California Statewide Dream Act Conference

Hey guys here is the email I received today about summing up what went down in the conference last week. READ IT CAREFULLY. WE HAVE LESS THAN TWO MONTHS TO WORK TOWARDS PASSING THE DREAM ACT. Otherwise it'll be put off until next year, and we will have to start ALL OVER AGAIN. Forward this blog to all your friends, spread the word, help pass the Dream Act!



Here are the notes of what we talked about during our call last week:

CIR and DREAM Act Update: Mark Silverman - Director of Immigration Policy at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC).

Given that this is an election year the timeline to pass any immigration reform bill is shorter than in past years. We essentially have until the end of the school year (June) to pass the DREAM Act and/or CIR.
Sen. Schumer and Sen. Graham are yet to produce a bill in the Senate, which makes it even more difficult to pass Immigration Reform this year. However, the DREAM Act was introduced in both the House and the Senate last year and has large bi-partisan support, which puts it ahead of any CIR bill yet to be introduced in the Senate.
The Reform Immigration for America Campaign continues to push for an immigration reform bill, but even Rich Stolz - Campign manager for RI4A- said that “by May 1st we’ll be able to assess if the President and Schumer are serious, or if we’re simply being strung along. “ May 1st is around the corner and we’re running out of time. You can find the letter in its entirety here: http://www.dreamactivist.org/cir-announces-1st-deadline/
We continue to get more co-sponsors, which is a good sign. Here’s a very simple timeline I’ve put together:
Timeline

May - June: We need to push for the DREAM Act to move as a stand alone bill and pass it. We have until the end of June.

July- Confirmation Hearings. Justice John Paul Stevens is retiring and Pres. Obama will need to choose someone to fill his sit. July has already been designated for confirmation hearings and there will be no time for anything else.

Aug - Congress will be in recess.

Sept - Nov – Campaigning and Elections - This is a congressional election year and Congress will not be touching any controversial issues, so immigration reform and DREAM Act are out of the question during this time.

Nov - Jan - Lame Duck session. Some argue that there's still a chance during this period, but it will REALLY be pushing it. There's no guarantee that anything can be done during this time. The bill technically dies in January, but if we can't pass it by June then I just don't know about the lame duck session.

What does this mean? Simply put, unless we pass the DREAM Act before June, all the work we've done, all the lobbying, the teach-ins, the graduations, rallies, marches, co-sponsors, letters from university presidents, city council resolutions, etc, etc, etc ALL of that will be useless next year. We will have to do ALL of that again next time the DREAM Act is introduced. What's going to happen to all our friends who are fighting deportations? I don't know...they might be deported. Don’t give up though, we can still pass the DREAM Act. But we need you all to speak out, to demand that those who make decisions in Washington DC let the youth dream!



And WE CANNOT FORGET about the very great day that is getting near.....

May 1st in LA: "Marching for Our Dreams”-

Join us during May 1st and march with the Immigrant Youth Contingency of Los Angeles.

Date: Saturday, May 1, 2010

Time: 9:30am - 4:00pm

Location: corner of Olympic and Main St. by the US Post Office.

1,000 Strong in Washington

Hey guys! Sorry for not keeping you guys posted for almost a week... It's been a rough week with school and other things....But I'm back with all the latest info on whats been happening with the Dream act! Well for starters I'll begin by sharing with you guys that a couple days ago I received an email from the Dream Team in LA saying that thanks to all of your guys' efforts Congressman Baca and Congresswoman Laura Richardson both co-sponsored the Dream Act!!! Additionally, they are inviting all dream activists, and those interested in learning more about what needs to be getting done, to tune in on a statewide conference call taking place April 20th at 6:00pm, to reserve a spot in the call here.

And great news! There are now 35 senators co-sponsoring the Dream Act, two of which are recent are Senator Lautenberg and Menendez from New Jersey.......

Change is happening dreamers, keep e-mailing, keep spreading the word.... "For every action, there is a consequence," and soon will come the reward....

We continue to inspire each other and inspire others. And when it comes to inspiration we can look to dream activists in the state of Washington who rallied for the Dream Act this past week rounding up more than 1,000 supporters. Check out the article here.

On a more critical note.... the state of Arizona needs your help! A horrendous bill is about to be passed that would allow racial profiling to be legal in the state of Arizona.... With this law, if you are a person of color that is enough suspicion granted to police officers to pull you over because you might be considered illegal..... What???! In the 21st century? Really????

It's a ridiculously disgusting bill... and they need all the help the can get to put an end to it. The bill sits on the Governor's desk as of today April 19, 2010, and it is the moment in which we all need to come together against this injustice. Help veto this bill here. Forward the link to your friends and family and come together to fight against the bill!!!




With that said, continue your studies, continue to fight, and continue to thrive! With courage and hope... Yes we can.

Dream Act March in LA

As we approach closer to May 1, groups from all over the United States are warming up for the big day. This past week a group of Korean and Latino students embarked on an 18 mile march to East LA promoting the Dream Act, while on the complete opposite end of the nation the Trail of Dreams group is still on their 4 month, 1,500 mile journey to Washington, DC. It is time for reform, time to stand up, stop simply dreaming, and making the Dream Act a reality. Don't give up dreamers!!! Although as time progresses, the energy can dwindle, but hope cannot give out. Hope. It's all that is left.


Check out the march that happened this past week....don't forget, persistence and awareness... continue to teach your hearts out about what the Dream Act is about.... these people are only asking for a chance to use their talents and intelligence to give back to the only place they have ever known as home.

What to do, dreamers?

So I have been receiving questions about what dreamers can do to help... Many want to help, but don't know where to begin and others are too scared to be involved for risk of getting too involved and being deported..... But what's going to happen if no one ever does anything? What if time keeps progressing, things stay the same, you life begins to pass you by, you can't go to school, can't get a job, can't help out society in any kind of way? Then you'll be forced to begin doing things against the law like working under the table, if you even want to stay here, always fearful of what could happen to your life any day, always feeling like you don't have any freedom, forever. Is that what you will allow to happen? For all the dreams to stay as dreams, and even worse, to fade away?


We only live once. Do you it to be wasted, and never reach your full potential?

Don't make excuses. Don't say you're too involved with school or your "job," because in the end if the Dream Act doesn't pass... You will have nothing.

Take a stand, I cannot stress it enough....So what do, dreamers? There is a lot to be done, its more like where do I begin?
I have posted on the right upper-hand side of this blog important links to check out. There are three basic things that I will suggest that are easy to handle, and they will make a BIG difference.

1. Sign the Dream Act petition, here. And forward it to your closest friends, so they will too.

2. If you have a facebook, become a fan of the dream act, here. Join, and suggest it to all of your friends. Fans matter because awareness is KEY. A lot of people have never even heard about the act and making them knowledgeable about it will gain more supporters.

3. Call your local congressman and ask him to support the Dream Act, you can find a step-by-step guide to calling him/her here. If you're scared that they will somehow track you down and deport you (which is pretty ridiculous and probably won't happen) ask a really close friend that is legal to do it for you. It'll bring that congressman to make better decisions about it, seeing it's importance.


There you have it, 3 simple things you can do that will make a BIG difference. Simple, easy, effective.

The Color of Wealth

So today's post is about a topic that doesn't necessarily pertain to the Dream Act directly, but more so indirectly... I encountered the following video of the presentation "The Color of Wealth," by Meizhu Lui today in my ethics class that discusses multiple factors that have contributed for the wealth of the United States to become concentrated in the hands of white people. It opens my mind to a great new deal of reasons on why the Dream Act hasn't passed yet, and compels me to push even harder for it happen.... Our nation's past perfectly conceals great discriminatory acts by selling us well-constructed masked lies that bring us to believe that they hold some great level of authority upon us, but this is not the case. We are all humans, all the same species, and we should not allow suppression to inhabit our presence any longer.... EDUCATION is the key.... Read read read.... inform yourselves of the reality of these injustices and don't just sit back and take it..... This applies to any type of discrimination of minorities, and the Dream Act is a perfect example.....

On that note I'll leave you guys to the video (which by the way is a book that I feel compelled to read after watching this presentation and maybe you will too)....

THE COLOR OF WEALTH: THE RACIAL WEALTH DIVIDE
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Starving For their Dreams!

Wow.... I ran into this article today....

"Overland Park, KS — Students from Johnson County Community College, the University of Kansas, and Rockhurst University will fast and rally outside Congressman Dennis Moore’s office for the DREAM Act. Believing that education is a human right, students will fast on Thursday, April 8th asking Congressman Moore to feed them his co-sponsorship for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. People from the community will rally outside Congressman Moore’s office in Overland Park, KS, today, April 8th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. asking him to show his support for this legislation which will allow many immigrant students to realize their dreams." (Taken from Dreamactivist.org, full article can be found here.)


I am so proud of all you dream activists out there!!!! Dreamers are finally all rising!!! It really touches my heart to see people standing up for their beliefs.. From Florida, to Washington, to Arizona, to Kansas, to California!!!! I've noticed that with each day, I am seeing more and more awareness being spread... it actually looks like things are beginning to move! So don't wait, begin to cause change in your community. Don't just wait around, if you want to benefit from something, then fight for it like everyone else. Join the revolution! It's coming!

United, Yes We Can.

Around two years.... is how long it took for me to take a stand on this issue and decide that deep in my heart I felt that it was an american injustice. At first, I didn't know what to think of it, and when I first heard about the act, I too, questioned if it was really fair for all american citizens. But I couldn't turn away from it... It kindles, I have to help this injustice in any way that I can.... This issue is a difficult one, because it is tied with much hate and discrimination, and above all, risk for deportation. But fear cannot continue to keep all dreamers in the shadows, listen: there is something in your hearts that is telling you to take a stand. No one, but yourself can fight your battles, and if you want change, then you have to promote it. All we need is to spread awareness, people need to understand that this act is not giving illegal immigrants special treatment... it is only allowing the opportunity to help this nation become stronger. Act now. Act now. United, Yes we can.....

In order to spread awareness, together with a person I love very much, have decided to throw a charity club night, sort to speak... this will be my first event, and I'm very excited to get started!

You too can think of little ways to make a difference, even just by inviting your friends to check out this blog, you are promoting awareness.

Listen to your heart, do the right thing. With that I'll leave you all with this video I found pretty inspirational....

Fact check...

I ran into this article that reviews the facts about the Dream Act for those of you who are still a little confused about what it entails. I chose to present the following four popular arguments about the dream act...

1. ARGUMENT: The DREAM Act would cause undocumented students to take college seats away from "American" citizens.
REBUTTAL: Currently, this is the most popular argument against The DREAM Act, so its rebuttal is split up into four sections.

First, except for top tier universities there is no such thing as "limited seating." Community colleges and universities accept as many qualified applicants as they can in order to increase tuition revenues and, if public, state allocation of funds.

Second, The DREAM Act has a military provision that would allow students to apply for permanent residency if they completed two years of military service meaning not all undocumented students will be attending college.

Third, many DREAMers have already graduated from college or university. This means that there are thousands of highly qualified, college educated individuals in a wide variety of fields that cannot put their degrees to use because of their legal status.

Fourth, these students have grown up in American culture, taken the same standardized tests, met the same criteria and taken the same rigorous courses as "American Citizens." If they qualify for college or university it is because they have earned it. They are just as American and patriotic as citizens with papers and have a right to a higher education.

2. ARGUMENT: Why don’t they just go back to their own country?
REBUTTAL: DREAMers are unique. First, DREAMers come from all over the world including Mexico, South America, Asia and some from Europe, but the US is their home. Second, DREAMers have grown up in the US and have little to no knowledge of their home country—some don’t even have or know of family members there. Sending DREAMers home is like sending a citizen child to another country where he or she knows no one and has nowhere to go.

3. ARGUMENT: Why don’t they just apply for citizenship?
REBUTTAL: As most DREAMers were brought without proper documentation, they have virtually no legal method of legalization. They cannot apply or take a test for citizenship. There is no existing legal process for undocumented youth to apply for citizenship. The DREAM Act will be that path of legalization for children to apply for legal residency.

4. ARGUMENT: Why help undocumented immigrant students and not documented ones?
REBUTTAL: The DREAM Act does not provide more benefits to DREAMers than to documented immigrant students. The Act only puts them on the same plane and students will have to work just as hard as everyone else.

There you have it.... you can find the whole list of arguments on their facebook page, "I bet we can find 1,000,000 People Who Support the Dream Act!!!, here.

The Trail of Dreams

Hey guys, so today's post is dedicated to these four courageous inspirational people from Miami. I feel so compelled to talk about them and share the grandiose activism that they are doing. They are walking more than a thousand miles to fight for the rights that are theirs, and that of any human who is willing to educate themselves to have a better future. It never ceases to amaze me how even though we are in 2010, hate is everywhere! Here we have thousands of people fighting for the opportunity to get an education to help contribute to the value of this country, and yet somehow some people still don't believe that should be allowed. It's ironic how this country first became a country by a group of people who decided that they had had enough of the governments corruption, and 233 years later, they exemplify that same suppression and manipulation.

What is the Dream Act?

"Purpose: the purpose of the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, also called the DREAM Act, is to help those individuals who meet certain requirements, have an opportunity to enlist in the military or go to college and have a path to citizenship which they otherwise would not have without this legislation. Supporters of the DREAM Act believe it is vital not only to the people who would benefit from it, but also the United States as a whole. It would give an opportunity to undocumented immigrant students who have been living in the U.S. since they were young, a chance to contribute back to the country that has given so much to them and a chance to utilize their hard earned education and talents." (Full article can be found here.)

Basically this law would allow illegal immigrants an opportunity to get on a path of legalization on the conditions that they either get a college education, or serve our country in the military. This law has caused an abundance of controversy because of the the seven letter word prescribed to these immigrants: illegal. This single word has kindled heat for the debate of both reasons concerning the law as power and the law as meaning. What I mean by this is that the word illegal connotes an act that is "contrary to or forbidden by the law," but does the power of this law, justify its meaning? We have seen (more often than not), in cases all throughout history, faults concerning the justification of the law (Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown University v. the United States, to name a couple), that called for reinterpretation of the law, because that's what law heavily entails on, interpretation. The division here is created since every interpretation is individualistic and monitored by distinct values, morals, and beliefs.

Now, with this established, we can refer back to dissecting the word "illegal." The law would infer that these illegal immigrants are here contrary to to or forbidden by the law, however... it does not establish a common ground for everything that is illegal: desecrating a fast is not the same sin as having a snack. Due to special types of circumstances like these, it is important to have interpretative flexibility, which parallels the idea of treating illegal immigrants with interpretive flexibility. Why?

Similar to how I provided the example of the major difference between desecrating a fast, and snacking during one, I provide here the vast difference there is between smuggling oneself with tons of drugs, and smuggling oneself with tons of dreams pertaining a better future. But of course, there is much more to it than that; a multiplicity of issues concerning politics, the economy, foreign policy for the branch of immigration, civil rights, education, and the list goes on...

In the follow up of this blog, I will make sure to address each and one of these issues, along with opinions from both sides, in order to have a clearcut understanding about the importance of this law, the weight it carries, and the profound ability that it carries to change the lives of thousands of intellectual and talented souls (living in the shadows) that could potentially increase the value of our nation.