Wa chu talkin' bout Obama?

Photo by Rafael Cardenas

Conf Call to answer questions RE: Deferred Action

Educators for Fair Consideration is hosting a national conference call this Thursday, June 21st, at 5 pm to answer questions from folks. E4FC is an amazing organization that already helps dreamers with free legal advice and clinics and in stopping deportations. If you have any questions, RSVP and have them answered by an immigration lawyer, don't go spending your money some where else and possibly get the wrong info.

Qualification guidelines for deferred action

With the announcement of Deferred Action, a lot of folks have been, including myself, have been wondering what the guidelines are going to be for both qualifying and applying. That being said, NO ONE SHOULD BE PAYING A LAWYER, NOTARY OR ANYONE FOR ANY KIND OF HELP OR INFORMATION YET. Once USCIS creates the application process for deferred action and work permits, that's when folks can go to trusted immigration lawyers, if they need it. For the time being USCIS has posted up Frequently Asked questions, which I have copied and pasted after the jump. I'll be sharing more info on this as things come along.

Undocumented & Permitted

If you haven't heard the news by now, on Friday June 15th the Obama administration announced that there will be new deferred action for immigrant youth who more or less fall under the umbrella of the Federal Dream Act. If you wanna read about the specifics on who and how one qualifies, follow this link to the DHS press release. As soon as the announcement was made, folks started going nuts over the news, and why shouldn't they.

I got the news myself via tweets at seven am about the announcement, I was on my way home on the bus cause I had a few drinks the night before and crashed at a friends house. At the same time, there was an action already planned for that morning at the Metropolitan Detention Center on Alameda, so things were moving fast. Not to mention that earlier this week that movie I was a part of premiered, Time magazine put out their latest issue with Dreamers and Jose Antonia Vargas on the cover, the dream movement was getting mad attention. Media was hunting us down all day for interviews, pictures, interviews etc. to get our reaction on what happened. I even ended up on live radio while the action at the detention center was still going on.

Everyday reminders

It wasn't until my friend Nancy pointed out something that was right in our faces that I took notice. Here in LA, the Metro Gold Line route passes right in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center. A few blocks away from Union Station and from the Twin Towers jail. Whether it was being able to see the detention center from the window of the train or passing by on by/car, it serves not only as a reminder of where I could end up, but where others who get caught up in the system do end up.

That's why when Nancy noticed that you can see the folks inside through the windows, it took the mind fuck to another level. Seeing the faces and hands hanging on the bars, looking out the window, it's some intense stuff. And it's even sadder to say that no one ever really notices this. Everyone is listening to music or reading a book, going on about their day on the train, never really noticing those who are imprisoned. For both Nancy and I, it's a daily reminder of why we do what we do. So no one has to end up there, locked up and stripped of your humanity.







is one that has a long history as working class families from the eastside commute west

Thoughts on Limbo video project

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-06-08/tech/tech_web_vimeo-awards-rausch_1_film-festival-award-winners-lucy-walker?_s=PM:TECH

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/82403936/