By Patrick Young, Esq. CARECEN Program Director
October 1, 2008 12:32 PM
Widespread ICE raids have taken place this week in
California and New Jersey. In both states, raids
appeared to be focused on so-called absconders, cases
where a person was ordered deported at some point in
the past. The California raids appear to be
particularly massive with more than 1150 people
arrested. Large round-ups like the one in Cali
overwhelm local social service agencies as children
are left without parental support and find they must
rely on suddenly overburdened organizations.
Not only is the scale of the California sweep
unprecedented, the fact that it took place at the same
time as the smaller Jersey raidsis notable. Generally,
large raids have been geographically isolated as ICE
concentrated resources from around the country in one
state or region. Here, ICE was able to mount major
operation in two states at virtually the same time.
Also notable is the fact that these raids occurred
just weeks after other large raids in states in the
center of the country.
I am an immigrant. I migrated to the U.S. from the Philippines. Although it wasn't always the case, today I am learning to peel the shame I used to feel about being an immigrant. Some cringe at the word "immigrant"; some take and use it as an insult. Many believe that it's an F-word; a word that's a curse, a taboo, something dirty, a word people aren't suppose to use, it's thrown around like a weapon of hate.
The history of the word, from my understanding, is that it was used to place an identifier on a group that was seen as an 'other.' It has been posed to me that perhaps the word "immigrant" should not be used in the first place. But I disagree; eradicating the word isn't a protest of disregard of the power of the ruling class. but rather it's an admittance of their power.
Instead of using "immigrant" as an F-word, I'm suggesting that people remember that language is ours; We determine its meaning and its development, not the other way around. I am an immigrant; I migrated from one place to another. There is nothing wrong with that.
(My particular interest is in the undocumented immigrant experience, particularly undocumented immigrant youth. This blog seeks to journey into learning about the lives of immigrants, documented and undocumented alike, and the politics surrounding the subject.)
The history of the word, from my understanding, is that it was used to place an identifier on a group that was seen as an 'other.' It has been posed to me that perhaps the word "immigrant" should not be used in the first place. But I disagree; eradicating the word isn't a protest of disregard of the power of the ruling class. but rather it's an admittance of their power.
Instead of using "immigrant" as an F-word, I'm suggesting that people remember that language is ours; We determine its meaning and its development, not the other way around. I am an immigrant; I migrated from one place to another. There is nothing wrong with that.
(My particular interest is in the undocumented immigrant experience, particularly undocumented immigrant youth. This blog seeks to journey into learning about the lives of immigrants, documented and undocumented alike, and the politics surrounding the subject.)
"google that!"
Immigrant Rights are Human Rights; If a group of people can be oppressed, who decides who's next?
Inform yourself and others, go to google.com and youtube.com and check out things like:
I.C.E. Detention Center / Hutto Dention Center / DREAM Act
Inform yourself and others, go to google.com and youtube.com and check out things like:
I.C.E. Detention Center / Hutto Dention Center / DREAM Act
Thursday, October 2, 2008
ICE picks up more than 1,200 in N.J., Cali
Labels:
human rights,
ICE,
immigrant,
immigration,
may 1st coalition,
may day,
raids,
worker rights
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