Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Students explore immigration issue

Students are becoming more aware of immigration issues and had to go through a checkpoint similar to what AZ SB1070 could turn into. Let's hope this is as close as they will ever get to this happening. - - Donna Poisl

By Garrett Gianneschi, Campus Correspondent

Students walking down Fairfield Way were exposed to a mock immigration checkpoint outside the Student Union in an effort to raise awareness about illegal immigrants in the U.S., according to Dan D'Ademo, a 5th-semester business management major.

Volunteers of the ResLife -sponsored event would ask passersby their mock "checkpoint" questions like "Excuse me sir, are you an illegal immigrant?" or "Do you have your immigration papers?" said D'Ademo.

"We hope they [students] become more aware of the laws set against illegal immigrants and form an opinion, whether it is positive or negative," said D'Ademo.
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The mega payoff of increased immigration is lost on the pols

An excellent article, one I completely agree with. - - Donna Poisl

By Ezra Klein, Washington Post Staff Writer

I have a plan that will raise wages, lower prices, increase the nation's stock of scientists and engineers, and maybe even create the next Google. Better yet, this plan won't cost the government a dime. In fact, it'll save money. A lot of money. But few politicians are going to want to touch it.

Here's the plan: More immigration. A pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants. And a recognition that immigration policy is economic policy and needs to be thought of as such.

See what I meant about politicians not liking it?
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The San Diego melting pot

This editorial tells about the city of San Diego and shows the mix that many cities have now also. Just like 100 years ago in the older Eastern cities but the nationalities have changed. - - Donna Poisl

BY UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL BOARD

The statistic, part of a quiet trend, is startling only because of where it comes from: Escondido, the local city struggling most with ethnic change, empowerment and assimilation.

Escondido, by the latest estimates, is 46 percent Hispanic and 44 percent white. Coming Census figures may put Hispanics in the majority.

A changing blend of ethnicities and cultures is old news in the South County. But North County, too, is taking on more of a salsa flavor. Vista is 44 percent Hispanic, Oceanside 35 percent. In East County, sprinkle some tahini paste in El Cajon proper (26 percent Hispanic and possibly 15 to 20 percent Iraqi Chaldean).
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US Government to Fund Citizenship Classes for Immigrants

More than 70 groups have received funding from the government to assist immigrants become citizens. The money is helping to fund the classes to teach English and history and government. - - Donna Poisl

by Elizabeth Lee

Illegal immigration often is the subject of heated debate in the United States. What gets less attention is legal immigration, and how newcomers become citizens. It is not easy. They have to pay a fee, learn English and acquire a working knowledge of American history and government. Many end up knowing more about their new country than a lot of native-born U.S. citizens.

This year, the U.S. government is providing financial support for more than 70 organizations across the country to offer classes to help immigrants attain citizenship.
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Ten Economic Facts about Immigration

Download this report, very interesting information about immigrants and immigration in this country.

Click on the headline to download it.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Illegal immigrant is second here to get reprieve from deportation

This man was given a one year deferral on his deportation order. USCIS can give relief for two groups of immigrants and he fit into one of them. - - Donna Poisl

by Brady McCombs, Arizona Daily Star

A Tucson man scheduled for deportation today will be able to stay long enough to see his daughter graduate from high school after receiving a one-year federal deferral.

Alfonso Morales-Macias, a 40-year-old father of two who has has lived illegally in the U.S. for 20 years, learned Wednesday night that he won't be deported to Mexico, said Phoenix attorney Mel Rodis, who led a campaign to help him.
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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano: Focus is on criminal immigrants

Secretary Napolitano says criminal immigrants are being deported in record numbers and this will make everyone safer. - - Donna Poisl

By DIANNE SOLÍS / The Dallas Morning News, Theodore Kim contributed to this report.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday in Dallas that there have been record removals of criminal immigrants from the U.S. this year and promised that that record will be broken again next year.

"I come at this as a former prosecutor, and you have to set priorities," the former U.S. attorney and Arizona governor said in an address before the World Affairs Council at the Ritz-Carlton. "We have a clear focus on criminal aliens and gang members, and those are the ones we think have the greatest impact on homeland security."
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A letter to DREAMers and Advocates

from Genie Zavaleta, Chairwoman, CADENA

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.

The DREAM Act: Creating Economic Opportunitie

This press release from the Immigration Policy Center proves why the DREAM Act is necessary. Too bad some politicians haven't read it. - - Donna Poisl

The DREAM Act:
Creating Economic Opportunities

September 20, 2010

Washington, D.C. - As the bipartisan call for passing the DREAM Act gets louder - from military, education, faith, and Republican leaders alike - some may overlook the economic benefits of granting legal status to eligible undocumented youth who want to attend college or join the military. There are currently 2.1 million undocumented youths living in the U.S. who, without the DREAM Act, are unlikely to go to college and cannot work legally in the U.S. The DREAM Act, however, would provide an opportunity for them to live up to their full potential as future doctors, nurses, teachers, and entrepreneurs and make greater contributions to the U.S. economy and society.

The DREAM Act would give beneficiaries the opportunity to increase their standard of living - and their tax contributions: If legalized, DREAM Act beneficiaries would have access to greater educational opportunities and better jobs, which in turn means more taxable income. According to a study from Arizona State University, an individual with a bachelor's degree earns approximately $750,000 more over the course of his/her lifetime than an individual with only a high-school diploma.

The DREAM Act would save taxpayers money: A RAND study from 1999 shows that raising the college graduation rate of Hispanics to that of non-Hispanic whites would increase spending on public education by 10 percent nationwide, but the costs would be more than offset by savings in public health and benefits, as well as by increased tax revenues resulting from higher incomes.

The DREAM Act keeps talented students in the United States: Letting the talent of DREAM Act students go to waste "imposes economic and emotional costs on undocumented students and on U.S. society as a whole." The DREAM Act would stop brain drain by allowing our most talented students to remain in the country.

While some in Congress continue to play politics with the DREAM Act, America and its taxpayers continue to lose. Without the DREAM Act, the United States is missing out on talented workers and entrepreneurs, and is losing vital tax revenues and other economic contributions.
###

For more information contact Seth Hoy at shoy@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7509.

Living their American Dreams

from Fatima Lopez, Development Director, National Immigration Forum

Cesar Vargas graduated from James Madison High School in Brooklyn, just like Senators Charles Schumer of New York and Bernard Sanders of Vermont. And like his fellow Madison alumni, Cesar wants nothing more than to serve his country - in his case by becoming a military lawyer after he graduates from the City University of New York Law School, where he is in his third year.

What is your American Dream? What can we do as a nation to keep the American Dream alive? Visit KeepersoftheAmericanDream.org on Facebook and share your thoughts.

The Senate's decision this week to not take up the DREAM Act, which would have created a path for undocumented students to achieve legal immigration status, keeps Cesar from fulfilling his dream. At least for now.

Cesar was brought by his parents to the United States from Mexico when he was 5 years old. Nonetheless, he considers himself to be "Brooklyn-born-and-raised American." This week he vowed to continue to fight for his dream of becoming a military lawyer in the Marines or an intelligence officer.

"Most people say that we were destroyed, but now we've got to turn up the volume," Cesar said. "We're ready to go for the next battle."

Do you know someone who never gave up and is living their American Dream? Visit KeepersoftheAmericanDream.org and dedicate a square to them!

THIS WEEK IN IMMIGRATION

Click the headline to read stories from this week from the Immigration Policy Center.

Colin Powell Makes Candid Remarks on Immigration

Colin Powell gave a very sensible interview about immigrants. His political party has different views. - - Donna Poisl

Written By Heidi Ross

Colin Powell, former Secretary of State encouraged the Republican Party to support immigration. Powell admitted that illegal immigrants complete indispensable work in the United States. Powell who is also a republican said during an interview on “Meet the Press” immigrants is “what’s keeping this country’s lifeblood moving forward.”

According to Powell, the conduit to citizenship should be made available to illegal immigrants already living in the country mainly because they are doing the work that needs to be done all over the U.S.
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Alien Minors Act could boost U.S. military ranks

The Department of Defense states that the DREAM Act is a good way to replenish its ranks. As the economy improves there will be a shortage of new recruits and immigrant children will be eligible if the DREAM Act is enacted into law. - - Donna Poisl

By Alan Gomez, USA TODAY

Immigration advocates have long pushed for the DREAM Act as a way to give children who were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents a chance to become legal residents and have access to higher education.

The less publicized part of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act is that the Pentagon is pushing for it as a means to staff the armed forces.
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Senate Republicans hold up Dream Act for children of immigrants

It looks like the DREAM Act will not become law this year. We need these kids to become citizens, we educated them for years, we need them here. - - Donna Poisl

By Shankar Vedantam

Republican lawmakers on Tuesday stalled a Senate measure to allow children of undocumented immigrants to get on a path to citizenship, and accused the Obama administration of seeking amnesty for illegal immigrants through administrative changes within the Department of Homeland Security.

The Dream Act, which would grant permanent residency to immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and who have completed some time in college or in the armed forces has been a sought-after goal for Democrats, who attached the measure to an important defense spending bill.
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Border governors call for US immigration reform

U.S. and Mexican governors are calling for immigration reform as soon as possible. - - Donna Poisl

By BARRY MASSEY (AP)

SANTA FE, N.M. — U.S. and Mexican border governors called Monday for reform of U.S. immigration policies, but New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said it's unrealistic to expect Congress to act on the hot-button political issue before the November general election.

Richardson made his comments at the close of a border governors meeting, which was held in New Mexico after Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer canceled the event in Phoenix because of a planned boycott by Mexican governors over Arizona's new immigration law.
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Catalysts and Barriers to Attaining Citizenship

Click on the headline above to read the report.

Catalysts and Barriers to Attaining Citizenship:
An Analysis of ya es hora ¡CIUDADANIA!


New report finds Latino naturalization driven by interest in civic
participation; efficacy of ya es hora ¡Ciudadanía! campaign

New citizens are in large electoral states and cite voting as reason to take oath

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

U.S. Census Bureau to Release New Data About Hispanic-Owned Businesses

PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Census Bureau to Release New Data About Hispanic-Owned Businesses


WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The following was released today by the U.S. Census Bureau:

What: The U.S. Census Bureau will hold an audio news conference to release new data from the Survey of Business Owners - Hispanic-Owned Businesses: 2007. The data show the number and percent of Hispanic-owned businesses, sales and receipts at the national, state and local levels, as well as other details.

The event will consist of a simultaneous audio conference and online presentation in webinar format. There will be no physical event associated with this conference. Information on accessing the online presentation is provided below. Reporters will be able to ask questions once the data presentation is complete.

When: Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010; 2 p.m. (EDT)

Who: Thomas L. Mesenbourg, deputy director, U.S. Census Bureau
David Hinson, national director, Minority Business Development Agency

Details: Audio conference ― access information
Toll free number: 888-324-9312
Participant passcode: CENSUS
Note: Stay on the line until operator asks for the passcode.
Do not key in passcode. (Tips)

Online presentation ― access information
Please login early, as some setup is required. (Tips)
URL: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/
Conference/meeting number: PW4514082
Conference/meeting passcode: CENSUS

If closed captioning is required:
URL: http://nccsite.com/captions/view/sbo921

Public Information Office
301-763-3030/763-3762 (fax)
e-mail: pio@census.gov

CONTACT: Public Information Office, +1-301-763-3030/763-3762 (fax), e-mail: pio@census.gov

Monday, September 20, 2010

Mormon-owned paper stands with illegal immigrants

This newspaper is calling for a softer attitude toward illegal immigrants. Many of its readers are upset with them. - - Donna Poisl

By JEREMY W. PETERS, The New York Times

SALT LAKE CITY — Joseph Cannon is nobody's liberal. His résumé reads as if it belongs to a Republican National Convention delegate, which, incidentally, he was in 2004.

He was an official for the Environmental Protection Agency under President Reagan and chairman of the Utah Republican Party. As editor of The Deseret News, he published editorials condemning deficit spending, same-sex marriage and lenient alcohol laws.

So it was something of a head-scratcher, Cannon said, when his voice mail and e-mail started filling up with messages from people calling him a "liberal freak" for the sympathetic way his paper often writes about illegal immigrants.
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USCIS Immigrant Integration Initiatives Fact Sheet

Click on the headline to read about an expanded Citizenship and Integration Grant Program and Improved Web-based resources and public awareness at USCIS. - - Donna Poisl

US-Mexico border wall a costly failure, film says

This should be an interesting documentary. Just think what we could have done with that money that could actually have helped the immigration situation. - - Donna Poisl

U.S. has built 650 miles of fence on Mexico border

* "The Fence" airs on HBO on Thursday

By Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Washington's plan to build a fence on the border with Mexico has cost $3 billion and has not deterred illegal immigrants or drug traffickers from entering the country, according to a new U.S. documentary.

"The Fence" hopes to show Americans, who were divided when construction of the wall was approved in 2006, that the venture is a failure as conceived and a blemish upon the United States internationally.
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Harvard president, student team up for the Dream Act

These two people make a good team to work for passage of the DREAM Act. - - Donna Poisl

Visit D.C. to urge approval of new path to residency

By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff

Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust and an immigrant student detained in June for being in the United States illegally from Mexico joined forces in Washington yesterday to urge the Senate to pass legislation that would let youths like him apply for legal residency.

Faust and sophomore Eric Balderas paid a symbolic visit to the office of Senator Richard Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, to promote the Dream Act, as the measure is gathering steam for a possible vote next week, said Durbin spokesman Max Gleischman.
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Obama Says He Won't `Walk Away' From Overhaul of U.S.Immigration Security

By Nicholas Johnston -

President Barack Obama said he won’t “walk away” from an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws in remarks tonight before an annual gathering of Hispanic members of Congress.

“I know that many of you campaigned hard for me, and understandably you’re frustrated we haven’t been able to move this over the finish line,” the president said at the Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual awards dinner in Washington. “But let me be clear: I will not walk away from this fight.”
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Hispanic Heritage Month Starts

This article has some very interesting facts from the Census. Please read it all. - - Donna Poisl

September 15, 2010
Allison Brophy Champion, Culpeper Star-Exponent, Va.

Today through Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month, initiated in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The month-long observance celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South American and the Caribbean.

Sept. 15 was chosen as the kickoff because it marks the independence date of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence Sept. 16 and 18, respectively.

Here are some more cultural facts from the census in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month:
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Remarks by the President at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's 33rd Annual Awards Gala

Click on the headline to read the President's speech last week.

For Immediate Release
September 15, 2010

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Remarks by the President at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's 33rd Annual Awards Gala

Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.

Call your Senator to say YES to DREAMs

from Marissa Graciosa, Reform Immigration FOR America

Tomorrow, the Senate will decide whether or not the DREAM Act will move forward. President Obama said that it’s time for Congress to act and he supports the legislation[1] .

This is the most critical moment in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform to this point. Passing the DREAM Act this week will be a sign that Congress is serious about fixing our broken system once and for all. And we need to do everything we can to make sure that happens.

Click the headline to call Congress and say YES to DREAMs.

As you read this, our opposition is flooding Congress with calls in their attempt to block any legislation that might benefit immigrants. We have to be sure that our voices are louder than theirs. We have to be sure that Congress hears from those of us who stand on the side of justice for ALL.

The DREAM Act will allow students who are undocumented to attend college or join the military. That’s why it’s an amendment to the defense reauthorization bill – giving young people the chance to serve. But there are still senators who need to hear from us.

Click the headline to call the Senate to pass the DREAM Act as a step toward comprehensive reform.

We’re closer than ever to getting the comprehensive reform we need, but it won’t happen without doing everything we can.


P.S. - And don't forget to have your friends call in to Congress (English: 866-996-5161 or Spanish: 866-961-4293) to demand reform, tweet it, and share it on Facebook! We need to make sure every Senator hears from us before tomorrow's vote!

Turn the DREAM act into reality

Eliseo Medina, SEIU Secretary-Treasuer

As early as today, September 20th, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act may come up for a vote in the US Senate.

The DREAM Act provides a path to citizenship for children who were brought to this country by no choice of their own and SEIU supports it's passage.

We need you to speak up to make sure that the Senate gets the message. They must pass the DREAM Act or these children will continue to live in fear of deportation to a country where they may not have any family or have any connection to.

Click here to call your Senator: http://seiu.me/dreamactnow

SEIU has successfully fought on behalf of DREAM Act candidates like Walter Lara, Herta Llushlo, and Alonso Chehade who were once facing deportation, but the reality is that while their deportations were stayed, another Dreamer may have been deported in their place.

It's essential we urge all Senators to vote yes on the DREAM Act amendment. The DREAM Act is a bipartisan bill currently co-sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) and has historically received bipartisan support. Ten Republicans voted for it in 2007; including 5 current Republican Senators: Bennett (UT), Brownback (KS), Hatch (UT), Snowe (ME) and Collins (ME).

Click here to call your Senator and tell them to vote YES on the DREAM Act amendment: http://seiu.me/dreamactnow

¡Si se puede!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Navarrette: Update from Arizona

This well known columnist was in Arizona during the height of the SB1070 debate and came back recently; he writes about the situation now. - - Donna Poisl

By Ruben Navarrette Jr.

Arizona has spent the last several months binging on a cocktail of nativism and fear with a splash of political expediency. Now comes the hangover.

It has been several weeks since I was last here in Phoenix, the nation's fifth-largest city, as part of the media contingent that descended for a quick lesson about how not to address the immigration issue. It was early August and U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton had just gutted Arizona's immigration law, preventing the worst parts from going into effect. As a result, local police -- who are out of their depth when they attempt to enforce federal immigration law -- were mercifully spared the mandate to do so. And mischievous state lawmakers were reminded that, in our system, you don't get to violate the law under the guise of defending it, and those with the itch to make immigration policy ought to run for Congress.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Janet Napolitano visits Fenway Park for citizens’ oath

More than 5,000 new citizens were sworn in at one time! Let's hope they all are voting in November, they should help get immigration reform going. - - Donna Poisl

By Associated Press

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano welcomed more than 5,000 new citizens in a ceremony Tuesday at Boston’s Fenway Park [map], in what officials called one of the largest naturalization ceremonies in the nation’s history.

Speaking to immigrants from roughly 150 countries, Napolitano congratulated the new citizens for their "long journey" toward citizenship but told them that they now faced new civic responsibilities as Americans.
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Muslim-American realities

This opinion piece is showing that Muslim-Americans share all the same values and dreams that all other Americans have. - - Donna Poisl

BY JEN'NAN READ

As 9/11 approached, the question I kept hearing was whether someone can be both an American and a Muslim?

My research started before 9/11, so I'm able to assess the question both before and after the tragic events of nine years ago. The short answer is not only is it possible for a person to be a Muslim and an American, but that it is already a reality. The majority of Muslim Americans are U.S. citizens. Most are registered voters participating in the electoral process. And like other Americans, Muslim Americans are worried about the economy, health care reform, taxes and the security of their children's futures.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

One Nation Working Together Launches March on Washington

PRESS RELEASE

One Nation Working Together Launches March on Washington


Unprecedented national unity movement works to refocus nation's agenda on jobs, justice and education

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- One Nation Working Together (ONWT) will formally launch its upcoming One Nation Working Together March on Washington during a national media briefing on Friday, September 17 at 10:30 AM EDT.

NAACP President Benjamin Jealous, National Council of La Raza President Janet Murguia and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten will discuss plans for the upcoming March on Washington and the local mobilization across our nation. Plans include a national public service announcement campaign featuring prominent civic and community leaders that will also be unveiled on the call.

One Nation Working Together is an unprecedented, diverse national movement of people from all backgrounds united in a shared belief that in America today the fundamental rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness mean jobs, justice and education. Across the country, people are putting aside their differences and political agendas to denounce the tactics of hate and divisiveness. They are speaking in one voice for bold and sustainable action that will get America back to work and investing again in our people.

We will march as One Nation Working Together on October 2, 2010 in Washington D.C.
Reporters and editors: Please email ONWTcommunications@gmail.com to RSVP for the call and to receive call-in information.

WHAT: A Media-Only Conference Call to Launch The One Nation March on Washington

WHEN: Friday, September 17, 10:30 AM EDT

WHO: Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO, NAACP
Janet Murguia, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza
Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers

SOURCE One Nation Working Together
-0- 09/15/2010
/CONTACT: Andrea Alford, +1-202-263-4569, ONWTcommunications@gmail.com /

Fax Congress: Make DREAM a reality

from Marissa Graciosa, Reform Immigration FOR America

Right now, leaders from all over the country are gathering in Washington, DC, to show Congress that our broken immigration system has hurt too many of us. And Congress is listening.

Our families suffer every day that Congress doesn’t act to pass real immigration reform. And earlier this week, Senate majority leader Harry Reid said that he will schedule a vote on the DREAM Act as a step towards comprehensive immigration reform1 . Getting a vote on the DREAM Act is a move in the right direction, and it’s happened thanks to the work you’ve done, the stories you’ve shared, the faxes you’ve sent, and the countless times you’ve stood up.

Today, we’re lifting up the stories of families from across the country and demanding the relief, reform, and respect that we all deserve. And it starts with the DREAM Act.

Click the headline to send a fax to Congress

Our broken immigration system hurts our families, our communities, and our country. We demand relief, reform, and respect from our government: support passage of the DREAM Act as a step towards comprehensive immigration reform.

Even if you’re not in Washington today, you can stand with us. While our leaders are sharing the stories of our families and our communities, Congress needs to hear from you.

Tell Congress: Pass the DREAM Act.

DREAM Act Coming to the Senate Floor

For Immediate Release

DREAM Act Coming to the Senate Floor
Senator Reid to Attach Act to Defense Authorization Bill

September 15, 2010

Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that he would attach the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to the Department of Defense authorization bill expected to come before the Senate as early as next week. The vote will be an important test of whether Congress can transcend partisan politics and work together on crafting solutions to the broken immigration system that both Democrats and Republicans acknowledge is in desperate need of reform. That the proposal will be considered as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill is appropriate, given the Department of Defense's support for DREAM Act as a way to improve military readiness.

First introduced in 2001, the DREAM Act would address the plight of young immigrants who have been raised in the U.S. and managed to succeed despite the challenges of being brought to the U.S. without proper documentation. The proposal would offer a path to legal status to those who have graduated from high-school, have stayed out of trouble and plan to attend college or serve in the U.S. military for at least two years.

Each year, approximately 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school, many at the top of their classes, but cannot go to college, join the military, work, or otherwise pursue their dreams. They belong to the 1.5 generation - any (first generation) immigrants brought to the United States at a young age who were largely raised in this country and therefore share much in common with second generation Americans. These students are culturally American, growing up here and often having little attachment to their country of birth. They tend to be bicultural and fluent in English.

Research has shown that providing a legal status for young people who have a proven record of success in the United States would be a boon to the economy and the U.S. workforce. University presidents and educational associations, as well as military recruiters, business and religious leaders have added their voice to those calling for passage of the bill. Foreign-born students represent a significant and growing percentage of the current student population. Unfortunately, immigration status and the associated barriers to higher education contribute to a higher-than-average high dropout rate, which costs taxpayers and the economy billions of dollars each year.

The DREAM Act would eliminate these barriers for many students, and the DREAM Act's high school graduation requirement would provide a powerful incentive for students who might otherwise drop out to stay in school and graduate. This will help boost the number of high skilled American-raised workers. As they take their place in the workplace as hard working, taxpaying Americans, they will contribute a lifetime of revenues at the local, state and federal level.

Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, Bill Carr, supports the DREAM Act and stated that the law would be "good for readiness" and would help to recruit "cream of the crop" students. The DREAM Act is part of the Department of Defense's 2010-2012 Strategic Plan to assist the military in it's recruiting efforts.

For more information on the DREAM Act see:
The DREAM Act: Creating Opportunities for Immigrant Students and Supporting the U.S. Economy (IPC Fact Check, July 2010)

Essential to the Fight: Immigrants in the Military (IPC Special Report, November, 2009)

IPC DREAM Act Resource Page
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For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at wsefsaf@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7524.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

USHCC President & CEO Javier Palomarez Joins Secretary Geithner and Solis on CHCI Economic Panel

PRESS RELEASE

USHCC President & CEO Javier Palomarez Joins Secretary Geithner and Solis on CHCI Economic Panel


WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- On September 13, 2010, Javier Palomarez, President and CEO of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), joined U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, House Committee on Small Business Chair and CHCI Chair Representative Nydia M. Velazquez, Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Representative Xavier Becerra and Promerica Bank Founding Chairwoman, Maria Contreras-Sweet, as a panelist at the Opening Plenary Session of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's (CHCI) 2010 Public Policy Conference titled "America's Future: Economic Prosperity."

During Monday's robust discussion, these leaders talked about the challenges that today's Hispanic entrepreneur faces, as well as the vital role that Hispanic Business Enterprises (HBEs) play in the economic recovery of our country.

Palomarez said "It was an honor to share the stage with national leaders and trailblazers this morning who are all committed to propelling our economy forward - whether by directing, legislating or working through the private sector and communities across our country." Palomarez added, "I look forward to continuing today's dialogue with Secretary Geithner when he joins us next week at our Annual Convention and Business Expo in Dallas, TX on September 23, 2010 for our special kick-off event 'Coffee with the Secretary.'"

The USHCC Annual Convention and Business Expo will run from September 22-25, 2010 in Dallas, TX and promises to be the largest gathering of Hispanic Businesses in America.

About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC)
The USHCC represents the interests of nearly 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States that generate nearly $400 billion annually, and serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local Hispanic chambers in the United States and Puerto Rico. Founded in 1979, the USHCC is dedicated to developing and implementing a broad range of programs and initiatives to enhance the success of its three primary constituencies: small business enterprise, local chambers of commerce, and corporate partners. http://www.ushcc.com/
SOURCE United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
-0- 09/14/2010
/CONTACT: DeVere Kutscher of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, +1-202-715-0497, dkutscher@ushcc.com /

Mayor Castro Tapped By White House To Attend National Celebration In Mexico

PRESS RELEASE

Mayor Castro Tapped By White House To Attend National Celebration In Mexico


SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro has been selected to be one of four members of an official Presidential Delegation traveling to Mexico City for the 200th anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spain.

The one-day visit concludes with a dinner on Tuesday, September 14, hosted by Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

"I'm honored to be part of a delegation commemorating an event that shaped the course of history not only in Mexico, but in the United States and the world," Mayor Castro said. "By virtually any measure - trade, culture or a common history - the relationship between our two nations is inextricably linked."

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis will lead the delegation named by President Barack Obama, which also includes U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual and Maria Otero, the undersecretary of state for democracy and global affairs in the U.S. Department of State.

With a population of about 1.3 million residents, San Antonio is the nation's seventh-largest city. About 60 percent of its residents are Hispanic, the vast majority of whom are of Mexican ancestry.

San Antonio also played an important historical role in the 1910 Mexican Revolution. After being imprisoned by Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz, Francisco I. Madero fled to San Antonio where he wrote the "Plan of San Luis Potosi," which is considered to be a flashpoint of the Revolution.

"San Antonio is not just a witness to history," Mayor Castro said. "Today, it represents the new face of the American Dream - a diverse community teeming with economic opportunities and a great quality of life.

"In the years to come, Texas and the United States will look much like San Antonio does today, and there is much to learn from San Antonio's success," he said.

Fast facts:
-- In 1953, San Antonio became the first U.S. City to have a Mexican Sister City with Monterrey, Nuevo Leon.
-- San Antonio has the longest standing municipal trade office program in Mexico; CASA San Antonio just completed its 18th year of service.
-- According to U.S. Department of Commerce statistics, in 2008, exports from the San Antonio metropolitan area totaled more than $5 billion, up from $3.6 billion in 2007.
-- In October 1992, the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, was signed in San Antonio.

SOURCE City of San Antonio
-0- 09/13/2010
/CONTACT: Jaime Castillo of the City of San Antonio, +1-210-207-7083 /

How illegal immigrants are helping Social Security

It always amazes me when people say illegal immigrants hurt Social Security. It seems so obvious to me that they are saving it. We always need young workers and if they never take anything out when they are older, that money stays there for everyone else. - - Donna Poisl

By Edward Schumacher-Matos

The contributions by unauthorized immigrants to Social Security -- essentially, to the retirement income of everyday Americans -- are much larger than previously known, raising questions about the efforts in many states and among Republicans in Congress to force these workers out.

In response to a research inquiry for a book I am writing on the economics of immigration, Stephen C. Goss, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration and someone who enjoys bipartisan support for his straightforwardness, said that by 2007, the Social Security trust fund had received a net benefit of somewhere between $120 billion and $240 billion from unauthorized immigrants.
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Napolitano: It’s Congress’ turn to act on immigration

Secretary Napolitano told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute conference that Congress has to get involved now and fix the system. The administration has done everything they can do without that involvement. - - Donna Poisl

By Gary Martin - Express-News

WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday that an unprecedented amount of manpower and technology has secured the Southwest border and clears the way for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Napolitano said the Obama administration has met every benchmark set by Congress on border security and called on lawmakers to “quit moving the goal posts.”

“We need Congress to fix our broken immigration system,” Napolitano told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's public policy conference.
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Midterms imperil immigration bill

This story certainly tells immigrants, and voters who want to help immigrants, that they better work to get everyone to vote this year. Midterms are VERY important. - - Donna Poisl

By CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN

A Republican rout in November would usher in a class of Senate freshmen who ran on pledges of no amnesty for illegal immigrants — a changing of the guard that could doom President Barack Obama’s already faint chances of passing a comprehensive immigration reform bill in his first term.

Immigration reform advocates could see turnover in 17 seats held by Democrats and Republicans who, at one point, voted for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, according to a POLITICO analysis of the Senate campaign field. In all cases, the Republicans running for those seats have vowed to never support a legalization program or at least not consider it until the border has been certified secure.
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Here's Why Bush Had Better Luck Than Obama In Fighting Anti-Muslim Bigotry

An interesting piece which might explain some of the craziness going on. - - Donna Poisl

by David Berreby

In the White House, can a white conservative do more to restrain anti-Islamic bigotry than an African-American progressive? Writing on the anniversary of 9/11, a couple of writers Saturday argued that this is so. Studies on the psychology of prejudice suggest they're right.

Chicken crusaders—Americans who have nothing to fear from Muslims, yet feel free to attack and insult them—are becoming a global problem, as their hatred provokes mirror-image rhetoric in the Muslim world. So more people are taking up the question I blogged about last month: Why is anti-Islamic bigotry in the U.S. rising now, when it didn't flare up right after 9/11?
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Fine-tune strategies on illegal immigrants

This editorial talks about all the problems and some solutions for immigration reform. - - Donna Poisl

FREE PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

U.S. immigration policies have worked about as well as Prohibition did in the 1920s. More than 11 million illegal immigrants now live in the U.S. -- roughly 4% of the nation's population. Despite a slight decrease since 2007, caused in part by a struggling U.S. economy, the number of illegal residents has tripled since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

In some circles, anti-immigration sentiments have reached near-hysteria. Opportunistic politicians everywhere, including Michigan -- with only about 110,000 illegal immigrants -- have tried to exploit fear and insecurity.
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Monday, September 13, 2010

The Unwanted: Immigration and Nativism in America

For Immediate Release

The Unwanted: Immigration and Nativism in America

September 13, 2010

Washington, D.C. - As another 9/11 anniversary passes, marked by heated controversy surrounding a proposed Islamic Cultural Center in New York City and a Florida preacher's threats to burn a copy of the Quran, writer Peter Schrag draws parallels between present-day fear-mongering by the restrictionist and nativist movements in America and similar movements throughout U.S. history.

In a new Perspectives piece, entitled "The Unwanted: Immigration and Nativism in America," Schrag writes: "In another few years the nation may look back on the first decade of the twenty-first century, and especially the years after 9/11, as another of those xenophobic eras, like the Red Scare of the twenties or the McCarthy years of the fifties, when the nation became unhinged, politicians panicked, and scattershot federal, state, and local assaults led to unfocused, albeit often cruel, harassment of non-Anglo foreigners."

Envisioning a way forward, Schrag points out: "America...is famously a nation of immigrants. What's Anglo-European about it are the institutions and ideals of equal rights, constitutionally guaranteed due process, and democratic government. But now all of us are also immigrants to the new cosmopolitan multi-ethnic, perhaps post-ethnic, society that's grown around us, whether we're Mayflower descendants, Sons of the Golden West, or the most recent arrival from Kenya or El Salvador. The diverse nation that those immigrants and their children and grandchildren made, contra all the warnings from the Know Nothings, the eugenicists, the Klan, the Pioneer Fund, and our latter-day radio and TV talkers, refutes not only their dire predictions but the very premises on which they were based. The society whose immigration policy now begs to be reformed, and the history that made it, are not the society and history that most of us, much less our parents, imagined a generation or two ago. The more the nation and its policymakers excavate that history out of the myths of their imagination, the more rational, humane, and productive the debate will be, and the better the uniquely American future that grows from it."

To read this Perspectives piece in its entirety, see:

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/docs/Immigration_and_Natvism_091310.pdf
The Unwanted: Immigration and Nativism in America (IPC Perspectives, September 13, 2010)
Peter Schrag, for many years the editorial page editor and later a weekly columnist for the Sacramento Bee, currently contributes to The Nation, Harper's, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. This article is drawn from his book Not Fit for Our Society: Immigration and Nativism in America, University of California Press, 2010.

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For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at wsefsaf@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7524.

HBO documentary, THE FENCE (LA BARDA)

See the HBO Documentary Films to help promote THE FENCE (LA BARDA) which premieres this Thursday, September 16th only on HBO.

In Oct. 2006, the U.S. government decided to build a 700-mile fence along its troubled 2000-mile-plus border with Mexico. Three years, 19 construction companies, 350 engineers, thousands of construction workers, tens of thousands of tons of metal and $3 billion later, was it all worth it?

THE FENCE (LA BARDA), Rory Kennedy’s (HBO’s Emmy-winning “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib”) latest HBO documentary, investigates the impact of the project, revealing how its stated goals – containing illegal immigration, cracking down on drug trafficking and protecting America from terrorists – have given way to unforeseen, even absurd consequences. Kennedy follows her subjects through private ranches, protected wilderness, bustling border towns and scrub deserts for a revealing, often surprising look at the controversial southern U.S. border barrier.

And don't forget - The film debuts on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH (8:00-8:45 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

For more information: http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-fence

Send message to Senators about the DREAM Act

from Jackie, Matt, Adam, and the America's Voice Team

If we don't pass the DREAM Act before November, it may not happen this year! Send a message to your Senators in support of DREAM, NOW:

http://AmericasVoiceOnline.org/ClockIsTicking

Seventy percent of Americans agree that it makes no moral or economic sense to spend taxpayer dollars arresting, jailing, and deporting youth who grew up in this country. The DREAM Act allows these young people to earn their citizenship through college or military service.

Right now, a handful of Senators are keeping us from passing this critical first step toward the kind of full, comprehensive immigration reform that President Obama promised. Congress is only back in session for a couple of weeks -- now is the time to act on DREAM.

Ask your Senators to step up and support the DREAM Act, NOW! Students in caps and gowns will deliver your message directly to these Senators again next week:

http://AmericasVoiceOnline.org/ClockIsTicking

Together we will ask Congress to pass the DREAM Act before the November elections take over and another generation of young people is blocked from giving back to the only country they call home.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Professors of pronunciation help immigrants

Many immigrants are taking classes to improve their English pronunciation and lose some of their accents. This helps them in their careers and gives them more confidence. - - Donna Poisl

By Laura Ruane, USA TODAY

A growing number of immigrants are taking lessons and taking classes on how to speak English like an American, experts in pronunciation say.

"We're doing business like gangbusters," said Judy Ravin, president of Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Accent Reduction Institute.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's most recent survey addressing accent modification showed its members spent an estimated 5.7% of their time providing accent-modification services in 2009, up from 3.7% in 2007.
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Tim Geithner to Speak at Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention

Secretary of Treasury, Tim Geithner, will speak about small business and especially the Hispanic business community as the keynote speaker. - - Donna Poisl

from HispanicBusiness.com

The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) confirms that U.S. Secretary of Treasury, Tim Geithner, will be a keynote speaker at the 31st Annual National Convention & Business Expo scheduled for Wednesday, September 22nd through Saturday, September 25th at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

Secretary Geithner will be joining USHCC President and CEO, Javier Palomarez and Hispanic business leaders on Thursday, September 23rd from 7:30 - 8:15 a.m. at a special session called "Coffee with the Secretary." The national leaders will discuss key policy issues impacting the growth and importance of the Hispanic business community.
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I was an 'anchor baby'

Having a baby in the US doesn't change the parents' status or even help them stay here. - - Donna Poisl

Merely having a baby on American soil doesn't doesn't give foreign parents a foothold, as 14th Amendment opponents often imply.

By Marie Myung-Ok Lee

I was an "anchor baby." According to family lore, the day I was born at Hibbing Memorial Hospital in Minnesota in the early 1960s was also the day my parents received their deportation papers. They had come to America from war-torn Korea on student visas that had run out. Laws at the time prohibited most Asians from immigrating, so they were told to leave, even with three American children.

The 14th Amendment, with its guarantee that anyone born here is an American, protected my siblings and me from being countryless. Today, in the growing clamor over illegal immigration, there have been calls to repeal this amendment, with the pejorative "anchor baby" invoked as a call to arms. The words suggest that having a child in America confers some kind of legal protection on illegal parents, that it gives them a foothold here.
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Helping immigrants learn to talk openly about AIDS

African immigrants think HIV/AIDS is an automatic death sentence and don't want to talk about it. U.S. health service providers are trying to reach them and test and educate them. - - Donna Poisl

By Chantal Anderson, Special to The Seattle Times

For six months, the African woman debated whether to tell her sister, or anyone at all, that she had tested HIV-positive.

She feared the judgment of her relatives and fellow African immigrants.

Finally, as she and her sister faced each other on a small wooden bench in the living room of their apartment in Tukwila, she shared the news. Her sister's reaction was silence.

Then the sister asked her to move out. The sister's reasoning was brief: "You are putting me at risk, and my kids at risk, so I don't want you here."
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THIS WEEK IN IMMIGRATION

Click the headline to read stories from this week from the Immigration Policy Center.

President Obama and First Lady to Attend CHCI Hispanic Heritage Month Festivities

PRESS RELEASE

President Obama and First Lady to Attend CHCI Hispanic Heritage Month Festivities


WASHINGTON, September 11 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- CHCI Chair Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez announced today that President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will participate in CHCI's 2010 Hispanic Heritage Month festivities in Washington D.C.

First Lady Michelle Obama will address the Morning Plenary -- America's Promise: The Impact of Healthcare Reform at CHCI's 2010 Public Policy Conference on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 from 9:00 to 10:45 am at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. She will deliver remarks about the Let's Move! initiative and its goal of solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation.

President Barack Obama, joined by the First Lady, will address more than 3,000 guests at CHCI's 33rd Annual Awards Gala on Wednesday, September 15, 2010, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm.

Chair Velazquez will present the 2010 CHCI Chair's Award to In the Heights Broadway composer and Tony-winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. The 2010 Medallion of Excellence for Leadership and Community Service Awards will be presented to actress Eva Longoria Parker and jazz legend Arturo Sandoval, in recognition of their contributions to the Latino community.

Grammy-nominated percussionist Sheila E. will headline Gala entertainment. Latin pop sensation Irving "PeeWee" Salinas will open the show and sing the national anthem. CHCI's 2009 Medallion awardee and CNN special correspondent Soledad O'Brien will celebrity host the evening's events.

CHCI's Hispanic Heritage Month theme, Celebrating History, Heritage, and the American Dream, commemorates the 200th anniversary of independence for many Central and South American countries and the 400th anniversary of the founding of Santa Fe in 1610. The contributions, struggles, challenges, and successes of the Latino community across the nation will be highlighted throughout the week.

Press Credentials: Please register for credentials online at http://www.chci.org/events/page/2010-hhm-media-credentials


CHCI Annual Awards Gala
CHCI's 33rd Annual Awards Gala will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on September 15, 2010, and is the largest and most prestigious gathering of Hispanic bipartisan, public and private sector leaders in the nation. Join national leaders, elected officials, corporate executives, educators, and entertainers as we gather to celebrate the achievements of the Latino community. As the hallmark event of Hispanic Heritage Month, the evening provides supporters and friends of CHCI an opportunity to network while honoring the annual Chair's Award(s) and the CHCI Medallion of Excellence honorees.

About Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a nonprofit and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization, provides leadership development programs and educational services to students and young emerging leaders. The CHCI Board of Directors is comprised of Hispanic Members of Congress, nonprofit leaders and corporate executives. For more information, call CHCI at (202) 543-1771 or visit http://www.chci.org.

SOURCE Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
-0- 09/11/2010
/CONTACT: Media - Scott Gunderson Rosa, +1-202-340-7073, sgrosa@chci.org /

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Assimilation Today

Immigrant assimilation is happening now the same as it always has. This new report uses Census data to give the complete story. - - Donna Poisl

New Evidence Shows the Latest Immigrants to America Are Following in Our History’s Footsteps

By Dowell Myers, John Pitkin

The story of immigrants in our nation is about newcomers integrating into our society and then strengthening our culture and especially our economy. The longer immigrants have lived in the United States, the more “they” become “us.” Pasta, salsa, sausage, and egg rolls are now as common place on American dinner tables as corn, pumpkin, and turkey. Soccer is now a national pastime, at least among youth, and millions of sports fans cheer the hundreds of immigrants who are members of Major League Baseball.

Nonetheless, opposition to immigration today is whipped up by conservatives who claim that assimilation is not occurring and that instead most immigrants are a burden on our society. But our history tells us otherwise. Immigrants to our shores today are following closely in the path of their predecessors, assimilating rapidly just like they did in the past—as most Americans witness every day in one way or another.
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Evangelical push for immigration reform

This young man is speaking to church groups about the Christian responsibility to one's neighbors, even illegal immigrants. - - Donna Poisl

BY RACHEL ZOLL

A handwritten sign on the door of the Naperville church announces the event where Matthew Soerens, fluent in Spanish, the Bible and the nation's immigration laws, will try to win converts.

For months, Soerens has been seeking out evangelical pastors locally and around the country, hoping to persuade them that immigration reform is a Christian imperative, even though the issue is so explosive that many ministers won't go near it.
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Sunday, September 05, 2010

Naturalization Webinar Trainings

Go to the websites below to register for the webinars on naturalization and voter registration. - - Donna Poisl

Naturalization Webinar Trainings

• Learn about the U.S. citizenship process and benefits
• Get step-by-step training on how to fill out the Naturalization application (N-400)
• Learn how you can volunteer at a Citizenship workshop near you!

During the month of September national and local ya es hora partners will be hosting citizenship workshops throughout the nation in honor of the U.S. National Day of Citizenship and our ya es hora ¡Ciudadanía! Summer of Citizenship. Each workshop will need volunteers, attorneys, and local community support.

ya es hora and AILA are committed to supporting your local efforts. For this reason, the NALEO Educational Fund, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, SEIU, and the National Council of La Raza have partnered with AILA to host national webinar trainings for volunteers who will be participating in ya es hora ¡Ciudadania! events around the country. Each of the local partnering organizations will have the opportunity to offer this training via webinar to their volunteers. This FREE webinar training will cover the basics of filing out an N-400 application, red flags to watch out for while filling out the application, eligibility requirements, and legal insight into the naturalization process.

Tuesday, September 7th
11:30am PST / 2:30pm EST
Presented by Yeu S. Hong, Mukai & Kussin, LLP, AILA
Register Now! https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=me08qxaes77a

Tuesday, September 14th
11:00am PST / 2:00pm EST
Presented by Nicolette Glazer Esq.,
Law Offices of Larry R. Glazer, AILA
Register Now! https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=p5nnz3bq4v6h

Thursday, September 16th
11:00am PST / 2:00pm EST
Presented by Sheila Starkey Hahn,
Law Offices of Sheila Starkey Hahn, PC, AILA
Register Now! https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=6iqldn3fu36a


Voter Registration and Voter Education for Nonprofits
Presented by NVEN

Thursday, September 9th
11:00am PST / 2:00pm EST

The two months before the elections are a good time to focus on both voter registration and voter education. The webinar will review best practices for conducting voter registration at your agency or in your community and doing voter education.

Register Now! http://www.nonprofitvote.org/index.php?option=com_civicrm&Itemid=138&lang=en&layout=register%20%20&view=Events
Capacity limited to first 150 registered.

Illegal immigrants: Which states have lost the most?

Because of the bad economy, these states have lost the most illegal immigrants: Florida, New York, Arizona, New Jersey, and California. These states were hardest hit by the recession. - - Donna Poisl

By Mark Trumbull, Staff writer / September 2, 2010

The number of illegal immigrants in the United States has declined during the great recession, and the trend has been fueled by an exodus from erstwhile boom states like Arizona and Florida.

That's the message from an analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research organization.
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Seven Myths That Cloud Immigration Debate

This article lists 7 myths, from taxes to news reporting and the true story about each one. - - Donna Poisl

Darrell M. West, Vice President and Director, Governance Studies / USA Today

The United States is shockingly irrational in the way it handles immigration. Unlike other nations that strategically use immigration to pursue national goals, we lurch from concerns about border security to illegal immigrants to drugs and crime without considering our long-term political and economic priorities.

One of the chief sources of irrationality is the myths that have arisen about immigrants and immigration policy. Befitting a subject that is politically charged, here's where ordinary Americans and policymakers often get it wrong:
Click on the headline above to read all the myths and the truth!

Immigrants’ Oral Histories Going Online

This Oral History collection will be free to search. - - Donna Poisl

by ROBIN POGREBIN

A collection of more than 1,700 recorded oral histories from immigrants who arrived in the United States through Ellis Island will be available free online starting Thursday at www.ancestry.com/immigration. The histories, recorded by the National Park Service starting in the 1970s, are housed at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and until now have been available only to island visitors.
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N.O. school focuses on children of immigrants

Workers who moved to New Orleans after Katrina have brought their children and the schools have had to add more English language classes. - - Donna Poisl

by Lucy Bustamante

NEW ORLEANS -- Until the 2010 census numbers come out, we won't have an idea of how many Hispanic workers came to the city of New Orleans after Katrina. But many agencies like schools, the police department and the medical industry don't need to count to feel the impact and the need to adjust to their population.

The proof: Five years after Hurricane Katrina, the Esperanza School - that's Hope School in English – started to specifically cater to the children of new immigrants. And it only grows every year.
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A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics

For Immediate Release

Back to the Border -- A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics

September 2, 2010

Washington, D.C. - Today, IPC releases the next in its series of perspectives on immigration with Back to the Border: A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics. During the spring and summer of 2010, America's broken immigration system erupted into national news headlines as a result of the passage in Arizona of a sweeping anti-immigrant law (SB 1070), growing concerns over drug-related violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, and calls in some quarters for a repeal of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of birthright citizenship.

While these events might seem new, the issues involved - unauthorized migration, labor disputes, violence, federalism, and constitutional rights - have played out over and over again, particularly along the border. Back to the Border provides analyses by two historians who situate today's controversies within the context of the broader history of the border region. Understanding history not only allows us to make sense of the complex issues behind the current rhetoric, but also demonstrates why it is necessary to go beyond it and search for lasting solutions.

To read the Perspectives piece, click on the headline above.
Back to the Border: A Historical Comparison of U.S. Border Politics (IPC Perspectives, September 2, 2010)

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For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at wsefsaf@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7524.

Immigrants Don't Take Jobs From Americans, Fed Study Says

Another study is proving that immigrants improve the economy and do not take jobs from American born citizens. - - Donna Poisl

By Courtney Schlisserman

Immigration has no “significant” effect on the number of jobs available to U.S.-born workers and helps boost incomes and productivity over time, according to a paper by an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

“There is no evidence that immigrants crowd out U.S.-born workers in either the short or long run,” Giovanni Peri, an associate professor at the University of California-Davis and a visiting scholar at the San Francisco Fed, said in the paper released today. “Data show that, on net, immigrants expand the U.S. economy’s productive capacity, stimulate investment, and promote specialization that in the long run boosts productivity.”
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THIS WEEK IN IMMIGRATION

Click the headline to read stories from this week from the Immigration Policy Center.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

National Museum of the American Latino

sent by Eva Longoria-Parker, Commissioner

As we near Hispanic Heritage Month and prepare to honor Latinos across our community, both locally and nationally, I invite you to join me in a historic effort to memorialize the role of Latinos in the U.S. by supporting the work of the National Museum of the American Latino Commission.

Latinos are woven into the fabric of America and all Americans benefit from a greater understanding of Latino contributions throughout our history. We'll be submitting a report to Congress and the President on our efforts and we need to hear your voices. Tell us if you support this museum and its placement on the National Mall.

The National Museum of the American Latino Commission has heard from thousands of Americans. Now we want to hear from you.

Here are three things you can do right now to show your support:

1. Become a Fan on Facebook. It's easy, all you have to do is go to our Facebook page and click the like button.
http://www.facebook.com/NationalMuseumoftheAmericanLatinoCommission

2. Tell 5 friends. It is important this message gets out to as many people as possible. Forward this message to 5 friends today.

3. Tell Us What You Think. Fill out the survey and tell us why you think this is so critically important to you.
http://myamericanlatinomuseum.org/get_involved/input/

Disabled refugees face loss of Social Security benefits

Refugees who have not become citizens may lose their benefits unless there is an extension. - - Donna Poisl

Thousands of foreign refugees, including many Cubans, are scheduled to lose Social Security disability aid in less two months because they have not become citizens.

BY ALFONSO CHARDY

Eustacio Guevara spent 14 years in Cuban jails as a political prisoner and when he finally got a visa to relocate to the United States as a refugee in 2000 he thought he would live out his days in Miami free of worries or fears.

"It was like a dream come true,'' Guevara, 61, told El Nuevo Herald earlier this month in an interview at his home in Miami's Allapattah neighborhood.

But Guevara's dream may become a nightmare.
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Report: “The Power of the Latino Vote in America”

Go to this website and read the whole report about Latino Voter Trends in Recent Election Cycles
Published by: America's Voice

http://americasvoiceonline.org/research/entry/the_power_of_the_latino_vote_in_america