The Dream Act

Some background:

This Tuesday, a marvelous piece of humanitarian relief for children will be considered by the United States Senate. This relief is not intended for the children of the Sudan, nor for the children of the flooded plains of Pakistan nor those children living on the streets of Port au Prince in Haiti. Ojalá que fuera así, but perhaps in another moment.

This particular legislative action, however, is no small thing. It is an offer of relief for over a million children, young people who live in our own communities here in the United States. Many of them attend our neighborhood schools and local colleges, and worship alongside us on Sundays.

The wrong that this act addresses and seeks to fix is the nightmarish situation of children who, over the past two decades, were brought to the US by their parents. The parents over stayed the time granted them by their visas or perhaps entered the country without being documented properly. The children--who had no say in the decision of their parents to immigrate--now live in the United States illegally.

One child is "legal" the other child is "illegal."

I use the term "illegally" intentionally, for although there is no moral or ethical reason for blaming the children for their immigration status, the loudmouths and knuckleheads who populate our nation's airwaves are busy demonizing them. In these peoples' minds, these children are somehow "criminals" who "should not be awarded for their crimes." As if there was malevolence in these children's hearts. As if they were even capable of such "illegality" at the time that a mom or a dad packed them up and took them to the United States.

The children, especially as they become young men and women, however, know what it is to live as if one were "illegal." To worry, constantly, that they might be picked up by the Border Patrol and sent to a country about which they have only studied. To know that however hard you might work at your studies, that it might all be in vain. To live with the crushing anxiety of being "neither here nor there." And to have to keep that a secret.

For a decade now, national congressional leaders have proposed to right this wrong, to extend to these young people a hope and a homeland. The appropriately named "Dream Act" was sponsored by Senator McCain and has had the support of a plethora of both Democrats and Republicans. It has failed in the past because it was made a part of the larger immigration reform efforts. This time around, however, the Dream Act is being attached to the Defense Department's budget.

I ask you to join my prayer that this time the Senate gets it right and votes to add the Dream Act to our nation's legacy, thus creating a pathway to legal residence for those young people who are our modern men and women "without a country."

Four sets of dreams; two of them to be deferred, unless the Dream Act is passed.

There are some conditions to the bill, namely, that the young people be of good character and either enroll in college or enlist in the military (thus the Defense Department's interest).

On Tuesday, the Senate is taking a vote on whether to add the Dream Act to this bill, which would create a pathway to legal residence for those children who were brought to the USA by their parents. Should that happen, in my community alone, 10,000 children and their families will break out dancing and singing. With that vote, these young people will be recognized for what they know they are--members of our communities.

They have all grown up here. They have all been educated here. Every school day morning they have stood before the American flag and made the pledge of allegiance. They read and write and speak English; they dream dreams of what they will do when they grow up. But until the Dream Act passes, they remain in hiding, hostages to the decisions that someone else made some time ago.

Should the Dream Act pass, the lovely Claudia, a student who finished college with straight A's and simply wants to teach grade school could apply for a job as a teacher. Our schools need Claudia in the worst way.

Should the Dream Act pass, Eric, an extraordinary young man with a burning desire to study medicine would in fact be able to continue his studies. Eric tells me that he would simply like to be a family practice physician. "I like to help people," he says, "that's all I ask, is to be able to help people."

This post was written by Michael Seifert from his blog, Musings From Alongside the Border.

From Homeless to Dishwasher: Rebirth Through Finding a New Job

While sitting in the café lobby of a brand new tech building in North San Jose, I signed my name on the last piece of paper of an employee packet for my new job as a dishwasher at a national catering company. It felt good to be able to shake the bosses hand after I filled out the forms, or even have a boss to shake hands once again. I feel reborn.

Since March of 2009 I have been lead on a wild goose chase for the perfect full-time job. I have traveled across the state, even went outside of the state pursuing odd jobs of varying tasks -- I’ve worked in event set-up, was a security guard, and even a traveling soap salesman. After a year, I was still lost and confused, and ultimately frustrated with the economy, employers and myself.

It wasn’t easy getting this job. I had been staying on the streets, had to get cleaned up at a public restroom downtown, and had to travel three hours using my last five dollars, just hoping to land it. But I got it.

After leaving the building of my future livelihood, on the light-rail back to San Jose from Milpitas, I couldn’t help but to look back and take a glance in disbelief. I finally got another opportunity to have full-time employment, and even have medical and dental benefits, something very few people my age (at 23-years-old) have through their work. Having a job means I can really live again. When I say live, I mean actually live a decent life of renting my own pad again, buy some new clothes, pay for a decent meal, and finally being able to enjoy things without having to be dependent or having to wait on someone to help me with a handout.

What the high unemployment statistics don’t show, is the direct hit mentally, even nervous breakdowns, that not having a job can have on a person. Unemployment can steal all of the faith you had, right from inside of you.

After a few days into the new job I also made a new friend at work. We got along, and he was nice enough too even let me stay at his house with his family. While staying there, I noticed a jump in lifestyles. What I have thought of privileges for the past few years, is pretty much normal day to day life for others. I was so used to sleeping on the street, that even in the apartment I slept with all my clothes and shoes on. It took a while to know that I can actually fully sleep, and not have to worry if anyone was trying to harm me or take any of my belongings, that I could really just rest. Unemployment becomes psychological because it forces you to create a completely different lifestyle of what you once had, and you can get used to that lifestyle.

I noticed what I had gotten used to as someone without income when I got my first check. We went shopping and I felt I had splurged a little bit on myself – buying some new clothes. It had been so long, I didn’t know any of my sizes, and was scared to put them on, because I didn’t want to get them dirty. I was terrified of putting it on because I wasn’t sure of how long it would be until I would receive some new clothes. It was a habit from the streets, so it took a while for it to sink in that I was working full-time, making decent money and I could buy some more clothes and afford to wash them.

I’ve been working at my new job for a few months now and am getting used to the stable living. The work may be tedious manual labor, but every two weeks I look at my paycheck and smile. After a hard day’s work I get to go home to take a shower, watch tv, or just chill.

With this new job, I feel as though this is the start of a new foundation for my life with a grand opening. It’s like watching a building being built. My foundation has been built on an empty lot with bad piping and bad soil, with sewer water running everywhere. But with every new layer of foundation laid-down comes a purification from the new piping and new soil.

My first level of my construction has already started with my housing situation becoming stabilized and starting a bank account. Even though I have only 25 bones in my checking account, it sure feels good to have 25 bucks than nothing at all.

I still have friends that are still lost in the mix of unemployment, doubting their own capabilities of getting back into the workforce, school, or society for that matter. The feeling of rejection can haunt anyone, and scare them away from an opportunity that could be theirs if they reach out for it. Those feelings really just interfere with the greatness that we all know deep down inside that we can accomplish.

Written by Alex Gutierrez, a writer for Silicon Valley De-Bug.

Lack of immigration reform may hurt voter turnout

SAN JUAN, Aug. 19 - The failure of the Obama administration to pass comprehensive immigration reform will hinder the Get Out the Vote effort being mounted by Equal Voice for America’s Families, its leaders acknowledge.

“There is disillusionment and it is certainly going to make our job harder,” said Ramona Casas a community organizer with Project ARISE in Alamo.

Project ARISE one of the ten non-profit groups under the Equal Voice umbrella.

“We had a lot of dreams and a lot of hopes in 2008 but we do not see any results,” Casas said. “President Obama promised us immigration reform. It has not happened and we know our community is suffering. We are waiting for reform.”

Casas made her comments in an exclusive interview with the Guardian at an Equal Voice news conference about the GOTV campaign at the START Center in San Benito last Thursday.

Today, Equal Voice hosted a GOTV training session attended by many ARISE members at the headquarters of La Unión del Pueblo Entero in San Juan.

Equal Voice is targeting ten precincts across the Rio Grande Valley that have a high number of immigrants, five in Cameron County and five in Hidalgo County. The aim is to get the percentage turnout increased by at least ten percent.

“We cannot give up, just because immigration reform has not passed. We have to motivate the community. The November elections are important and we can make a difference,” Casas added.

In 2008, 69 percent of voters in Hidalgo and Willacy counties voted for President Obama. In Cameron County the percentage was 64 percent and in Starr County it was 84 percent. On the campaign trail, Obama promised comprehensive immigration reform.

Martha Sanchez, a LUPE community organizer from Alton, said a more important voting figure to look at is the turnout in Hidalgo County in November 2006, the last time mid-term elections were held.

Lupita Sanchez, coordinator for community programs for
Proyecto Juan Diego in Brownsville.

(Photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)

“Only 13 percent, 13 out of every 100 voters went to the polls in 2006. That’s very low,” Sanchez said. “That is why we do not exist as far as the rest of Texas is concerned.”

Sanchez acknowledged that LUPE members are disappointed comprehensive immigration reform has not been passed by Congress. However, she pointed out that this November voters are not voting for a president, they are voting, among other things, for a governor.

“Our message has to be, somebody is still going to win, so we might as well get involved and have our say,” Sanchez said.

“Besides, if our members need any motivation at all they need only look at what has happened in Arizona. None of us realized how much power a governor had until we saw what happened in Arizona. Our message will be, do you want an SB 1070 passed in Texas? We know our governor has the power to sign a bill like that. Our life can be more miserable if we don’t watch out,” Sanchez said.

Lupita Sanchez, coordinator for community programs for Proyecto Juan Diego in Brownsville, said if anyone doubts what can be achieved by immigrant communities that get civically engaged they need only visit Cameron Park, the largest colonia in the United States.

“Come to Cameron Park and see the changes that have happened in the last ten years. You will see paving, street lights, a park, a walking trail. That only happened because the community made its voice heard,” Lupita Sanchez said.

“We go along to commissioners court and we demand that our needs are met. Going to the meetings makes a difference.”

Lupita Sanchez confirmed that residents in her community are upset that immigration reform and the DREAM Act have not been passed by Congress. However, she said that is no reason not to vote.

“We have to tell the community, do not lose hope. We can make a difference. Keep being civically engaged, keep reminding the candidates what was promised,” she said.

Lupita Sanchez said Proyecto Juan Diego has a definite strategy for its GOTV effort this year.

“We want to stress the importance of family participation. Parents have to tell the kids about the importance of voting. They have to leave a legacy,” she said.

Jose Medrano of the START Center said he is not sure if the failure of Congress and the Obama administration to enact immigration reform will hurt Equal Voice’s GOTV effort.

“It is another challenge. There will be the voter who says, I voted previously and nothing has happened yet,” Medrano said. “But, our voice needs to continue to be heard. We need to pound the pavement because the louder our voice, the more opportunity there will be to get the results we are looking for.”

Medrano said Equal Voice wants to target the younger, newly registered voters, to ensure they start a tradition of voting. “We want them to have a voice in what they need and the needs of their children in the future,” he said.

Medrano said Equal Voice will soon be hosting a community forum in both Cameron and Hidalgo counties. How to motivate voters in each of the ten targeted precincts will be up to the local leaders, he said.

“In San Benito we will have a carnival event, where voters can meet the candidates. Individual precincts will hold their own block parties,” Medrano said.

Copyright 2010 Rio Grande Guardian

Resistance: The Murdering of Immigrants

In the early morning light I pick up Barry Lopez’s novel “Resistance”, and turn to a new chapter. The first line reads “I watched my best efforts turn to coal.” That is as far as I get, for the news this week is overwhelming, and the violence close at hand.

On this morning it does indeed seem that some of the best efforts in our world are turning to coal, the bright colors that mark life and goodness fading to dark grey and black under the continual onslaught of a violence inspired by diabolical greed.

Seventy-two Central and South American immigrants were found massacred in San Fernando, a small ranching town just a couple of hours drive from my Brownsville home.

According to the lone survivor, they were murdered by the Zetas, a group of criminals that feeds America’s drug habit, profits richly in human trafficking, and works tirelessly to organize evildoing in northeast Mexico.

Laurie Freeman reports in “State of Siege” that the founding members of the Zetas were originally part of a Mexican special forces group, some of whom trained at Fort Benning and Fort Bragg. They were to be the stars in the fight against drug trafficking in Mexico. The Mexican Gulf drug cartel, though, soon bought off these well-trained soldiers. In time, the Zetas, having already betrayed their nation, turned on their new sponsors and re-organized themselves into their own mafia. The Zetas celebrate the terror that they breed, launching hand grenades in quiet city plazas and setting off car bombs to announce their presence. They also routinely kidnap, torture, and kill Central American immigrants who cross their territory as they head north.

Several hundred miles to the south, however, men and women continue to make the decision to migrate north. There is no work, and there is no way to feed the family. Today the newpapers reported a conversation with a man getting ready to cross into the Arizona desert. “I know that I am risking death; but in my home village, I am already living in a coffin. At least there is hope for something in the north.”

The migrants know of the kidnappings and torture that await them. Women reportedly begin birth control months before they leave, knowing of the near inevitability of rape. Desperation inspires in the men an unknown courage. I imagine that they must taste the ashes of their hope even as they take their first steps north.

The hopes of the seventy-two men and women who were killed in San Fernando have turned to coal. The killers did not bother to bury them; their faces were not even covered.

Because I remain a believer, I am anguished as I wonder, “Where is the light in this?”

I read other reports and discover that the migrants were killed, according to this witness, because they refused to join the Zetas and work for them as assassins.

“Kill or be killed,” they must have been told. And under a blazing August sun, so many miles from their loved ones, with their lives in their hands, literally, one by one they refuse this sordid offer of hope.

These men and women, powerless in every sense of the word, resisted.

They resisted even that most basic form of greed, the desire to live. They resisted despite the horrible clarity of the consequences of that resistance.

They said no, surely with quaking knees, and anguish in their souls.

They resisted.

I refuse to draw a lesson from this; I just note that only a few hours south of my home, just this past week, seventy –two people stood strong.

That is something to consider.

"They stripped away our fruit, they cut our branches,
they burned our trunk, but they could not kill our roots."

Post written by Michael Seifert
From the blog Musings from Alongside a Border: Reflections from the northern bank of the Rio Grande River, Brownsville, Texas