Queer, Latinx y Coraje - Somos Orlando

The last few weeks have been incredibly difficult for me. Sorrow, grief, frustration, sadness, loneliness, anger. Things have not been "well with my soul" .

Where do I go to? Who are my friends? Where is my family? Where is my safe space? Who am I? Why am I here?

Tengo Coraje...I am angry.

These have been my feelings and questions the past several weeks as a person of color, a person of faith, as a Latinx and as a Queer Latinx who calls Columbus, Ohio his home.

In the midst of tragedy and loss, of sorrow, of anger, I go inside. Deep inside myself where I painfully experience the full weight of these emotions and questions.

In my process of going inside, I’ve had conversations with other Queer Latinx, with friends, with allies and it has become clear once again that many of us are carrying the weight of these questions.

But be clear, I’m talking about the weight of these questions as a so called, "marginalized people". As brown people, as Queer Brown people, as Communities of Color. Often it feels like we have no place to go and often it is because we don’t, especially right here in Columbus, Ohio.

I never speak for my community but I feel right sharing that this is an incredibly difficult moment in the Queer Latinx community. We are in deep pain. We are in deep sorrow.

Oscar Montero, Enrique Rios, Javier Reyes. Jean Rodriquez. Rodolfo Anaya. Juan Velasquez, Juan Guerrero, Frank Hernandez, Juan Martinez, Simon Fernandez, Martin Torres, Peter Gonzalez- Cruz

These are but a few names of lives lost forever. I may not know them but I recognize their surnames and their faces. These are Latinx who were mostly Puerto Rican, some had partners, some died with their partners, some were there on the “down low”…exploring who they really are through music, dance, color and collective community and in secrecy. Some had children and some were undocumented migrants.

Black, Brown, and White they were. Most were Latino, Latinx...Black, Brown, White.

There are so many complexities to this tragedy most of us aren’t hearing, considering, understanding and certainly not inviting the space for conversation and grief.

Spaces, like at Pulse Latino nights are sacred spaces for our community still. They’re spaces of respite, of safety, of camaraderie, of community of solidaridad. Because we don’t have other spaces for this. Other places that play our music and where we dance merengue, bachata and cumbias. Places where we can dance to our music, in our language: literally or metaphorically. These are places where we find our Queer Familia because often our family does not accept us or those we love as partners.

Mainstream White Gay organizations expect us to acculturate to some kind of white gayness that erases who we really are while they exploit our intellect, culture and story. They include our story as an after thought or when convenient to their campaigns. There are few gay organizational spaces that provide relevant and real time specific programming/services for basic things we need.

Often we are not welcome in places like churches, temples, mosques, places of faith. And if we are, we have to protest loudly to be invited, to be included.

So places like Pulse become sacred spaces, they become the pulse of our identity. Now these spaces are threatened, now we have to think twice before we enter these spaces, when they’re already far and few between, when we’re already under vigilance. When we’re already over policed, when we’re already feeling that our lives are threatened due to state violence, interpersonal violence, domestic violence, gun violence, racism, deportation, gentrification, arrest.

Now, now, NOW...Where do we go?

All this is happening amidst a growing conservative movement that has demonized us, names us as public enemies in our own hometowns and homes and draws the blueprint for white supremacist, homophobic, and transphobic attacks, violence, and now extermination that many of us have been fighting. But also, it's happening amidst a neo-liberal movement when our "progressive" allies appropriate our identity, culture, labor and resources for their profit for our vote and for preserving their power.

Meanwhile the media gets the story wrong by ignoring racialized violence based on gender and sexuality and replacing it with profit-driven motives that rely on inaccurate racialized profiles of Islam and Muslims. erasing the Latinx thread to this story.

The good news is that our community of Latinx are resilient. We will keep pushing, fighting, agitating and creating our own spaces of power, inclusion and respite. This resiliency comes from many places. For some of us it comes from faith. Faith in ourselves, faith in our families, faith in our history, our culture, faith in the hope and love that is in our blood, our body, our soul and our story as a people.

Our liberation and freedom will come from a collective resistance. One that intersects with all fights for freedom. That's what a Latinx is to me.

Today, I amplify the stories of our people, both the living and the dead. I’m here because I know that queer people. Latinx people, people of faith (however you define that) are brave, we are strong, we are resilient. But this is also a call to action embedded in power filled questions:

What will it take to build a safety many of us have never experienced?

What would we need to call on each other instead of the police?

What would it take to have saved every person inside of Pulse?

How do we hold the cultural and political architects of this deliberate tragedy accountable?

What’s it going to take to start or continue with this fight right here in Columbus, Ohio?

What will victory look, smell, sound, taste and feel like?

What are you willing to do? To give up, to make it happen?

As the national media winds blow to the next story, I pray we will continue to ask ourselves these questions. We must keep learning, side by side with each other and all with those affected by this tragedy.

In Spanish the word "Coraje" means 1) ANGER but it also means 2) COURAGE. We must hold the corroboration and collusion of these emotions.

As for me, I will continue, to fight until things are "well with my soul" and with the soul of my community.

Soy #Queer y #Latinx #HastaLaVictoriaSiempre

My Personal Voter Guide for #ColumbusOHIO

So the election is tomorrow, November 3, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. This election has caught my attention and interest for many reasons. First and foremost as an organizer/activist for justice, I feel as though too many have been left out of the well known Columbus growth and development. I ride my bike or the COTA bus and I see it. I speak to people and I hear it. I regularly receive calls from those in poverty or on the brink of poverty usually in low wage jobs. I have homeless friends. I hear it in private and personal conversations with people caught outside of the system and even those caught inside the system.

Recently, at an action we organized at a Andrew Ginther For Mayor big money fundraiser. A Democratic Party political operative who I have known for a while came out to say hello to me. Anytime someone says hello, it is in part a radical act but his words were telling of those caught up in the system. In part he said something like this:

"I don't understand or agree with where you're coming from or your tactics and message but I will say that you will not win, you will never win."

I've thought about his comment a lot. In the context of the entrenchment of the political party system in our society, he may very well be correct. In fact, this is why I left that rat race. Corporate money interest within the Democrats and Republicans is not a place that liberation for the poor will win. So my friend is correct, it is not a game that I will win. But what he clearly does not realize is; We are not playing that game. We are fighting against it.

Winning is pushing, disturbing, interrupting and forcing the uncomfortable questions. Winning is changing the narrative to focus on all people, not just those with money therefore influence and power. Winning is protesting with a plan. Winning is being with the people that are struggling to exist and survive. The win is in the fight.

I will vote tomorrow and for me I am voting as a way to further disturb the system. I am voting because I have a voice. I will not take a Democratic party sample ballot with because the Franklin County Democratic Party is the power that many of us are fighting against.

I promised many my personal recommendation on the elections in Columbus. If you have any questions, just let me know. Here they are:

For School Board: (Vote for 4 only)

- Bernadine Kennedy Kent

- Tina Pierce

- Mary Jo Hudson

- Shawna Gibbs

For City Columbus City Council: (Vote for 4 only)

- John Rush

- Bessah Sharrrah

- Ibrahima Sow

- Jaiza Page

Write In

- Joe Motil

For Mayor

- Zach Scott

Racism, Classism and Bigotry in "Olde Towne East" Moving Forward in the Near East Side

Race and Class Bigotry

A few days ago, I was riding my bike home from the public library in the Near East Side in Columbus, Ohio. I love this ride because I ride leisurely and I never come back the same way. I ride through the streets and alleys like a child exploring. I appreciate the experience fully. Those who know me, know this is how I live my life, being in the present moment.

Somewhere between Bryden and Oak streets in an alley, I noticed a car coming out of a garage onto the alley in back of me. When the driver blared his horn several times, it became apparent that the driver did not appreciate a bicycle slowing him down. As he passed me, I noticed he was a white male and he looked directly at me and yelled something like, "Quit blocking the road you Fucking Mexican".

I have 'internalized* my racial identity (William E. Cross: Stages of Identity) and have a strong sense of who I am as a Latinx and a POC. But every time I hear a derogatory reference to my ethnicity it is shocking and piercing. This time even more so since it was in my neighborhood. I was very upset and angry and yelled back at him as he sped ahead. I rode home and pretty much forgot about it because I have encountered this type of reference to my ethnicity all of my life. It is a constant reminder of race and class in our society, even in seemly safe spaces and neighborhoods. It was a reminder that we do not live in a post racial society.

The very next day, my partner Nick and I met a friend for conversation and drink at a local establishment not far from where we live. We were having a good time and at some point I excused myself to go to the restroom. The restroom was busy and I started looking at the art display in the hallway. As I was doing this, another male patron started to talk to me about the art. He had moved into the neighborhood recently and was considering buying some of the art for his new home. We chatted in a very friendly way as we continued to view the art which we both appreciated.

He shared that he loved living in "Olde Towne East". I told him that I live in the neighborhood and like it as well. He continued: "I love living in 'Olde Towne East' because it's about community and people working together for common good." Then he stepped closer and looked at me in the eye and continued; "There's only one thing...the Blacks have to go".

I was floored and my heart sunk. Suddenly, I did not know where I was. Like being a stranger in my own home.

He continued..."Don't you agree? They (Blacks) are in my neighborhood and they are nothing but trouble, we can't have them here".

My first instinct was to engage and push him on his statement. I said something like, "No I don't agree with you". He moved closer to me and began to further explicate his point. I quickly realized this was not the time or space to engage him. I began to feel unsafe at a local business in my neighborhood that I have been to many times where I have always been treated with respect. I found a way to excuse myself and returned to my table. I decided I would get a picture of him and my immediate reaction was to expose his face and comments somehow.

Within hours of each other and in the neighbor I've lived in for 16 years, I experienced bigotry towards me and towards who I am as a Person of Color.

I thought long and hard about how to share my experience. I have a responsibility to do so and I did have a picture of him.

I decided not to use a picture of this man and use a picture of the recently painted mural on the side of another local establishment. Choosing this mural was purposeful because I wanted to point out the meta systemtic issue: racism, classism, bigotry. For many in this neighborhood, the well branded name: "Olde Towne East", is a constant reminder of this. Many of us prefer to use "The Near East Side" when referring to our neighborhood. Historically, this is more accurate and comes without the Anglo-Saxon version of the spelling of Old Town. Many good people, even those who see themselves as "progressive" don't recognize or understand this fully.

Re-naming and re-branding is often the beginning stages of gentrifying a community.

It's important to make clear that the use of the, "Welcome to Olde Towne East" mural in the meme is not specifically related to the business owner (s) who commissioned it or the artists who painted it.

The Responses

The next morning, I went to my local coffee shop to start my day. I immediately shared the story with a friend that I know well. He listened and the first thing he said to me was, "I just heard the same thing other the day at a local bar from someone that I know!"

My white anti-racists friends remind me that white people say these kind of remarks often within each other, as though it's okay. It's like men making sexist remarks and jokes with other men. As a man, I hear sexist remarks often.

Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association (OTENA) focused their response on being "sorry" this happened and about the mural. They also believe they speak for the entire neighborhood.

Many were upset that I didn't specifically call out the man who made the comments. Pointing out that it was one incident only.

We prefer to have a villain or a "one bad person" because it's easier and it gets everyone else off the hook. This effectively disregards the systematic and institutional roots which enable these sentiments. This man is only one of the many faces of bigotry in our neighborhood.

THE ENCOURAGING NEWS was that most people who commented on the incident were appalled and understood if for what it was. They were white, black, brown, queer, straight, neighbors, renters, homeowners and a diverse cross section of community members. They also understand the incident in a historical context. They understand the ugliness of that specific experience but also understood gentrification and it's race and class implications on a neighborhood.

Moving Forward

So what do we do now? There should be some forward moving action, otherwise it's just pointing out what we know is out there.

Here are a few thoughts and forward moving questions that come to mind:

- First and foremost: How do we come together in conversation?

- How can art move us forward? What would a community mural look like that reflected the diverse community in its fullest?

- What would an ongoing campaign to address bigotry look like in the Near East Side? How do we use existing events to message this? (HotTimes, Music in the Garden, Community Yard Sale, Holiday Events, Tour of Homes, etc.)

We are here together and as delightful yet painful as it is, we have to own the community in the fullest, even the areas that we need to work on. Only then can we move forward. A Diverse Community? We have it! ----- Racism and classism? That's here too!

How do we make this real in the community we live in? How do we heal and move forward? How do we enter the community consciousness?

These are the questions I want to work on.

Count me in! How about you?

Morning Bus Ride Reflections

April 28, 2015 It was a beautiful day in Columbus, Ohio. This morning I had a meeting on the far north side of the city at The Continent Columbus (1-61 and Busch Blvd.) which is basically the last stop on the #8 Hamilton Ave bus. It's about an hour ride and a great time just to sit relax, observe and appreciate the diversity of Columbus. Here a few things that I saw, felt and experienced during the hour long ride.

Morning #8 COTA Bus Ride

Children going to school.

Black woman walking slowly using a walker boards the bus.

Kneeling bus.

More restaurants in the Short North.

Gateway, Ohio State, borderlands.

A car on left lane swerves in front of bus to turn right. Crazy!

Bike rider mounting his bike on the bike rack.

Gentrification.

Reflection time.

Asian woman with four bags.

Reading the morning news on my phone with a low battery.

Forgot my charger.

Blue sky outside.

Lifeless Ohio State Fairgrounds.

Sitting in silence with lots of thinking happening.

Corner stores.

Trying to stop thinking and just be.

I smile when I see a taco truck: Texano Taquerilla.

Cooks IGA.

A Somali rider says hello.

Morse Road car madness.

Bedroom Community.

Split level homes.

Latina woman greets me with a voiceless hello.

1-61 Dublin-Granville Road car madness.

I get to my destination.

Get off and thank the bus operator.

No pedestrian sidewalks.

Off to my meeting.

Pay to Play or Leave the Room

I attended the Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio (SDCO) meeting on April 7th in support of Columbus City Council candidate Will Petrik. I learned that the SDCO had recommended Petrik to be endorsed for Columbus City Council. I was impressed with this bold move. I had only been to one of their meetings before about 10 years ago or so. I remember leaving that meeting on my own as I was definitely one of the few People of Color in the room and there were very few women in attendance. I felt like an outsider. This time, I was excited about attending and anticipated some real progress with this organization.

This excitement started to fade quickly as I walked into the small packed of mostly white (still) attendees and likely coming from the same social and economic demographic. Most people were friendly but many, including candidates, didn't even say hello. In my culture as I know it, a "saludo" (greeting/hello) is a must regardless of anything. There seemed to be many Andrew Ginther for Mayor supporters in attendance and it felt as though I was at a Ginther rally or meeting. It was obvious they had stacked the room, which is fair play in politics I suppose.

What I didn't realize was that a large number of Ginther supporters had become members in order to sway and change the endorsements.

Much has been said about the Ginther/Scott dual endorsement process at the meeting, but I am equally concerned about the process for replacing Will Petrik with Jaiza Page. Petrik was on the Stonewall Democrat's recommended slate for endorsement.

All candidates present spoke during the gathering. The Franklin County Democratic Party candidates stuck to their talking points regarding the "slate" of endorsed candidates. None spoke of their big vision for Columbus. Will Petrik was the only candidate who spoke of the need to listen to the community and his support for public transportation, universal pre-K, quality education in our schools and raising the minimum wage in Columbus. I wish I could have taken a picture capturing the collective look of the "members" when he spoke of these issues. It was the look of: "what does that have to do with us?" It was the look of a group of "Stonewall" members who no longer remember their history and are now insiders embedded in politics as usual and not the community.

After the candidates spoke, they were asked to leave the room and Stonewall members began the conversation about which candidates to endorse. It was clear that there was a deliberate strategy to replace Will Petrik as the endorsed candidate. I then realized that the Ginther camp was likley behind this strategy. They bought memberships and packed the room to sway the process. When Petrik supporters spoke up, we were asked if we were SDCO members. When we acknowledged that we were not, we were asked to leave the room which was shocking to me. No one else was questioned about their membership.

As I reflect on this whole experience, I am reminded of the history of Stonewall. It was an organic movement that emerged from an "uprising". This movement was largely about a group of people who were not welcome in, or could not afford other places of gay social gathering. There were hundreds of young "homosexuals" who literally had no home, came to New York without jobs, money, influence or contacts. Many had skills enough to get a job but didn't fall in with people who could help them. They were outsiders in the community at large and even within their own community. This is what Stonewall means to me as an organizer for justice issues. What I witnessed happen at this meeting, was not what I understand the Stonewall movement to be.

The well funded corporate political campaign of Andrew Ginther once again found a way to influence and change the decision within an organization. With their political motives and support, they found a way to exclude this Queer Latinx, my partner, and others. More importantly it denounced the good work of the Stonewall Democrats screening committee, and in essence said they don't matter either. This alone should send a wake up call abot the integrity of the Andrew Ginther campaign. If they are so sure of themselves, why would they have to sway this process? The meeting and the process on April 7th once again told me that I'm an outsider and don't matter.

I am aware that there are always good people with integrity caught in these systems. Many of whom reached out to tell their story. They fear going against the Democratic Party because they are employed by it or do not want to be rejected by their peers. It is a sad reality coming from the progressive camp.

As for me, I will continue to speak out for the outsider. I will also vote on May 5th.

Organizing from the Ground-Up

The Unmentioned Organizing Moments of 2013

I recently came across this article titled "The 13 Best Organizing Moments of 2013” compiled by the New Organizing Institute which was shared by friends of mine in (for lack of better wording) “progressive” circles citing it as a good roundup of this year’s best organizing moments.  2013 was certainly a year to remember for organizing, do not get me wrong.  The moments highlighted in this article were definitely worth remembering and two of them were related to the push for Immigration Reform (United We Dream’s “Operation Butterfly” and the ongoing “Fast For Families”) and rightly so--the struggle for fair and comprehensive immigration reform is ongoing as the bill currently sits in the House.  

Member of DreamActivist Ohio welcoming 2 of the #Dream30 back to Columbus

What I found revealing, however, was what this article chose not to include.  In the same year, two waves of fearless undocumented immigrants--first the “Dream 9” followed by the “Dream 30”-- crossed the border in an effort to reunite families and publicize the gravity of record high deportations under the Obama Administration.  Meanwhile, undocumented immigrants and allies have held numerous acts of civil disobedience, literally stopping ICE trucks by blocking access roads and putting their own lives on the line.  

Members of Undocumented Illinois blocking an ICE truck in Chicago

It seems odd that we celebrate a years worth of organizing while ignoring these acts of bravery.  It feels like many are still stuck in this paradigm that we can do certain things to highlight an unjust system (such as fasting) but when it comes to directly defying the system, suddenly there seems to be a lack of coverage. History has showed us that it take these brave acts of defiance to make change, it's simply unfortunate that the mainstream media and seemingly "progressive" non-profit organizations choose to ignore them.

Columbus City Council Passes Resolution Supporting "Securing our National Borders"

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council urges the United States Congress to adopt and enact comprehensive immigration reform that would help secure our international borders and provide a path to citizenship for the nearly eleven million undocumented immigrants who live in the United States today.

On June 24, 2013, the Columbus City Council unanimously passed the above resolution. It is my understanding that the resolution came from the Mayor’s office. I also believe that it comes with somewhat good intentions. But that’s where I stop in terms of fully supporting the resolution. I support immigration reform and have been working on this for many years. But immigration reform is only part of our fight for justice.

I did not fully support this resolution because of the following inclusion: The Columbus Council urges Congress to support immigration reform that “would help secure our international borders…”

As City council was considering this resolution, the United States Senate was voting on the Republican introduced Hoeven-Corker amendment to invoke cloture that would add 20,000 border agents with significant increases in funding for agents, technologies and fencing. It would add 20,00 border agents at the potential cost of about $30 billion and would require 700 miles of double-layered fencing along the U.S.-Mexican border. It also requires Congress to appropriate money for radar surveillance on the border similar to what is being used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Further, undocumented immigrants could not gain green cards until a 10-year period has passed and the border requirements have been met. The amendment passed 67-27.

The inclusion of this amendment in the Senate immigration bill has caused much conversation on how national immigrant/migrant rights groups feel about the Gang of Eight Senate bill. Many are thinking that the proposed immigration reform legislation has gone too far with border security. In fact PRESENTE.org, the nation’s largest online Latino advocacy organization came out against the present bill only minutes after Columbus Council’s vote.

At least once a week, I receive calls from the immigrant community specifically about ICE picking up or detaining someone from the Columbus community. Families are separated every day in Columbus. All in the name of border enforcement and securing the border. As I shared this with the council and looked directly in their eyes, I felt the council members either did not know about this or refused to acknowledge it. They had no questions for me.

I hope Columbus City Council understands that passing such a resolution is more than patting themselves on the back or complying with some partisan mandate that came from above or even just looking good as a great city. It’s about what is in the body of their resolution;

- Recognizing the economic, social and cultural contributions immigrants bring to their communities and, in particular, to Columbus, Ohio;

- The responsibility of municipal leaders to protect the well-being and safety of all people residing in their cities;

- The duty of local leaders to respect the rights of, and provide equal services to, all individuals, regardless of national origin or immigration status;

- That family unity as a component of a strong, healthy community and economy, and re-unification of families has been a key part of federal immigration policy for almost fifty years.

I remain steadfast in my words as I accepted a very similar resolution on that same podium offered by the leadership of then council member Chareta Tavares on June 21, 2010: "I think when we get to the core of who we are, people understand it's about human rights. Who can argue with human rights?" Do you agree 2013 Columbus Council members?

It's never easy but someone has to stand up to the system and tell the full story. I am honored and humbled to have done so in this case. #HastaLaVictoriaSiempre

Reaching a Senator - Old Story Meets New Story Through the Power of Prayer

Everyone wants to know where Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman stands on immigration reform. We all want to meet with him. The perfect storm happened when Senator Portman accepted an invitation to speak at the Ohio LULAC Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 11, 2013.

As in most cases, it started with a powerful and personal invitation. The Senator was invited by a few close friends in the Latino community: LULAC members who have a personal relationship with him and call him friend. After all, friends invite friends and friends accept invitations from friends. But in the fight for justice for immigrants, inviting and accepting an invitation is just a start.

When others in the community heard that the much sought after Senator was going to speak at the event, movement and pressure began. People began asking powerful questions: What is he going to speak on? Is LULAC meeting with him on supporting immigration reform? How can we be included? How can immigrants be included? Will LULAC have the will to push the Senator to take a stand on immigration reform?

As a new member of LULAC Ohio and community activist on immigrant rights, I was no exception. Communication quickly began with the LULAC State Director and others in the Cincinnati area on how to meet with him privately and ask for his stand on immigration reform, how to move him to address the issue in his remarks. There was much conversation from the Cincinnati community, Portman's hometown. Many outside of LULAC Ohio have the perception that they are an organization high on photo ops, press conferences and "showy" events and low on substantial, meaningful and sustainable change. Certainly from a national perspective, LULAC has been bold in social action taking stands of support on immigration reform and the right to marry.

The immediate response from LULAC was resistance. "He will only be there from 1:00-1:30, there is not enough time to engage Senator Portman on this issue...the fact that he is attending our conference speaks volumes for his support to LULAC and the issues facing Latinos", was the response received from the LULAC State Director. It appeared LULAC was just grateful for the Senator showing up and didn't know what he was going to speak on.

Too often, Latinos (and people of color) as a collective have an attitude of just being grateful when people of "importancia" show up. “Be respectful and don't ask for anything” we think. Ingrained in our collective psyche is the saying: "No le pides nada, ni un vaso de agua". Which basically translates to; don’t even ask for a glass of water if you're thirsty. Respectfully, elders were attempting to build self-reliance. But today and in this case, this is OLD STORY thinking in our community. We have to ask for water if we are thirsty. In fact, we are the source of water and have every right to not only ask but demand it. And such is the case with immigration reform and holding our elected officials accountable.

We need NEW STORY thinking. But the transition from old story to new story is difficult, painful and often personal.

There was talk of having an action during the Portman speech. A twitter bomb to the Senator was organized and implemented: "It's time to take a stand on immigration reform at the #OHIO LULAC conference @robportman".

LULAC Ohio became nervous and activists grew impatient. It was felt there were many ways to push the senator on the issue in a half hour: hand him a letter asking him to take a stand, have the speakers preceding him lay the groundwork for him to take a stand on immigration reform, highlight LULAC's national priority on immigration reform. This is a delicate and critical space where things can either break down or grow.

Then the idea emerged to simply ask to pray with the Senator before his speech. We wanted a prayer circle with him. The request was made and the Portman staff agreed. We were given time as the Senator would arrive through the back service entrance. This is where the transformation began, where old story and new story merged in the power of prayer, in wholeness and greatness. Too often as organizers, we forget the power of prayer or it becomes perfunctory.

The Senator and his wife arrived, exited their vehicle and walked directly to the circle where a handful of activists and immigrants gathered. He graciously shook each of our hands and we were able to individually speak to him about the immigrant story, immigration reform and ask him to support us. A reading was shared and we prayed for the Senator to support immigration reform and immigrant rights.

The Senator then went on to the room of waiting LULAC members and supporters. The LULAC State Director looked at him right in the eye and spoke of LULAC's national priority for immigration reform and the need to have him support us. The Senator listened with intention and attention. When he spoke, he shared his support for reform and included comments like: "We need immigration reform and we need it now" and talked about justice for immigrant youth (DREAMers). He continued; "For too many in my party, this begins and ends with border security. I think this misses the point and moves is from the real issue. We have to bring people out of the shadows"

In the end, we were able to reach the Senator in a "half hour". We did so respectfully but had to hold fast to our expectations for the Senator and from LULAC as an organization. Often organizations do not respond in time, but people do. Members of LULAC Ohio responded and credit goes to them as well.

But rest not, my friends. In politics and in this world, things change very quickly. We cannot be content with a successful moment and a good photo op. Today is a new day and the Senator can easily back down or qualify his remarks differently. There is much more to do. The threats do not wane and the power to undo is always on the loose. Still we cannot lose faith.

We keep praying but we keep moving with new story action to accompany our prayers.

From Birmingham to Butler County, Racial Injustice Persists

Monday, as we honor the memory, mission and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., I thought it appropriate to build upon the previous Ohio Action Circle entry from David, the title of which is of course a reference to MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.

Bernard’s letter, written from Morrow County Jail in Central Ohio, has much in common with the Birmingham letter, but one aspect stands out for me. Each letter conveys an unshakeable sense of purpose—one which is used also as a call to action for those on the outside. I experienced firsthand this call to action brought on by Bernard’s case, witnessed his friends and classmates, even dozens of strangers spring to action. Petitions were circulated, vigils were planned, and meetings with legislators were scheduled. In the end, Bernard was freed.



But not everyone who finds himself in that position is as fortunate. Bernard has said that while in jail, he befriended others awaiting deportation, offering prayers and consolation as they prepared to be sent back to their countries of birth. Left behind were wives, children, and peaceful lives which were not at all deserving of the same jumpsuits and shackles given to violent offenders.

MLK’s legacy calls each of us to reflect upon and challenge the injustices in our communities. For the immigrant rights community in Ohio, it’s no secret that the epicenter of injustice is Butler County, where Bernard was first detained before being transferred to Morrow County Jail. In Butler County, injustice takes many forms—law enforcement intimidation, dehumanizing hate speech, and abuse of power. Given the recent shift in Ohio’s elected officials, this power may be further exploited to develop legislation to target immigrants in Ohio. Those who feel the brunt of these unjust policies are people of color, the descendants of the native peoples of the Americas. Yet the struggle for immigrant rights continues both nationally and locally.

It is within this context that I share the following excerpt from the immensely powerful letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. as he sat in that narrow cell in Birmingham Jail. The letter was written as a response to his fellow (White) clergymen who thought that the fight for social justice was better waged in the courtroom than in the streets, albeit peacefully. Paradoxically, we face adversity even from our allies who, as Dr. King puts it, are “more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice.” Let us hope that they, perhaps more than anyone, heed the call to action—direct, peaceful, deliberative action.
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"We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was 'well timed' in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word 'Wait!' It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant 'Never.' We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that 'justice too long delayed is justice denied.'

... I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: 'I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action'; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a 'more convenient season.'"



"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore." -Cesar Chavez

Letter From Immigration Jail

Bernard Pastor

Originally posted on the AILA Leadership Blog

This is a difficult moment for the DREAMers.  The Senate has failed them, and the nation.  Make no mistake, the DREAM Act will become law one day.  And, so too, will there be a humane and sensible immigration policy.  What we need are national leaders who care more about America than their political careers.

I have had the honor of representing Bernard Pastor, an 18 year old DREAMer from Reading, Ohio who was locked up by ICE for a month and released on Friday, December 17, hours before the Senate rejected the Dream Act.  Describing the disarray left in the wake of the Senate vote yesterday, the New York Times’ Julia Preston juxtaposed Bernard’s last minute release against ICE’s ongoing policy of mass deportations.

The administration’s efforts to manage its policy dilemma played out this week. Speaking on Friday before the vote, John Morton, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency would continue the brisk pace of deportations, focusing on immigrants convicted of crimes. On the same day, the agency released from detention an 18-year-old Guatemalan student from Ohio, Bernard Pastor, granting him a one-year reprieve from deportation to continue his education. 

Can you imagine where Bernard would be right now if he hadn’t been freed on Friday?

Yet, in the midst of our disappointment with the lack of a coherent, sensible immigration policy, coupled with the pain suffered by the thousands of DREAMers whose hopes were dashed yesterday, we can take solace in the words of Bernard Pastor, who, in a letter reminiscent of Dr. Martin Luther King’s heroic Letter From Birmingham Jail, wrote the following while incarcerated by ICE and awaiting his imminent removal to Guatemala, a country he does not know:

I am not defined by where I was born; I am defined by where and with whom I was raised.  I am defined by how I live my life. 

People might be surprised that the son of a pastor is in the situation in which I now find myself, but I think that it takes just such a person to make a necessary difference, to make things change. Perhaps it seems to you that I am caught in a bad situation, but the Bible tells me this: 

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider."  Ecclesiastes 7:14 

In my own words: a day of sorrow is better than a day of joy because through pain the heart is mended; it is through my difficulties that I learn. I have always known that each of us is here to be a history maker. This is true regardless of one’s station in life. All I can hope is that I serve as an example for others to understand the great injustices carved into the fabric of our broken immigration system. I pray that my example helps pass the DREAM Act because it is the DREAM Act that will help others who find themselves in my shoes.

I feel that this is the purpose that God has for me, and I will never fight his will.  And I want to be able to be the one who steps up, the one who can be the voice for those other thousands of DREAMers who cannot speak out for themselves.

Sometimes, one needs difficult times to reestablish one’s faith, even the faith that one might believe they already had.  In the words of Jon Foreman – a committed evangelical Christian and the lead singer of Switchfoot – “Two things You have told me: You are strong and You love me… So why should I worry?  You know what I need.” I know that this is all God’s plan and all the glory is his alone.  I thank God for letting me be His conduit, the vessel through which he may be exalted. 

I thank all of you who are working to help both me, and others like me; you know the Truth behind my situation.  I leave you now with a quote from the Christian musician, Brandon Heath: 

“There is hope for me yet because God won’t forget all the plans he’s made for me.  He’s not finished with me yet.” 

God bless you all, 

Bernard

FREE BERNARD!

Please watch this compelling, short film on the struggle that faces the Reading, OH community: FREE BERNARD PASTOR!

Bernard Pastor

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The National Immigration Law Center's DREAM WEEKLY UPDATE ________________ December 15, 2010

Daily DREAMer Lost in the barrage of media coverage about the DREAM Act are the hopes, dreams, and stories of individual DREAMers. This week we’re bringing you the real life stories of young Americans-at-heart who will have their fates decided for them by the Senate before Christmas. Bernard Pastor, a DREAMer in Ohio who was brought to the States when he was three, currently is in immigration detention and facing deportation.  Bernard graduated near the top of his high school class and was a standout athlete, the soccer team’s star.  He dreams of attending college and someday being a pastor.  His former classmates and others he’s touched in his community are in shock at his having been detained and are rallying to support him. Part of Bernard’s story is told in this very moving 5-minute video posted on Vimeo.  And, in a 3-minute YouTube video, you can hear Bernard’s sister reading a letter he wrote from immigration detention. After watching the videos, please call Ohio Senator George Voinovich at 866-957-2612 and urge him to realize the DREAM for Bernard and other Buckeye DREAMers such as him. After you’ve called Senator Voinovich, dial 866-957-2612 to tell the senators from your own state that you expect them to support the DREAM Act as well. Together, we can make these DREAMs a reality!

To subscribe to our DREAM Act, Health Care, Immigration Enforcement, Public Benefits, or Workers' Rights lists, complete and submit this form. National Immigration Law Center 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2850, Los Angeles, CA 90010 | www.nilc.org

The DREAM Will Not Die.

This weekend I was among several organizers from Ohio and Michigan to present our progress and look to the future for the DREAM Act in Ohio. As a workshop presenter at the Great Lakes Colleges Association's annual Students of Color Leadership Conference, several things struck me as I spoke with the group of 50 students at Kenyon College.

The DREAM Act will pass because we will make it happen.

It's no surprise that the DREAM Activists have been criticized for their often irreverent organizing tactics. As a youth-led movement, they are overlooked or not taken seriously by the more established, albeit well-intentioned organizations and members of the immigrants' rights movement. However, the DREAM Activist approach is also one which carries a certain clarity, passion, and determination not present in other approaches to immigrants' rights.

The story of the DREAM Act movement is so compelling in part because it has not been static.

Unlike other recent movements, the DREAM Act movement has grown and thrived because of its commitment to diversity. To be clear, this is not a movement based solely on racial and ethnic diversity. The DREAM Act movement has sought out and leveraged many social justice intersections. It has always welcomed allies, and most importantly DREAM Activists understand the need to reach back and train, grow, and develop younger members of the movement. There is certainly recognition that in order for the movement to sustain itself, leadership must always adapt.

Ohio will play a key role in the story because of the Speaker-elect of the US House, John Boehner.

Speaking with Ohio DREAM Activists who have come from other states, their first discontent is that Ohio has been largely uncharted territory for organized DREAMers. Many come from places like Chicago or California, where a DREAM network has been in place for years. Just as Ohio is a key bellwether in Presidential elections, Ohio will be a focal point for the DREAM Act as well. Many in the immigrants' rights community have wondered how Mr. Boehner will handle the topic of immigration in the House. Although he voted against the Sensenbrenner Bill, he has been far from moderate on the issue. His district is also home to Sheriff Richard Jones.

We will continue organizing, always challenging the systems of oppression. We'll need your help to do it.

Finding A Way To "Yes"

Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) calls for Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General investigation of US Citizenship and Immigration Services adjudication reform efforts. AILA President David Leopold responds. Read his response in full on the AILA Leadership Blog.

Is Big Brother "Friending" You?

AILA Leadership Blog

Someone once told me that you should never post anything online you don’t want to read on the front page of the newspaper. 

Amnesty for Lou Dobbs?

How dysfunctional is the US immigration system?  It is so dysfunctional that even Lou Dobbs, a man who has built his brand spewing hate speech at immigrants, can’t even follow it. Read the AILA Leadership Blog

U.S. Congressman Gutierrez to Rally Latin@s in Cleveland

Just got word that U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez will join Congresswoman Marcia Fudge in Cleveland this coming Monday - October 11, 2010 starting at 4:00 at Mt. Sanai Church - 7510 Woodland Avenue. As you know Gutierrez has been one of our national champions in Congress leading the fight for Immigration Reform and the Dream Act.

The event is sponsored by HOLA, the Hispanic Alliance, Cleveland NAACP, Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center, Cleveland Jobs with Justice, Urban League of Greater Cleveland, Northshore AFL-CIO, Young Latino Network, CoalItion of HIspanic Issues in Progress and Progress Ohio.

There are many reasons why this event is important. First of all, just having a national Latino leader come to Cleveland is big and we all know he has been leading the immigration reform movement nationally. Also, there is a great Black/Latin@ coalition working together for a common purpose here. And last but just as important -- it is critical that we rally and get people excited and COMMITTED to VOTE on NOVEMBER 2!!!