DREAM Reality - A Great Day for Activism; Undocumented
Immigrants Ride Through South

* A Great Day for Activism - and for America (Randy Shaw in
Beyond Chron)
* Undocumented Immigrants Ride Through South, Headed For a DNC
Coming Out (Aura Bogado in ColorLines)

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ColorLines
A Great Day for Activism - and for America 

by Randy Shaw

Beyond Chron
August 16, 2012

http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=10406

For the estimated 1.2 million young undocumented immigrants
who began signing up for President Obama's "Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals" legalization program, August 15, 2012
will forever signify the power of grassroots activism. Those
eligible under the program will be able to legally work and
live in the United States but will not gain permanent
legalization status or a path to citizenship. Obama
implemented his "most ambitious immigration initiative" in
response to both growing Latino political power and the
courageous and inspiring grassroots pressure from young DREAM
ACTivists. It is these young people, not the fake,
billionaire-backed Tea Party Republicans, who represent the
true power of grassroots activism to create meaningful change.

When we look at the progressive movements that have made real
gains since President Obama's election in 2008, only two stand
out: marriage equality and immigrant rights. Both have a way
to go, and the lack of comprehensive immigration reform
coupled with increased deportations has left many disappointed
with progress in this area.

But the ability of DREAM ACTivists to win tangible gains for
over one million young immigrants remains an historic
achievement. And they accomplished this almost entirely with
the type of true grassroots activism that many previously
doubted could still make a difference.

Short and Longterm Impacts

The securing of many of the key benefits of the DREAM Act has
significant short and longterm political impacts.

Latino voter enthusiasm for President Obama skyrocketed after
he announced the new program, and will rise further as
implementation has now begun. The young beneficiaries cannot
vote, but their friends and family who are citizens can. These
voters understand that the continued ability of young
undocumented immigrants to legally work and live without
threat of deportation depends on Obama's re-election.

DREAM ACTivists also understand this, and it would not be
surprising to see many of them volunteering to help re-elect
Obama. Given their track record of hard work and dedication,
they could prove a major asset in mobilizing Latino voter
turnout in key states.

So the short-term impact of the new immigration law is huge. A
large Latino voter turnout for Obama decided the 2008 election
and will likely do so again in 2012. What is less discussed is
the longterm impact of Latino voter turnout once again giving
Democrats the White House.

Should Obama defeat Romney handily, as many now predict,
Republicans face an Electoral College nightmare. Simply put,
Republicans cannot win the White House by continually losing
70% of the Latino vote.

The Latino vote will prevent a Republican victory in 2016, and
by 2020, increased Latino voting will make Texas a swing if
not a blue state. Once Texas joins California as solidly
Democratic in presidential races, Republicans have no chance
of regaining the presidency.

Changing this future requires Republicans to return to their
pre-2008 position of supporting some version of immigration
reform that includes a path to legalization and citizenship
for all of the $8-12 million affected. The GOP will still lose
Latinos for other policy reasons, but they will not lose this
constituency in droves as occurred in 2008 and will happen
again this November.

Can Republicans risk alienating their anti-immigrant base?
They have no choice. And neither Wall Street nor the
billionaire funders of the GOP care about this issue.

By DREAM ACTivists forcing Obama to do the right thing, the
Latino electoral base can use this November to create a new
path toward comprehensive immigration reform. And when studies
show the positive economic impacts of the young people
benefiting from the new immigration policy, it will be even
harder for some Republicans to remain opposed.

Unlikely as it seemed only one year ago, the grassroots
campaign for the DREAM Act could change the political calculus
for enacting comprehensive reform before 2016. Immigrant
rights activists who had their expectations dashed after the
2008 elections may have a positive surprise coming after
November 2012.

[Randy Shaw is the author of The Activist's Handbook and
Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the Struggle for
Justice in the 21st Century.]

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Undocumented Immigrants Ride Through South, Headed For a DNC
Coming Out

by Aura Bogado

ColorLines
August 7 2012

http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/08/riding_for_justice_undoubus_heads_to_the_dnc.html

Party conventions always attract more than just delegates.
Although this year's Democratic National Convention (DNC) will
have its share of fans, onlookers, and protestors, one
particular group will hold a historic presence when they
arrive next month. That's because the workers, students,
mothers and fathers who are participating in a new kind of
Freedom Ride are all undocumented immigrants.

UndocuBus is transporting about 30 people across 10 states
this summer, as it approaches Charlotte, N.C., for the DNC.
It's making stops on the way to pick up new riders, and to
meet with supporters. Whatever happens at the convention will
depend on how federal immigration authorities-as well as the
DNC itself-responds to the riders' presence.

Getting on UndocuBus in Phoenix, Ariz., was no easy task for
the riders. The city is home to Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and
members boarded an old single deck bus that was repurposed and
painted bright mint green with the words "No Papers No Fear"
in English and Spanish on both sides. The bus will travel
through states like Alabama, which has what's considered the
nation's most draconian SB 1070-style law.

At Voting Rights Watch, we're engaging community journalists
as our eyes and ears on the ground. Early on, we decided the
term "citizen journalist" would imply that only people born in
the United States or naturalized through a process could weigh
in this electoral season. Instead, we want to feature the
voices of community journalists who may be undocumented and
cannot vote, yet still have a stake in the electoral process.

Meet Eleazar Castellanos. He's a 45-year-old day laborer who
has lived in Tucson, Ariz., for 16 years with his wife and
child. For the bulk of that time, he worked creating custom
marble and granite countertops. About four years ago, he found
that he was unable to hold a steady job because of Arizona's
use of E-Verify, which checks federal employment eligibility,
and essentially bars unauthorized immigrants from obtaining
work. About one year ago, he heard about the Southside Worker
Center, and began realizing that many other people faced
similar circumstances. Although he doesn't find work everyday,
he has found a community that reflects and honors his
experience. When he heard about the tour, called No Papers No
Fear Ride for Justice, he decided to participate. I spoke with
him this week.

Why did you to want to board UndocuBus and publicly declare
yourself undocumented?

Because I believe that I am not the only one in this
situation. There are thousands upon thousands of us in the
same circumstance. And not all of us have realized that we are
not alone. And when I began going to the day labor center, I
opened my eyes. I realized that we have to come out and
struggle. I don't want to stay in the shadows, I want to come
out to the light, so people know that I'm here, and the
problems that I've faced. Just because I'm undocumented
doesn't mean that I'm a criminal-because that's what they try
to make of me in Arizona, they catalog me as a criminal. But
how can I be a criminal when I've been working and paying my
taxes the entire time? So, in order for us to be heard,
someone has to come forward. When they explained all the risks
about boarding, I told them I wasn't the one best suited for
it. All of us were afraid; I was really afraid. But when we
saw so much support, I chose to move forward. I have to speak-
and not just for myself, but for everyone at once. Someone has
to represent Tucson, someone has to represent Southside Worker
Center, and ask for an opportunity for my wife, for my
daughter, for my brothers, and for everyone to move forward.
And that's why I joined.

A lot of people might be surprised that you're not only
publicly claiming your undocumented status, but that you're
headed to the DNC, despite the fact you cannot vote. Why did
you think it would be important for you to show up at the
convention?

Because the elections are coming. And the Democrats have
helped us-even if it's been in a very limited way. But at the
same time, it's a way to let them know that there are so many
of us. But getting to the DNC isn't just about reaching the
Democratic delegates. We're making this public so that
everyone can pay attention to the crisis we're facing: the
pain, the sacrifice, and the humiliation. I don't know if you
would consider it humiliating to have to search in the trash
to find money or food with which to feed your family. But
that's what some of us have to go through because of E-Verify.
That's why we're going to the DNC, why we're letting people
know about us on the way, and why I'm hoping that more people
like me will join us. There are so many of us. Just a few
years ago, there were 12 million undocumented immigrants. In
that time, a lot of us have self-deported, but let's not turn
back without a fight. If we don't gain anything out our
struggle, that's fine-but at least we can say we put up a
fight.

Obama recently announced a deferred action for undocumented
students, and some one million young people to apply for a
two-year work permit next week. What do you think about that?

It wasn't nearly enough. It's possible that during those two
years, those young people will be fine. But what if, during
that time, someone has a radical idea to change the deferred
action? They would have a new database of young people who
applied, with their names and addresses. They will be easy to
locate and arrest-and while they're at it, they might arrest
everyone inside the home. And if someone comes forward with an
idea that the deferred action was a bad idea, those young
people could be in jeopardy. Maybe they should hold off until
a real change happens, before applying. That's why I say
Obama's deferred action was not enough.

Undocumented students were unrelenting in their demands, and
although, as you pointed out, the deferred action comes with
serious flaws, it's the first significant change to
immigration policy in decades. Do you think that UndocuBus may
have a similar impact, but one that effects all undocumented
immigrants, not just students?

We're not trying to put pressure on the DNC-we just want them
to know what's happening. The undocumented students deserved a
lot more, so I don't know if we can expect a significant
policy change for the rest of us. But we want everyone to know
that we're here, that we're worth something. That we're
people, we're not animals. We're not like the horse that you
use for its labor, and once it's old, you send it back to the
fields to die out of sight. I love this country, but that's
not how I want to be seen, and that's not how I want to be
treated.

[Aura Bogado is the community journalism coordinator and
blogger for Voting Rights Watch 2012. Aura has reported in
Spanish and English from Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and the
United States. Her work has been published in Mother Jones,
Newsweek Argentina, AlterNet, and The Huffington Post. With
the support of the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute,
she conducted an in-depth examination on the consequences of
immigration enforcement by local police in Arizona.

Aura has worked as a national host and producer for the
Pacifica Radio network. While there, she also coordinated a
media literacy and training program for youth of color in Los
Angeles with a grant from the California Technology
Foundation. She was a founding member of 33+1/3 Books
Collective, an independent bookstore and gallery in Los
Angeles. In 2006, City Lights Books published The Other
Campaign, which featured her exclusive interview with
Subcomandante Marcos, his first in five years.

She earned her B.A. from Yale University, majoring in American
Studies. An immigrant from South America of indigenous
(Guarani) decent, she is currently based in New York, and
plays son jarocho music in her spare time. ]

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