This may be a DREAM come true

I am a bit ill this week and trying to relax before exams so this is a short note –

The DREAM Act has taken off as the #1 idea on Change.org and the many students coming out with their stories is absolutely heart-warming as well as heart-breaking. It might be tough to repeat this in the second round (Jan 5 – 15) but we must try to come out in the Top 10 and maintain a link with the supporters of critical immigration reform online. That’s why I urge all supporting members of Change.org to add DreamACTivist as a friend to get more updates and alerts on upcoming actions as well as join the Immigration cause.

Another idea that is very close to my heart (and personally tugs at my heartstrings more than the DREAM Act) is Uniting American Families Act. It has been placed in the Immigration section so the LGBT community might not be too aware of this. We tend to maintain a bridge between immigration and LGBT issues too often but issues like these show the heteronormativity of immigration laws affect more than just one core community.

Don’t forget your book donations to the Fiji Children’s Trust. Fiji might be the epitome of paradise in the eyes of many tourists, but the people living there have another story to tell. The Indians that have migrated from the country due to the coups have their own tales of sorrow and grief but that does not mean we should forget those that are left behind, especially the children. They played no part in the overthrow of the Indian-dominated labor government or the subsequent persecution of Indians; hence, they should not be punished for the ignorance of Fijian nationalists and nativists.

Of course, the government is realizing that the loss of Indo-Fijians has drastically harmed the economy and trying to lure back former Fiji citizens:

The interim government has announced former Fiji citizens living abroad will be entitled to automatic residency status at a cost of 1,860 US dollars from next year, giving them the right to reside, work and invest in the country.

It’s also setting up a foreign currency accounts scheme to make it easier for them to send money to Fiji.

Wait, so we migrate from Fiji after nativist calls to “go back home to India” and the overthrow of two democratically-elected Indian-dominated governments, but the Fijian government wants us to now PAY for residency after forced migration?! That is such an insult! Of course I say that while still maintaining my own Fijian citizenship …

I’ll be back after this weekend with loads of posts.