New Year ShoutOuts

Friends of this blog, Julio and Jesus, gave a shoutout to all the important work done by the immigrant rights community. Julio also released his much-awaited Las Visionaries set, in dedication of all the queer women he admires (mostly writers and artists, including yours truly). Speaking of art-work, check out 22 Powerful Images By DREAMers: A Window Into Life As An Undocumented Immigrant In America featuring a lot of work by Alberto Ledesma, and Julio Salgado. Much love and peace to all of you artists, writers, musicians and visionaries!

While we are busy doing shoutouts, I would like to make a shoutout to the federal district court judge who reaffirmed the Obama administration policy granting officials the authority to search our laptops, citing a controversial premise that makes people living or traveling within 100 miles of the border eligible for a suspicion-less police check. Here is a useful infographic about your rights when you interact with a police officer. It looks simple on paper, but lets be real, when approached by a police officer or ICE agent, some of us have more privilege to assert these rights than others.

Another shoutout to climate change, which new studies show is worse than we previously thought. Hopefully, the warning bells are loud and clear that this should be a top national and global priority, starting with compensation, and relocation policies for the victims.

Mandatory immigration reading: The Deported: Life on the Wrong Side of the Border for Repatriated Mexicans, IN 2013, THE DREAM 30 FOUGHT TO COME HOME by David Bennion, Fewer Crossing But More Deaths at the Mexico-U.S. Border, and Whatever Happened to Comprehensive Immigration Reform by Aura Bogado at Colorlines sums up the debacle, wins and defeats better than any list.

I love writing and reading year in reviews. My favorites from 2013 include: The Top 10 Most Racist/Privileged Things White Feminists Did in 2013, Top 10 Queer and Feminist Books of 2013, 10 Racial Justice Wins for 2013, 10 Best iPhone Apps of 2013 and the 50 Best Free iPhone Apps.