Posts Tagged ‘undocumented students’

New Jersey May Become 12th State to Grant Tuition Parity

// January 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // Immigration

Two bills (S1036 and A990) would enable New Jersey to join 11 other states in allowing an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 undocumented students per year to pay resident rates provided they maintain good grades, solid character, and attend at least three years of high school in the state.

Earlier this week, the New Jersey Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 7-4 and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee voted 8-6 to send the legislation to the floor for the first time in New Jersey history.

The bill was endorsed by the outgoing Governor Jon Corzine’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy and the New Jersey legislature is trying to pass the bill before Governor-elect Chris Christie resumes office. Floor votes in the Assembly and Senate are scheduled as early as this Thursday. If New Jersey does not pass tuition parity in this legislative session, than the state may not get a chance to do so for another 8 years. Time is of the essence.

If you live in New Jersey, after signing the petition below, call these senators and ask them to support tuition parity for New Jersey residents – Senate Bill 1036.

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Active DREAMS LLC

// August 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // Immigration

We have an LLC now: Active DREAMS LLC — a new media consulting company, a legal entity.

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I wanted to reiterate this point made by Liza Sabater regarding the NOI Blogger summit yesterday:

Of course, my eye zeroed in on one item of the agenda:

2:30 – 3:15 How Bloggers Can Help Organizations — and Vice Versa

I wish these “organizers” really reckoned with the un-spoken truth of this proposition: How can bloggers who rarely get any advertising money from mainstream corporations and even less from the moneyed politocracy can work for free for non-profit organizations with million+ dollar budgets?

Here’s the deal : It’s bad business for bloggers to do anything for free. Doesnt matter who it is, doesnt matter. If they can’t sustain the work with some income stream, they should not be giving away their work for free to anybody.

Amen. I am tired of the exploitation. I have a gazillion projects. And I have been bi-coastal for months. How on earth do you expect me to give my 100% to something when I am not being compensated for anything (besides S4FC)? How am I expected to work without anger and distraction when my house has been going through foreclosure for 8 months and counting, and I feel like I have thrown away a good 3 years of my academic career to people who don’t even appreciate me? I do some of the best new media work around–I can do backend systems administration, blogging, social networking, organizing, and designing. And that’s only one component of my skill-set. Take a look at the CV.

If you want me to do ANYTHING for you, start writing checks to the LLC. If you need my advice on anything web and new media related, again, start writing checks. The ONLY exception is if you are an undocumented person–I won’t take $. But again, I refuse to be any sort of ORG-person without just compensation. I have a professional degree for crying out loud. There are plenty places in this world that would pay six figures to have someone with my numerous talents just sit on a board. And I won’t apologize for having enough self-worth to be honest about it. I am a queer immigrant woman of color, an organizer and an academic who is good with new media. That is a small part of what I can do and alone, it is priceless.

Bottomline: ‘Illegality’ is NO LONGER an excuse to not compensate undocumented students for their labor. Don’t hold a grudge against me for not jumping when you say jump if I don’t see any clear benefits coming my way.

Peace out from Pittsburgh.

Going to Netroots Nations

// August 5th, 2009 // No Comments » // All things LGBT, Immigration

Change of plans–After months of shying away, I agreed to attend Netroots Nations in Pennsylvania next week and will join the bike riders when I get back to California.

And I am happy that Piash is coming along, thanks to America’s Voice! Agenda here.

The weight is on me to “sufficiently represent the Dream Activists” at the pre-NN blogger summit for LGBT and Immigration bloggers. (Mohammad is busy doing more important work in deferring the deportation of two other students this month, one of them in Detroit Michigan).

11:00 – 11:15    Welcome and Introductions (Judith Freeman)
11:15 – 12:00    The Power of Coalitions: Case Studies in Progressive Collaboration (Chris Bowers)
12:00 – 12:30    Intersection of Immigration/LGBT Issues (Steve Ralls)
12:30 – 1:30      Working Lunch Panel — A Bloggers’ Guide to Legislative Advocacy and Going Online to Offline (Shaunna Thomas, Kyle de Beausset, Prerna Lal, Michael Crawford, and Marcy Wheeler with Q&A)
1:30 – 2:15        Legislation: What’s On the Table and Where We Need To Go (David Waldman aka Kagro X)
2:15 – 2:30        Coffee/Snack
2:30 – 3:15        How Bloggers Can Help Organizations — and Vice Versa (Kety Esquivel, Julia Rosen, and Mike Rogers)
3:15 – 4:45        Strengthening Connections and Making Plans (small group discussions)
4:45 – 5:00        Wrap-Up and Next Steps (Chris Bowers)

Two years ago, or even a year ago, this wouldn’t have been a possibility–there is no way that an (out) undocumented queer woman of color would sit on any such panels and summit. The changes are due in large part to the amazing work at DreamActivist and the online promigrant blogosphere (such as Citizen Orange) for recognizing and recommending that work. It feels great to represent, even if I am pigeon-holed and labeled as a ‘DREAM Act’ or ‘undocumented student’ blogger. Maybe I am a token per my multiple identities but my work speaks for itself and I am certainly not a ‘bland’ one.

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Lessons from New York

// July 25th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Site Updates

I have never been to New York before but it isn’t places that hold importance–it’s people. And sometimes we meet and spend time with people who remind us why we are still residing in this #%#%% country.

I remember when I was a kid, I had made a speech about how friendship was the most important and telling relationship since it was one of the only ones that we aren’t forced to make or keep. This blog has many friendly stalkers and the ones in New York are both special and important enough to keep.

I inherited the red-eye on Thursday, spent the day in company of friends working to stop the deportation of Taha, had a smashing night with little sleep, got dragged to a meeting I had no stake in, spent a much longer part of the day ‘hobbling’ around New York/New Jersey over Taha’s case and partying the night away. I usually detest traveling but I spent quality time with people I love so the trip was productive.

And I did work. I owed Dave 10 blog posts over the course of the week and delivered duly. From the Senate passing the long-awaited hate crime bill to Lou Dobbs, Pat Buchanan and Kris Kobach to ICE breaking laws to apologies for racial discrimination and to the undying DREAM Act. And I learned some valuable lessons.

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Musings

// July 8th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Immigration

The last few weeks were thoroughly exhausting. Between the long week in D.C., the non-gay drama (highly boring) of my father and some promigrant bloggers, a horrible court decision against us, the exhausting but exhilarating National DREAM graduation and efforts to save Walter Lara, I am just about ready to move on.

But I made a commitment, hence I am a hero to some, a burden to my mother and I happen to stand in the way of my own dreams by staying here.

Something still troubles me–the way SEIU swept in to co-opt the work of undocumented student leaders the last week of Walter Lara’s deportation. Lets be honest and forthright–Walter would have gotten a stay of deportation without their new media efforts. It is absolutely outrageous that SWER did not get credit for all their hard-work. DreamActivist could have done more had their hands not been tied by lack of software (people are laying eggs on the contract as I write). Of course, the limits and top-down know-nothing nature of SEIU became more apparent when their action this week to sustain momentum asked supporters to ‘Call Congress’ for the DREAM Act. That is such a bright idea! Why didn’t we think of it before now?! Oh, this time, instead of calling our Senators directly, we would have to give SEIU our information in order to call. SEIU should stick to raiding real unions to bring home the bacon. Oops, I guess the real labor movement opposes that too. No offense to Josh Bernstein; his work and support for DREAM students is always welcome.

I just wonder where these DC orgs go when a non-honors student is facing deportation, when Sarjina Emy stayed in detention for two years and finally broke down and went back to Bangladesh, and when a case does not look winnable. Why are some immigrants disposable? My mother never went to college, is a janitor who supports the entire family and pays thousands in taxes; my grandmother does not speak English, never worked or paid taxes in this country, cashes in her social security checks; I have a Master’s but don’t make any financial contributions, hence don’t pay taxes and can’t stand this country–Who would you deport?

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Watch Out for “Undocumented but Undaunted: Immigrant Youth at Work in the Nonprofit Sector”

// July 1st, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Immigration

Exploitation is not waived through consent. It is critical that undocumented labor is not exploited under the pretext that it is unlawful to compensate undocumented students for their work. Doing so serves only to perpetuate a cycle of exploitation, a practice common throughout the history of immigration in this country. America wants and needs undocumented immigrants but is unwilling to pay them for the work they do. These stories reveal the ingenuity, drive, and tenacity of undocumented immigrant youth.

Written by Tam Tran and Prerna Lal and coming soon to Non Profit Quarterly.

The ironic part is that we were not paid for this piece but lets call it our non-profit contribution.

‘I don’t support the DREAM Act because…’

// June 9th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Immigration, Videos

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My response to that is a shrug.

I don’t care.

If I want your support or opinion, I would ask for it.

The facts are out in the open. We have stated our position numerous times. And now it is not a productive use of our time to regurgitate.

If you are not a member of Congress on our target list, I REALLY DON’T CARE.

There is no point in commenting, sending hate mails, insulting and questioning undocumented student advocacy. It does not bother or unfaze us in the least.

Do not call me and not any other undocumented student that works really hard for their right to attend college and get a job to support their family and community.

Take your advocacy and call Congress. Make an anti-DREAM Act site. Make a network of undocumented youth who don’t want the DREAM Act. Go to your city council, school boards and associated students to get resolutions passed opposing the DREAM Act. Get regional representatives in over 25 states. Form an LLC or 501(c)(3). Get donations and grants for your cause. Grow a mailing list of 60,000. Work over 80 hours per week to defeat the cause and the work of other undocumented students.

It really doesn’t bother me.  I have more important things to do.

And besides, we will win this anyway.

Speaking Out At Stanford

// May 8th, 2009 // No Comments » // Immigration

This isn’t about me. This is about ensuring that everyone has equal access to higher education in the United States. And if you find that the access is limited, there are two things to do:

1. Fight to change the laws.
2. Leave this country to go somewhere else where they would treat us like humans.

I plan to do both. At least, that is what I meant to say.

I hope this is one of my last speaking assignments — I lack energy and enthusiasm and do not have much to offer at this point. Things have been set into motion with new organizers and a good stream of funding that people will bicker over and I do not want to stick around to watch the ugliness that money brings.

I find it easier to let go and not make this cause about my life. It is a very small part of who I am as a person and making it take precedence over all my other roles, responsibilities and identities was probably not the smartest thing to do.

I had a good question directed at me after the panel where someone asked me “I keep wondering where you will be in 10 years. Was this your calling?”

My answer was quite honest. I will hopefully not be in this country and the DREAM Act would have been a tiny part of my life that I could barely remember. And as for ‘calling,’ I haven’t decided yet. I think it is a responsibility I took on and brought to new and unprecedented levels. Whether or not anyone would ever recognize that with more than a ‘Thank You’ is another matter. The only remuneration is non-monetary–in seeing the empowerment of a new generation of activists around the country who work together to bring about social change.

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