Thank you so much to those of you who attended last Thursday’s virtual screening of Stories Beyond Borders with our friends at Working Films.
We decided that we wanted to provide our audience members with a program in both English and Spanish, something we’ve never done before. The films themselves had Spanish subtitles when English was spoken, and vice-versa.
Our team learned about language justice from our friends at Cenzontle, a language justice co-op, who worked with us to provide simultaneous English and Spanish translation during the panel discussion. Click here to see the post-film panel discussion.
June is Immigrant Heritage Month and Refugee Awareness Month. In solidarity and support, we ran a series of personal stories and features this month about these experiences. Including the following:
Something to think about, the Supreme Court’s Decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which allows immigrants who have received DACA status, sometimes referred to as “Dreamers,” to stay in the country is at risk. Unfortunately DACA was never meant to be permanent.
The program was put in place in 2012 by President Obama as a temporary protection for young people who grew up in this country, but lacked immigration documents solely due to the actions of their parents. Some were brought across the border illegally, and with DACA they are able to live here safely without threat of deportation. We recognized that the protection remains temporary.
The Supreme Court provided a bandage that can be abruptly ripped off at any minute, exposing the fear, anxiety and danger these residents have had to live with this question mark for so long.
Our panelists last week spoke about the mental and financial challenges that many living in our broken immigration system face and the need for permenant solution.
Panelist and Women AdvaNCe Stephany Mejia reminded us of the “very real risks involved when you terrorize and vilinanze immigrant communities.”
We have to work to address the years of damage anti-immigrant communities have faced. Making DACA permanent is just the start!
In Solidarity,
Antionette Kerr
Co-Director
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