Scholarships for DREAMers

Are you DACA eligible - or know someone who is? - and planning to enroll in college, but need financial aid? TheDream.us is now accepting applications for its 2017-2018 scholarship round!

Visit www.TheDream.US to learn if you can qualify for up to $80,000 in tuition/fees support.

Pass it on.

Teacher's Guide Re: Immigrant & Refugee Children

I was really happy the other day to find this online educator's guide regarding immigrant and refugee children. With the recent executive actions and anti-immigrant rhetoric coming out of the White House, it's important that teachers and school support staff be aware of what their rights are concerning their immigrant and refugee students.

For example, did you know that ICE is prohibited from conducting raids in the following locations?

• schools (including preschools, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities, and other institutions of learning, such as vocational and trade schools);
• hospitals; 
• churches, synagogues, mosques and other institutions of worship, such as buildings rented for the purpose of religious services;
• funerals, weddings and other public religious ceremonies; and
• public demonstrations, such as a march, rally or parade.

There is also a federal law - the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - that prevents schools from sharing student information without parental consent to federal immigration agents if the information would potentially expose a student’s immigration status. Even if they have a removal warrant/deportation order, the school is still at liberty to refuse to share student information.

The guide shares facts about undocumented students, answers frequently asked questions about immigration raids, gives ideas and tips on what you can do to support these students and their families. It also gives advice on how to take action outside of the classroom.

You can download the guide at the Teaching Tolerance website. The download includes tear-and-share resources for students and their families.

Other Posts About Immigration

• Studying the Immigration Experience with Children
  
  
• 10 Children’s Books About the Latino Immigration Experience
  
  
• Mamá the Alien, Mamá la extraterrestre Review, & Download
  
  
• Understanding the Child Migrant Crisis

Landfill Harmonic: One Person's Basura...

Have you heard about Paraguay's remarkable orchestra that plays instruments created out of actual trash? All 20 of these young musicians live in Cateura, a slum built on a landfill. In their little town, they have created something beautiful out of other people's refuse. And their story is being documented.

Landfill Harmonic is an upcoming feature-length documentary hoping to finish production in 2013. They have a shoe-string budget, but have been working diligently to get more funding.

They have recently made the semi-finals of the Focus Forward Filmmaker Competition. This funding would help them complete the film. Watch the short film below and then, if you find them worthy, please vote for Landfill Harmonic. All you have to do is click on the vote button in the upper right corner of the video - also worth seeing! - on the site linked to above.

I can't wait to see it! My kids were fascinated by this beautiful trailer...

You can follow their progress on their Facebook page, which the filmmakers created last month and already has over 79,000 followers.

Con mucho cariño...

Mother of Exiles

The President's move last week to stop deporting DREAMers and give them work permits is a step in the right direction, but his executive order could change as soon as January under a new administration. We need a law offering these DREAMers a way to citizenship.

We must recognize these DREAMers for their loyalty, hard work, and the positive contributions they have given to America. We need to make sure that they get the opportunity to follow their dreams of a good education, and reward their devotion and love for our country. They are Americans in every way except birth.

Let us not forget the welcoming words of the poet, Emma Lazarus, whose poem, The New Colossus, is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty's pedestal...

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame,

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

But our DREAMers are not necessarily poor or tired. They are young and vibrant and enthusiastic.

When did our attitude toward immigrants change?

illegalmovie.org