Maybe Asian people would have an easier time participating in democracy if their names weren’t so darn tricky. That was the suggestion of one Texas legislator at a hearing on a proposed voter identification law.

Though supporters argue that the legislation—which would follow similar measures in Georgia and Florida—would enhance “confidence” in the voting system, and opponents say it would chase after a nonexistent problem by disenfranchising certain poor and marginalized groups, including immigrants (who, incidentally, might be more inclined to vote Democrat).

State Rep. Betty Brown, Republican of Terrell, was miffed when a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans warned that some voters of Asian descent would have trouble complying with the regulations because their official name translated from their native language would differ from the name used on common identification forms, such as a driver’s license. Brown commented,

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First, what is “The DREAM Act”?

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (also called “The DREAM Act”) [is] a piece of proposed federal legislation in the United States that would provide certain immigrant students who graduate from a [U.S. high school], are of good moral character, arrived in the US as children, and have been in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill’s enactment, the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency.

—Wikipedia ((23 March 2009)

Furthermore, as Kyle notes, The National Immigration Law Center has a basic information sheet (pdf).

Dreamactivist.org introduces it this way:

The federal DREAM Act (S.729 / H.R. 1751) will provide undocumented immigrant youth in the United States with conditional residency and a pathway to citizenship provided they came here before the age of 16 and maintained continuous residence for 5 years, graduate from high school or obtain a GED, attend 2 years of college or join the military and have no criminal records.

If Congress fails to act this year, another entire class of outstanding, law-abiding high school students will graduate without being able to plan for the future, and some will be removed from their homes to countries they barely know. This tragedy will cause America to lose a vital asset: an educated class of promising immigrant students who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work and a strong desire to be contributing members of our society.

Here’s a short video on the DREAM Act. And what bothers me about it is the blurred faces. It’s too perfect a metaphor for what we ask of the undocumented, of how we ask them to live. Without a face, without a self, without an identity.

A post I really recommend if you want to get a full understanding, complete with many links:

65,000 unauthorized migrant youth graduate from U.S. high schools every year. Many were brought to the U.S. before they could remember much else, and most know no other home except for the U.S. The cruel irony of their situation is made all the more apparent by contrasting it with my story. I was born in Guatemala and spent most of my life there. I was given the privilege of U.S. citizenship simply because I was born of U.S. parents. Meanwhile, DREAMers have lived most of their lives in the U.S., but are denied the privilege of U.S. citizenship because they had the misfortune of being born somewhere else.

If I had to sum up the DREAMer struggle in one sentence it would be this: DREAMers don’t even have a right to exist in the only country they know as their home. DREAMers haven’t even gotten to a point where they’re fighting against be considered equal humans, they’re fighting just to be recognized as humans. That’s a huge part of what inspires me about DREAMers. If any nation told me I didn’t have the right to exist, I would hate it, much less want to live in it. I’ve long joked that if I was a DREAMer, I would have started my own version of Marcus Garvey’s “Back to Africa” movement. The U.S. should be begging for talented youth like this, especially during this time of economic crisis. Astonishingly, DREAMers don’t hate the U.S., they work to better it. Where I probably would have been tearing the U.S. down, DREAMers instead fight to make the U.S. a better and more just place. They embody the essence of what it means to do good in this world.

—Citizen Orange

Actions one can take to help get this legislation passed:

1. CALL – The National Council of La Raza has a page to help you call your congressional representatives in support of the DREAM Act.

http://capwiz.com/nclr/callalert/index.tt?alertid=12988601

2. FAX – America’s Voice has a page to help you fax your congressional representatives in support of the DREAM Act.

http://americasvoiceonline.org/page/speakout/DaretoDream

3. EMAIL – Change.org has a page to help you email your congressional representatives in support of the DREAM Act.

http://www.change.org/ideas/932/view_action/ask_your_congressperson_to_support_the_dream_act

4. PETITION – Dreamactivist.org has the official petition in support of the DREAM Act.

http://dreamact2009.com/

5. TEXT – Text “Justice” (”Justicia” for Spanish) to 69866 to be the first to know when the DREAM Act is introduced. FIRM’s Mobile Action Network is an excellent way to stay connected and have maximum impact at just the right moment.

http://fairimmigration.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/action-join-the-fight-for-immigrant-rights/

—Citizen Orange

Sometimes I find it hard to advocate for things that seem common sense. I don’t know what to say to convince people that everyone should have air, or water, or love, or freedom of movement or opportunities such as this. It seems a win-win to me. Give people room to excel and contribute, give them the homeplace they already feel they belong to and do belong to, increase happiness and productivity all ’round. This can be a nation brimming with good will and joy and community. We just have to believe it is possible and make a few small steps toward that vision.

This is one.

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Counting people is harder than it looks. The 2010 census is morphing from sociological project into a political one: conservatives are crowing about the dangers of tallying “illegals,” and activists are seeking policy changes to guard against undercounting.

Immigrant advocates are leveraging the threat of an undercount to press for immigration reforms, warning that aggressive crackdowns drive undocumented immigrants further underground. An estimated 3 percent of the Latino population was undercounted in the 2000 census.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, League of United Latin American Citizens, SEIU and other groups have partnered to launched a Spanish-language outreach campaign, ¡HAGASE CONTAR! NALEO argues:

The census is taken largely through the U.S. postal system, and factors such as unlisted addresses, households with large families and high mobility rates contribute to persons being missed. The recession and large number of foreclosures in the Latino community will make enumerating this population even more difficult in 2010.

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A test case on same-sex fairness

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Shirley Tan is a 43-year old Pacifica homemaker and mother of twin seventh-grade boys. Tan also wears an ankle bracelet assigned by immigration agents after a dawn raid on her home two months ago.

Barring a legal miracle, she faces likely deportation to the Philippines on Friday. That result would devastate her family and friends. But her case also touches off two flashpoint issues – immigration law and same-sex marriage – that are combining in a way that shows the unfairness of this country’s laws.

If she is deported, Tan will be separated from her partner Jay Mercado, who is a naturalized citizen. For straight couples, there wouldn’t be a similar problem because a citizen can sponsor a spouse for residency. But under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, this right doesn’t exist for an estimated 37,000 same-sex couples where one partner is a noncitizen.

Tan’s case also points up how ill-equipped and unfair immigration laws can be. She and her partner sought to legalize their status for years, pursuing their case through hearings and appeals with several lawyers.

But Mercado says the couple never learned of an adverse ruling in 2002, blaming the delay on a previous lawyer. Since then, the couple traveled, signed up for a real estate license and even passed a Homeland Security screening on a tourist visit to the White House. There was never a blip until the 6:30 a.m. door knock from immigration agents on Jan. 28.

There is a legal Hail Mary, a longshot chance via a rarely used power that members of Congress can use to single out individuals for a reprieve from deportation. Tan’s congresswoman, Democrat Jackie Speier, is considering her case.

But a fuller answer is needed: an overhaul of immigration law that would recognize special circumstances and also passage of the Uniting American Families Act. That measure would end the discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans and let them sponsor partners for immigration.

Keeping all families together is a goal worth achieving.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/01/EDB216Q4D8.DTL

This article appeared on page A – 14 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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In-state Tuition Urged for Undocumented New Jersey Immigrants
A state Senate advisory panel recommended in-state tuition for immigrant students, drivers’ licenses for immigrants and a commission dedicated to immigrant issues. Governor Jon S. Corzine said he would push state lawmakers to support the commission, making New Jersey one of few states with a commission dedicated to immigrant affairs. NewsDay

Some Californians Prefer Unaffordable Housing
A small group of 19 Mountain View residents are upset with a city proposal that would create an affordable housing project next to a newly developed condominium complex. One resident complained the city is “building a ghetto” that would decrease property values. Mountain View Voice

Students Push UC to Expand Terms of Racial Identification
A group of Middle Eastern students at UCLA are organizing to create a checkbox on the UC application for Arab identified students saying it would better represent diversity at the UC and improve research studies. Los Angeles Times

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds San Francisco Healthcare Program
The court rejected a request made by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association that would have relieved employers from contributing to the city’s healthcare program that covers 37,000 workers who would be uninsured without the program. CBS 5

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As most of you know, last summer Congress completed step one in a two step process to remove the HIV ban on travel and immigration by removing the ban from the language of the Immigration and Nationality Act. To fully remove the ban, however, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must issue regulations which remove HIV from its list of “communicable diseases of public health significance.”

Please take a minute to visit the PHR page and call these Senators.

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Huge Backlog Overwhelms Immigration Courts
Immigration courts have continued to delay hearings for tens of thousands of detainees accused of entering the country illegally, many of whom having been forced to wait an entire five years before having their case reviewed. USA Today.

Detainees For Minor Offenses Spark Enforcement Scrutiny
Data released by the Maricopa County’s Sherriff’s Office has sparked criticism regarding the county police officers’ enforcement of immigration laws. Allegations of racial profiling and the detainment and removal of immigrants for minor offenses has stirred up a national debate examining immigration policies. Arizona Central.

Teacher Layoffs Cut Down Diversity Too
While the numbers of teachers of diverse ethnic backgrounds has increased, many of them face major job insecurity due to budget cuts and mass layoffs. Low-income schools in need of diversity among its teaching staff now face a severe lack of representation for its students of color. New America Media.

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Could this approach work in the United States? Probably not, unless every individual required to take an HIV test for immigration purposes refused to do so. While this article points out a novel approach to civil disobedience, it also highlights the fact that the U.S. continues to be among a small minority of countries with HIV-based restrictions for non-immigrants.

Eight months have passed since the statutory HIV ban was lifted. It’s time for the Department of Health and Human Services to issue regulations lifting the HIV ban on travel and immigration once and for all.

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With last summer’s passage of PEPFAR, Congress removed the statutory requirement to deny people living with HIV entry into the U.S as visitors and immigrants. However, HIV remains on the HHS list of “communicable diseases of public health significance,” preventing the entry of people living with HIV into the US, despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting the ban as an effective strategy for preventing HIV infections or reducing public healthcare costs. The current law also violates the human rights to privacy, freedom of movement and freedom from discrimination.

Pat Daoust, MSN, RN, the Director of the Physicians for Human Rights Health Action AIDS campaign, said today:

It is far past time for the US to join the community of nations whose HIV entry policies are rooted in sound public health practices, rather than discrimination and ignorance.

What You Can Do

Senators can use the confirmation hearings for President Obama’s Secretary of HHS to urge the nominee, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, to lift the ban swiftly once in office.

Contact Senate committee members Mikulski and Sanders and urge them to press Secretary-designate Sebelius on the Obama administration’s plans for repealing the highly discriminatory ban.

You may reach Senator Barbara Mikulski’s office at (202) 224-4654.

You may reach Senator Bernie Sanders‘ office at (202) 224-5141.

Suggested script for your call:

• Hello, I am a member of Physicians for Human Rights calling regarding the confirmation hearing of HHS Secretary-designate Kathleen Sebelius.
• I would like the Senator to ask a question regarding her plans to remove HIV from the list of communicable diseases that prevent entry to the US.

Travel restrictions violate the human rights of people living with HIV and place the US among 14 countries that either refuse entry of people living with HIV or require disclosure of HIV infection even for short-term stays. With your help, we can ensure that reducing HIV discrimination and defending human rights is a priority for Secretary Sebelius on day one.

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Last week, President Obama announced his intention to address immigration reform in the next few months in a meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The statement came as a relief to many, especially with recent reports of human rights abuses within the U.S. detention system. But, as most of the President’s statements seem crafted to appeal to warring political constituencies, his actual intentions are still elusive.

Jorge Rivas of RaceWire, for one, wasn’t wholly won over by the President’s speech during a town hall meeting in California, and noted that Obama got “a little nasty.” Stressing ethnocentric arguments such as “You will learn English” while pointedly avoiding any comment on the suffering tied to the detention process makes for a poor juxtaposition:

You’ve got to..say to the undocumented workers, you have to say, look, you’ve broken the law; you didn’t come here the way you were supposed to. So this is not going to be a free ride. It’s not going to be some instant amnesty.

What’s going to happen is you are going to pay a significant fine. You are going to learn English. You are going to — you are going to go to the back of the line so that you don’t get ahead of somebody who was in Mexico City applying legally.

—March 18, President Barack Obama, Orange County, California

Perhaps his strategy is to soften opposition to migrant rights, but lines about language fuel the anti-immigration culture war. Do all immigrants have a problem with English? Or is he talking specifically about the demographic that Sheriff Joe Arpaio targets? If so, why?

President Obama is no Joe Arpaio. But, in this climate, anti-immigrant sentiment does not need to be fed. Our President is a smart and oratorically gifted man. In light of the current economic crisis, he could speak about how the current immigration crisis is tied directly to our trade practices.

Obama also spoke about joining militarily with Mexican President Calderón in efforts to stamp out the violence flaring up since his attacks against the deeply entrenched Cartel families. Democracy Now! has a roundtable discussion on the implications of further militarizing the border.

But the implications aren’t fully drawn out for the American public. In the modern world, borders do not separate families, nor commerce, nor soldiers, nor bank accounts and their owners. We need to begin addressing cross-border issues. For example, if NAFTA is supposed to help Mexico’s economy, why are Mexican farmers on tractors in the streets protesting the policy, as Michelle Chen reports. NAFTA has allowed Mexico’s corn crop to be so devalued that Mexico—the land where the plant was born roughly 5,000 years ago—now imports corn. Streams of campesinos have migrated north…where we lock them up.

Just as the economic crisis is very real to the people losing jobs, the Immigrations Customs and Enforcement (ICE) raids are very real for a large faction of America. New America Media reports on the President’s second town hall meeting in California, where immigration reform activists showed up to “remind him we’re still here,” according to Nativo Lopez, state and national president of the Mexican-American Political Association. The President did not address immigration issues at this event, however.

President Obama speaks of beefing up security on our border, but avoids the growing immigrant detention industry and the problems that accompany it. At the same time, Mexico is flooding the country and its border cities with troops. But what does all the enforcement get us?

Mother Jones covers the resurrection and subsequent destruction of one town’s economy due to ICE raids in A Year Without A Mexican:

The 389 arrests [in Postville, IA] eliminated more than one-third of the meatpacker’s workforce and nearly one-fifth of the town’s population. It also prompted an exodus of hundreds more Hispanic residents who were either afraid of being targeted or simply opted to escape the town’s inevitable tailspin. Postville’s businesses began to suffer almost immediately.

The article paints a grim picture of a warm, thriving community that is decimated. Postville is now a strange, “open-air prison,” with various residents wearing visible electronic shackles. Rowdy citizens have been bused in to fill the place of the deported workers.

The Nation highlights a documentary on detention called “The Least of These.” The video explores the T. Don Hutto Residential Facility, “a for-profit prison”, where Latin American families live in a converted prison environment. They don’t get enough sun, they don’t get enough exercse, and the children draw crayon pictures of the American flag, with tiny, fragile letters spelling out Please help us. How long should they wait?

In Up Against The Wall, RaceWire reports on the growing indications that the Obama Administration may not break with Bush policies regarding immigration. In fact, it may increase enforcement measures while siphoning money away from worker protections in the U.S.

And all this “just days after huddling with Latino members of Congress on immigration issues.” If Obama isn’t careful, he will give the Republican party a foothold to regain trust with Latino voters. I suspect that in any approach to Immigration, compromise is inevitable. But, if the Latino community feels used or betrayed by unkept promises, it could be disastrous for Democrats.

This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about immigration. Visit Immigration.NewsLadder.net for a complete list of articles on immigration, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy and health issues, check out Economy.NewsLadder.net and Healthcare.NewsLadder.net. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of 50 leading independent media outlets, and was created by NewsLadder. 

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