than the color of his skin,and his being Hispanic. In what is supposed to be a safe suburb.
In America.
"Why? How can it be?" some have exclaimed. Others will question the upbringing and background of his killers, blame the parents , blame the schools,wring their hands, blame the system.
They will all be wrong.
This happened because we let it happened. This is the America that is emerging, because we do not stand up and hold accountable those who have fostered this climate of suspicion and blame and hate. Where seven bored kids can feel free to hunt down another human being and beat and stab him to death. Where a county executive has no qualms dismissing a heinous murder as a "one time event" while adopting policies that foster hatred towards immigrants.
For SHAME.
One of his killers has seen fit to plead guilty to his crime. But Patchogue County, NY still does not feel like a safe place for its Hispanic residents. Or a welcoming one.
We need to change our ways, America.
If you do nothing, if you do not speak up, Marcelo's life is rendered meaningless.
And you stand with the haters and the killers.
Speak up. Act now.
Remember Marcelo.

A Reaction

I have been appalled at the quantity of vitriol and misinformation that is apparent in all media outlets regarding the efforts to increase support for DREAM Act and immigration reform. Not surprised, mind you, but sincerely taken aback. I know it is common practice to blame others for whatever current wrong ails the country, especially if those others speak funny and look different. Common, and ignorant, yet has not stopped us from committing that particular wrong time and again throughout our history.
Every single immigrant group has been a target for discrimination and outright abuse, condoned by our government. From the 19th century to the present there has been public and active opposition to each successive incoming group. We had anti Germans, anti Irish, anti Chinese, anti Italian, anti Polish, anti Jews, anti Japanese groups. Yet as a nation we overcame those nativist fits and those groups are now firmly part of the American melting pot. This latest and virulent outpouring of anti immigration hate represents ( I hope) another growing pain for our nation.

All the arguments commonly employed against immigration fail miserably when used against students who stand to benefit from the DREAM Act. They speak the language and are clearly assimilated and have amply proven their ability and resourcefulness. No services and education were "stolen" as some anti groups claim- they improve the economy since they spend money on products and services just like everybody else, and property, state and federal income taxes have been paid by the majority.Rather the reverse holds true as services funded have NOT been used.And DREAMers do not take employment away rather they increase the quality of the workforce by raising the bar.

Instead of closing your minds against the thousands of students that through no fault or choice of their own find themselves in this undocumented limbo, please understand the issue at hand.DREAM students may not have been born in the US but they are as thoroughly American as any born citizen. Their achievements in the face of adversity embody the American spirit and are worthy of admiration.

Imagine for a minute being ripped from your home and dropped in a place you may not even have a memory of, where you may only know the rudiments of the language,where you have no resources or support. If we saw the story of a young American stranded in these conditions we would demand immediate rescue. Yet those of you that stand in pig headed righteousness, screaming Illegal is ILLEGAL! SEND THEM BACK! are calling to do exactly that- EXILE young Americans. They are raised and educated and lived AS AMERICANS. And they are acting upon they values they have absorbed. Fighting for what is just and fair and morally right and to not give up. Is that not the quality of citizen you want working to improve our nation? Or do you prefer the kind that sits around and whines about how bad things are and looks for scapegoats?

By disenfranchising DREAMers and barring access to full integration we are cheating ourselves out of their abilities and education and throwing away the investment we've already made. We lose thousands that could be hardworking full contributors to our society. The human cost alone is entirely unbearable and unacceptable
The DREAM Act is a fair and humane way to both correct one of the many dysfunctionalities in the broken immigration system and would allow us to reap the immense promise and ability these students represent. PASS THE DREAM ACT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Waiting and hoping

Waiting,hoping,waiting. Living in the paperless shadows must be like spending time in hell's waiting room. The endless waiting is bad, but what lies on the other side of the door is so many times worse. You try to distract yourself. You may even succeed for a little while. But in the back of your head that clock is ticking away.
There have been some good news. But after some very important victories at the beginning of the summer,and in direct contradiction to President Obama's previous promises, now comes the news that Immigration reform may be delayed. WHAT?! So I spend ages try to scrounge up every last bit of information available on DREAM and CIR and glean some positive feeling from it despite the bulk of what s available being negative nativist and just plain ignorant. Which wonk is right? Who is most correctly predicting what will come? Am I doing enough? Am I being loud enough? Have I contacted enough relevant people? Who else can I involve that will kickstart the reform movement to the forefront? Working on those answers.
And meanwhile daily life drags on. With all its petty concerns draining what little energy and patience I may have left.I am not complaining, don't get me wrong. I'm very aware of the privileges available to people like me. What grates is the fact that the extreme effort and hard work of others, who have earned those privileges ten times over, goes unrewarded, and is ignored and belittled.
But right now,while waiting on bureaucrats to make a decision that will change the course of one life, the waiting consumes me.

[VIDEO] Without Papers, Looking for a Future

NY TIMES VIDEO

A 22-year-old illegal immigrant from Ecuador discusses the obstacles she has faced in the United States while trying building a life without citizenship.

S.W.E.R. Town Hall Meeting for Dream

April 13th SWER (Students Working for Equal Rights) hosted an outstanding Town Hall meeting in the Wolfson campus of MD College. Over 120 attendees listened to presentations that went from MDC administrators and student government representatives to community representatives, all declaring their strong support For DREAM Act.
Even more moving were the personal stories shared by several Dreamers in the audience. It was a deeply affecting to the rest of the attendees to judge by the numerous comments they shared. We NEED more of these events that not only educate our peer citizens about DREAM but also put a real human face on what each DREAMer has had to overcome, the personal cost of living a half life and waiting in limbo. This is in my opinion the best way to counteract the opposition, when they attempt to label dream students as criminals, or dehumanize us as just numbers. If our peers can relate to our experience they will then become supporters. In this way we create a personal stake in each of those supporters, and ensure their commitment and efforts towards enactment of DREAM Act.