{"article":{"id":223970,"heading":"Immigration Reform Possible-CDIR","author":"Echo Park Community Coalition (EPCC)","created":"2009-01-20 15:40:26","modified":"2013-11-11 00:59:41","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 07:59:41","article":"

CDIR Update 101

January 18.2009

U.S. immigration reform could happen in September: activists hopes

Los Angeles. —The Coalition in Defense of Immigrant Rights (CDIR) based in Los Angeles learned through immigrat rights sources that immigration reform can happen during the Obama adminstration.

After two failed attempts in 2006 and 2007, immigration reform could finally be pushed through both houses of the US Congress starting in September, civil rights activists said. \"We are confident and very optimistic that there’s likely to be a big window of opportunity between September 2009 and March 2010,” America’s Voice pro-reform group director Frank Sharry said in a telephone conference.

As he spoke another immigrant rights conference is being planned in February in Chicago, Illinois. Immigrant Rights

This was confirmed by the CDIR-USA Coordinator Arturo P. Garcia from People's CORE.

Group Ready

“I think that would be a good time simply because there are no federal elections going on, and beyond that, it is really important for us to get this really done at a time when we do not have huge immigration rhetoric going on around the nation,” said Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archbishop Roger Mahony, an ardent immigrant rights advocate.

Meanwhile, Janet Murguia, president of La Raza, the country’s main Hispanic lobby group, was hopeful immigration reform would be approved during the 111th Congress that started last week. After the November 4 general elections, Democrats are comfortably in control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The last immigration reform proposal in 2007 sailed through the House but stumbled in the Senate, where it came up one short of the required two-thirds or 60 vote majority. Some 12 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, most of them from Latin America, making Hispanics the largest minority group in the country

Living and working conditions for illegal immigrants have worsened under the strict controls and rules of the Department of Homeland Security, which President George W. Bush created after the September 11, 2001 attacks. In any case, “migration reform starts with President Obama’s leadership,” said Sharry referring to president-elect Barack Obama who will take over from Bush at the White House on January 20. “

When the president is ready, we will be ready,” said National Immigration Forum director Ali Noroani also referring to Obama. The last, failed immigration reform legislation in 2007 would have given legal status and a path to citizenship for all illegal immigrants. The latest immigration bill failed largely because of widespread disagreement among its sponsors, the rights activists concurred at the telephone press conference.

Murguia said a lot of the work for immigration reform has already been completed inside and outside Congress. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid on Wednesday presented his legislative agenda for the new Congress and said immigration reform was one of its top ten priorities.

Since we are in a vacuum now with the immigration reform,” said Mahony, “what is happening is that all this piecemeal that is being passed all across the country by cities, counties, states, is extremely unhelpful. “It is creating division and fear.”

Public Housing Bans Immigrants

In a related development, a government study reveals that hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are stealing away housing benefits from citizens. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, some 29,570 people, or 0.4 percent of all those in federally funded housing are “ineligible non-citizens.”

This means that undocumented aliens live in public housing while many legal residents are stuck waiting years for a spot. Illegal immigrants make up a tiny portion of the 7.1 million people in federal housing. But authorities say there could be more. The “squatting” tenants may be visitors on temporary visas, such as highly educated professionals or college students.

The issue of illegal residency on public housing shot to national headlines when Zeituni Onyango, an aunt of President-elect Obama, who was found last November living in Boston public housing while in the country illegally. Obama’s father is a native of Kenya.

The federal government, which funds the bulk of the nation’s public housing, requires only that illegal immigrants share a home with at least one family member who is in the country legally and pay their share of the rent.

for more information about cdir contact Jerry Esguerra at ( 818)749 0272 or email at epcc_la@hotmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n","contact":"epcc_la@hotmail.com","link":"","address":"337 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026","phone":"213-241-0995","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"The Coalition in Defense of Immigrant Rights (CDIR) based in Los Angeles learned through immigrat rights sources that immigration reform can happen during the Obama adminstration. \r\n\r\nAfter two failed attempts in 2006 and 2007, immigration reform could finally be pushed through both houses of the US Congress starting in September, civil rights activists said. "We are confident and very optimistic that there\u2019s likely to be a big window of opportunity between September 2009 and March 2010,\u201d America\u2019s Voice pro-reform group director Frank Sharry said in a telephone conference. \r\n\r\nAs he spoke another immigrant rights conference is being planned in February in Chicago, Illinois. Immigrant Rights \r\nThis was confirmed by the CDIR-USA Coordinator Arturo P. Garcia from People's CORE. \r\n\r\n","numcomment":1,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2009\/01\/223970.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":223996,"heading":"Nuevo Plan de Aztlan","article":"Nuevo Plan de Aztlan \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWHEREAS, We the Chicanas y Chicanos of the United States of America honor our Native American heritage with all our hearts and minds; \r\n\r\nWHEREAS, We the Chicanas y Chicanos of the United States of America honor the sacred call of our Native American ancestors for peace and justice throughout our Americas; and \r\n\r\nWHEREAS, We the Chicanas y Chicanos of the United States of America recognize La Raza has been struggling with a new wave of racial harassment, discrimination and persecution in our Americas since September 11, 2001. \r\n\r\nNOW THEREFORE, We the Chicanos y Chicanos of the United States of America resolve as follows: \r\n\r\nSECTION 1. TITLE \r\n\r\nThis resolution may be cited as Nuevo Plan de Aztlan. \r\n\r\nSECTION 2. TERMINOLOGY \r\n\r\nNuevo Plan de Aztlan is based on the following terms: \r\n\r\na) Americanas y Americanos \r\n\r\nAmericanas y Americanos are ALL AMERICANS regardless of our races, colors, languages, cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, religions or creeds. \r\n\r\nb) Aztlan \r\n\r\nThe concept of Aztlan is derived from the Nahua history of the Mexicas before their southern migration from Norte America into Centro Mexico during the 11th Century. Aztlan today is Indigenas of Mexican-American and(or) Mexican descent who consider ourselves Chicanas y Chicanos regardless of where we were born, live or die. \r\n\r\nc) Carnalismo \r\n\r\nCarnalismo is the love and compassion Chicanas y Chicanos have for each other as carnalas y carnales (sisters and brothers). Carnalismo is what unites and strengthens Chicanas y Chicanos as we work together for peace and justice. \r\n\r\nd) Chicanas y Chicanos\r\n\r\nChicanas y Chicanos are Indigenas of Mexican-American and(or) Mexican descent who consider ourselves Chicanas y Chicanos based on our Native American heritage. \r\n\r\ne) El Movimiento \r\n\r\nEl Movimiento is the Chicana y Chicano Movement for peace and justice. El Movimiento is comprised of numerous academic, athletic, artistic, business, commercial, cultural, educational, political, recreational, social, spiritual, wholistic and other Chicana y Chicano organizations and individuals working for peace and justice throughout Aztlan, our Americas and the world. \r\n\r\nf) Heritage \r\n\r\nOur Native American heritage includes our ancestral lands and freedoms; and all the histories, cultures, traditions and mores of our Native American ancestors. \r\n\r\ng) Indigenas \r\n\r\nOften called Native Americans or American Indians, Indigenas are all the indigenous peoples of our Americas including those of mixed-race heritage like La Raza. \r\n\r\nh) La Causa \r\n\r\nLa Causa is for peace and justice, the eternal cause of Chicanas y Chicanos who recognize there can be no true peace without true justice, i.e., the abolition of poverty, racism, sexism and all other injusticias in our Americas. \r\n\r\ni) La Raza \r\n\r\nChicanas y Chicanos can be Black, White, Brown, Red, Yellow and(or) any other \u201cskin color\u201d like the rest of La Raza and the human race. The concept of La Raza was derived from a 1925 essay published by Jose Vasconcelos, a Mexican educator who called the millions of mixed-race Indigenas with Latin-American and(or) Latin-European ancestors La Raza Cosmica. \r\n\r\nLa Raza is comprised of every race, color, nationality, ethnicity, culture, language, religion and creed in the world. This rich diversity is the unifying power, force and strength of Chicanas y Chicanos, and of all La Raza as we grow to know, understand and honor our great heritage. \r\n\r\nj) Latinas y Latinos\r\n\r\nLatinas y Latinos of our Americas are Indigenas with a Latin-American and(or) Latin-European heritage. Millions of Latinas y Latinos also have African, Asian and other Non-Latino ancestors. \r\n\r\nk) Racism \r\n\r\n\u00b7Racial categories are crude labels based on parentage, genetics and(or) physical traits, not religious or scientific proof of one\u2019s superior or inferior nature like racists believe. \r\n\r\n\u00b7Racism is the belief one or more \u201craces\u201d are inherently \u201csuperior\u201d to one or more other races. [Example: Many Americans believe \u201cWhite people\u201d are inherently superior to \u201cNon-White people\u201d and that \u201cBlack people\u201d are inherently inferior to all other people.] \r\n\r\n\u00b7Racism includes the belief \u201cmixed-race\u201d people like La Raza are inferior to those with birth parents of the same race. \u201cRace-mixing\u201d is still condemned by racists today. \u00b7 Indigenas were considered savages (less-than-human) when Europeans first invaded and occupied our Americas. "Christianized" and(or) otherwise assimilated Indigenas are still considered inferior by today\u2019s racists. \r\n\r\n\u00b7Racists are not just poor or poorly educated citizens, there are wealthy and highly educated racists throughout government and society who strive to protect and preserve their privileged status via institutional, industrial and commercial racism. Racists are not just White, either; there are Brown, Black, Red, Asian and other racists, too. \r\n\r\n\u00b7The racist imposition of the colonial English language on Indigenas continues to cause horrendous problems for Chicanas y Chicanos in education, employment and virtually all other aspects of life in the U.S. Laws, rules and regulations are selectively enforced by local, state and federal institutions against La Raza, as English is used as a weapon to deprive Chicanas y Chicanos of liberty, equality and justice throughout our lives. \r\n\r\n\u00b7Private industry (\u201cfree enterprise\u201d) also causes havoc for Chicanas y Chicanos by perpetuating racist stereotypes and beliefs about La Raza for profit and gain. [Example: Mass media and the \u201centertainment\u201d industries commercialize racist stereotypes and beliefs about Latinas y Latinos throughout the world, while pretending to be \u201cspreading freedom and democracy\u201d alongside the Pentagon.] \r\n\r\nl) Terrorist(s)\r\n\r\nA terrorist or terrorists are human beings who use unwarranted violence and(or) the threat of violence to kill, rob, rape, torture, imprison or otherwise impose their will over other human beings. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSECTION 3. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE \r\n\r\nNuevo Plan de Aztlan addresses the alarming attacks orchestrated against Indigenas throughout Norte America since September 11, 2001 (9\/11). U.S. officials are using La Raza as a scapegoat or smokescreen to distract or divert attention away from their heinous war crimes in the Middle East. \r\n\r\nAccording to their domestic propaganda, the \u201creal problem\u201d and therefore actual enemy or threat to national security is Mexicans and other Indigenas \u201cinvading\u201d Norte America, not the Pentagon killing, torturing, maiming, imprisoning and destroying other indigenous peoples' lives in faraway lands. \r\n\r\n\r\n Thousands of racist media, vigilante, \u201chomeland security\u201d and other hostile actions have been executed against Indigenas since 9\/11, as tens of thousands of these indigent men, women and children have been rounded up and herded out of Norte America like cattle. \r\n\r\nSECTION 4. HISTORICAL ANALYSIS \r\n\r\nIndigenas have suffered centuries of injusticias including genocide, rape, torture, mayhem, kidnapping, slavery, peonage, poverty, homelessness and groundless imprisonment at the hands of the original European invaders and occupiers of our Americas. \r\n\r\nThe offspring of these European terrorists expect Chicanas y Chicanos to ignore or forget this true account of their ancestors\u2019 horrendous atrocities, as if these abominations against our Native American ancestors never occurred or mattered. \r\n\r\nAs English imperialism via the U.S. government seeks to conquer the entire world, La Raza is increasingly faced with discriminatory law enforcement, housing, education, employment, healthcare, mass media, entertainment and other racist industrial, commercial and institutional policies and practices, especially since 9\/11. \r\n\r\nThe offspring of the European terrorists who originally stole our ancestral lands are guilty of receiving this stolen property. Receiving stolen property is no less a crime than stealing it. These aliens remain in denial as they continue to exploit, oppress and otherwise deprive us of our ancestral lands and freedoms from generation-to-generation much like their terrorist ancestors did against our ancestors for the past few centuries. \r\n\r\nU.S. racists are now working to outlaw MEChA and other Movimiento organizations being blamed for \u201ctoo many Mexicans\u201d and other Indigenas in Norte America today. Local, state and federal government agencies have also made it extremely difficult for the Partido de La Raza Unida to rise politically against this institutionalized harassment, discrimination and persecution in any significant way. \r\n\r\nThese same racists oppose Chicana y Chicano Studies, affirmative action, financial aid, bilingual and multicultural education, ethnic studies, fair housing, equal employment opportunities and all other ways and means of attempting to create level playing fields for La Raza, as if the U.S. only belongs to Anglo-Americans and everyone else is a second-class citizen at best. \r\n\r\nSECTION 5. MEXICO, CENTRO Y SUR AMERICA \r\n\r\nThe 21st Century campaign against Mexicans in the U.S.is also aimed at Chicanas y Chicanos since we are all familia. Chicanas y Chicanos have a natural, inherent or innate relationship with Mexicanas y Mexicanos because of our common Native American heritage that is everlasting.Other Indigenas throughout our Americas are suffering from these racist attacks too. \r\n\r\nWe are all being treated as a threat or potential threat to national security by the racist U.S. government at the local, state, federal and international level. \r\n\r\nSECTION 6. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES \r\n\r\na) We the Chicanas y Chicanos of the United States of America must reach beyond nationalism to establish and(or) coalesce with parallel movements of other Indigenas united around our multilingual, multiracial and multicultural heritage throughout our Americas and on outlying islands. \r\n\r\nb) El Movimiento\u2019s mass communication, organization and mobilization initiatives call for Chicanas y Chicanos to join forces with all La Raza against our common exploiters and oppressors because we cannot be free unless and until all La Raza is free.\r\n\r\nc) Economic justice cannot be achieved without social and political justice. La Raza must join together as an international union of Indigenas to work for this justicia as opposed to permitting the racists to continue to exploit and oppress La Raza via commercial, industrial and institutional racism from generation-to-generation. \r\n\r\nd) This indigenous union must ensure liberty, equality and justice for all Americanas y Americanos so We can all live, work and travel freely in peace and justice throughout our Americas for so long as the rivers flow. \r\n\r\ne) The first priority of our new union is to abolish poverty, racism and sexism throughout our Americas. \r\n\r\nf) This union must ensure all workers in our Americas receive good jobs and compensation so that all Americanas y Americanos can have nice homes in safe and secure neighborhoods and communities. People unable to work will also have nice homes in these safe and secure neighborhoods and communities because no one will live in poverty or homelessness in our Americas except by her or his own choosing. \r\n\r\ng) We the Chicanas y Chicanos of the United States of America must ensure our children learn about our indigenous ancestors, at home and in all the schools, colleges and universities of our Americas so they and future generations will know, understand and honor our Native American heritage. \r\n\r\nNOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, We the Chicanas y Chicanos of the United States of America will live our daily lives in accordance with Nuevo Plan de Aztlan to the best of our abilities. \r\n\r\nBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, We the Chicanas y Chicanos of the United States of America will encourage Chicana y Chicano organizations everywhere to review, adopt and incorporate Nuevo Plan de Aztlan into their own missions, goals and objectives so all Indigenas can stand united against the new wave of racial harassment, discrimination and persecution La Raza faces in the 21st Century. \r\n\r\nCopyright 2008 Internet Mecha. Nuevo Plan de Aztlan may be reproduced, republished and disseminated freely.\r\n\r\n","author":"Ruben Botello","parent_id":223970,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2009-01-21 19:48:46","modified":"2013-11-11 00:59:41","fileurl":""}]}