Happy Thanksgiving!

Let's celebrate the first immigrants. Kind of.

DREAM Act: first priority!

Here's what's going on. The folks at Change.org are organizing an online campaign titled "IDEAS FOR CHANGE IN AMERICA". People submit ideas and they go to a vote, with the top ten ideas presented to the Obama administration on inauguration day.

Needless to say, we want the DREAM Act to be a first priority for the Obama administration in 2009. DreamActivist started this as a petition, and it is now one of the most popular entries in the whole campaign. Regardless, we have to attract voters in order to remain at the top, and ensure that the national organizations like Change.org and their partners(Netroots Nation, VotoLatino, People for the American Way, Amnesty International, etc)understand what's at stake for undocumented students.

Get out the vote!

Migrant creativity

Long time ago, sojourners were perceived as intrepid discoverers, fearless opponents of localized conformity, and valiant carriers of truth, freedom, and in some cases, salvation.

Now, restrictive immigration policies in the industrialized nations have made modern sojourners, sharing the same spirit of freedom, into con men. This week, immigrants in the US get caught trying to cross the border aboard a fake beer truck, while some in the UK try to reach the isle in a giant Christmas tree.

The Stars and Stripes, as well as Union Jack, today fly over as paradoxical symbols of modernity in society and backwardness on their treatment of migrants.

In this context, our cause seems minuscule and imperative. Let the next generation deal with immigration from its root causes, and don't base the discussion on the fears of your citizenry. Support the DREAM Act.

Educators protest divisive scholarship practices

Spearheaded by the Association of Raza Educators, and supported by a myriad of other pro-migrant organizations, the campaign targeting the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's discriminatory practices continues. More about it here.

What will 2009 bring?

We already pointed out that immigration reform does not seem to be a priority for the incoming Obama administration, so what can be expected? The Oakland Tribune examined that today:

Comprehensive Immigration Reform 2009?
The last time it came up, the U.S. Senate shot down a comprehensive immigration reform bill, with 55 senators voting no and 45 voting yes. Mark Silverman of the Bay Area's Immigrant Legal Resource Center estimates that the Nov. 4 election brought three to five more likely yes votes, but not necessarily enough to change the outcome if the bill returns to a vote in the next two years.

DREAM Act 2009?
Somewhat more likely is passage of the DREAM Act, a measure that would provide an opportunity for undocumented youths to obtain permanent residency after graduating from high school. In 2007, in a vote that required a three-fifths majority, 52 senators voted in favor of the bill and 44 voted against it. Silverman estimates one to four more yes votes after the election, and more if the effort can attract John McCain or newly elected Democrats in Virginia and North Carolina.

Enforcement practices?
The expected appointment of moderate border state Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona to head the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees both Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, could bring changes to the manner in which those agencies operate.

Politician or anchor baby? A proud American tells his family's immigration story

The Boston Globe reports today on the particular story of a local politician who has a familiar source for his stand on immigration: his own family history:

City Councilor Roy Avellaneda traces his political stance on illegal immigration to a pair of newlyweds from Argentina who spent their honeymoon huddled under a rug, on a cold, hard floor in Dorchester.
His parents - Vicente and Isabel Avellaneda - arrived in America in 1970 with suitcases, winter coats, and $500. She stitched trousers in a factory; he baked bread on Blue Hill Avenue in Roxbury. And for two years they lived in uneasy secrecy as illegal immigrants, like so many of their neighbors today.
Avellaneda's long-kept secret spilled out at a recent state hearing on immigration, following years of reluctance because of the vitriolic national debate on the issue. He said his family is an example of the success that might await the nation's 12 million undocumented immigrants if they are granted permission to stay. His parents are now US citizens and own a landmark bakery on Broadway.

As an immigrant from Argentina, I often find myself in the same peculiar position. Much like the US, a big part of the Argentinean national identity is grounded on a pro-migrant spirit: "A nation of immigrants". Once a scarcely populated set of plains and mountain ranges, Argentina was populated mainly by waves of European immigrants from Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, etc. throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In my case, my dad's native side is complimented by my mom's Ukrainian heritage.
Migration out of Argentina is an exception to the norm, and Avellaneda's story reflects that, as well. A successful local leader who remembers where his family comes from is not a threat to government or sovereignty but rather a strength that can be inspiration for the next generation:

Nationally, politicians and others have recently held up their own stories to show the contributions of illegal immigrants, from 76-year-old US Senator Pete V. Domenici, Republican of New Mexico, whose Italian mother was once here illegally, to 21- year-old Henry Cejudo, an Olympic wrestler and gold medalist and the son of illegal immigrants from Mexico.

It's time to end this standstill and work towards ensuring a path to legalization for our undocumented immigrants. Only then we can really look towards the future with hope.

Quote of the day

Look around you. You can’t tell who wasn’t born here. We take citizenship for granted. A lot of the AB 540 students came to this country when they were young. They call themselves “Underground Undergrads.” They are all around California, and they are just trying to get an education. They clearly came here to live the American dream. Unfortunately, that’s currently not possible.

-Sarah Bana, student at UCI, in her op-ed piece to the school's newspaper

Saying farewell to the anti-immigrant crusaders

Greg Siskind, from ILW.com, says goodbye to the 22 anti-immigrant legislators that are not gonna be around once Barack takes office. The list is here

Some notables include California's Duncan Hunter and Colorado's Tom Tancredo. But while it's good to see that these chumps are out of congress, don't expect them to just go away. Tancredo is already plotting his next move, intent on challenging Ken Salazar for his U.S. Senate seat.

From this presidential election, we can infer that Colorado voters will shy away from supporting single-issue Tancredo, specially after his embarassing presidential run and the state's support for Barack Obama on November 4th.

So we say: give it a rest, Tom!

Weekend recap

The Underground Undergrads Project teamed up with board members of the United States Students Association to present a workshop on undocumented students, this past Saturday during the Students of Color conference at UCLA.

One of those students, a member of IDEAS at UCLA, spoke during the conference-closing press conference. Her testimony and the rest of them are in this LA Times Article.

Obama picks his policy wonks

The Obama transition team has been quiet on immigration reform, as evidenced by our post on Rahm's speech. But a sign of things to come was unveiled when the Policy Working Groups were announced.
On Immigration, we have Georgetown's T. Alexander Aleinikoff and Stanford's Mariano-Florentino Cuellar. This is a good move, as both have previously researched and supported better ways to deal with migration as they understand it in its global context. You can see how smart they are by reading their CVs: Aleinikoff and Cuellar.
That's it for today, I'm off to read some Aleinikoff legal theory on citizenship and membership, and maybe grab some lunch.

Minnesotan for the DREAM Act!

It concerns me that Minnesota high school students who were brought here as undocumented children many years ago still have to pay out-of-state tuition rates to attend college in Minnesota, even though many have lived here for most of their lives.
That’s why I support the Dream Act — a viable solution to this problem. The act would grant undocumented students that demonstrate good moral character a conditional status for six years in which they have to obtain either a two- or four-year degree or enlist in the military. After this period, the immigrants would be able to apply for citizenship. This seems like a no-brainer.

No brainer for Andrew Dahm, a student at the University of Minnesota who authored this letter to the editor of the MN Daily. Thanks for the support, Andrew!

Quote of the day, Lincoln edition

Seven score and five years ago today (or 145 years), Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, seeking to help the nation in moving forward after the tragic experience of the Civil War.
Years before that, he had kind words to offer about newcomers into this country:

If (immigrants) look back through this history to trace their connection with those days by blood, they find they have none, they cannot carry themselves back into that glorious epoch and make themselves feel that they are part of us, but when they look through that old Declaration of Independence they find that those old men say that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal," and then they feel that that moral sentiment taught in that day evidences their relation to those men, that it is the father of all moral principle in them, and that they have a right to claim it as though they were blood of the blood, and flesh of the flesh of the men who wrote that Declaration, and so they are. That is the electric cord in that Declaration that links the hearts of patriotic and liberty-loving men together, that will link those patriotic hearts as long as the love of freedom exists in the minds of men throughout the world.

In the time that separates us from Lincoln's era, we as a society have perfected our interpretation of that same moral sentiment to include women and minorities. It is time to use those values to give undocumented immigrants a path to legalization.

Not so fast, immigrants!

Listing all the priorities mentioned by Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff, in his speech to the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council.

1. Universal Health Care: "incremental changes won't be acceptable".

2. Employee Free Choice Act: "Mr. Emanuel declined to say whether the White House would support the legislation.

3. Global Warming: "a market-based system to control global warning"

4. Major Economic Stimulus: "first order of business", "green infrastructure including mass transit, upgraded electricity transmission lines, "smart" electrical meters that allow consumers to save money by using electricity at off-peak hours, and universal broadband Internet access, which he said would encourage telecommuting."

5. Everything together: "wholesale changes in health care, taxes, financial re-regulation and energy."

Anybody see what's missing?

Here at Underground Undergrads, we have perspective. When a minuteman accomplishes not much more than a sun tan by holding his rifle near the border, we argue that immigration is a global phenomenon that needs global solutions, and that guns are probably not a large part of the equation. Then we give them some sunblock. And we talk to them that it's not just about the border.
Perspective today comes from Japan, a country that, like all other industrialized nations, is a preferred destination for those looking for work away from their birthplace.
From Media Newswire:

Japan is now the only country in Asia to provide legal channels to permanent residency for illegal immigrants. Moreover, Japan is the only country in Asia to offer public education even to the children of illegal foreigners.
Nongovernmental organizations headed by Japanese citizens speaking on behalf of illegal immigrants have successfully pressured the government to adopt a plan to combat human trafficking, to grant certain overstayed foreigners “special residence permission” and to extend national health insurance to certain foreigners. Over a four-year period beginning in 2000, Japan granted permanent residence to more than 40,000 illegal immigrants.

That's the good part of an equation of a societal response that pretty much mirrors ours: non-profit warriors and native culture hawks in a battle of ideas that often finds no common ground for discussion. USC's Apichai Shipper narrates that story in his new book, Fighting for Foreigners: Immigration and its Impact on Japanese Democracy. Using years of ethnographic work in his resume, Shipper argues that the fight for immigrant rights has revitalized activism and civil society in Japan. As the world fights for immigrant rights, pure nationalist sentiments might fight themselves at odds with human rights movements across the globe. And that's perspective.

Here comes Indiana Jones to save all immigrants

I just got a hold of this trailer, courtesy of our friends over at Stuck between a DREAM and reality.


At first glance, it seems Crossing over sets out to do for the immigration debate what Crash did for race relations. That is, providing a safe space for discussion. The arduous and complicated conversations about legal and illegal, freedom and sovereignty, racist pigs and anchor babies can now be centered around one fact we can all agree on: Harrison Ford is the sexiest man alive. He plays the ICE agent with a heart, as immigrants of all colors seek a path to legalization in Los Angeles.
I'm curious to see what kind of public reaction the film gets, and how many nativists boycott Indiana Jones from here on out. Also, I wonder what would happen if someone (say me for example) jumped the holding fence and sneaked into the premiere. They have to let me stay, right?
Anyway, the release date is not set yet, but I'm gonna try to report from the premiere. Hopefully MGM and the Weinstein Co. bring it to Westwood.
DREAM Act!

The challenge ahead for pro-migrant folks

It's been an unusually long 10 days since Barack Obama got elected into the highest office in the land, and the prospects for immigration reform are a central discussion in many circles. While some point to the victories in Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico as a turning point where the Latino electorate showed its might, others are more skeptical about the potential disgrudgement that immigration reform could bring to working-class nationalists and the newly found "Obama Republicans".
Time has an interesting piece as the cover story this week, in which it delineates the new ruling majority that Barack Obama could transform into a long-lasting powerful coalition in Washington. Unfortunately, it does not bear good news for people like me, who see U.S. presidential elections for its global impact, rather than simply its domestic significance.

The biggest potential land mine in the Obama coalition isn't the culture war or foreign policy; it's nationalism. On a range of issues, from global warming to immigration to trade to torture, college-educated liberals want to integrate more deeply America's economy, society and values with the rest of the world's. They want to make it easier for people and goods to legally cross America's borders, and they want global rules that govern how much America can pollute the atmosphere and how it conducts the war on terrorism. They believe that ceding some sovereignty is essential to making America prosperous, decent and safe. When it comes to free trade, immigration and multilateralism, though, downscale Democrats are more skeptical. In the future, the old struggle between freedom and order may play itself out on a global scale, as liberal internationalists try to establish new rules for a more interconnected planet and working-class nationalists protest that foreign bureaucrats threaten America's freedom.

Welcome, DREAM Act advocates. Now that you know you are a foreign bureaucrat, what do you do?

Berkeley Chancellor stays on message for undocumented students

Robert J. Birgeneau, chancellor of UC Berkeley, has never shied away from supporting undocumented students. Last year, he submitted a column for the LA Times, unequivocally supporting "our students":

I say "our students" because that is just who they are. We have invested in these children, providing them access to public education in our K-12 schools. Our teachers have encouraged them to learn, to compete and to succeed. It is only after these eager and ambitious young people gain college admission and apply for state or federal financial aid that we turn them away. We must not penalize these young people because their parents brought them here illegally.

Just a day after Barack Obama was elected into office, he is right on point again, expressing the urgent need for the DREAM Act in the editorial pages of the Daily Cal:

There is one group of students in particular who need your immediate attention-undocumented students. Our failure to give these students a path to success and to citizenship is a terrible waste of young talent-talent that this country desperately needs. Each year across the nation, 50,000 to 60,000 undocumented students graduate from high school after having spent at least five years in this country. The Dream Act, which provided access to financial aid and a thoughtfully mapped-out path to citizenship, became entangled in the failed immigration bill. It is time to revive and pass the act on its own merits.

Thank you, Chancellor Birgeneau. We are looking forward to working with you on passing the DREAM Act.

Around the states

Happy Monday everyone!

Art and activism were mixed once again by a group of students in Lake Forest College, a small liberal arts school north of Chicago, Illinois. They presented a set of monologues titled "A Day in the Life of an Undocumented Student". School newspaper The Stentor quoted an audience member, who was touched in the way we hope you will be by following this blog:

To be honest, this is something I've never thought about before. You can't really tell the difference between undocumented students and United States citizens

Elsewhere, Kansas University is looking to reach out to Hispanic students in an effort to boost minority enrollment, and hoping to debunk the myths about undocumented students:

During the dialogue, Anderson also specified to locals that misinformation concerning undocumented students is a concern. Undocumented students are allowed to enroll at KU without objection to their status, though their access to financial aid is limited because they cannot apply for government aid.

Finally, a judge in my favorite anti-immigrant state, Arizona, took a step towards rhetorical clarity in spoken legalese, striking down the use of divisive terms such as "illegal aliens" and "open borders advocates".
There are a couple of things to analyze from this story.
First, the obvious one that we have discussed before, and that is the corrupted pejorative "Illegal Aliens" getting a free pass by the media and the courts as a supposedly neutral term to describe someone who is undocumented. We told a columnist not long ago to calibrate her words with more specificity, given that not even all "illegals" are technically, well, "illegal":

The state of California has the largest population of immigrants in the nation, and they have diverse backgrounds and legal standings. There is the common 'my parents brought me across the border' type, the also usual 'we came as tourists and overstayed a visa' team, the media-friendly 'we were refugees because of a storm or earthquake' team, and stranger ones involving 3 or 4 countries, two fixed marriages, a soccer world cup, and Erik Estrada's real estate infomercials.

Secondly, the amount of hate and lunacy might really be getting out of hand when some of the words that had to be taken out were "anchor babies" and "reconquistadores". How could you possibly use those two in court? Anybody got any idea?

An Unfinished Dream trailer

A group of UCLA students launched set off on a journey months ago, following every action, meeting, and moment of the Dreamers movement out of IDEAS at UCLA, the California Dream Network, and the larger movement as a whole. From the highly visible marches and rallies, to the deeply personal moments of doubt and despair, they have been there for months, camera in hand.

We'll have more on these young producers in a few weeks. For now, be sure to pay them a visit over at An Unfinished Dream.

Of the people, by the people, for the people

The Obama-Biden Transition Project has put up a new website asking to share our ideas for the policies our new President-elect will be working on for the next four years. I encourage our readers to take a moment and write to our President-elect. There are many ways to go about it:

Tell us your story in your own words about what this campaign and this election means to you. Share your hopes for an Obama Administration and a government for the people.

Share your vision for what America can be, where President-Elect Obama should lead this country. Where should we start together?

Tell us your ideas and help us solve the biggest challenges facing our country.

For qualified readers, this could be an opportunity to apply for a job with the Obama administration.

There you have it. We keep asking to get our voices heard, let's use this opportunity out of many to come.

Remind him about the D.R.E.A.M Act. Tell him about your own struggle to stay in school and your own contributions to your community. Recommend a good book to him. Express yourself. Let's use every possible forum to do so. No time to waste. Our DREAMS simply cannot wait.

The cool thing to do: liking immigrants

Barack Hussein Obama carries an interesting appeal to the world. His life story as a first-generation American is something thousands can relate to, and it creates a cultural bridge between the United States and the world.

Granted, most of it is ceremonial, and Obama has a long way to go to restore America's image abroad. But his election affirmed a renewed sense of hope for many people.

Other races on this election showed that adopting a harsh anti-immigrant stance is not conducive to political success. Tom Tancredo never had a real shot, and now many of the same type of politicians have suffered defeats despite trying to make illegal immigration a central issue.

Immigration Prof Blog tells us the stories of all the immigrant haters that went down in flames on this election, losing their offices or failing to move up the political world. Good riddance, Elizabeth Dole! Happy trails, Lou Barletta! (And thanks for killing the Hazleton economy to further prove the immigrants are vital to our nation)

This week still feels great.

The Day Barack Obama Met a Dreamer

I had a chance to meet with our future President, Barack Obama, back when he was still trying to fundraise for the primaries. No one knew what he was about yet and the event was small and humble. I was invited to that event by chance.

It was one of those, you-know-that-journalist-who-knows-that-lady-with-the-dog-who-needs-walking-well-her-good-friend's-best-friend's-house-is-having-an-event type of deal. I ended up talking to him exclusively for about ten minutes in what has become a conversation I will always treasure. I expressed my gratitude to him for being a co-sponsor of the Federal D.R.E.A.M Act, I informed him about the work that has been done, the coalitions that have been formed, and about the need for our new president to understand the issue.

He listened as I spoke and held my hand. He then said, "I am so proud of the work that you do and I am so proud of the students who do this work." He talked about the need to reach across the aisle. He was honest and said it would be hard work, but understood the need clearly.

Soon after that, as the work on the California Dream Act heated up, he released a statement (the only candidate to do so) in support of our efforts:

OBAMA URGES GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER TO SIGN THE DREAM ACT, CHICAGO, IL – Oct. 9, 2007

U.S. Senator Barack Obama, who played an integral role in passing the Illinois
version of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act)while serving in the State Senate and is a cosponsor of the legislation in the U.S. Senate, today released the following statement urging Governor Schwarzenegger to sign the DREAM Act into law:

"You know our immigration system is truly broken when we punish children who have learned English and worked hard to succeed in school so that they can become American citizens. Enforcement alone will not solve the immigration crisis we face. If Governor Schwarzenegger vetoes the DREAM Act a second time, he will compound the immigration crisis by driving thousands of children who were on the right path into the shadows. We teach our children that in America, you will thrive if you work hard and dream big. Governor Schwarzenegger now has the chance to demonstrate that instead of blaming one group for the challenges America faces, he can unite Californians and give children who play by the rules the opportunity to succeed."

Yes, that man will be our president.


As a past co-sponsor of the federal bill, and as a supporter of the issues we face in California, it looks promising and comforting to know that our new president not only understands, but has demonstrated support for undocumented students. But that unfortunately, that may not be enough. Let's keep an eye on the House and Senate.

After looking at the new makeup of the Senate, Susan, a fellow Dreamer, broke it down for us:

• 52 existing ayes on Dream Act cloture vote
• add 3 former co-sponsors who didn't vote for it because they were running for president at the time
• add Boxer (D-CA) who was absent in 2007 because of the California fires but is a co-sponsor
• add the 5 new democrats IF they were to vote aye (this is where we have to work it!!!)

52+9 =61 enough to pass a cloture vote!

Let's not forget that the issue has been bi-partisan, we can get more Republicans on board as well.

Fellow Dreamers: Light has come to shine on our Journey. Hope is in the air and progress around the corner. Yes, change is coming. Let this be our time, let this be our year, let's make it happen. Let's make our own history. Who's with me?

Today feels good.

Back from Nevada, and heading to Irvine in just a bit for a book presentation. Just wanted to share that today feels like a good day for CHANGE.

Notes from Nevada

If this is a battleground state, Obama supporters in Nevada seem more than up to task. After two days in Las Vegas, I am impressed by the groundwork done by the thousands of volunteers that are working to get out the vote for Barack Obama. And some of them are still pouring in. Last night, I joined the young volunteers of PowerPAC’s Drive for Change campaign, a group of 20 California voters and volunteers that made the journey up I-15 to help out neighboring Nevada by making phone calls and knocking doors in Henderson, a city located right outside Las Vegas.

Barack Obama visited Henderson on Saturday morning. He spoke in front of an estimated 15,000 in the football field of Henderson’s Coronado High School. A diverse and joyful crowd, some of whom had camped out through the night to secure a spot in front of the line, mixed local voters and out-of-state volunteers to welcome Obama.



The doors open around 6:45AM, much earlier than announced and with the line already circling around the block. As the crowd filled the football-field-turned-campaign-stage, Las Vegas congressional candidate Dina Titus mingled with the crowd, encouraging them to vote blue down the ticket in her quest to represent a district currently held by a Republican. California State Senator Gil Cedillo also walked around the field, greeting the many California volunteers who had made it to Henderson. Both Titus and Cedillo urged those present to join them in walking the precincts that afternoon. Even this little girl:



At around 10AM, the rally began with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rallying his constituents to support Senator Obama. A fellow PowerPAC volunteer snapped this picture just as Barack walked onstage:



The crowd roared in response to his message of commitment to change, and once the rally was over, everyone was ready to visit voters in all the precincts surrounding Las Vegas. We left Henderson and headed to North Las Vegas, where we had been assigned to a lower middle-class neighborhood where many houses have been foreclosed and voters are disgruntled. The need for a change in the direction of our country was evident in this particular block, but we were also able to notice how Nevadans who were skeptical about supporting Obama over issues like taxes and gun control. We battled the myths and spoke truthfully about Barack Obama’s stances. In addition, we were greeted with enthusiasm by many of the early voters who had already cast their vote in support of the democratic candidate.

Today, the volunteers of the Drive for Change Campaign are visiting Henderson with the same message of hope and progress. The excitement level remains high and we are 32 hours away from the end. Let’s go change the world!