Let’s try to find out.

First we need to establish how we can measure. My guess is most Dream organizations do not have the sophisticated Constituent Management Systems (CRM) like the ones we are [...]]]> So today at NOI’s Bootcamp Without Borders, we are learning about Metrics.

How can we apply this to the Dream Movement?

Let’s try to find out.

First we need to establish how we can measure. My guess is most Dream organizations do not have the sophisticated Constituent Management Systems (CRM) like the ones we are learning here, so let’s look for solutions for the meantime (until we build the capacity to get there). Mailchimp and Constant Contact are two things to consider. They can measure your open rates and click rates. An open rate is the percentage of emails that were actually opened. Click rate is the rate of people that actually clicked on the links in your email.

What should we be measuring?

Apart from open/click rates, we can also be measuring the size of our Facebook and Twitter followers, mapping it over time so track our awesome growth. This is especially useful so you can measure this growth rate and see which events/campaign/communications made the highest spikes in your follower list. For example, maybe tagging people in pictures works better for you than posting links on peoples pages? You will never know if you aren’t measuring.

The wave of anti-immigrant laws is sweeping through the South, and Mississippi is now next on the list of states that are attempting to pass draconian bills. In the past, the state has attempted to pass anti-immigrant laws modelled after Russell Pearce and Kris Kobach’s SB 1070. We in Mississippi have seen [...]]]> by Ingrid Cruz

The wave of anti-immigrant laws is sweeping through the South, and Mississippi is now next on the list of states that are attempting to pass draconian bills. In the past, the state has attempted to pass anti-immigrant laws modelled after Russell Pearce and Kris Kobach’s SB 1070. We in Mississippi have seen and felt the devastating impact of anti-immigrant laws, having seen Alabama and Georgia refugees who are here in the state now, and because of the negative effects E-Verify has had on the state ever since 2008.

To begin to understand the situation for those who have never been here, immigrants make up a very small population in the state. The Immigration Policy Center estimates that immigrants make up only about 3.6% of the total population of the state. The attitude toward immigrants varies greatly depending on the region of the state, or even from town to town. A few undocumented students have been able to attend universities here on full scholarships, or paying in-state tuition, because university attitudes with undocumented students are basically “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” For this reason, there was a student who was able to attend a public school on a full soccer scholarship, and I know of some students who have been to attend school on merit-based scholarships. Though there were some obstacles for some of these students during the process, overall things are going well for them.

Photo by jbcurio on Flickr

The problems of the situation for immigrants in Mississippi are exacerbated by the use of E-Verify and by reckless ICE campaigns that scare even documented immigrants. I have heard of circumstances in which ICE dresses up as pizza delivery employees, knocks on doors, says they are delivering pizza, and then arrest anyone they believe is undocumented. The trauma to the family members left behind is usually so impactful that even citizens or green card holders are less likely than anyone else to report discrimination and wage theft to government agencies that were created to assist them.

To make things even more difficult, after the elections of 2011 (Mississippi has elections during odd years), many of the candidates who won had promised that they would bring Alabama to Mississippi. Some even boasted that they would do a “better job” than Alabama. Every since January, eight anti-immigrant bills have been written. Combined these bills are exactly like Alabama’s HB 56. Here is a summary:

• SB 2022: Ban undocumented students from receiving financial aid
• SB 2089: Make the rules of E-Verify stricter. Keep E-Verify results for up to three years. Shut down businesses for 10 days upon first violation if they knowingly hire someone who is undocumented. Shut them down a second time and revoke business licenses for those who knowingly hiring an undocumented person for a second time.
• SB 2090: Empower the police and other authorities to arrest or stop anyone they suspect is undocumented. Giving housing, transportation, or work to an undocumented immigrant would be criminal. One can only transport someone who is undocumented during medical emergencies. The fine for providing transportation to an undocumented person would be $1000 and the person driving would get their car impounded. The fines go up for anyone providing transportation to 10 or more undocumented people. Providing medical or legal services would remain legal.
• SB 2228: Get around prosecutorial discretion. Arrest anyone perceived as being undocumented and if ICE does not want to give them an ICE hold, keep undocumented person in jail to serve some time.
• SB 2231: Check the status of anyone over the age of 14 who wants public benefits (such as food stamps, unemployment benefits, etc).
• SB 2232: Make it illegal to have sanctuary cities. Right now, Jackson, MS is a sanctuary city. This law would nullify Jackson’s status as a sanctuary city.
• SB 2266: Ask for a parents’ car tag when enrolling in public schools.
• SB 2284: Increase penalties for the use of false ID’s if the person using them is undocumented, make it criminal to provide transportation to an undocumented immigrant, to empower police and other authorities to act as ICE agents, to verify a person’s status if arrested, to make it criminal not to share information regarding immigration status.

Last year, a total of 33 anti-immigrant bills were proposed. Many of them died in committee, but his year the political make-up of the Mississippi State Government has changed dramatically and Republicans make up a significant majority of votes.

Something else to take into account is the fact that many contacts I have personally have met people who came here after Alabama’s HB 56 was implemented. There is a town about 30 miles outside of Jackson; Morton, Mississippi, which has seen an influx of Alabamians who came here fleeing HB 56. Several of these Alabama refugees have begun working at local chicken plants. I recently met a student who came to Mississippi fleeing Georgia’s HB 87. He had been offered a scholarship to a university in Georgia but was unable to attend school due to his status. He had come to Mississippi in hopes that he would be safe from anti-immigrant laws, but now HB 87 has caught up to him. He has expressed his willingness to stay here and fight this time, though he works long hours at a local restaurant. He knows that these laws are being proposed in various places and that soon he will have nowhere to go.

Things have gotten so bad here with these laws, and with the refugees who have no resources, that several friends and I have approached James Meredith, the first African-American student at the University of Mississippi about recreating his Walk Against Fear. He said yes. We had explained to him that we wish to appropriate his idea and this time, bring to light the civil and human rights abuses occurring to immigrants due to the anti-immigrant rhetoric. He supports this idea and said he will do whatever he needs to do to make sure it will be a success. We will walk from Memphis, TN to Jackson, MS.

When James Meredith did his walk, he was shot within 24 hours of beginning, and Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, and other civil rights leaders came and finished the march for him. When the marchers arrived to Jackson, they were accompanied by 15,000 people. The people who are walking the entire time are Patricio Gonzalez (Memphis, TN), José Salazar (Memphis, TN) and me, Ingrid Cruz (Jackson, MS). We are doing this because we see no other way to bring attention to the swath of hatred against us immigrants (regardless of status) in the South. We are doing this because we have Alabama and Georgia refugees in our states, and yet Mississippi and Tennessee decided it would be a great idea to implement similar laws, despite the negative impact these laws have on human beings, their state’s reputation, and their economies. Many other states are doing the same thing, and we are tired of all the shameless deportations, unreported hate crimes, or living life in fear. Though we don’t know what will come of this, we have faith that we are doing the right thing because we’re doing what we can against these laws.

Multiple times.

I know.

This reminded me of the Drop the I-word Campaign. [...]]]> This morning I was listening to an NPR article about Alabama’s immigration law and how legislators are thinking of changing it.  It was all going well, until the reporter said the “i” word: “illegal”.

Multiple times.

I know.

This reminded me of the Drop the I-word Campaign. I think this reporter should pledge.

We are not illegal immigrants. We are immigrants.  We are professionals. We are service workers. We are business owners and job creators. We are Dreamers and Americans, but America will not accept us until we pass the Dream Act.

Written by Celso Mireles

Very good post. She even gives a detailed history of the DREAM Act and other useful info. Definitely check out the blog by clicking here. They do some Anita Sinha about our National Congress.

Very good post. She even gives a detailed history of the DREAM Act and other useful info. Definitely check out the blog by clicking here. They do some awesome work as well.

Here is just a preview:

DREAMS FOR 2012

By Anita Sinha

Recently, 450 or so young adults, most of whom are undocumented, gathered in Dallas, Texas for the third annual United We Dream conference. T-shirts designed for the event read “Dream Nation: 10 years in the struggle.” Since 2001, each year the U.S. Congress has considered but failed to pass the DREAM Act (which stands for “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors”). The DREAM Act would give certain immigrant students who have grown up in the U.S. the chance to obtain legal status. According to the National Immigration Law Center, the most recent version of the legislation Click to read entire post…

This past Friday, we all suffered a tragic loss, a loss that within our DREAM movement was a painstaking reminder of why we have spent the past 10 years fighting. We fight, not for a legislation, but for the LIVES of millions of undocumented youth throughout this country. Joaquin Luna was only [...]]]> Dear DREAM Family,

This past Friday, we all suffered a tragic loss, a loss that within our DREAM movement was a painstaking reminder of why we have spent the past 10 years fighting. We fight, not for a legislation, but for the LIVES of millions of undocumented youth throughout this country. Joaquin Luna was only 18 years-old, a senior in high school and a loving son, who we tragically lost. We will forever have Joaquin engraved in our movement, a movement that stands for justice and education for all.

Today as the United We Dream Network mourns side by side with Joaquin’s family, love ones, and friends we are reminded of an issue we face at one time or another; suicide. The sense of hopelessness within our undocumented youth can lead individuals to depression. While depression is something real that every person experiences, we must remind ourselves that our lives have worth.

As a national network, we have discovered the endless talents and skills that DREAMers throughout the Nation bring to this country, and to their own communities. While we are working on developing programs that can bring emotional relief to our youth, we encourage individuals and organizations to keep reaching out to those DREAMers in your communities who have not yet discovered that there are educational opportunities out there, and that with no doubt, they are more than capable of accomplishing their dreams. Let’s keep educating, organizing and empowering our immigrant youth!

To the Luna family, there are no words we can say to ease their pain. However, what we can say is, we will keep fighting to improve the lives of our undocumented youth.

Rest in peace Joaquin. Your memory will always remain in our hearts.

Sincerely,

The United We Dream Network

As New Jersey families prepare for Thanksgiving, Two Paterson Brothers Face Deportation and Separation from Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Juan Pablo Orjuela Carlos Rojas 201-757-5876 732-372-1487 juanpablo@njdac.org carlos@njdac.org

PATERSON, NJ – November 18, 2011- The New York Times reported last week that the Department of Homeland Security [...]]]>

As New Jersey families prepare for Thanksgiving, Two Paterson Brothers Face Deportation and Separation from Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Juan Pablo Orjuela Carlos Rojas 201-757-5876 732-372-1487 juanpablo@njdac.org carlos@njdac.org

PATERSON, NJ – November 18, 2011- The New York Times reported last week that the Department of Homeland Security is about to begin a review of all deportation cases before the immigration courts, with the goal of speeding deportations of “high priority” immigrants and halting those of some “low priority” individuals.

In New Jersey, two of those “low priority” individuals are the Valle brothers. Despite being hard-working and eligible for the DREAM Act, they are on the verge of deportation following a year and three months of combined detention. Michell D. Valle and Yasser S. Valle were born in Peru and immigrated to the United States in 1989, at the ages of 6 and 5 years old, and went on to pursue their high school and college education. Michell, a father of two, has been detained for over a year (since October 25, 2010) and his brother Yasser for over three months (since August 5, 2011).

The New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition (NJDAC), a statewide immigrant youth-led organization that advocates for immigrant youth rights, will gather along with members of the Paterson community tomorrow at a Pentecostal Church for a vigil in support of the Valle brothers. Community members will stand united to demand that the Newark Immigration Office review their case and release them from detention so that they may be reunited with their young children and families from whom they have been separated for so long.

What: Vigil to Support the Valle Brothers

Who: Members of the Valle Family

Brenda Aguilar, New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition

Juan Pablo Orjuela, New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition

When: November 22^nd, 2011 at 7 pm

Where: Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal Elohim

362 E 27^th Street
Paterson, NJ

Persons interested in participating should join us on this date or contact Juan Pablo Orjuela at 201 757 5876 for more information about the case.