ERIC MILLER PHOTO FROM LEFT: John Carlos Frey receives a citation for diving into the All-American Canal from an Imperial County sheriff’s deputy while John Hunter waits near the hood of the sheriff’s vehicle to be issued his citation.
Multimedia
VIDEO: Activists string buoys in All-American Canal in act of civil disobedience
GALLERY: All American Canal demonstration
Director John Carlos Frey and activist John Hunter plunged into the All-American Canal to string safety buoys in an act of civil disobedience on Tuesday.“We feel we have to take matters into our own hands,” said Frey, whose film “The 800 Mile Wall” premiered yesterday.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
UNDERSTANDING THE U.S. IMMIGRATION ISSUE AND ITS RELATION TO SPIRITUALITY
A reflection on our 3rd Annual Bilingual Symposium on Immigration that was held here at MACC in October.
Written by Sr. Maria Nilda Hechanova, R.A.
Click here for document
Written by Sr. Maria Nilda Hechanova, R.A.
Click here for document
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Immigration Economic Contributions
National Immigrant Solidarity Networkwebpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.orge-mail:
For Immediate Release NEW AMERICANS IN THE HOOSIER STATE
Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians are Growing Economic and
Political Force in Indiana
November 16, 2009
Washington D.C. - The Immigration Policy Center has compiled research which shows that immigrants, Latinos, and Asians are an important part of Indiana's economy, labor force, and tax base. Immigrants and their children are a growing economic and political force as workers, consumers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs.
With the state working towards recovery, immigrants and their children will continue to play a key role in shaping the economic and political future of the Hoosier State.
Highlights from Indiana include:
Immigrants make up 4.2% of Indiana's total population.
While the margin of Latino voters in Indiana may seem small at 1.3% (or 36,000), their number was greater than the margin of victory by which the 2008 Presidential election was won in the state (28,391 votes).
More than 35% of immigrants in Indiana are naturalized U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote.
Immigrants in Indiana paid an estimated $2.3 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2007.
The purchasing power of Indiana's Latinos totaled $6.8 billion and Asians totaled $3.1 billion in 2008.
If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Indiana, the state would lose $2.8 billion in expenditures, $1.3 billion in economic output and approximately 16,700 jobs.
There is no denying the contributions immigrants, Latinos, and Asians make and the important role they will play in Indiana's political and economic future. For more data on their contributions to the Hoosier State, view the IPC fact sheet in its entirety.
New Americans in the Hoosier State (Indiana)
Read more about immigrant contributions in other states:
New Americans in the Grand Canyon State (Arizona)
New Americans in the Natural State (Arkansas)
New Americans in the Golden State (California)
New Americans in the Centennial State (Colorado)
New Americans in the Sunshine State (Florida)
New Americans in the Peach State (Georgia)
New Americans in the Prairie State (Illinois)
New Americans in the Pelican State (Louisiana)
New Americans in the Pine Tree State (Maine)
New Americans in the Great Lakes State (Michigan)
New Americans in the North Star State (Minnesota)
New Americans in the Silver State (Nevada)
New Americans in the Empire State (New York)
New Americans in the Garden State (New Jersey)
New Americans in the Tar Heel State (North Carolina)
New Americans in the Buckeye State (Ohio)
New Americans in the Keystone State (Pennsylvania)
New Americans in the Palmetto State (South Carolina)
New Americans in the Volunteer State (Tennessee)
New Americans in the Old Dominion State (Virginia)
###
For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at 202-507-7524 or wsefsaf@ailf.org
=================================================================National Immigrant Solidarity NetworkNo Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights!webpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.orge-mail: info@ImmigrantSolidarity.orgNew York: (212)330-8172Los Angeles: (213)403-0131Washington D.C.: (202)595-8990Chicago: (773)942-2268
For Immediate Release NEW AMERICANS IN THE HOOSIER STATE
Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians are Growing Economic and
Political Force in Indiana
November 16, 2009
Washington D.C. - The Immigration Policy Center has compiled research which shows that immigrants, Latinos, and Asians are an important part of Indiana's economy, labor force, and tax base. Immigrants and their children are a growing economic and political force as workers, consumers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs.
With the state working towards recovery, immigrants and their children will continue to play a key role in shaping the economic and political future of the Hoosier State.
Highlights from Indiana include:
Immigrants make up 4.2% of Indiana's total population.
While the margin of Latino voters in Indiana may seem small at 1.3% (or 36,000), their number was greater than the margin of victory by which the 2008 Presidential election was won in the state (28,391 votes).
More than 35% of immigrants in Indiana are naturalized U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote.
Immigrants in Indiana paid an estimated $2.3 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2007.
The purchasing power of Indiana's Latinos totaled $6.8 billion and Asians totaled $3.1 billion in 2008.
If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Indiana, the state would lose $2.8 billion in expenditures, $1.3 billion in economic output and approximately 16,700 jobs.
There is no denying the contributions immigrants, Latinos, and Asians make and the important role they will play in Indiana's political and economic future. For more data on their contributions to the Hoosier State, view the IPC fact sheet in its entirety.
New Americans in the Hoosier State (Indiana)
Read more about immigrant contributions in other states:
New Americans in the Grand Canyon State (Arizona)
New Americans in the Natural State (Arkansas)
New Americans in the Golden State (California)
New Americans in the Centennial State (Colorado)
New Americans in the Sunshine State (Florida)
New Americans in the Peach State (Georgia)
New Americans in the Prairie State (Illinois)
New Americans in the Pelican State (Louisiana)
New Americans in the Pine Tree State (Maine)
New Americans in the Great Lakes State (Michigan)
New Americans in the North Star State (Minnesota)
New Americans in the Silver State (Nevada)
New Americans in the Empire State (New York)
New Americans in the Garden State (New Jersey)
New Americans in the Tar Heel State (North Carolina)
New Americans in the Buckeye State (Ohio)
New Americans in the Keystone State (Pennsylvania)
New Americans in the Palmetto State (South Carolina)
New Americans in the Volunteer State (Tennessee)
New Americans in the Old Dominion State (Virginia)
###
For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at 202-507-7524 or wsefsaf@ailf.org
=================================================================National Immigrant Solidarity NetworkNo Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights!webpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.orge-mail: info@ImmigrantSolidarity.orgNew York: (212)330-8172Los Angeles: (213)403-0131Washington D.C.: (202)595-8990Chicago: (773)942-2268
Monday, November 16, 2009
Luxury, waste are unacceptable when hunger is on the rise
ROME (CNS) -- Opulence and waste are unacceptable especially when hunger -- the cruelest form of poverty -- continues to rise, Pope Benedict XVI told world leaders at a summit on food security.
The pope condemned the greed that fuels speculation on food prices, aid that debilitates agricultural production, and excessive exploitation of the earth's resources.
Pope Benedict spoke Nov. 16 during the opening session of the United Nations' World Summit on Food Security.
Click here to read more
The pope condemned the greed that fuels speculation on food prices, aid that debilitates agricultural production, and excessive exploitation of the earth's resources.
Pope Benedict spoke Nov. 16 during the opening session of the United Nations' World Summit on Food Security.
Click here to read more
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS
www.rightsofachild.com
MEDIA ADVISORY
Why hasn't the US ratified UN Convention for the Rights of the
Child (CRC)?
CONTACT:Rights of the Child USA, Jay Johnson Castro, 830 734 8636, jay@villadelrio.com
AUSTIN TX.November 20 marks the 20th anniversary of the most universally ratified of all UN human rights treaties with 193 members. Two UN member nations have abstained from ratification to date: the United States and the failed state of Somalia. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice has recently broached the subject of U.S. ratification, and Congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia) has introduced H.R. 416 which presses several human-rights issues, among them Senate ratification of Rights of the Child. It is time to correct this failure.
Rights of the Child USA is a coalition of organizations representing the interests of religious, education, health care, humanitarian, labor, legal, and social service communities nationwide with a focus on this single goal. Their activities will be reported at www.rightsofthechild.com.
The story we highlight today is the reality behind our national failure to join the world community o f good will in this action. It is this story that we ask you, the press, to highlight over the coming weeks. It encompasses complex issues, each deserving critical attention to help the American people understand their responsibility to act.
A few political organizations have succeeded in portraying the CRC as a threat to our families and our national sovereignty. Two decades of a Republican Congress, inspired by the largesse of such organizations as the Christian Coalition, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, and the National Center for Home Education, have effectively prevented the U.S. from joining -- indeed, leading -- the rest of the world in this essential initiative.
CRC simply provides guidelines to establish the basic respect a child deserves from all adults, whether relatives, teachers, or strangers. It has no power to require parents to alter their own beliefs; rather it seeks to create a climate in which any child can achieve his/her potential through a loving society. Because the treaty has been operational in most nations since 1990, a wealth of information is available to show its effect on participants (see links below).
We invite you, the Fourth Estate, to make November 2009 a special month for the child. Below are some questions we ask you to explore, with research links. We thank you for honoring your essential role by addressing the understandable fears of some Americans, thus lighting our path toward this important decision and helping us to reimagine our country's priorities about childhood.
Questions:
What is the history and background of the Convention of the Rights of the Child?
FAQ from UN: http://www.hcs.ohiou.edu/omep/docs/CRCFAQ%20Final%5B1%5D.htm AP article with comprehensive background info http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30481716/ UNICEF on CRC: http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/
How has CRC impacted countries that have adopted it?
Australia: A nation tending toward conservative leadership shows itself quite comfortable with the positive results from and lack of coercion exacted by CRC.http://www.hreoc.gov.au/human_rights/children/aus_commitment_to_children_rights.htmlChild Rights Club in Zambia: http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/Zambia_Child_Rights_Clubs_2005.pdfAnd even in Hanoi!: http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/news/story.php?d=20030709133925How do children fare in the U.S.?American Humane Assn: Annotated statistical summary of child life in America (2006).http://www.americanhumane.org/about-us/newsroom/fact-sheets/americas-children.htmlDeportation by the U.S. government of some 90,000 unaccompanied Mexican children, dumped on border. http://firedoglake.com/2008/08/14/thousands-of-children-dumped-into-squalor-by-bushs-deportation-policies/ Pennsylvania judges charged with accepting $2.8 in kickbacks to send youths to private detention centers. AP October 30, 2009; 8:48http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/30/AR2009103001089.htmlTexas: 1201 deaths from child abuse 2001-07, other stats http://www.everychildmatters.org/Texas/About/Quick-Facts.htmlHow are our children doing compared with those of other countries?Among the 30 member countries of the U.N. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, we've been rated 23rd in material well being, 24th in health and safety, and 25th in education.http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/4/43570328.pdfU.S. ranks number one for teen-age births? http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/repcard3e.pdfhttp://www.thenationalcampaign.org/national-data/teen-pregnancy-birth-rates.aspxHow do the family values of anti-ROC organizations resonate with public policy?Texas Freedom Network: http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/Kids_at_Risk_Brief.pdf?docID=283For further researchUS govt: America's Children at a Glancehttp://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/glance.aspU. WS. DHHS Administration for Children and Familieshttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#afcarsChild Welfare Information Gateway:http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfmChildren's Defense Fund: http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/The Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) http://childrightscampaign.orgAmnesty International on CRC: http://www.amnestyusa.org/crc
MEDIA ADVISORY
Why hasn't the US ratified UN Convention for the Rights of the
Child (CRC)?
CONTACT:Rights of the Child USA, Jay Johnson Castro, 830 734 8636, jay@villadelrio.com
AUSTIN TX.November 20 marks the 20th anniversary of the most universally ratified of all UN human rights treaties with 193 members. Two UN member nations have abstained from ratification to date: the United States and the failed state of Somalia. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice has recently broached the subject of U.S. ratification, and Congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia) has introduced H.R. 416 which presses several human-rights issues, among them Senate ratification of Rights of the Child. It is time to correct this failure.
Rights of the Child USA is a coalition of organizations representing the interests of religious, education, health care, humanitarian, labor, legal, and social service communities nationwide with a focus on this single goal. Their activities will be reported at www.rightsofthechild.com.
The story we highlight today is the reality behind our national failure to join the world community o f good will in this action. It is this story that we ask you, the press, to highlight over the coming weeks. It encompasses complex issues, each deserving critical attention to help the American people understand their responsibility to act.
A few political organizations have succeeded in portraying the CRC as a threat to our families and our national sovereignty. Two decades of a Republican Congress, inspired by the largesse of such organizations as the Christian Coalition, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, and the National Center for Home Education, have effectively prevented the U.S. from joining -- indeed, leading -- the rest of the world in this essential initiative.
CRC simply provides guidelines to establish the basic respect a child deserves from all adults, whether relatives, teachers, or strangers. It has no power to require parents to alter their own beliefs; rather it seeks to create a climate in which any child can achieve his/her potential through a loving society. Because the treaty has been operational in most nations since 1990, a wealth of information is available to show its effect on participants (see links below).
We invite you, the Fourth Estate, to make November 2009 a special month for the child. Below are some questions we ask you to explore, with research links. We thank you for honoring your essential role by addressing the understandable fears of some Americans, thus lighting our path toward this important decision and helping us to reimagine our country's priorities about childhood.
Questions:
What is the history and background of the Convention of the Rights of the Child?
FAQ from UN: http://www.hcs.ohiou.edu/omep/docs/CRCFAQ%20Final%5B1%5D.htm AP article with comprehensive background info http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30481716/ UNICEF on CRC: http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/
How has CRC impacted countries that have adopted it?
Australia: A nation tending toward conservative leadership shows itself quite comfortable with the positive results from and lack of coercion exacted by CRC.http://www.hreoc.gov.au/human_rights/children/aus_commitment_to_children_rights.htmlChild Rights Club in Zambia: http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/Zambia_Child_Rights_Clubs_2005.pdfAnd even in Hanoi!: http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/news/story.php?d=20030709133925How do children fare in the U.S.?American Humane Assn: Annotated statistical summary of child life in America (2006).http://www.americanhumane.org/about-us/newsroom/fact-sheets/americas-children.htmlDeportation by the U.S. government of some 90,000 unaccompanied Mexican children, dumped on border. http://firedoglake.com/2008/08/14/thousands-of-children-dumped-into-squalor-by-bushs-deportation-policies/ Pennsylvania judges charged with accepting $2.8 in kickbacks to send youths to private detention centers. AP October 30, 2009; 8:48http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/30/AR2009103001089.htmlTexas: 1201 deaths from child abuse 2001-07, other stats http://www.everychildmatters.org/Texas/About/Quick-Facts.htmlHow are our children doing compared with those of other countries?Among the 30 member countries of the U.N. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, we've been rated 23rd in material well being, 24th in health and safety, and 25th in education.http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/4/43570328.pdfU.S. ranks number one for teen-age births? http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/repcard3e.pdfhttp://www.thenationalcampaign.org/national-data/teen-pregnancy-birth-rates.aspxHow do the family values of anti-ROC organizations resonate with public policy?Texas Freedom Network: http://www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/Kids_at_Risk_Brief.pdf?docID=283For further researchUS govt: America's Children at a Glancehttp://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/glance.aspU. WS. DHHS Administration for Children and Familieshttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#afcarsChild Welfare Information Gateway:http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfmChildren's Defense Fund: http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/The Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) http://childrightscampaign.orgAmnesty International on CRC: http://www.amnestyusa.org/crc
Friday, November 13, 2009
No to Bigotry and Prejudice
Dear Carlos -Thanks to you, Lou Dobbs has hosted his last show on CNN.Last night, Dobbs announced his resignation, effective immediately.
1 This historic victory comes after you and more than 100,000 others stood up online and in communities across the country to say ¡Basta! to Dobbs' anti-Latino and anti-immigrant rhetoric. You spoke out, CNN listened, and now Dobbs is gone.This victory belongs to you, and we encourage you to share it. Dobbs' departure shows what can happen when Latinos and our allies stand up against harmful myths and negative stereotypes. And we have only just begun. Please tell your family and friends the good news, and encourage them to join the Presente.org community as we prepare for the battles ahead:http://presente.org/campaigns/dobbs_resignation/thanks?mid=1850-29008Lou Dobbs' resignation is an important milestone in the fight against bigotry and prejudice. As Dobbs himself said in his on-air announcement, there are "winds of change buffeting our country." What he neglected to add is that those winds are being generated by thousands of people who can envision a better future, and are willing to work together to achieve it. That is what Presente.org is all about.This victory signals the end of our BastaDobbs campaign, but it also marks a beginning. Just as we have spoken out against anti-Latino stereotypes on television, we will say no to policies that divide our families, and demand an end to discrimination against our communities. Together, we can help the United States reach its highest ideals. In the words of the great César Chávez:
Once social change begins it cannot be reversed...You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people that are not afraid anymore.
Thank you again for being a part of our efforts. And please share this news with your family and friends and urge them to join our growing community - the larger we grow, the more powerful we become:http://presente.org/campaigns/dobbs_resignation/thanks?mid=1850-29008Gracias and Adelante!Favianna, Roberto, Laurie and the rest of the Presente.org teamHelp support our work. Presente.org is powered by YOU - your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:https://secure.presenteaction.org/contribute/dobbsReferences1. "In Surprise, Lou Dobbs Quits CNN," New York Times, 11-11-09http://tinyurl.com/ycown8g-- Dorinda Moreno, Fuerza MundialElders of 4 Colors 4 DirectionsHitec Aztec Collaborations/FM GlobalWe Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For!<fuerzamundial@gmail.net>Corazon Del Pueblo Cultural Center4814 International Blvd.Oakland, CA 94601
1 This historic victory comes after you and more than 100,000 others stood up online and in communities across the country to say ¡Basta! to Dobbs' anti-Latino and anti-immigrant rhetoric. You spoke out, CNN listened, and now Dobbs is gone.This victory belongs to you, and we encourage you to share it. Dobbs' departure shows what can happen when Latinos and our allies stand up against harmful myths and negative stereotypes. And we have only just begun. Please tell your family and friends the good news, and encourage them to join the Presente.org community as we prepare for the battles ahead:http://presente.org/campaigns/dobbs_resignation/thanks?mid=1850-29008Lou Dobbs' resignation is an important milestone in the fight against bigotry and prejudice. As Dobbs himself said in his on-air announcement, there are "winds of change buffeting our country." What he neglected to add is that those winds are being generated by thousands of people who can envision a better future, and are willing to work together to achieve it. That is what Presente.org is all about.This victory signals the end of our BastaDobbs campaign, but it also marks a beginning. Just as we have spoken out against anti-Latino stereotypes on television, we will say no to policies that divide our families, and demand an end to discrimination against our communities. Together, we can help the United States reach its highest ideals. In the words of the great César Chávez:
Once social change begins it cannot be reversed...You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people that are not afraid anymore.
Thank you again for being a part of our efforts. And please share this news with your family and friends and urge them to join our growing community - the larger we grow, the more powerful we become:http://presente.org/campaigns/dobbs_resignation/thanks?mid=1850-29008Gracias and Adelante!Favianna, Roberto, Laurie and the rest of the Presente.org teamHelp support our work. Presente.org is powered by YOU - your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:https://secure.presenteaction.org/contribute/dobbsReferences1. "In Surprise, Lou Dobbs Quits CNN," New York Times, 11-11-09http://tinyurl.com/ycown8g-- Dorinda Moreno, Fuerza MundialElders of 4 Colors 4 DirectionsHitec Aztec Collaborations/FM GlobalWe Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For!<fuerzamundial@gmail.net>Corazon Del Pueblo Cultural Center4814 International Blvd.Oakland, CA 94601
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Migrants in detention have right to spiritual care, speakers say
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Migrants and refugees in prisons and detention centers have the same right to spiritual assistance as any other person, a U.S. bishop told a Vatican meeting.
Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration, told the Vatican's World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees that the growing number of people in U.S. detention centers has made the issue of access even more urgent.
Read more...
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Migrants and refugees in prisons and detention centers have the same right to spiritual assistance as any other person, a U.S. bishop told a Vatican meeting.
Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration, told the Vatican's World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees that the growing number of people in U.S. detention centers has made the issue of access even more urgent.
Read more...
FARMWORKERS' RIGHTS
Subject:
Farm Workers Amoung Coalition Decry Nomination of
PesticideLobbyist Nomination- Help Now!
Dear Farm worker supporter,
The Farmworker Association of Florida has asked the National Farm Worker Ministry to alert our supporters to the White House's nomination of Islam Siddiqui, current VP of science and regulatory affairs and a former lobbyist at CropLife, (which represents the chemical pesticide industry), to the critical post of U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator. Farmworker groups fighting for years to regulate pesticide use are disappointed by the White House’s action.
The Farmworker Association of Florida, which represents 6,700 farm worker families working in the tomato and citrus industries, remains disturbed by the appointment. "Siddiqui's role at USTR will not be about promoting organic products, but eliminating trade barriers for developing countries to accept toxic chemicals and pesticides," said Tirso Moreno, general coordinator for FWAF. "That is CropLife America's agenda. They continue to try to stop any international attempts to help us regulate pesticide uses. Farmworkers have the highest rate of chemical-related illnesses of any occupational group. Our community suffers from nausea, liver damage, birth defects, and cancer as a result of exposure to these poisons. For the health of farmworkers around the world, we urge that his nomination be rejected."
Please click HERE and sign the petition to President Obama urging that he withdraw the nomination of Siddiqui.
Thank you,
Bert Perry, NFWM-FL
Your pledge or one-time gift is urgently needed to keep NFWM on the streets and in the board rooms. Please give as generously as you are able.
National Farm Worker Ministry welcomes your tax-deductible donations to sustain our work in support of farm workers as they organize for empowerment, justice and equality.
Our postal address is 438 N. Skinker Blvd.St. Louis, Missouri 63130United States
Farm Workers Amoung Coalition Decry Nomination of
PesticideLobbyist Nomination- Help Now!
Dear Farm worker supporter,
The Farmworker Association of Florida has asked the National Farm Worker Ministry to alert our supporters to the White House's nomination of Islam Siddiqui, current VP of science and regulatory affairs and a former lobbyist at CropLife, (which represents the chemical pesticide industry), to the critical post of U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator. Farmworker groups fighting for years to regulate pesticide use are disappointed by the White House’s action.
The Farmworker Association of Florida, which represents 6,700 farm worker families working in the tomato and citrus industries, remains disturbed by the appointment. "Siddiqui's role at USTR will not be about promoting organic products, but eliminating trade barriers for developing countries to accept toxic chemicals and pesticides," said Tirso Moreno, general coordinator for FWAF. "That is CropLife America's agenda. They continue to try to stop any international attempts to help us regulate pesticide uses. Farmworkers have the highest rate of chemical-related illnesses of any occupational group. Our community suffers from nausea, liver damage, birth defects, and cancer as a result of exposure to these poisons. For the health of farmworkers around the world, we urge that his nomination be rejected."
Please click HERE and sign the petition to President Obama urging that he withdraw the nomination of Siddiqui.
Thank you,
Bert Perry, NFWM-FL
Your pledge or one-time gift is urgently needed to keep NFWM on the streets and in the board rooms. Please give as generously as you are able.
National Farm Worker Ministry welcomes your tax-deductible donations to sustain our work in support of farm workers as they organize for empowerment, justice and equality.
Our postal address is 438 N. Skinker Blvd.St. Louis, Missouri 63130United States
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Pope Benedict: Immigrants can make important contributions to society
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- People should not look upon immigrants as problems, but as fellow brothers and sisters who can be valuable contributors to society, Pope Benedict XVI said.
The migration of peoples represents a chance "to highlight the unity of the human family and the value of welcoming, hospitality and love for one's neighbor," he said Nov. 9.
Read more
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- People should not look upon immigrants as problems, but as fellow brothers and sisters who can be valuable contributors to society, Pope Benedict XVI said.
The migration of peoples represents a chance "to highlight the unity of the human family and the value of welcoming, hospitality and love for one's neighbor," he said Nov. 9.
Read more
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Halloween vs Respect to Human Dignity
Thank everyone for honoring "The Day of the Dead/Dia De Los Muertos", events, as the voices of our past that are always present and bringing the richness of our lives, our ancestors, raizes, cultural organizations, costumbres, and making our tomorrows full with their memories and accomplishments bringer joy and laughter in remembrance and convivio sagrado danzando con los espiritus de nuestra familia grande.
On 10/21/09, Carlos Munoz, Jr. <cmjr@berkeley.edu> wrote:
Illegal Alien Costume a Teaching, not a Laughing Matter by Amalia Pallares / October 21st, 2009
I have found the silver lining in a very dark cloud. The illegal alien costume sold online by Target and Walgreens has, in its profound despicability, provided me with an opportunity to teach my children about the value of truth and human dignity.
Halloween is my favorite holiday. My kids and I get to pretend that we are somebody else, wear a crazy costume, shock and surprise people for one day and then safely return to the comfort of our homes, our lives and our personal identities. What I will tell my children that we don't get to do is mock the experiences of millions of members of our communities by perpetuating the lies and stereotypes as reflected in the illegal alien costume. While some have observed that the extraterrestrial mask dehumanizes undocumented immigrants, perhaps even more dehumanizing is the creation of a generic costume that suggests that all undocumented immigrants are not only criminals but that they are all the same, indistinguishable. The "funny" part is the combination of an obviously fake green card that cannot disguise the alien status, which is evident in the mask, get it? The "alien" is simultaneously trying to slip one by but not smart enough to outwit the state, and is therefore imprisoned. End of story.
Absent from this generic orange pantsuit story are the complicated personal, social and political experiences of real human beings facing difficult circumstances with extraordinary courage. Absent are the specific experiences of the Guatemalan workers of a kosher meat plant who were arrested in a raid in Postville, Iowa in 2007 and unjustly charged with identity theft, despite the fact that most did not even know what a social security card was. Absent is the story of Flor Crisóstomo, a factory worker turned activist who was arrested in a raid in Chicago in 2006 and sought sanctuary in a Methodist church in 2008, which she just left his week - at risk of deportation - to continue a new phase in the struggle for the rights of all undocumented immigrants. Absent is Rigo Padilla, a model student and community member who came to the U.S. as a young boy, committed the youthful indiscretion of drinking a few beers at a party and then upon driving a few blocks back to his house, was stopped by police, and is now facing deportation to a country that he barely remembers. Also absent from this story is a state that has been far from benevolent or neutral, importing labor from south of the border while failing to find a just way in which to regularize and legalize this flow; attempting to criminalize undocumented immigrants when they have only committed a civil violation; empowering local police to act as immigration officers, leading to the deportation of thousands of people who are racially profiled, stopped for minor infractions and then deported; and placing detained immigrants with common criminals in privatized prisons, where they often face harsh conditions and egregious human rights violations. The truth is that I know too many faces, too many names, too many stories of detention, deportation, family separation and pain to "get" the generic illegal alien joke. Perhaps you know some too. It is time to teach our children that there is nothing laughable about the uncertain fate of 12 million people and their families in a context of increasingly restrictive immigration policy, egregious human rights violations, massive fear, annual family separation and financial devastation of hundreds of thousands who are not wearing a mask, but are in fact exposed and vulnerable every day of their lives, cannot escape their circumstances, and cannot rely on the comfort provided by slipping out of a costume. This year just before Halloween, I will do something different. I will take my boys to the national Mexican Museum here in Chicago to visit the altars created to commemorate the Day of the Dead, a Mexican tradition designed to remember a person who is no longer with us, allowing us to reflect on the inevitability of death while contemplating the precious value of life. There, we will remember not only the dead in our families, but the 104 immigrants who have died in detention, the thousands of people who have died trying to cross the border, and the two young immigrant men who were beaten to death for being immigrants, Luis Ramirez of Pennsylvania, and Marcelo Lucero of New Jersey.
I will tell my sons that these people were human, not alien, that their lives were as valuable as any others and that their tragic deaths should never be forgotten, not even on trick-or -treat day. I want them to learn that there are some things that we just don't laugh about.Amalia Pallares is Associate Professor of Political Science & Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Read other articles by Amalia.--
Dr. Carlos Muñoz, Jr.
Professor Emeritus
Department of Ethnic Studies
510-642-9134
http://ethnicstudies.berkeley.edu/faculty/munoz/
"Life is struggle and struggle is life,
but be mindful that Victory is in the Struggle"
- Carlos Muñoz, Jr.
On 10/21/09, Carlos Munoz, Jr. <cmjr@berkeley.edu> wrote:
Illegal Alien Costume a Teaching, not a Laughing Matter by Amalia Pallares / October 21st, 2009
I have found the silver lining in a very dark cloud. The illegal alien costume sold online by Target and Walgreens has, in its profound despicability, provided me with an opportunity to teach my children about the value of truth and human dignity.
Halloween is my favorite holiday. My kids and I get to pretend that we are somebody else, wear a crazy costume, shock and surprise people for one day and then safely return to the comfort of our homes, our lives and our personal identities. What I will tell my children that we don't get to do is mock the experiences of millions of members of our communities by perpetuating the lies and stereotypes as reflected in the illegal alien costume. While some have observed that the extraterrestrial mask dehumanizes undocumented immigrants, perhaps even more dehumanizing is the creation of a generic costume that suggests that all undocumented immigrants are not only criminals but that they are all the same, indistinguishable. The "funny" part is the combination of an obviously fake green card that cannot disguise the alien status, which is evident in the mask, get it? The "alien" is simultaneously trying to slip one by but not smart enough to outwit the state, and is therefore imprisoned. End of story.
Absent from this generic orange pantsuit story are the complicated personal, social and political experiences of real human beings facing difficult circumstances with extraordinary courage. Absent are the specific experiences of the Guatemalan workers of a kosher meat plant who were arrested in a raid in Postville, Iowa in 2007 and unjustly charged with identity theft, despite the fact that most did not even know what a social security card was. Absent is the story of Flor Crisóstomo, a factory worker turned activist who was arrested in a raid in Chicago in 2006 and sought sanctuary in a Methodist church in 2008, which she just left his week - at risk of deportation - to continue a new phase in the struggle for the rights of all undocumented immigrants. Absent is Rigo Padilla, a model student and community member who came to the U.S. as a young boy, committed the youthful indiscretion of drinking a few beers at a party and then upon driving a few blocks back to his house, was stopped by police, and is now facing deportation to a country that he barely remembers. Also absent from this story is a state that has been far from benevolent or neutral, importing labor from south of the border while failing to find a just way in which to regularize and legalize this flow; attempting to criminalize undocumented immigrants when they have only committed a civil violation; empowering local police to act as immigration officers, leading to the deportation of thousands of people who are racially profiled, stopped for minor infractions and then deported; and placing detained immigrants with common criminals in privatized prisons, where they often face harsh conditions and egregious human rights violations. The truth is that I know too many faces, too many names, too many stories of detention, deportation, family separation and pain to "get" the generic illegal alien joke. Perhaps you know some too. It is time to teach our children that there is nothing laughable about the uncertain fate of 12 million people and their families in a context of increasingly restrictive immigration policy, egregious human rights violations, massive fear, annual family separation and financial devastation of hundreds of thousands who are not wearing a mask, but are in fact exposed and vulnerable every day of their lives, cannot escape their circumstances, and cannot rely on the comfort provided by slipping out of a costume. This year just before Halloween, I will do something different. I will take my boys to the national Mexican Museum here in Chicago to visit the altars created to commemorate the Day of the Dead, a Mexican tradition designed to remember a person who is no longer with us, allowing us to reflect on the inevitability of death while contemplating the precious value of life. There, we will remember not only the dead in our families, but the 104 immigrants who have died in detention, the thousands of people who have died trying to cross the border, and the two young immigrant men who were beaten to death for being immigrants, Luis Ramirez of Pennsylvania, and Marcelo Lucero of New Jersey.
I will tell my sons that these people were human, not alien, that their lives were as valuable as any others and that their tragic deaths should never be forgotten, not even on trick-or -treat day. I want them to learn that there are some things that we just don't laugh about.Amalia Pallares is Associate Professor of Political Science & Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Read other articles by Amalia.--
Dr. Carlos Muñoz, Jr.
Professor Emeritus
Department of Ethnic Studies
510-642-9134
http://ethnicstudies.berkeley.edu/faculty/munoz/
"Life is struggle and struggle is life,
but be mindful that Victory is in the Struggle"
- Carlos Muñoz, Jr.
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