Transition Phase

Post New York-Chicago, I am in a transition phase and so this is a disclosure of priorities.

Some very amazing people work @ the best immigration organization in the United States – dreamactivist.org – so we are all working on transitioning as well into a body that works better, and includes the energy and talents of more people rather than overburdening 1-2 people. That can never be good. I will be taking several steps back to focus on other things but still be involved in whatever capacity the organization needs me. I did a fantastic job on it–I could have done far better in the past 5 months–but I will save that for my next project. I don’t doubt that something good will come out of this. The bottom-line is that I want to see the emergence of more fearless young(er) leaders running around for immigration reform and there are good people working on making sure that dream comes to fruition.

I personally feel like I have outgrown the movement and serving past an honorable discharge. I am hitting 25, been out of college for 3 years now, throwing my academic career down the drain by choosing to stay in a rut. Not leaving in 2007 is the dumbest decision I made for my professional growth. I don’t regret the CV-building and friendships that were formed, but I need to get back into doing things that move me forward. I also feel that now is the right time to disconnect myself personally from mainstream bureaucracy-oriented immigration work.

So I am looking at three responsibilities.

1. Making promigrant.org rock – I rejoined, I am no longer emotionally invested and it is just going to be work with some brilliant people who have so much to contribute. I really hope we can all move forward together and willing to put as much energy and work as possible into this.

2. Students for Fair Consideration (S4FC) – By the time we are done next year, this should be the best local (and independent) immigration organization in the country. It’s going to include community organizing with new media technologies in unprecedented ways. I won’t say that we won’t make mistakes, but this time I am just a whole lot more experienced and working with some great people who seem completely invested.

3. And if they let me help, making Act1Diabetes prominent and visible using new media technology.

I also need to apply to colleges this coming October. There’s 26 schools on the list with 2 in Canada. If I do end up in Canada (and I already qualify for a skilled worker visa without even a job offer), then those two also look like schools where I will finish my PhD. Maybe immigration law is not my calling and I already feel like we have been pushing the boundaries with immigration attorneys sending their clients to us to stop their deportations … Anyway, college plans are pending the CSPA Costello lawsuit that the courts are now ready to hear and rule on in the near future.