Call for poetry and art submissions for upcoming xican@ anthology
This is a call out to the entire Xican@ art community of all ages and backgrounds for the submission of poetry and visual art pieces. We are looking for work that will be medicine for our community and give strength to our people.
Today from 9 - 12:30, the Shell Station owner/manager gave US Boderwatch
permission to place eight vehicules and persons inside their property
protesting day laborers who seek work on that site.
The
USAS Summer Conference is almost here, and we want to make sure that everyone
gets a chance to make it out to Boulder to participate. Hundreds of student
activsts from throughout the US and Canada will be meeting in Boulder, Colorado
from August 8-10, and all you need to do to secure your spot is register today
at www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org
. We also have some travel scholarships available to help folks make it out to
Boulder, but we need everyone to register before the end of the day on July 1
in order to be eligible.
Tues.
at 7 pm Pastors for Peace will show Bloqueo, a 2004, 45-min doc on the
Cuban blockade from the standpoint of the Pastors trip in 2001.
See: http://www.toddpnyc.com/bloqueo/
for details. It will be shown at Pharr United Methodist Church, 119 E. Kelly in
Pharr. After the doc will be a discussion.
EXTREMELY CRITICAL
MESSAGE FROM PATRICIO AHUMADA, MAYOR OF BROWNVILLE:Tuesday, July 1, City Commission meeting at 6
pm, is going to be very critical for the entire southwest border region. Please
try to get as many to attend to quash the agreement with DHS to allow them to
build the fence. If they are allowed to do this, then every other city between
El Paso and Brownsville will be vulnerable and easy to over take. Brownsville
is ground zero to build the fence, join me to stop the city commissioners from
approving a contract negotiated in secret that allows building the fence.
The
teenager carried a long-handled hoe. Her bosses had left her unsupervised to
work the vast, northern Illinois vegetable field. As the summer sun beat down,
she moved up and down the rows clearing weeds. When it came time for the midday
break, Linda Reyna Yañez sought refuge under a shade tree—to read.
Just a reminder that we will continue our protest @ the Witte Museum every
Saturday for an indefinite amount of time. If you are able to come
and support, we would love to have you. Your continued support for the
return of the ancestors is appreciated by the Native American Student
Association, and by the Indians of Texas. See you there at 10 a.m.
Pastors for Peace will
also be right here in Houston this Saturday. We will gather at MECA,
1900 Kane Street in the 6th Ward, at 4:00 to welcome a group of 22 caravanistas
who have traveled all across the country collecting donations of humanitarian
aid for the people of Cuba.
To support immigrants detained by ICE, there will be a protest at the
Detention Center:
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 10 AM-11 Am.
The theme is: "YOU ARE NOT ALONE"
No Round-ups Anywhere !!
Address is: Houston Processing Center
CCA
15850 Export Plaza Dr.
Houston, TX 77032
Join us in the fight for justice!! Bring your messages!! Raise Your
Voice!! Stand-up for dignity and justice.
KGBT
is reporting ("Detention Center Plans for Raymondville," June 26)
that one of the three new family detention centers proposed by Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, similar to the notorious T. Don Hutto detention center in
Taylor, might be located in Raymondville, Texas.
MORE
than 80 community members and organizations congregated in front of the Federal
Building today to denounce the Raid that occurred yesterday at a clothing
factory. Today was a success because with this action we are able to show
Houston and ICE that we will not stay quiet in the mist of all of these raids
which are splitting up families and leaving children without mothers.
There will be many more actions like this and as always I thank all of you who
came out today in the fight for social justice. Whether there are 10 or 100
people present we must never stay quiet and we must always say that there are
those Houstonians like us that will continue to fight for social justice.
As long as their is life their is hope!
Special thanks to CRECEN, America Para Todos, SEIU, HIWJ, FIEL ACORN, and other
organizations and community members that came out today to support this call
for justice and to end the RAIDS! TOGETHER we can accomplish anything and
together we will put Houston on the right path towards social Justice.
Add film-making as the latest innovative way being used by the Edinburg
Economic Development Corporation to promote higher education, cultural enrichment,
fine arts, and a positive image of the three-time All-America City.
AUSTIN,
Texas — Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, associate professor in the School of Journalism at The University
of Texas at Austin, will be inducted into the National Association of Hispanic
Journalists' (NAHJ) Hall of Fame next month.
Rivas-Rodriguez
is the founder and director of the U.S. Latino & Latina WWII Oral History
Project, which has collected interviews with more than 650 men and women
throughout the country. She gained national prominence after taking a leading
role in protests in 2007 against the PBS documentary "The War" about
World War II. The film, which originally excluded the stories of Latino
veterans, was eventually modified.
COLUMN
OF THE AMERICAS: In
any language, torture is a four-letter word. While the repugnant practice is
primarily associated with the Inquisition and the darkest chapters of human
history, as a result of the release of hundreds of pages of declassified memos,
torture will forever in history also now be associated with American President
Bush.
BROWNSVILLE - Despite vehement local opposition to the border fence
project, the sale of five pieces of land to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
for construction of the fence was approved Tuesday by Cameron County
commissioners.
We
invite parents, parents-to-be and interested community members to join us for
our monthly Open Dialog on Education.This is an opportunity to explore the ideas around unschooling and other
alternative methods of educating our children and our adult selves.2pm / June 28, 2008
This
week, the Tavis Smiley Show breaks down the immigration issue and reveals personal
testimonies from immigrants and immigrant rights activists.Featuring San Antonio native and SOROS
Justice Fellow Luissana Santibanez.
(Houston) CRECEN/America Para Todos, HIWJ, SEIU, ACORN, and many more
organizations and individuals condemn the DHS-ICE operation that arrested 170
immigrant workers (60-70% women) and that resulted in several injured workers
who panicked. Once again, the 16 released workers so far indicate
that authorities are using ethnic appearance as a basis
for detaining those alleged to violate immigration law. We also
ask that ICE be held accountable for the injuries caused to workers at the
plant as a consequence of the raid.
We urge all people of goodwill to join us in a protest On Thurs 6/27 at 10
am at the Mickey Leland Federal Bldg(1919 Smith).
We are calling on the Bush Administration to cease these harmful actions
to immigrant families and communities and on Congress to abandon its
negligent inaction and provide legal protection for the millions of
immigrants who with their labor contribute to the growth of business and the
economic well-being of this country.
There
is an upcoming Encuentro and Danza at El Calaboz. El Calaboz is a hotbed
of controversy right now because of the Border Wall issue. If you haven't kept
up or are out of the loop google Eloisa Tamez, Border Wall El Calaboz
and there are millions of stories about it.
July
18, 19 & 20 Calli Ollin has committed to opening this "Encuentro Nican
Tlaca" with a danza on the 18th (possibly a couple of danzas on the
19th also) and helping with some arts and crafts workshops as
well as powerpoint presentations and brief platicas on tradicion and medicina
tradicional (that can be found on the grounds of Tamez' property). Public is
invited to camp out the three days as well.
A
Declaration of Immigration is an exhibition that depicts many of the
experiences and viewpoints within U.S. immigrant communities. The works of over
70 artists will help visitors increase their understanding of this complex
issue by providing immigrant perspectives that are seldom included in the
national debate. As a vital part of the democratic process, artists and
community-based institutions play a critical role in any civic dialogue and
struggle for social justice. Immigration is indisputably the foundation upon
which this country was built. The National Museum of Mexican Art has a
responsibility to take a proactive stance, and provide a platform from which
many immigrants can speak out - especially at a time in our history, when once
again, countless immigrants are being scapegoated and blamed for many of the
nation's problems. This exhibition will launch the Museum's three-year
commitment to immigrant-centered programs.
Confused
about the Border Wall? A community forum on this contentious issue will take
place this Thursday evening, June 26, at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium, Building G,
at South Texas College in Weslaco. The Department of Homeland Security
has announced that it intends to begin construction on the Wall in Hidalgo
County in just 30 days.
The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has unleashed a national dragnet that is
hunting down "fugitive aliens." DHS has 75 Fugitive Operations Teams
that are mounting raids across the country. But only a small number of these
arrested fugitives are actual criminals, and some of the immigrants that are
handcuffed and shackled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are U.S.
citizens or legal U.S. residents.
On
Saturday, June 28, 2008, 22 Caravanistas from Pastors for Peace's 19th Annual
Friendship Caravan will arrive in H Town!They are one of the fourteen routes carrying tons of humanitarian aid
bound for the people of Cuba. They will spend the night in Houston, continuing
their trek south to McAllen, Texas and beyond the next morning.
On
Saturday, June 28, 2008, 22 Caravanistas from Pastors for Peace's 19th Annual
Friendship Caravan will arrive in H Town!They are one of the fourteen routes carrying tons of humanitarian aid
bound for the people of Cuba. They will spend the night in Houston, continuing
their trek south to McAllen, Texas and beyond the next morning.
SEIU Houston Justice
for Janitorsis hosting a SOLIDARITY VIGIL for Salvador Ceballos, the janitor who fell
to his death last Wednesday when trying to close a window on the roof of his
building. Salvador was employed by Automated Building Service (ABS)- ABS
is NOT a signatory of the contract that Houston janitors won in 2006, and
therefore Salvador and his co-workers are not covered by the language of the
contract nor do they have the benefits of the union. Had Salvador been a
union member, he would have had the legal right demand safety equipment for
such a hazardous job.
We will hold a vigil in solidarity with Salvador and his family, and all other
workers who work for companies like ABS who have not signed a contract with the
workers. PLEASE JOIN US!!!
WHAT: Solidarity Vigil for Salvador Ceballos
WHEN: Wednesday June 25, 2006
TIME: 12:00 noon
PLACE: 1880 S. Dairy Ashford Houston Texas 77077 (outside the building
where Salvador worked)
Please come and stand with janitors and other supporters to remember our fallen
companero, and to remind the companies that they must value their janitors for
the work that they do.
WASHINGTON June 23,
2008, 10:16 am ET · The Supreme Court has turned down a plea by environmental
groups to rein in the Bush administration's power to waive laws and regulations
to speed construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border.
The Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition is a
grassroots, action-oriented coalition of immigrants, labor, students,
interfaith and community organizations. Our work embodies the defense of basic
human rights and racial and economic justice in order to restore human dignity
and bring about a society of solidarity and peace. AIRC works to achieve fair
treatment of immigrants and just immigration reform.
The San Antonio community refuses to be charged to express our opinions!
The City refuses to cooperate and continues attempts to silence our efforts!
We need to fill the courthouse steps Tuesday morning and then fill the
courtroom! Let's show the Mayor's office and Judge Rodriguez we are getting
stronger and we refuse to let the city stifle our expression.
To
mark the 10th anniversary of the dragging death of James Byrd Jr., a
documentary film, Byrd: The Life and Tragic Death of James Byrd Jr., will
be shown at the Rice Media Center at 7pm on June 21, 2008. The film
has been shown in various cities in the U.S. and abroad and has
won numerous awards:
Located
in a bland, almost anonymous Green Hills of?ce park of fake lakes and fountains
is the headquarters of the nation's largest private prison company, which, at
the moment, may be the most disparaged corporation in the country. Since its
inception in 1983, CCA has encountered legions of angry detractors who believe
that the business of punishing criminals should not be—well, a business. But if
the company has become accustomed to criticism over the years—like a
best-selling author whose novels garner predictably bad reviews—it is now mired
in a series of scandals, embarrassments and public-relations catastrophes that
may tar its reputation for years to come.
In
August, Sheriff Tommy Thomas plans to send nine jailers for special immigration
training in Glynco, Ga.to question
inmates about their immigration status and hold them for federal agents through
the Immigration and Customs Enforcement program known as “287(g)” authorized by
the 1996 immigration law.The Sheriff
hopes to convince federal officials to provide training in Houston also,
possibly in the sheriff’s academy.
Familias Unidas por la Esperanza and Grassroots
Leadership would like to invite you on June 19th to a Night of 1,000
Conversations. On June 19th, thousands of people from across the country
will gather in homes, offices, coffee shops, and places of worship to discuss
how the overreach of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is undermining
the civil liberties and human rights of people, especially immigrants.
Since the January 1994 insurrection, various administrations have wanted to
associate the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN in its Spanish initials)
with drug trafficking. They’ve never been able to demonstrate such a link, but
they try time and time again.
Dos siglos después de la primera revolución Industrial, la explotación laboral
de mujeres sigue siendo el motor principal del desarrollo de las empresas
estadounidenses. Ahora las textiles.
AUSTIN,
Texas (June 13, 2008) - A multi-disciplinary working group of faculty and
students at The University of Texas at Austin claimed today that human rights
are being violated by the United States through construction of a wall on the
Texas/Mexico border. The working group submitted a series of briefing
papers to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (the “Commission”), an
inter-governmental body of the Organization of American States (“OAS”) composed
of seven independent experts. The Commission’s mandate is to examine and
monitor compliance by member States of the OAS, including the United States,
with human rights obligations established in international law.
At the heart of Louisiana’s prison system sits the Louisiana State Prison at
Angola, a former slave plantation where little has changed in the last several
hundred years. Angola has been made notorious from books and films such as Dead
Man Walking and The Farm: Life at Angola, as well as its legendary bi-annual
prison rodeo and The Angolite, a prisoner-written magazine published within its
walls. Visitors are often overwhelmed by its size – 18,000 acres that include a
golf course (for use by prison staff and some guests), a radio station, and a
massive farming operation that ranges from staples like soybeans and wheat to
traditional Southern plantation crops like cotton.
Recibido con los honores de jefe de Estado, en medio de un paro patronal de
camioneros, el presidente de México trae un mensaje diáfano a los empresarios
españoles. La relación capital-trabajo es favorable para quienes deseen
invertir en un espacio abierto, seguro y rentable. México está en venta.
Conducting warrantless and aggressive work site and
home raids, detaining raid victims without granting them access to legal
counsel or allowing contact with their family members by phone, property seizures
for construction of the border wall, building detention facilities, detaining
families in these facilities, ignoring the health needs of detainees, racial
profiling…the list goes on as to the numerous acts the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) has been accused of in undertaking their objectives to achieve
an agenda for ensuring national security.
This
Friday, June 20, is the 3rd Friday of the month and nationally designated as
"Iraq War Moratorium Day."
Since
Sept. 2007, a group of local peacemakers has demonstrated for
PEACE on the third Friday of each month in front of the federal Post
Office on Los Ebanos. We will be there again on June 20 from 4:30-5:30
p.m. and invite your participation. This event is sponsored by the U.U.
All Souls Church and Pax Christi Brownsville.
Though
Americans disapprove of President Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq by
more than two to one, they don't seem to be expressing that disapproval to
anyone but pollsters. The monthly "Iraq Moratorium Day"
protest-of-the-war provides a way to do so. Please join us.
Join us in our third week of action to get elected officials to listen
up! Contact your Texas U.S. Representative and urge them to mediate
between ICE and what our community wants.
Texans for Peace is proud to announce our fourth
annual
educational conference, this year in Austin, on October 11th
(Saturday). The event will take place at St. Martin's Lutheran Church,
centrally located, and will focus entirely on the subject of gang
activity --prevention,intervention, and disruption to education as
well as society. The conference is aimed primarily at elementary and
secondary educators, from both private and public institutions.
EL
CALABOZ, Texas - No sooner has Eloisa Tamez parked on the
dirt road that runs through her backyard in El Calaboz than a big car trundles
up to investigate. “And here comes the famous Border Patrol. They're
curious,” she says sarcastically. The agent behind the wheel has recently
mov
