Mcpocrisy

Senator John McCain stood up today Saturday, December the 18th, 2010 on the US Senate floor to speak against a legislation that he had co-sponsored in the past, back on the days when he called himself a "maverick" and pretended to be a conciliatory moderate.

Today he lead the parade of anti DREAM Senators who denied a path to legalization to undocumented students who had grown in the USA and succeeded integrating themselves into our communities, many of them professionals with Bachelors and Master's degrees.

During the few weeks that preceded the failed DREAM vote, Mr. McCain's office organized a toy drive for the Holidays.

Awww, how sweet!

I wonder if McCain will check the immigration status of the children receiving the "largess"of the Republican supporters. Thanks to Senator McCain, some immigrant children will be getting a cheap toy made in China and will be denied of a path to legalization as Christmas gift in 2010

Extreme Rhetoric- Who Provides Their Talking Points

Have you ever wondered how seemingly educated people, like a Senator or a Congressperson, could parrot some heavy non-sense on the immigration debate?

Well, their talking points on the immigration debate come from organizations with respectable sounding names such as Center for Immigration Studies, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and Numbers USA. All of them not only lack academic rigor in their "researches" but have strong ties to white supremacist group and are been monitored by Southern Poverty Law Center.

Journalist and author Terry Greene-Sterling published a great article on the Phoenix New Times were it explores the influence of these organization in the formation, training of politicians and the dissemination of extreme ideas.

Read FAIR-Y tales here.

Hungry for Justice.

Lucy was in Washington DC on Tuesday, December the 7th, 2010. At the time of this picture she has been 28 days in a hunger strike requesting a meeting with Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson with no success. Lucy wants the Senator to vote YES on the DREAM Act, the narrow tailored legislation that will give a path to legalization to undocumented students brought as children and that fulfill tough requirements. Even tough the Senator supported the DREAM Act in the past, Hutchinson has toughened her stance swayed by the extremist rhetoric that has taken many members of her party hostage: DREAM Act is equivalent to "Amnesty" and rewards "criminals".

Never mind that the DREAM act possible beneficiaries are some of the best and professionally capable citizens this country can wish for.

When Lucy came to Washington, she was debilitated to the point of not being able to walk and was pushed around by fellow dreamers in a wheelchair. She was received in Capitol Hill not by Hutchinson but by her staffers, who ask her to start eating again.

Lucy is not hungry for food but for justice. Her education is worth nothing and she can be jailed in a horrific detention center just because she does not have a social security number.

Her sacrifices for achieving higher education and paying her way to college amounts to zero without the DREAM.

Lucy does not want food but the DREAM,

Where is the Line???

Everybody seems to have strong opinions on Immigration. Some have opinions of the DREAM Act and the undocumented youth. Few know the facts on Immigration and the DREAM.

One of the recurrent myths of the misinformed is that undocumented immigrants are jumping in front of the line for legalization.

Reality is that the proverbial line never existed for them.

Their parents never had a real chance in a 20 years span to get on any line because Immigration limits the process to a certain individuals with existing family ties (children-parent relationships), income or selected professional access to the "line". This is spite of the demand of labor for certain areas of the labor market.

Immigrant youth (the persons brought as children by working parents) asked ICE last week :"Where is the line so I can get at the end of it?"

The real answer is the DREAM Act.

Here is a video on the DREAMers action on Friday, Nov 19th, 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z54mB6DEncc&feature=player_embedded

Photo and video credit: Leah Jo Carnine.

DREAMers Vs Pearce

During the GOP Election Day Victory Celebration (Nov 2, 2010 at the Hyatt Hotel), DREAM Activists from the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition confronted State Senator Russell Pearce. He is the creator of anti-immigration laws that had propelled flawed politicians to power in Arizona, including Governor Jane Brewer.

I met Stephen Lemons-aka the Feathered Bastard- (from the Phoenix New Times) at the Anti Defamation League Torch of Freedom Award Ceremony few days later. He knew about the DREAMers confronting Pearce and wanted more information. I happened to know somebody had video taped it. This is the Feathered Bastard Blog which is rated one of the top blogs with more than 322 facebook postings so far. Thanks Stephen for e-publishing the evidence of the courage of the DREAMers trying to unsuccessfully debate rude Russell Pearce, but being able at least to freak him out and throw him out of his comfort zone!

More Bad News After the 2010 Election

I must confess I'm still in shock about the results of the 2010 elections across the USA but specially in Arizona.

Besides loosing congressional seats and a big GOP win on all possible fronts, re-elected State Senator Russell Pearce has been named Senate President. The introduction of more anti-immigrant laws is inevitable.

Voters have approved prop 107 which bans the so called affirmative action programs (another "gift" from Russell Pearce and sell out State Legislator Steve Montenegro).

On the chopping block will be valuable initiatives like WISE (Women In Science and Engineering) and Hispanic Mother and Daughter Program, among others that encourage the participation of underrepresented groups in higher education. These programs also made important contributions towards the integration of immigrants.

This is what an alumni of the program said about the Hispanic Mother and Daughter Program:

"We all know that the United States is a country of immigrants. Every single person that has come here has had to learn to adapt to a totally different way of life.

Se dice que nosotros los Hispanos nos negamos a adaptarnos... (It is said that we Hispanic are not seeking integration.)

This is precisely what programs like HMPD helps us do. It opens up new doors to Hispanic Mothers and Daughters, by informing us and making us aware of all the opportunities and choices available when it comes to our education. I can honestly say that if it was not for this program, my path toward college would've been a way bigger challenge. And I would hate to see other girls miss the opportunities that I had if this program disappears."

Sad times for AZ when proven programs that support educations for all are not valued.

Genie explains: The DREAM is not dead!

A letter to DREAMers and Advocates:
I am so disappointed - again -about the votes in the Senate yesterday. I am so sorry for the students who have worked so hard.

THE DREAM ACT IS NOT DEAD. It still exists as S.729. It has NOT been voted down.

We all knew it was risky to bring it up now. We knew we probably did not have the votes. And we were dealt an expected blow from the Republicans in the Senate.

Please note that two Democrats failed to vote for this first procedural motion: Lincoln and Pryor. Also - some senators continued to speak for the DREAM ACT after that vote.

What is the strategy now? Have heard from two national groups with suggestions. There will be more tomorrow.

NILC reported over 100,000 calls made to senators, but they still knew the vote might fail. They are already working on strategy.

It is possible that the senators may not bring this up until the lame duck session. But it will come up, one way or another. Reid can call them back for extra sessions until he gets a vote.

As CADENA we do not want to do anything too quickly until we have direction.

I think we need to wait for instructions from Senator Durbin as well as all the national organizations that supported the DREAM ACT.

We just need to be sure everyone knows that the DREAM ACT IS NOT DEAD - in spite of what some news anchors said today.

Please do not be too disappointed.

Let's continue supporting the DREAM Act and the young students and professionals.

Genie Zavaleta,

Chairwoman, CADENA