Thursday, May 25, 2006
Guatelinda
Okay this video is a little caught up in a colonial moment but nostalgias a bitch so it moved me...
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Borders without visas
Let's live up to the promise of NAFTA and allow a free flow of people in North America.
By Tim Cavanaugh, TIM CAVANAUGH is the Web editor of Reason magazine. E-mail tcavanaugh@reason.com.
May 23, 2006
AMONG THE MANY measures and half-measures that are being proposed to solve the crisis of illegal immigration, there have been some real doozies: a 700-mile wall to keep people out (or in?); a temporary guest-worker program that may end up harming both American and Mexican employees; even a scheme for the largest mass deportation in U.S. history.
But here's one good idea you won't hear about. Let's allow the North American Free Trade Agreement to live up to its promise and permit citizens of Canada, the United States and Mexico to move and work freely among the three countries.
If that sounds crazy, it's only because a century's worth of regulatory corrosion and toxic bureaucracy have made us forget that this is how things used to be. For most of American history, immigration was either open or so lightly regulated that the United States was effectively open to everybody. MORE
By Tim Cavanaugh, TIM CAVANAUGH is the Web editor of Reason magazine. E-mail tcavanaugh@reason.com.
May 23, 2006
AMONG THE MANY measures and half-measures that are being proposed to solve the crisis of illegal immigration, there have been some real doozies: a 700-mile wall to keep people out (or in?); a temporary guest-worker program that may end up harming both American and Mexican employees; even a scheme for the largest mass deportation in U.S. history.
But here's one good idea you won't hear about. Let's allow the North American Free Trade Agreement to live up to its promise and permit citizens of Canada, the United States and Mexico to move and work freely among the three countries.
If that sounds crazy, it's only because a century's worth of regulatory corrosion and toxic bureaucracy have made us forget that this is how things used to be. For most of American history, immigration was either open or so lightly regulated that the United States was effectively open to everybody. MORE
Saturday, May 20, 2006
What are you waiting for?
More info:
www.cirnow.org/
Go here for more detailed info and to find your senators phone numbers:
www.justiceforimmigrants.org/action.html
Please take a little time to call your senators. For real this stuff they are trying to pass it going to affect all of us. Like new ID cards with tracking devices. It doesnt take much to call and call often. Leave a message and just let them know that you support legalization and human rights...or go to one of these websites that support possitive immigration legislation to get more info on the specifics. I called yesterday. You have no idea how important it is to call. This is how our legislators make their decisions by hearing from you in the form of a fax or a phone call they count it as representing a larger voice of dissent. For reals. REAL TALK. It doesnt take much time out of your day. Here's a local number for Feinstein 415-3930-0707
ITS THE VERY LEAST YOU CAN DO and its pretty simple. abrazos, la mayita
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Immigration Action
Take Action Now!
Please Contact your Senators Today Regarding S. 2611, The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006
This week, the U.S. Senate will be considering S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (CIRA) of 2006. The legislation represents a positive step forward in enacting a comprehensive immigration reform bill before the end of the year. Over the next two weeks, the Senate will consider amendments to the legislation, both amendments which would improve the bill and those which would cause more harm to immigrants and refugees. It is important that the Catholic network weigh in on this important issue at such a critical juncture.
CIRA contains many positive provisions, including a legalization program which includes a path to citizenship for up to 10 million persons in Title VI; family unity provisions in Title V; and a temporary worker program in Title IV. However, it also contains overly punitive enforcement provisions in Title II of the bill. Moreover, it contains provisions which could preclude some of the undocumented population from qualifying for the legalization program. It is important that our elected officials receive the appropriate messages regarding this legislation. They include the following:
Legalization provisions: We support the provisions in Title VI which provide a path to citizenship for up to 10 million persons and the provisions in Titles IV (temporary worker program) and V (family-based immigration). However, we support changes in the bill to allow the maximum number of undocumented persons to qualify for a path to citizenship. These would include:
*
Restoration of protections for those persons who have resided in the country for 2-5 years and who would be required to go home prior to applying for a green card, including restoration of confidentiality in the process; a right to appeal adverse decisions; no waiver of rights, and an extension of the application deadline.
*
Creation of a realistic opportunity for those here 0-2 years to participate in the program, who under the bill must return home and apply through the temporary worker program, which could take years.
*
Removal of provisions which would render ineligible any person who commits document fraud or misrepresents fact on a I-9 application. (Undocumented immigrants without legal status often are compelled to misrepresent their status in order to obtain employment)
Enforcement Provisions: We also support amendments to the bill which would remove or ameliorate harsh enforcement provisions in Title II, including:
*
the expansion of the definition of an aggravated felony;
*
increased use of indiscriminate mandatory and indefinite detention;
*
removal of protections for asylum-seekers, refugees, and other vulnerable populations;
*
the authorization of local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws;
* limits on judicial review.
Please call your Senators regarding S. 2611.
Please write your Senators regarding S. 2611.
Please Contact your Senators Today Regarding S. 2611, The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006
This week, the U.S. Senate will be considering S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (CIRA) of 2006. The legislation represents a positive step forward in enacting a comprehensive immigration reform bill before the end of the year. Over the next two weeks, the Senate will consider amendments to the legislation, both amendments which would improve the bill and those which would cause more harm to immigrants and refugees. It is important that the Catholic network weigh in on this important issue at such a critical juncture.
CIRA contains many positive provisions, including a legalization program which includes a path to citizenship for up to 10 million persons in Title VI; family unity provisions in Title V; and a temporary worker program in Title IV. However, it also contains overly punitive enforcement provisions in Title II of the bill. Moreover, it contains provisions which could preclude some of the undocumented population from qualifying for the legalization program. It is important that our elected officials receive the appropriate messages regarding this legislation. They include the following:
Legalization provisions: We support the provisions in Title VI which provide a path to citizenship for up to 10 million persons and the provisions in Titles IV (temporary worker program) and V (family-based immigration). However, we support changes in the bill to allow the maximum number of undocumented persons to qualify for a path to citizenship. These would include:
*
Restoration of protections for those persons who have resided in the country for 2-5 years and who would be required to go home prior to applying for a green card, including restoration of confidentiality in the process; a right to appeal adverse decisions; no waiver of rights, and an extension of the application deadline.
*
Creation of a realistic opportunity for those here 0-2 years to participate in the program, who under the bill must return home and apply through the temporary worker program, which could take years.
*
Removal of provisions which would render ineligible any person who commits document fraud or misrepresents fact on a I-9 application. (Undocumented immigrants without legal status often are compelled to misrepresent their status in order to obtain employment)
Enforcement Provisions: We also support amendments to the bill which would remove or ameliorate harsh enforcement provisions in Title II, including:
*
the expansion of the definition of an aggravated felony;
*
increased use of indiscriminate mandatory and indefinite detention;
*
removal of protections for asylum-seekers, refugees, and other vulnerable populations;
*
the authorization of local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws;
* limits on judicial review.
Please call your Senators regarding S. 2611.
Please write your Senators regarding S. 2611.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Central America and Iraq
Grandin on Rumsfeld's Latin American Wild West Show( click on the link above to read more)
It was in Central America, remember, that President Ronald Reagan first actively faced off against the "Evil Empire." It was through Central American policy that the previously distinct strands of conservatism and neoconservatism first broke foreign bread (and foreign heads) together. It was the anvil upon which the ideas and constituencies that drive Bush's aggressive foreign policy today were first hammered out. It was the place that secular neocons and anti-communist militarists came together with the Christian New Right to oppose Catholicism's Liberation Theology, which, for them, was the radical Islam of its moment -- at a time when Reagan's CIA director was playing footsy in Afghanistan and elsewhere with the Islamic jihadists who would later be melded with the "axis of evil" into the War on Terror.
Central America was also where Republicans first embraced the idealist language of spreading "democracy" abroad as a key justification for an aggressive, violent, preemptive foreign policy. It was in relation to Central America that, through the Office of Public Diplomacy, the executive branch first used a full range of PR "perception management" techniques to sell a war -- again anticipating the media manipulation that led to the invasion of Iraq. Finally, it was in what became the Iran-Contra scandal that Republicans first tried to bypass many of the restrictions on the presidency put into place (however feebly) after Vietnam and Watergate, foreshadowing the vast, half-secret expansion of executive powers in the last five years. Not for nothing did so many of the current administration's officials and hangers on -- John Negroponte, Elliot Abrams, Otto Reich, Donald Kagan, Michael Ledeen, even John Bolton -- come out of Central America. It is a story that must be read, as must Grandin's piece on U.S. war-planning in recalcitrant Latin America.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Youth go to ES
Youth want to reconnect with their roots. We all need to do that at some point! Help out if you can or pass it on anyway. M
*Please repost and forward it to everyone you think might help.*
Dear family,
I am writing to inform you of a special project that our organization is developing. As many of may know we started an on campus organization at San Francisco State University called C.A.S.A. (Central American Student Association). The organization was born out of a need for Central and South American representation on our campus. What makes our organization different from other Latino organizations is that we want to get involved in international issues and in specific in Central America. One of our goals and missions is to take delegations of high school and college level students back to their ancestral lands. This July we are taking our 4th delegation in less than 6 months. What makes this delegation so different from the previous 3 is that they are all high school students. This very exciting and important for us because we believe high school students are the future and we must as privileged university and professional Latinos and other ethnicities begin to take and active and leadership role in their lives.
We met some of these students in the week of action for immigrant rights this past March in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco. While some of our members were fasting for immigrant rights, these high school students were there, by our side supporting the cause, marching and making sure that the hunger strikers were ok. They made signs and they organized themselves in a peaceful way to protest the racist anti-immigrant reforms. They are not just high school students, they are young warriors from our communities who have stand up for our rights. We believe in these students and we have high hopes for them. Please help us raise funds for them to experience the culture and history of El Salvador.
I call upon all you out there that care about the future of our youth to support these students in their efforts to reconnect with their roots and reclaim their identities.
We are fundraising $800 per student, which includes the flight, meals and spending funds. Our total budget for 20 students is $16,000. These students are low income students and is almost impossible for their families to afford this much money for an educational trip to El Salvador, therefore your support is of great importance for this project.
Paz,
Gustavo
You can donate funds to our non-profit Avenues Project
and you can claim a tax-donation for your support. Tax Id .. 300035154.
____ Yes, I ____________________________ would like to donate __________ so that students can reconnect with their roots. Please add my name to the list of donors on your website (AvenuesProject.org), your community newsletter, and any materials you send out to the media.
Checks payable to: Avenues Project, re: El Salvador Roots Trip
Contact Info: 510.776.3740, razafilm@yahoo.com, teolol@avenuesproject.org, www.AvenuesProject.org
Below you will find an important letter from high school students and teachers that I am organizing with, we are raising funds to take 20 youth to El Salvador to connect with their roots.
Please read it, spread it like wild fire, and donate even $20. Everything helps......
Gustavo Choto (email: GustavAlexander@yahoo.com)
Organizer/Educator - C.A.S.A - SFSU (Central American Student Association San Francisco State Univerity)
East Oakland Community High School- Raza Film Class
The Avenues Project, an education non-profit organization (501 c.3)
8251 Fontaine Street Oakland, CA 94605
510.776.3740, razafilm@yahoo.com, www.AvenuesProject.org/
Dear Community Members and Supporters,
Twenty East Oakland Community High School students from the Raza Film Class are fundraising to travel to El Salvador this summer, but they need your help to make this dream a reality. Half of the students in the class are Central American and want to learn about their roots. We have family members who live in El Salvador, but we have never met them because traveling out there is very expensive. We want to learn about our country because we only know about El Salvador from pictures and stories. We want to live there for a couple of weeks and experience life in Central America. We are fundraising $800 per student, which includes the flight, meals and spending funds. Our total budget for 20 students is $16,000.
Some of the goals of our trip are helping our larger community. During this trip we will be helping the people there by making a bridge so that they can transport themselves from the countryside to the city. We will also help set up pipes so that they can get clean drinking water to their homes. We want to also visit and help out orphanages.
We need your support to help empower all of us and also allow us to meet/reunite with family members. We are all excited about going to El Salvador, but we cant make our dream come true without your support. We will be making a difference to the people of El Salvador, and it will change our lives, but we need your help. Thank you so much for your support.
Sincerely,
C.A.S.A. (Central American Student Association)
Raza Film Class- East Oakland Community High School
Raza Film Students
On the journey
to connect with our roots
in Central America.
Name of Students:
Yanina Vazquez- El Salvador
Yesenia Vazquez- El Salvador
Adrian Arias- El Salvador
Maite Arias- El Salvador
Adriana Vega- Mexico
Francisco Flores- Guatemala
German Flores- Guatemala
Maria Felix- Mexico
Luis Sanchez- Mexico
Luis Garcia- Mexico
Jose Gutierrez- Mexico
Jose Agredano- Mexico
Omar Escalante- El Salvador
Jocelyn Padilla- Honduras
Francisco Capuchino- Mexico
Gumaro Meza- Mexico
Ricardo Gomez- Mexico
Eric Maldonado- Mexico
Reyna Rodriguez- El Salvador
Organizer & Educator,
Gustavo Choto - El Salvador
*Please repost and forward it to everyone you think might help.*
Dear family,
I am writing to inform you of a special project that our organization is developing. As many of may know we started an on campus organization at San Francisco State University called C.A.S.A. (Central American Student Association). The organization was born out of a need for Central and South American representation on our campus. What makes our organization different from other Latino organizations is that we want to get involved in international issues and in specific in Central America. One of our goals and missions is to take delegations of high school and college level students back to their ancestral lands. This July we are taking our 4th delegation in less than 6 months. What makes this delegation so different from the previous 3 is that they are all high school students. This very exciting and important for us because we believe high school students are the future and we must as privileged university and professional Latinos and other ethnicities begin to take and active and leadership role in their lives.
We met some of these students in the week of action for immigrant rights this past March in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco. While some of our members were fasting for immigrant rights, these high school students were there, by our side supporting the cause, marching and making sure that the hunger strikers were ok. They made signs and they organized themselves in a peaceful way to protest the racist anti-immigrant reforms. They are not just high school students, they are young warriors from our communities who have stand up for our rights. We believe in these students and we have high hopes for them. Please help us raise funds for them to experience the culture and history of El Salvador.
I call upon all you out there that care about the future of our youth to support these students in their efforts to reconnect with their roots and reclaim their identities.
We are fundraising $800 per student, which includes the flight, meals and spending funds. Our total budget for 20 students is $16,000. These students are low income students and is almost impossible for their families to afford this much money for an educational trip to El Salvador, therefore your support is of great importance for this project.
Paz,
Gustavo
You can donate funds to our non-profit Avenues Project
and you can claim a tax-donation for your support. Tax Id .. 300035154.
____ Yes, I ____________________________ would like to donate __________ so that students can reconnect with their roots. Please add my name to the list of donors on your website (AvenuesProject.org), your community newsletter, and any materials you send out to the media.
Checks payable to: Avenues Project, re: El Salvador Roots Trip
Contact Info: 510.776.3740, razafilm@yahoo.com, teolol@avenuesproject.org, www.AvenuesProject.org
Below you will find an important letter from high school students and teachers that I am organizing with, we are raising funds to take 20 youth to El Salvador to connect with their roots.
Please read it, spread it like wild fire, and donate even $20. Everything helps......
Gustavo Choto (email: GustavAlexander@yahoo.com)
Organizer/Educator - C.A.S.A - SFSU (Central American Student Association San Francisco State Univerity)
East Oakland Community High School- Raza Film Class
The Avenues Project, an education non-profit organization (501 c.3)
8251 Fontaine Street Oakland, CA 94605
510.776.3740, razafilm@yahoo.com, www.AvenuesProject.org/
Dear Community Members and Supporters,
Twenty East Oakland Community High School students from the Raza Film Class are fundraising to travel to El Salvador this summer, but they need your help to make this dream a reality. Half of the students in the class are Central American and want to learn about their roots. We have family members who live in El Salvador, but we have never met them because traveling out there is very expensive. We want to learn about our country because we only know about El Salvador from pictures and stories. We want to live there for a couple of weeks and experience life in Central America. We are fundraising $800 per student, which includes the flight, meals and spending funds. Our total budget for 20 students is $16,000.
Some of the goals of our trip are helping our larger community. During this trip we will be helping the people there by making a bridge so that they can transport themselves from the countryside to the city. We will also help set up pipes so that they can get clean drinking water to their homes. We want to also visit and help out orphanages.
We need your support to help empower all of us and also allow us to meet/reunite with family members. We are all excited about going to El Salvador, but we cant make our dream come true without your support. We will be making a difference to the people of El Salvador, and it will change our lives, but we need your help. Thank you so much for your support.
Sincerely,
C.A.S.A. (Central American Student Association)
Raza Film Class- East Oakland Community High School
Raza Film Students
On the journey
to connect with our roots
in Central America.
Name of Students:
Yanina Vazquez- El Salvador
Yesenia Vazquez- El Salvador
Adrian Arias- El Salvador
Maite Arias- El Salvador
Adriana Vega- Mexico
Francisco Flores- Guatemala
German Flores- Guatemala
Maria Felix- Mexico
Luis Sanchez- Mexico
Luis Garcia- Mexico
Jose Gutierrez- Mexico
Jose Agredano- Mexico
Omar Escalante- El Salvador
Jocelyn Padilla- Honduras
Francisco Capuchino- Mexico
Gumaro Meza- Mexico
Ricardo Gomez- Mexico
Eric Maldonado- Mexico
Reyna Rodriguez- El Salvador
Organizer & Educator,
Gustavo Choto - El Salvador
Monday, May 08, 2006
'Sanctuary City' for Immigrants Gets Pricey
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
By KEN MAGUIRE, Associated Press Writer Sun May 7, 2:14 PM ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - This famously liberal city is serving notice that illegal immigrants are welcome, even while Congress is considering tough new penalties. Police won't harass you. Education and health care are available.
ADVERTISEMENT
Here's the hitch: You probably can't afford to live here.
Back in 1985, when Cambridge first declared itself a "sanctuary city," rent control kept apartments affordable.
Today, however, Cambridge no longer has rent control; cheap apartments were turned into luxury condominiums and the city — home of Harvard and MIT — is among the most expensive places to live in the United States. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is around $1,400 a month.
By KEN MAGUIRE, Associated Press Writer Sun May 7, 2:14 PM ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - This famously liberal city is serving notice that illegal immigrants are welcome, even while Congress is considering tough new penalties. Police won't harass you. Education and health care are available.
ADVERTISEMENT
Here's the hitch: You probably can't afford to live here.
Back in 1985, when Cambridge first declared itself a "sanctuary city," rent control kept apartments affordable.
Today, however, Cambridge no longer has rent control; cheap apartments were turned into luxury condominiums and the city — home of Harvard and MIT — is among the most expensive places to live in the United States. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is around $1,400 a month.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Vos
EL VOSEO
En algunos países hispanoamericanos como Guatemala, Argentina, y algunas partes de Colombia, en vez de "tú" se dice "vos," y no se utilizan las terminaciones normales para la segunda persona del singular en el presente del indicativo, ni en el imperativo. Este es el llamado "voseo." Uds. no tienen obligación de utilizarlo ni de memorizar su conjugación, pero sí es conveniente que lo reconozcan:
PRESENTE tú piensas --> vos pensás, IMPERATIVO ¡piensa! --> ¡pensá!
PRESENTE tú comes --> vos comés, IMPERATIVO ¡come! --> ¡comé!
PRESENTE tú vienes --> vos venís, IMPERATIVO ¡ven! --> ¡vení!
Hay, sin embargo, una manera más facil de recordar todo esto:
PRESENTE
1. Tomen el infinitivo del verbo (pensar, comer, venir)
2. Quiten la "r" y pongan una "s" (pensas, comes, venis)
3. Añadan un acento a la última vocal (pensás, comés, venís)
IMPERATIVO
Igual que el presente pero no añadan la "s" (pensá, comé ...)
Hay muy pocas excepciones: tú eres --> vos sos
En algunos países hispanoamericanos como Guatemala, Argentina, y algunas partes de Colombia, en vez de "tú" se dice "vos," y no se utilizan las terminaciones normales para la segunda persona del singular en el presente del indicativo, ni en el imperativo. Este es el llamado "voseo." Uds. no tienen obligación de utilizarlo ni de memorizar su conjugación, pero sí es conveniente que lo reconozcan:
PRESENTE tú piensas --> vos pensás, IMPERATIVO ¡piensa! --> ¡pensá!
PRESENTE tú comes --> vos comés, IMPERATIVO ¡come! --> ¡comé!
PRESENTE tú vienes --> vos venís, IMPERATIVO ¡ven! --> ¡vení!
Hay, sin embargo, una manera más facil de recordar todo esto:
PRESENTE
1. Tomen el infinitivo del verbo (pensar, comer, venir)
2. Quiten la "r" y pongan una "s" (pensas, comes, venis)
3. Añadan un acento a la última vocal (pensás, comés, venís)
IMPERATIVO
Igual que el presente pero no añadan la "s" (pensá, comé ...)
Hay muy pocas excepciones: tú eres --> vos sos
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Arab/Iranian/Muslim Contingent-MAY1
May 1st Immigrant Rights Mobilization
Arab/Iranian/Muslim Contingent
NO WORK - NO SCHOOL - NO BUYING - NO SELLING
from philadelphia to san francisco, millions of
immigrants & allies will leave school and work, and
take the streets of the united states demanding
dignity and an end to immigrant attacks in congress.
from buenos aires to mexico city, there will be a
boycott of US products.
from tehran to sao paulo, millions will celebrate
international workers day.
WHERE WILL YOU BE?
MARCH WITH US -
Arab/Iranian/Muslim Contingent
Meet at 10:30 AM - YERBA BUENA GARDERNS
(Mission between 3rd & 4th)
Contingent will march with other immigrant groups and
meet up with the Rally and March at 11 AM Justin
Herman Plaza, Embarcadero.
for more information call ADC-SF at 415-861-7444 or go
to www.adcsf.org
Arab/Iranian/Muslim Contingent
NO WORK - NO SCHOOL - NO BUYING - NO SELLING
from philadelphia to san francisco, millions of
immigrants & allies will leave school and work, and
take the streets of the united states demanding
dignity and an end to immigrant attacks in congress.
from buenos aires to mexico city, there will be a
boycott of US products.
from tehran to sao paulo, millions will celebrate
international workers day.
WHERE WILL YOU BE?
MARCH WITH US -
Arab/Iranian/Muslim Contingent
Meet at 10:30 AM - YERBA BUENA GARDERNS
(Mission between 3rd & 4th)
Contingent will march with other immigrant groups and
meet up with the Rally and March at 11 AM Justin
Herman Plaza, Embarcadero.
for more information call ADC-SF at 415-861-7444 or go
to www.adcsf.org
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Monday, April 17, 2006
SPECIAL ISSUE: CENTRAL AMERICA
Millions of Central Americans live and work in North America. This
Special Issue looks at what caused the migration flows to El Norte and
the impacts of Central American migration on both home and host
societies.
Top story:
Central America: Crossroads of the Americas
Many migratory streams from Central America -- including refugees,
economic migrants, and transit flows headed north from South America
and
elsewhere -- have converged in North America since the 1980s. Sarah J.
Mahler and Dusan Ugrina of Florida International University outline the
region's main trends.
Spotlight:
Central American Foreign Born in the United States
Over
half of all Central American foreign born in the United States are from
El Salvador and Guatemala. MPI's Megan Davy examines the numbers as
well
as events and policies that have shaped Central American migration.
Country Profile:
Guatemala: Economic Migrants Replace Political Refugees
Guatemala's long civil war, which spurred large flows of refugees, has
given way to high levels of economic migration to the United States and
an economy more dependent on remittances. Also, Guatemala's geography
has made it a prime transit country for migrants headed north, as James
Smith of Inforpress Centroamericana reports.
Mexico: Caught Between the United States and Central America
Since the 1980s, Mexico has become home to Guatemalan refugees and served as
a transit country for Central Americans seeking to reach the United
States. Manuel Ángel Castillo of El Colegio de México analyzes Mexico's
policies toward its southern neighbors.
Canada: A Northern Refuge for Central Americans
Although most Central American refugees sought protection in the United
States, Canada admitted thousands of Central American refugees in the
1980s. María Cristina García of Cornell University takes a detailed
look at Central Americans in Canada.
Remittance Trends in Central America
In 2004, Central American countries received US$ 7.8 billion in
remittances through official channels. Are remittances hurting or
helping the region? MPI's Dovelyn Agunias investigates.
Migration and Development in El Salvador: Ideals Versus Reality
Salvadorans abroad have helped their families economically and, to some
extent, decreased poverty levels back home. Yet migration has economic
and social costs in El Salvador -- and has not yet proved to be the
answer to its development problems, according to Katharine
Andrade-Eekhoff.
CAFTA: What Could It Mean for Migration?
The Central America Free Trade Agreement may be the most important
economic event in the region in 20 years. However, it seems unlikely to
reverse established migration trends, reports Salomon Cohen.
Central Americans and Asylum Policy in the Reagan Era
Not long after the United States passed the 1980 Refugee Act, thousands
of people began fleeing civil war in Guatemala, El Salvador, and
Nicaragua. Their treatment in the United States, linked to US foreign
policy, spurred the Sanctuary Movement and efforts to grant them
refugee
status, as Susan Gzesh of the University of Chicago explains.
National Policies and the Rise of Transnational Gangs
The growth of violent gangs such as MS-13, which operates in the United
States and Central America, has caught the attention of the US media
and law enforcement. However, the role of migration policies in this growth
deserves closer attention, finds MPI's Mary Helen Johnson.
Policy Beat:
Senate Debates Temporary Worker Program and Path to Legal Status for
the Unauthorized
MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on the Judiciary Committee's proposals for
immigration reform, which set the stage for Senate debate on the topic,
plus other immigration news.
Archives
Special Issues:
Don't forget to visit our previous Special Issues on:
The Top 10 Migration Issues of 2005
The Unauthorized
Human Rights and Migration
Africa
and Migration
US-Mexico Migration
Women and Migration
Integration and Immigrants
Migration and Development
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On behalf of the Source team, thank you for your comments and
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Editor
The Migration Information Source is a project of the Migration Policy
Institute (MPI).
email: source@migrationpolicy.org
Special Issue looks at what caused the migration flows to El Norte and
the impacts of Central American migration on both home and host
societies.
Top story:
Central America: Crossroads of the Americas
Many migratory streams from Central America -- including refugees,
economic migrants, and transit flows headed north from South America
and
elsewhere -- have converged in North America since the 1980s. Sarah J.
Mahler and Dusan Ugrina of Florida International University outline the
region's main trends.
Spotlight:
Central American Foreign Born in the United States
Over
half of all Central American foreign born in the United States are from
El Salvador and Guatemala. MPI's Megan Davy examines the numbers as
well
as events and policies that have shaped Central American migration.
Country Profile:
Guatemala: Economic Migrants Replace Political Refugees
Guatemala's long civil war, which spurred large flows of refugees, has
given way to high levels of economic migration to the United States and
an economy more dependent on remittances. Also, Guatemala's geography
has made it a prime transit country for migrants headed north, as James
Smith of Inforpress Centroamericana reports.
Mexico: Caught Between the United States and Central America
Since the 1980s, Mexico has become home to Guatemalan refugees and served as
a transit country for Central Americans seeking to reach the United
States. Manuel Ángel Castillo of El Colegio de México analyzes Mexico's
policies toward its southern neighbors.
Canada: A Northern Refuge for Central Americans
Although most Central American refugees sought protection in the United
States, Canada admitted thousands of Central American refugees in the
1980s. María Cristina García of Cornell University takes a detailed
look at Central Americans in Canada.
Remittance Trends in Central America
In 2004, Central American countries received US$ 7.8 billion in
remittances through official channels. Are remittances hurting or
helping the region? MPI's Dovelyn Agunias investigates.
Migration and Development in El Salvador: Ideals Versus Reality
Salvadorans abroad have helped their families economically and, to some
extent, decreased poverty levels back home. Yet migration has economic
and social costs in El Salvador -- and has not yet proved to be the
answer to its development problems, according to Katharine
Andrade-Eekhoff.
CAFTA: What Could It Mean for Migration?
The Central America Free Trade Agreement may be the most important
economic event in the region in 20 years. However, it seems unlikely to
reverse established migration trends, reports Salomon Cohen.
Central Americans and Asylum Policy in the Reagan Era
Not long after the United States passed the 1980 Refugee Act, thousands
of people began fleeing civil war in Guatemala, El Salvador, and
Nicaragua. Their treatment in the United States, linked to US foreign
policy, spurred the Sanctuary Movement and efforts to grant them
refugee
status, as Susan Gzesh of the University of Chicago explains.
National Policies and the Rise of Transnational Gangs
The growth of violent gangs such as MS-13, which operates in the United
States and Central America, has caught the attention of the US media
and law enforcement. However, the role of migration policies in this growth
deserves closer attention, finds MPI's Mary Helen Johnson.
Policy Beat:
Senate Debates Temporary Worker Program and Path to Legal Status for
the Unauthorized
MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on the Judiciary Committee's proposals for
immigration reform, which set the stage for Senate debate on the topic,
plus other immigration news.
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Sunday, April 16, 2006
Performance Art Immigration Festival
The Central American Studies Program
Performance Art Immigration Festival
Monday, April 17, 2006
6:00p.m.
With an update on High School Student Movement
coordinated by the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA)
Key Note Speaker:
Prof. Ana Patricia Rodríguez,
University of Maryland, College Park
"¿Dónde estás vos/z?: Performing Salvadoreñidades in Translocal Sites"
Performance and Visual Artists:
Jessica Grande
Lizette Hernandez
Víctor Espinosa
Carlos Somoza
Luis A. Vega
María Adela Díaz
Followed by a reception hosted by the Central American United Student Association (CAUSA)
Whitsett Room
Monday, April 17, 2006 6:00p.m.
California State University
Central American Studies Program
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8246
Tel. (818) 677-3585
Fax (818) 677-7578
Sunday, April 09, 2006
website for rights for students
This website has some useful information including a student free speech rights section and some contact info for the national lawyers guild for students that need legal help because of their walkout actions.
Please distribute widely.
-----FOR THE STUDENTS WEBSITE - Posted 4.6.06
A new committee has been formed in response to the recent student activities. This group is composed of teachers, students, parents and professionals who feel that "education is a right, not a privilege", and that students inherently have the right to voice their opinions. In this committee are people who were active in the 1968 Walkouts, such as Bobby Verdugo, Paula Cristosomo and Mita Cuaron. We invite the community to help us in the students of our youth. Please check out the new web page !!
http://forthestudents06.tripod.com
Please distribute widely.
-----FOR THE STUDENTS WEBSITE - Posted 4.6.06
A new committee has been formed in response to the recent student activities. This group is composed of teachers, students, parents and professionals who feel that "education is a right, not a privilege", and that students inherently have the right to voice their opinions. In this committee are people who were active in the 1968 Walkouts, such as Bobby Verdugo, Paula Cristosomo and Mita Cuaron. We invite the community to help us in the students of our youth. Please check out the new web page !!
http://forthestudents06.tripod.com
Saturday, April 08, 2006
A tragedy because of the lack of support/understanding
Very sad news. This should not happen.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS CONFERENCE
Sunday, April 9, 2006
12:00 p.m.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
710 S. Sultana Ave., Ontario, CA 91761
Louise Corales, whose 14 year-old son, Anthony Soltero, died on April 1 after committing suicide, will speak to the community and ask for a prayer for her son this Sunday, following the 11:00 a.m. mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Ontario, California.
Eighth grader Anthony Soltero shot himself through the head on Thursday, March 30, after the assistant principal at De Anza Middle School told him that he was going to prison for three years because of his involvement as an organizer of the April 28 school walk-outs to protest the anti-immigrant legislation in Washington. The vice principal also forbade Anthony from attending graduation activities and threatened to fine his mother for Anthonys truancy and participation in the student protests.
Anthony was learning about the importance of civic duties and rights in his eighth grade class. Ironically, he died because the vice principal at his school threatened him for speaking out and exercising those rights, Ms. Corales said today. I want to speak out to other parents, whose children are attending the continuing protests this week. We have to let the schools know that they cant punish our children for exercising their rights.
Anthonys death is likely the first fatality arising from the protests against the immigration legislation being considered in Washington, D.C. Anthony, who was a very good student at De Anza Middle School in the Ontario-Montclair School District, believed in justice and was passionate about the immigration issue. He is survived by his mother, Louise Corales, his father, a younger sister, and a baby brother.
Ms. Corales will speak to the community after mass on Sunday, April 9, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. She will ask for a prayer for Anthony, whose funeral and burial are scheduled for Monday, April 10 in Long Beach, where he was born.
CONTACT: R. SAMUEL PAZ
(310) 410-2981
(310) 989-6815
R. Samuel Paz
Civil Rights Lawyer
LAW OFFICES OF R. SAMUEL PAZ
Buckingham Heights
5701 W. Slauson Avenue
Suite 202
Culver City CA 90230
Telephone (310) 410-2981
Facsimile (310) 410-2957
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS CONFERENCE
Sunday, April 9, 2006
12:00 p.m.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
710 S. Sultana Ave., Ontario, CA 91761
Louise Corales, whose 14 year-old son, Anthony Soltero, died on April 1 after committing suicide, will speak to the community and ask for a prayer for her son this Sunday, following the 11:00 a.m. mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Ontario, California.
Eighth grader Anthony Soltero shot himself through the head on Thursday, March 30, after the assistant principal at De Anza Middle School told him that he was going to prison for three years because of his involvement as an organizer of the April 28 school walk-outs to protest the anti-immigrant legislation in Washington. The vice principal also forbade Anthony from attending graduation activities and threatened to fine his mother for Anthonys truancy and participation in the student protests.
Anthony was learning about the importance of civic duties and rights in his eighth grade class. Ironically, he died because the vice principal at his school threatened him for speaking out and exercising those rights, Ms. Corales said today. I want to speak out to other parents, whose children are attending the continuing protests this week. We have to let the schools know that they cant punish our children for exercising their rights.
Anthonys death is likely the first fatality arising from the protests against the immigration legislation being considered in Washington, D.C. Anthony, who was a very good student at De Anza Middle School in the Ontario-Montclair School District, believed in justice and was passionate about the immigration issue. He is survived by his mother, Louise Corales, his father, a younger sister, and a baby brother.
Ms. Corales will speak to the community after mass on Sunday, April 9, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. She will ask for a prayer for Anthony, whose funeral and burial are scheduled for Monday, April 10 in Long Beach, where he was born.
CONTACT: R. SAMUEL PAZ
(310) 410-2981
(310) 989-6815
R. Samuel Paz
Civil Rights Lawyer
LAW OFFICES OF R. SAMUEL PAZ
Buckingham Heights
5701 W. Slauson Avenue
Suite 202
Culver City CA 90230
Telephone (310) 410-2981
Facsimile (310) 410-2957
Friday, April 07, 2006
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Justice not IGNORANCE NOW
Subject: commonly used attacks against immigrants
Body: Myths vs. Facts
IMMIGRANTS DONT PAY TAXES
Immigrants pay taxes, in the form of income, property, sales, and taxes at the federal and state level. As far as income tax payments go, sources vary in their accounts, but a range of studies find that immigrants pay between $90 and $140 billion a year in federal, state, and local taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay income taxes as well, as evidenced by the Social Security Administration's "suspense file" (taxes that cannot be matched to workers' names and social security numbers), which grew by $20 billion between 1990 and 1998
(Source: http://www.immigrationforum.org/about/articles/tax_study.htm)
IMMIGRANTS COME HERE TO TAKE WELFARE
Immigrants come to work and reunite with family members. Immigrant labor force participation is consistently higher than native-born, and immigrant workers make up a larger share of the U.S. labor force (12.4%) than they do the U.S. population (11.5%). Moreover, the ratio between immigrant use of public benefits and the amount of taxes they pay is consistently favorable to the U.S. In one estimate, immigrants earn about $240 billion a year, pay about $90 billion a year in taxes, and use about $5 billion in public benefits. In another cut of the data, immigrant tax payments total $20 to $30 billion more than the amount of government services they use.
(Source: "Questioning Immigration Policy – Can We Afford to Open Our Arms?", Friends Committee on National Legislation Document ..G-606-DOM, January 25, 1996. http:www.fas.org/pub/gen/fcnl/immigra.html)
IMMIGRANTS SEND ALL THEIR MONEY BACK HOME
In addition to the consumer spending of immigrant households, immigrants and their businesses contribute $162 billion in tax revenue to U.S. federal, state, and local governments. While it is true that immigrants remit billions of dollars a year to their home countries, this is one of the most targeted and effective forms of direct foreign investment.
(Source: http://www.cato.org/research/articles/griswold-020218.html.)
IMMIGRANTS TAKE JOBS AWAY FROM AMERICANS...
THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE...CARLOS MENCIA SAID IT BEST...
" IF AN IMMIGRANT THAT CAN'T EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH IS TAKING YOUR JOB..YOU ARE ONE STUPID MOTHERFUCKER...." Does anyone have the right to claim a job 'belongs' to them?
The largest wave of immigration to the U.S. since the early 1900s coincided with our lowest national unemployment rate and fastest economic growth. Immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs for U.S. and foreign workers, and foreign-born students allow many U.S. graduate programs to keep their doors open. While there has been no comprehensive study done of immigrant-owned businesses, we have countless examples: in Silicon Valley, companies begun by Chinese and Indian immigrants generated more than $19.5 billion in sales and nearly 73,000 jobs in 2000.
(Source: Richard Vedder, Lowell Gallaway, and Stephen Moore, Immigration and Unemployment: New Evidence, Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, Arlington, VA (Mar. 1994), p. 13.
IMMIGRANTS ARE A DRAIN ON THE ECONOMY
During the 1990s, half of all new workers were foreign-born, filling gaps left by native-born workers in both the high- and low-skill ends of the spectrum. Immigrants fill jobs in key sectors, start their own businesses, and contribute to a thriving economy. The net benefit of immigration to the U.S. is nearly $10 billion annually. As Alan Greenspan points out, 70% of immigrants arrive in prime working age. That means we haven't spent a penny on their education, yet they are transplanted into our workforce and will contribute $500 billion toward our social security system over the next 20 years
(Source: Andrew Sum, Mykhaylo Trubskyy, Ishwar Khatiwada, et al., Immigrant Workers in the New England Labor Market: Implications for Workforce Development Policy, Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University, Boston, Prepared for the New England Regional Office, the Employment and Training Administration, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Boston, Massachusetts, October 2002.
http://www.nupr.neu.edu/1102/immigration.PDF..search='center%20for%20labor%20market%20studies%20at%20Northeastern%20University%20studies')
IMMIGRANTS DONT WANT TO LEARN ENGLISH OR BECOME AMERICANS
Within ten years of arrival, more than 75% of immigrants speak English well; moreover, demand for English classes at the adult level far exceeds supply. Greater than 33% of immigrants are naturalized citizens; given increased immigration in the 1990s, this figure will rise as more legal permanent residents become eligible for naturalization in the coming years. The number of immigrants naturalizing spiked sharply after two events: enactment of immigration and welfare reform laws in 1996, and the terrorist attacks in 2001.
(Source: American Immigration Lawyers Association, "Myths & Facts in the Immigration Debate", 8/14/03. http://www.aila.org/contentViewer.aspx?bc=17,142..section4)
(Source: Simon Romero and Janet Elder, "Hispanics in the US Report Optimism" New York Times, (Aug. 6, 2003).
TODAY'S IMMIGRANTS ARE DIFFERENT THAN THOSE 100 YEARS AGO
The percentage of the U.S. population that is foreign-born now stands at 11.5%; in the early 20th century it was approximately 15%. Similar to accusations about today's immigrants, those of 100 years ago initially often settled in mono-ethnic neighborhoods, spoke their native languages, and built up newspapers and businesses that catered to their fellow émigrés. They also experienced the same types of discrimination that today's immigrants face, and integrated within American culture at a similar rate. If we view history objectively, we remember that every new wave of immigrants has been met with suspicion and doubt and yet, ultimately, every past wave of immigrants has been vindicated and saluted.
(Source: Census Data: http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kprof00-us.pdf,http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/censr-4.pdf )
MOST IMMIGRANTS CROSS THE BORDER ILLEGALLY
Around 75% of today's immigrants have legal permanent (immigrant) visas; of the 25% that are undocumented, 40% overstayed temporary (non-immigrant) visas.
(Source: Department of Homeland Security (http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/index.htm)
WEAK US BORDER ENFORCEMENT HAS LEAD TO HIGH UNDOCUMENTAED IMMIGRATION
From 1986 to 1998, the Border Patrol's budget increased six-fold and the number of agents stationed on our southwest border doubled to 8,500. The Border Patrol also toughened its enforcement strategy, heavily fortifying typical urban entry points and pushing migrants into dangerous desert areas, in hopes of deterring crossings. Instead, the undocumented immigrant population doubled in that timeframe, to 8 million—despite the legalization of nearly 3 million immigrants after the enactment of the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986. Insufficient legal avenues for immigrants to enter the U.S., compared with the number of jobs in need of workers, has significantly contributed to this current conundrum.
(Source: Immigration and Naturalization website: http://www.ncjrs.org/ondcppubs/publications/enforce/border/ins_3.html)
THE WAR ON TERRORISM CAN BE WON WITH IMMIGRANT RESTRICTIONS
No security expert since September 11th, 2001 has said that restrictive immigration measures would have prevented the terrorist attacks—instead, the key is effective use of good intelligence. Most of the 9/11 hijackers were here on legal visas. Since 9/11, the myriad of measures targeting immigrants in the name of national security have netted no terrorism prosecutions. In fact, several of these measures could have the opposite effect and actually make us less safe, as targeted communities of immigrants are afraid to come forward with information.
(Source: Associated Press/Dow Jones Newswires, "US Senate Subcommittee Hears Immigration Testimony", Oct. 17, 2001.)
(Source: Cato Institute: "Don't Blame Immigrants for Terrorism", Daniel Griswold, Assoc. Director of Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies (see: http://www.cato.org/dailys/10-23-01.html)
information provided by: http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org
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