citizenship at Brave New Films

citizenship at Brave New Films http://bravenewfilms.org/topics/citizenship 2008-10-12T22:44:06Z Independent Media Motivates Local Action http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/52650-independent-media-motivates-local-action 2008-10-12T22:44:06Z jschlei <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ML3TIkUnanU&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ML3TIkUnanU&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/52650-independent-media-motivates-local-action"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/63875" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>I have been devoted to independent media for many years and I have seen too many people go from denial of problems to despair over them without ever actually doing anything. 92 year old Detroit activist Grace Lee Boggs has inspired me to re-evaluate myself to see how I might change myself to become more effective within my sphere of influence. I hope others will avail themselves of independent media and come away with similar inspiration.</p> </div> <a href="/blog/52650-independent-media-motivates-local-action">Watch the video</a> Mitt Romney: Meet and Greet 12/26/07 http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/50769-mitt-romney-meet-and-greet-12-26-07 2008-09-11T08:43:24Z IssueAlliance <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1xjtWEZQwj0&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1xjtWEZQwj0&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/50769-mitt-romney-meet-and-greet-12-26-07"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/61652" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>Mitt Romney <br />Meet and Greet <br />Henniker, NH 12/26/07</p> <p>TOPIC: illegal, aliens, immigration, citizenship</p> <p>TRANSCRIPT: <br />"I was on the radio this morning with New Hampshire Public Radio, and, um, it was pointed out that Senator McCain here said that his view was that, that those who come here illegally should get in the back of the line, and he was not in favor of a, of, of a special, uh, deal if you will for illegal aliens, and yet the bill he, he, he fought for that, that was the combined bill in Washington said, with its Z Visa, that everyone here illegally could stay here forever. Now he talks about citizenship and tries to change the subject, but that's not, that's not the, the point. The point is under his bill that he fought for everybody who came here illegally could stay forever. And, and, does he still believe that? Or does he not believe that? And, and likewise on taxation. Um, he says well now he's, uh, he's for making the Bush tax cuts permanent. Well, does he admit that he was wrong in voting against them before? Uh, you know, I, I'm happy to talk about times when I've been wrong, but I don't recall Senator McCain saying he was wrong to say that all illegal aliens should be able to stay here permanently or that he was wrong to vote against the Bush tax cuts. I think he was, on both counts."</p> <p>LABEL:MR NH 12-26 (BH#41) ZZSR-clipC</p> <p>To download a high res version of this clip, VISIT: <a href="http://issuealliance.box.net/shared/mpfuey7b6p">issuealliance.box.net</a> </p> <p>To download the full campaign event:http://issuealliance.box.net/shared/l1ut8qzs2u</p> </div> <a href="/blog/50769-mitt-romney-meet-and-greet-12-26-07">Watch the video</a> Bush Met by Protest at Thomas Jefferson's House on July 4 http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/44740-bush-met-by-protest-at-thomas-jefferson-s-house-on-july-4 2008-10-12T22:51:13Z Michael Moore <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8wcYtHTsTp8&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8wcYtHTsTp8&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/44740-bush-met-by-protest-at-thomas-jefferson-s-house-on-july-4"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/51177" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p><p>Somebody should have told the White House that Virginia is David Swanson Country. The link to get tickets to the event was in the 'Do Something' section of MichaelMoore.com last week and it looks like we had some takers. Thanks to all the protesters who fight for our freedom. </p><p>Happy July 4th! Tossing another one on the grill at <a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/">www.michaelmoore.com</a> </p></p> </div> <a href="/blog/44740-bush-met-by-protest-at-thomas-jefferson-s-house-on-july-4">Watch the video</a> USCIS Promises Modernization of Immigration Process http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/44639-uscis-promises-modernization-of-immigration-process 2008-07-08T18:42:18Z DREAMActivist <a href="http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/44639-uscis-promises-modernization-of-immigration-process"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/thumbnail_pic/51056" style="border: solid 1px black; margin-right: 7px; margin-top: 3px;" align="left" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p><p>Acting head of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Jonathan Scharfen, has promised several changes to the USCIS bureaucracy that would help speed-up the legalization and naturalization process.</p><p>While Scharfen claims that the USCIS is working on resolving the problem of backlogs in citizenship applications and background checks, he has also noted that moving from a paper-based bureaucracy to a computer age is the "ultimate solution." Indeed, computerizing applications would make the task faster and much more efficient, decreasing misplacement of documents and increasing effective communication. </p><p>The USCIS seems to be gearing up for a change in administration and immigration policies. They have secured a "transformation" contract to modernize to an electronic system and get in touch with the 21st century. </p><blockquote>"And we want to make sure that's in good shape, so when the new administration comes in, we're up and running and that contract is on the right track."</blockquote>For now, to deal with the backlog, FBI and the USCIS has spent another $35 million to hire new workers and contractors. Scharfen estimates that by June 2009, the average time for an FBI background check would be 30 days, down from the 2 years it takes right now.<p>The big question is whether USCIS can deal with the legalization of 12.5 million undocumented immigrants. This is what Scharfen said: </p></p> </div> <a href="/blog/44639-uscis-promises-modernization-of-immigration-process">Continue reading</a> A Hypothetical 'Undocumented' Situation - What would You Do? http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/44617-a-hypothetical-undocumented-situation-what-would-you-do 2008-07-03T23:57:30Z DREAMActivist <a href="http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/44617-a-hypothetical-undocumented-situation-what-would-you-do"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/thumbnail_pic/51027" style="border: solid 1px black; margin-right: 7px; margin-top: 3px;" align="left" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p><p>I believe that it is paramount to see and understand an issue from another person's perspective before casting judgments about them. Unfortunately, the most extreme anti-immigrant activists and nativists simply treat "illegal immigrants" as a homogenous case with no, and I mean no, lee-way, variations or extenuating circurmstances. It is simply "tough luck" from their point of view. I wonder how much of it would be "tough luck" if one of them got ripped from their home, family and friends, and got <a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&amp;ct=us/3-0&amp;fp=486ca13b6d5f9e22&amp;ei=svtsSO8cieaCA6fMkc8F&amp;url=http%3A//www.alternet.org/immigration/87467/&amp;cid=1220923035&amp;usg=AFQjCNEr_mfvd_WpwA1AOXVzipUPJopzdA">accidentally deported</a>. </p><p>You are a U.S. citizen, fall in love and marry an undocumented immigrant. There is no way of legalizing his status without returning to his country and a separation of up to ten years. You are both forced to move to Mexico instead of undergoing separation. <a href="http://carlosandamy.blogspot.com/">Tough luck?</a></p><p>Your naturalization is derailed and you are detained by the ICE since you forgot to update your home address, making them charge you for a felony! You lose your legal permanent residency and are set for deportation. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/us/12naturalize.html">Tough luck?</a> </p><p>You are twice denied citizenship and set for deportation since you failed to show up for fingerprints. Why? You are a quadriplegic on a ventilator. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/us/12naturalize.html">Tough luck?</a> </p><p>You are six years old and an American citizen. Your father is apprehended and detained by the ICE in your presence and you do no get to hear from him for months. <a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&amp;ct=us/2-0&amp;fp=486dc5882c8d3add&amp;ei=uAFtSOSTMZHUggPL0_2xBg&amp;url=http%3A//latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2008/06/as-federal-auth.html&amp;cid=1220555987&amp;usg=AFQjCNGgjB2dFqKuKo3NiA-rWywbP-5zVA">Tough luck?</a> </p></p> </div> <a href="/blog/44617-a-hypothetical-undocumented-situation-what-would-you-do">Continue reading</a> John McCain: Speech 04/02/08 http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/43599-john-mccain-speech-04-02-08 2008-07-07T14:36:54Z IssueAlliance <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0a9kwO9_YnQ&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0a9kwO9_YnQ&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/43599-john-mccain-speech-04-02-08"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/49937" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>John McCain <br />Speech <br />Annapolis, MD 04/02/08</p> <p>TRANSCRIPT: <br />JOHN MCCAIN: "Citizenship is not just the imposition of the mundane duties of democracy. Nor is it the unqualified entitlement to the protections and services of the state. Citizenship thrives in the communal spaces where government is absent. Anywhere Americans come together to govern their lives and their communities... they are exercising their citizenship. Citizenship is defined by countless acts of love and kindness and courage that have no witness or heraldry and are especially commendable because they are not recorded. ... Citizenship is the responsible exercise of freedom."</p> <p>LABEL: JM MD 04-02 (SD#23) RZZ-ClipE</p> <p>To download a high res version of this clip, VISIT: https://issuealliance.box.net/shared/69tnx0dsso <br />To download the full campaign event, VISIT: https://issuealliance.box.net/shared/bae8rdusk0</p> </div> <a href="/blog/43599-john-mccain-speech-04-02-08">Watch the video</a> Army Man Ordered Deported http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/42063-army-man-ordered-deported 2008-10-12T22:44:26Z Breakthrough <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wU5BAJ80Tjk&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wU5BAJ80Tjk&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/42063-army-man-ordered-deported"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/47465" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>Anslem Ifill is a legal permanent resident who has lived in the US for 25 years—it is his home. So much so that he put his own life at risk to serve the country for eight years with the U.S Army. Now he faces deportation. Anslem asks, "How can you deport individuals who risk their lives for the very beliefs and freedoms of this country?" </p> <p>www.breakthrough.tv <br />www.familiesforfreedom.org</p> </div> <a href="/blog/42063-army-man-ordered-deported">Watch the video</a> How can you deport those that risk their lives for the US? http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/42062-how-can-you-deport-those-that-risk-their-lives-for-the-us 2008-10-12T22:44:26Z Breakthrough <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RD4UwpUXhAY&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RD4UwpUXhAY&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/42062-how-can-you-deport-those-that-risk-their-lives-for-the-us"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/47464" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>How can you deport individuals who have risked their lives in the army for the very beliefs and freedoms of the USA? asks Anslem Ifill from New York, NY. </p> <p>ICED - I Can End Deportation- www.icedgame.com</p> <p>www.breakthrough.tv <br />www.familiesforfreedom.org</p> </div> <a href="/blog/42062-how-can-you-deport-those-that-risk-their-lives-for-the-us">Watch the video</a> Idaho Supreme Court: Residency not determined by Undocumented status http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/41982-idaho-supreme-court-residency-not-determined-by-undocumented-status 2008-06-23T16:11:16Z DREAMActivist <div class="post_content"> <p><p>The Idaho Supreme Court ruled today that an undocumented immigrant who was injured in Ada County was entitled to medical assistance from that county regardless of his immigration status, stating that "the concept of residency does not distinguish between citizens and those who have entered this country illegally." </p><p>The ruling reversed a board opinion and resembles the approach ten states have already taken to giving instate-tuition to undocumented students. Namely, residency and citizenship are two separate matters and defined differently.</p><p>A resident of Idaho as defined as "a person with a home, house, place of abode, place of habitation, dwelling or place where he or she actually lived for a consecutive period of thirty (30) days or more within the state of Idaho. A resident does not include a person who comes into this state for temporary purposes, including, but not limited to, education, vacation, or seasonal labor..."</p><p>Following that definition, most undocumented immigrants with the exception of seasonal migrant workers, are deemed residents by the county or state in which they reside. Their immigration status has no bearing on their residency. </p><p>The Supreme Court Opinion is <a href="http://www.isc.idaho.gov/opinions/sarmc34233.pdf">here</a> </p></p> </div> 97-Year-Old Arizona Woman Disenfranchised by Voter ID Law http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/41567-97-year-old-arizona-woman-disenfranchised-by-voter-id-law 2008-10-12T22:42:00Z People For the American Way <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WjySbloc7zA&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WjySbloc7zA&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/41567-97-year-old-arizona-woman-disenfranchised-by-voter-id-law"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/46861" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>Shirley Preiss was born in Kentucky in 1910 -- a full 10 years before American women gained the right to vote. She first voted in a presidential election in 1932, for FDR. She's voted in every presidential election since, but that's all about to change due to Arizona's draconian voter ID law.</p> </div> <a href="/blog/41567-97-year-old-arizona-woman-disenfranchised-by-voter-id-law">Watch the video</a> Everywoman - Nepal Special - 23 May 08 - Part 2 http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/39795-everywoman-nepal-special-23-may-08-part-2 2008-06-08T21:29:41Z aljazeera <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xVHG7RfDHOE&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xVHG7RfDHOE&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/39795-everywoman-nepal-special-23-may-08-part-2"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/44921" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>Nepali Women. We meet a woman fighting for citizenship for her child and the Living Goddesses of Kathmandu.</p> </div> <a href="/blog/39795-everywoman-nepal-special-23-may-08-part-2">Watch the video</a> A Long Road to Citizenship http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/37593-a-long-road-to-citizenship 2008-06-13T15:36:02Z Veracifier <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FGNilh3dxCI&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FGNilh3dxCI&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/37593-a-long-road-to-citizenship"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/42373" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p><p>It costs thousands of dollars for legal residents in the US, eligible for citizenship, to begin the process. On April 19th in Colorado, a Naturalization drive brought volunteers and legal residents together to file for citizenship. </p><p><a href="http://www.theuptake.org/">www.theuptake.org</a></p></p> </div> <a href="/blog/37593-a-long-road-to-citizenship">Watch the video</a> Naturalization Ain't Easy http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/37589-naturalization-ain-t-easy 2008-07-22T07:00:19Z TheUpTake <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xiw4hkTccHw&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xiw4hkTccHw&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/37589-naturalization-ain-t-easy"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/42368" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>It costs thousands of dollars for legal residents in the US, eligible to become citizens, to begin the process. On April 19th in Colorado, a Naturalization drive brought volunteers and legal residents together to file for citizenship.</p> </div> <a href="/blog/37589-naturalization-ain-t-easy">Watch the video</a> Legally Here, Only to be Deported http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/35403-legally-here-only-to-be-deported 2008-05-12T17:23:42Z DREAMActivist <a href="http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/35403-legally-here-only-to-be-deported"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/thumbnail_pic/38960" style="border: solid 1px black; margin-right: 7px; margin-top: 3px;" align="left" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p><p>That is the story 89,683 legal permanent residents of the United States last year, who were denied naturalization and are now facing deportation proceedings.</p><p>The CIS is turning down more cases of naturalization than ever before since the 1996 law that increased scrutiny of citizenship applications. In some cases, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has had to step in and overturn CIS decisions. One notable case is the <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/vll/intdec/nfvol23.html">Matter of Lovo</a> in 2005 where the BIA overturned several CIS decisions against family petitions that included a post-operative trans-sexual and her/his partner. And despite internal memos, transgender and overtly feminine or masculine applicants for citizenship continue to face <a href="http://www.washblade.com/2005/12-16/news/national/trans-immigrant.cfm">harassment and inappropriate scrutiny</a> from immigration officials.</p><p><u>Why is it so difficult to naturalize after gaining legal permanent residency?</u> Well, the reason could be as small as forgetting to update your home address and be charged with a felony for ignoring a notice sent by immigration officials. And this <a href="http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/155/">"aggravated felony"</a> (yes, unopened and returned mail to the CIS) precludes someone from gaining U.S. citizenship. And before you know it, you are being deported for not updating your home address.  Or you could fail to show up at the INS for being fingerprinted since you are a <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,3134,00.html">quadriplegic</a> as in the case of Marin Turcinovic who is now fighting deportation. More cases of former legal residents now fighting deportation can be read at the New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/us/12naturalize.html?em&amp;ex=1208145600&amp;en=5024221a6664386b&amp;ei=5087%0A">here</a>.</p></p> </div> <a href="/blog/35403-legally-here-only-to-be-deported">Continue reading</a> The Immigration Woes of Mixed Couples http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/33817-the-immigration-woes-of-mixed-couples 2008-07-26T19:08:21Z DREAMActivist <a href="http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/33817-the-immigration-woes-of-mixed-couples"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/thumbnail_pic/36824" style="border: solid 1px black; margin-right: 7px; margin-top: 3px;" align="left" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p><p>I just read an article in the <a href="http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iBsm8yVrJjAa4y_qOyL4B5jRPcCw">Canadian Express</a> about the immigration woes of mixed couples, not necessarily inter-racial, but where one is an American citizen and the other is an 'illegal' immigrant. Contrary to popular opinion, marrying an American citizen is not the 'fast and cheap' way of obtaining American citizenship, especially if you are an 'illegal' immigrant without a 245-i (Fash can help document her experiences with U.S. Immigration regarding this). In order to process citizenship, the 'illegal' part of the family is sent home, and has to wait several long years for the approval of a waiver to come back to the United States. Naturally, most couples would rather stay together than go through this process of family separation that may well result in not reconciling under the law. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that we have over 2 million mixed families such as these in the United States.</p><p>Kecia Sales and Juan Marquez are one such couple that decided to undergo the long and tenous process of Marquez finally residing in the United States legally. Under the law, 'family values' like love and commitment are not enough to grant the couple the right to live together legally. Since Marquez entered the United States illegally, the law bars him from re-entering for another 10 years, and the government must approve a waiver from his wife proving extenuating hardship to her due to his absence. Sales' waiver request was denied two weeks ago and she has been given 30 days to collect evidence for an appeal to prove hardship. </p><p> </p></p> </div> <a href="/blog/33817-the-immigration-woes-of-mixed-couples">Continue reading</a> Earning the Right to American Citizenship? http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/32413-earning-the-right-to-american-citizenship 2008-03-13T09:36:26Z DREAMActivist <div class="post_content"> <p><p>Most people seem supportive of the concept of ‘earned citizenship' - meaning that we must fulfill a set amount of requirements to obtain a green card and an American passport. </p><p>The DREAM Act has several teleological components that we must meet in order to qualify for legal residence. These are:</p><ul><li>we must have come here before we were 16 and are under 30,</li><li>we must have lived here continuously for five years,</li><li>we must graduate from a U.S. high school or obtained a GED</li><li>we must have good moral character with no criminal record and </li><li>we must attend college or enlist in the military for at least two years.</li></ul><p>Only if we meet all stipulations, do we get legal residency. And even then, processing citizenship would take anywhere from 3-5 years or more.</p><p>Do you think these stipulations are fair or restrictive? Should we be made to do more in order to prove our love and loyalty to this country and that we belong here and contribute to American society? </p><p>To become an U.S. Citizen, immigrants have to sit a ‘citizenship test,' a test that I have seen many fellow American students fail in class. Should their birthright citizenship be taken away from them? </p><p>What about DREAMers that do not necessarily identify as American and do not believe in ‘loyalty' to the nation? In an ever globalizing world of McDonalds, international holidays, languages, Facebook/Myspace, the bond of nationality is eroding. And I do not see that as a tragedy. </p><p>Today, we self-identify in so many ways-I am a homosexual, a woman, a student, an Indian, a tech-geek, a daughter, an atheist, a civil rights activist, an aspiring lawyer, and so much more than an undocumented immigrant or ‘illegal alien.' If society can accept so many identities without placing teleological components to citizenship, why are the undocumented and documented migrants put to the test? After all, we do not need to be alike in order to co-exist.</p><p>What do you think about the concept of earned citizenship?</p></p> </div> The Devaluation of the Migrant http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/32215-the-devaluation-of-the-migrant 2008-03-11T09:06:37Z fash <div class="post_content"> <p><p>The recent rash of articles about the backlog of citizenship applications festering in the system has made the political voices of the USA's green card holding residents an actual topic of discussion. <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_8515361">One more article</a> has dropped in among many with different names and faces but the same basic storyline. There's nothing remarkable about it, other than that its title, not so noteable in and of itself, got me thinking.</p><p>"Immigrant's skills, not voice, wanted", it says. And isn't that the current underlying this whole 'debate'? The United States is a particularly nationalistic country, and we're not alone in that regard, but this has brought us to become dependent on a class of people for whom we have little good to say, whether it's a restrained approval for European immigrants who speak English, or a blank terror before highly skilled Middle Eastern and African immigrants, or the paternalistic hostility towards undocumented Latin Americans...nationalities may change depending on the person, but for a nation of immigrants and a people who claim to be in favor of legal immigration, we sure do very little for the immigrants who were lucky enough to have a place in the mythical line and patient enough to wait in it.</p><p>The author of the article says that the subject and other applicants, are "marooned in the U.S. immigration system". I winced at this word on my first read through, thinking it tacky, but on second thought I think it's very apt. One of the definitions of marooned is "to abandon or isolate with little hope of ready rescue or escape", which characterizes the situation many people who were born elsewhere find themselves in, whether they have valid papers or not. The American citizenry basically holds the futures of these millions of people in its hands. What will it do? Will it rise up and push for reform, for the documented and undocumented in this country, or will it allow this country to become one that devalues its immigrants and clings to closely to nativism and nationalism? </p></p> </div> CAIR-AZ Civil Rights Director Discusses Immigration Delays http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/31969-cair-az-civil-rights-director-discusses-immigration-delays 2008-09-17T04:25:33Z CAIR <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a7uvTApKlZU&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a7uvTApKlZU&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/31969-cair-az-civil-rights-director-discusses-immigration-delays"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/34439" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>CAIR-AZ Civil Rights Director Mohammad AbuHannoud and Robert Okin, District Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services in Phoenix, discuss immigration delays for Muslims.</p> </div> <a href="/blog/31969-cair-az-civil-rights-director-discusses-immigration-delays">Watch the video</a> FL MUSLIMS SUE OVER CITIZENSHIP DELAYS http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/31936-fl-muslims-sue-over-citizenship-delays 2008-10-12T22:48:06Z CAIR <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9CCttF0NjBU&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9CCttF0NjBU&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/31936-fl-muslims-sue-over-citizenship-delays"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/34406" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>FL Muslims Sue</p> </div> <a href="/blog/31936-fl-muslims-sue-over-citizenship-delays">Watch the video</a> Heather MacDonald - The Costs of Immigration http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/31038-heather-macdonald-the-costs-of-immigration 2008-06-12T03:31:05Z FORAtv <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5v7-qeN7vXA&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5v7-qeN7vXA&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/31038-heather-macdonald-the-costs-of-immigration"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/33445" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>Complete video at: <a href="http://fora.tv/2008/02/06/Spotlight_on_the_U_S__Mexico_Border">fora.tv</a> </p> <p>Author Heather MacDonald outlines various social and economic costs of illegal immigration.</p> <p>-----</p> <p>The Immigration Debates: Spotlight on the U.S. Mexico Border with panelists Jorge Bustamante, Emilio Gonzalez, Bob Kerrey, Heather Mac Donald, and Aristide Zolberg.</p> <p>How to secure the U.S.-Mexico border is a hugely contentious issue in the immigration debates shaping the 2008 presidential race. A panel of experts will discuss the challenges of securing the world's most frequently crossed border and the immigration policy agendas heating up the campaign trail - The New School</p> <p>Heather Mac Donald is a John M. Olin fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor to City Journal. She also is a recipient of 2005 Bradley Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement. Her newest book, The Immigration Solution: A Better Plan Than Today's, coauthored with Victor Davis Hanson and Steven Malanga, chronicles the effects of broken immigration laws and proposes a practical solution to securing the country's porous borders.</p> </div> <a href="/blog/31038-heather-macdonald-the-costs-of-immigration">Watch the video</a> Jorge Bustamante on Immigration: Not Just A Domestic Issue http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/31023-jorge-bustamante-on-immigration-not-just-a-domestic-issue 2008-06-11T21:29:53Z FORAtv <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T9lz5fBCUy4&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T9lz5fBCUy4&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/31023-jorge-bustamante-on-immigration-not-just-a-domestic-issue"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/33428" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>Complete video at: <a href="http://fora.tv/2008/02/06/Spotlight_on_the_U_S__Mexico_Border">fora.tv</a> </p> <p>Notre Dame Professor of Sociology Jorge Bustamante argues that illegal immigration in the U.S. should not be regarded as a purely domestic issue.</p> <p>-----</p> <p>The Immigration Debates: Spotlight on the U.S. Mexico Border with panelists Jorge Bustamante, Emilio Gonzalez, Bob Kerrey, Heather Mac Donald, and Aristide Zolberg.</p> <p>How to secure the U.S.-Mexico border is a hugely contentious issue in the immigration debates shaping the 2008 presidential race. A panel of experts will discuss the challenges of securing the world's most frequently crossed border and the immigration policy agendas heating up the campaign trail - The New School</p> <p>Jorge Bustamante is the President and founder of El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, the prominent Mexican institute for the study of border issues. He is the author of numerous studies on the sociology of the border region between the United States and Mexico and on Mexican-origin residents of the United States. Bustamante is a leading participant in international scholarly networks dealing with these themes and has played a major role in building and sustaining scholarly linkages between Mexico and the United States.</p> </div> <a href="/blog/31023-jorge-bustamante-on-immigration-not-just-a-domestic-issue">Watch the video</a> Emilio Gonzales - Getting Immigration Reform Right http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/31011-emilio-gonzales-getting-immigration-reform-right 2008-06-11T21:29:51Z FORAtv <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LW9oKqHL5PI&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LW9oKqHL5PI&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/31011-emilio-gonzales-getting-immigration-reform-right"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/33417" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p>Complete video at: <a href="http://fora.tv/2008/02/06/Spotlight_on_the_U_S__Mexico_Border">fora.tv</a> </p> <p>Emilio Gonzalez, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, argues for moderation on the hot-button issue of immigration reform.</p> <p>-----</p> <p>The Immigration Debates: Spotlight on the U.S. Mexico Border with panelists Jorge Bustamante, Emilio Gonzalez, Bob Kerrey, Heather Mac Donald, and Aristide Zolberg.</p> <p>How to secure the U.S.-Mexico border is a hugely contentious issue in the immigration debates shaping the 2008 presidential race. A panel of experts will discuss the challenges of securing the world's most frequently crossed border and the immigration policy agendas heating up the campaign trail - The New School</p> <p>Emilio T. Gonzalez, Ph.D, serves as the current Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an Under Secretary position within the Department of Homeland Security.</p> </div> <a href="/blog/31011-emilio-gonzales-getting-immigration-reform-right">Watch the video</a> Citizenship...denied? http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/30488-citizenship-denied 2008-02-27T21:44:13Z fash <div class="post_content"> <p><blockquote><p>"Why did you come here illegally?"</p><p>"How else can I?"</p><p>--A conversation in the desert between the man with the gun and the man without </p></blockquote><p>The line that a person must stand in to immigrate to the United States is  popular image. Undocumented immigrants are told to get to the back of it, restrictionists say to close the door on it, and hypocrites claim to be defending those who are waiting in it while focusing solely on deporting those who never got the chance to stand in it. Most undocumented immigrants bypass this line because there's no place in it for them--even if they arrived at the door, they would find it locked. No skills, no money, no service.</p><p>Even for those who do have a place in the line, though, the immigration system isn't kind. Many undocumented migrants got that title from abandoning their place in line, with years of waiting ahead of them, to come reunite with family or look for a job. And the line doesn't end once you get in the door--even with a green card, there's another line for citizenship.</p><p>This line has been in the news a lot recently, due to the fact that there is a backlog on applicants who applied in time to have their citizenship before the election, but won't be getting it until well after. Many of these people have had their green cards for years, while others have had them for just long enough to be eligible for citizenship. The longer they have to wait, the longer they are denied the representation a citizen has, and the longer they are vulnerable to deportation.</p><p>Now, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-02-21-namecheck_N.htm">a group of citizenship applicants are suing</a> to get the process going. </p><p>One of the main reasons that applications take so long is because of the name check process, which checks the names of applicants against terror watch lists and the like. The problem is, it does a very bad job of it. Many people, like Mohammad Barikbin from the article, wait years for their name checks to go through--meanwhile, if they were actually terrorists, they could have destroyed several national landmarks while waiting. </p><p>Considering that the overwhelming majority of applicants make it through, it makes no sense to deny these people the right to security from deportation and the right to vote based on the tiny chance that they could be a terrorist, considering that there will be no difference in the results if they are passed through anyhow. </p></p> </div> An Voter's Question... Why Fix it? http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/28698-an-voter-s-question-why-fix-it 2008-06-12T09:35:32Z CulturalEngineer <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OvAfDoCbyOU&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OvAfDoCbyOU&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/28698-an-voter-s-question-why-fix-it"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/30864" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p></p> </div> <a href="/blog/28698-an-voter-s-question-why-fix-it">Watch the video</a> What You're Missing! http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/28602-what-you-re-missing 2008-06-12T09:35:58Z CulturalEngineer <object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7B2NxYD4GQ4&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7B2NxYD4GQ4&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object> <a href="/blog/28602-what-you-re-missing"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/30775" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a> <div class="post_content"> <p></p> </div> <a href="/blog/28602-what-you-re-missing">Watch the video</a>