Immigration Reform

One of the important aspects of El Zocalo's mission is to lobby and advocate for substantive immigration reform. This is especially important for Arkansas! Our immigrant population is growing and changing the population of Arkansas. This infographic from The Immigration Policy Center breaks down what that means for the state.



El Zocalo has signed onto the Reform Enforcement Caucus, which outlines the goals of several likeminded, immigrant advocate groups. This document addresses failures in the current system and suggests things to consider for meaningful reform. Highlights from the document are:

True reform means establishing a system that values migration, supports family unity, protects the rights of workers, promotes racial justice, ensures the health of our communities, and addresses the root causes of migration while preserving our basic American values. 

True reform must include a pathway to full citizenship for those currently living under threat of deportation as well as for those seeking to reunite with their families. Full citizenship means equal rights that include being a full participant in a free and vibrant society that works to promote and protect the rights and well-being of all. 

Legalization should aim to keep families together—including those family members who have had past contact with law enforcement. The pathway to citizenship should not become an excuse to further divide and criminalize immigrant communities

There are many places to find more information about specific goals and suggestions for immigration reform!
The Immigration Policy Center has tons of great information about immigration reform as well as health care, citizenship, and unemployment among immigrant populations.

The longer that the debate goes on, the more politicians come out for meaningful reform. Even conservative politicians, like Senator Rand Paul, have started to speak out against the penalizing focus of the system. Paul says:

“Basically what I want to do is to expand the worker visa program, have border security and then as far as how people become citizens, there already is a process for how people become citizens. The main difference is I wouldn’t have people be forced to go home. You’d just get in line. But you get in the same line everyone is in.”

Hopefully, we, as Americans will come to a consensus to help immigrants and treat them with the same dignity that we treat natural born citizens!

Who doesn't love public art?

Thanks to wonderful genius and classmate, Nicolle Boswell (who has her own blog about advocacy writing), I am taking an entirely different approach to my grant search.

I had been looking for a substantial grant that would meet the needs of an existing operating budget but, frankly, that's hard. Most foundations seem to want to fund fun things--things that they can post pictures of and tell cool stories about. Light bills don't really meet that criteria!

I also considered filling out an application for a grant from a local Catholic Charities organization, but I feel like El Zócalo has that one under control (they've received the grant before). It just didn't get my creative fire going, you know?

Then, Nicolle posted the link to the Inside Out Project and it was like I'd met my project soul mate. I love photography, I love public art, and I love raising awareness. I had seen the project before, but I had never thought about it as a way to increase immigrant visibility. I've emailed the organization to get more details about the process for initiating a project! While I wait, I'm focusing my grant search on public art projects.

I hope I can find something!

Arkansas Dream Act

For those who don't know, the Arkansas Dream Act (SB915) is a bill that would allow immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition. It doesn't cost the state anything, the undocumented immigrants still can't qualify for the state funded scholarships, and it actually increases potential profits for the universities because they have a pool of potential customers students.

To help ensure that this bipartisan piece of common sense legislation is passed, El Zocalo is asking YOU for help! If you have a moment and feel led by your conscience to do so, please take a few minutes and make a quick phone call, or type up an email asking your legislator to support this bill. Although it'd be great if you used personal stories, we've got a sample script for you if you aren't sure what to say! 

“My name is ________ and I am from _________. I am calling Senator ________ urging him/her to vote YES on SB915. It only makes sense to invest in future productive citizens. This bill will not cost the state any money, and it will actually allow us to capitalize in an investment that we have already made. These students will NOT be able to apply for scholarship or loans, including the Lottery Scholarship. In-state tuition is good for Arkansas. Please vote YES to SB915. Thank you.” 

 If you're not one for phone calls (lookin' at you, everyone my age), we also have an email template you can use! 

 Dear State Senator: 

As a constituent of your district, I would appreciate your support for "The Postsecondary Education and Economic Development Act of 2013", which would allow undocumented students to use their own money to pay tuition at the in-state rate. We, as your district, look forward to your support, and helping our community acheive its education and economic potential.  

Sincerely,

Name

Address

And finally, for those of you who don't make a habit of hitting up your legislator for some quality legal chat, you can use this link to quickly look up your representative's contact information.

Pro-Tip for Conway kids:  We're represented by Jason Rapert. His phone number is 501-336-0918 and his email address is Jason.Rapert@senate.ar.gov.

The legislature especially needs to hear from non-Latinos. If they know that a diverse group of Arkansans are supporting this, they're more likely to vote for it! Latinos (actually, all minorities) are marginalized. Marginalized populations aren't disadvantaged because people in power listened when they spoke alone. Women didn't get the right to vote working alone! These students need our support to create a loud voice advocating for their right to an affordable education.

If you're interested in tracking the progress of this specific legislation or helping out the immigrant community as a whole, I encourage you to "Like" our Facebook page.

And while you have your activism shoes on, go show SB33 some love. You can find out more about that bill and its progress here. Both bills are sponsored by Joyce Elliot and would absolutely be positive steps toward improving education in Arkansas.