RAISE OUR STORY

Raise Our Story shares the uniquely beautiful stories of individuals who happen to be undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children. The series chronicles young undocumented people as they work to achieve immigration equality, especially those whose stories are often left out of the picture. We hope to use the power of narrative and visuals to bring about comprehensive immigration reform.

power, privilege, and everyday life.: A Week of Fear

microaggressions:

On Friday evening, after the second suspect in the Boston marathon bombings had been caught, President Obama took to a podium, and said the following:

That American spirit includes staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us strong — like no other nation in the world. In this age of instant reporting and tweets and blogs, there’s a temptation to latch on to any bit of information, sometimes to jump to conclusions. But when a tragedy like this happens, with public safety at risk and the stakes so high, it’s important that we do this right. That’s why we have investigations. That’s why we relentlessly gather the facts. That’s why we have courts. And that’s why we take care not to rush to judgment — not about the motivations of these individuals; certainly not about entire groups of people.

The thing is: people actually had jumped to conclusions, fueling both suspicion and violence across the country. Multiple social networks and communities on the internet began to conduct their own searches for suspects in photographs. Most of these “suspects” turned out to be brown people with bags. Some people were identified solely by color or by supposed nationality. Some people were identified by name, and their names spread publicly and quickly, without hesitation. Worst of all, real people were attacked. Subtle and open aggression powerfully shaped lives this week.

We know that the creation of unsafe conditions for people of color, immigrants, Muslims – among others – does not appear out of thin air, informed by rationality or reality. They are a product of power and fear. Every geopolitical event of this sort has put whole communities on edge, anxious about the backlash against them. And while hate crimes get documented, the more subtle interactions of fear and hostility can slip through.

All week, from the coming Monday to Friday, we hope to publish submissions of incidents related to the recent attacks experienced by South Asians, Muslims, immigrants, and people of color. For this, we are asking for your help.

If you have experienced an incident of this type, please submit your story to submissions@microaggressions.com. There are no limits on length or format. (Please put “week” into the subject of your email; they’ll be forwarded directly to editors, who will put them up as soon as they can.)

If you have not experienced an incident of this type, we ask that you share this with people you know. Use Twitter, Facebook, and any other social networks to spread the word!

Thanks for everything,
Editors

Meet My Immigrant Mom

Submit your stories! :)

Why I Became a US Citizen

“I raised my right hand. My heart was pounding. All those years spent in public schools in America, I’d refrained from saying the Pledge of Allegiance. It was wrong to say it when my loyalties lay elsewhere.

But that changed with a ceremony on a July day four years ago. And it changed me. I learned lessons about the meaning of country and more importantly, about myself.

I’d been in America almost three decades but happily retained an Indian passport. Over the years, each time it was renewed, my green card changed to pink and white but the status remained the same: permanent U.S. resident.

I’d lived here so long that I felt just as much American as I did Indian, but I had my reasons for not taking that last formal step that made my Americanness official…”

More Details of Deferred Action "DACA" Policy Announced

Often called “DREAM Act-eligible” youth, these young people arrived in the US before their 15th birthday and have lived here for at least five years, but do not currently have authorized immigration status. 

Under the new policy, they are eligible to request “Deferred Action” on their immigration cases. All applicants must meet rigorous eligibility criteria including a background check.

If granted, Deferred Action will project these individuals from deportation and allow them to obtain a 2-year renewable work permit. Deferred Action does not provide any kind of permanent legal status, nor does it provide any pathway to US citizenship.

Law professor says deportation is largely ineffective as an immigration policy

A particularly hot topic, especially in Philadelphia with its large Southeast Asian population. Courts are only starting to really take into account the collateral damages of prosecution, but does there need to be a movement on the larger scale? What do you think of deportation as an immigration enforcement measure?

Arizona Immigration Law 'Gutted' In Split Supreme Court Ruling

The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a split decision in the Obama administration’s challenge to Arizona’s aggressive immigration law, striking multiple provisions but upholding the “papers please” provision. Civil rights groups argue the latter measure, a centerpiece of S.B. 1070, invites racial profiling.

Asian-Americans, more than Latinos, are largest group of new arrivals in U.S.

In 2010, 36% of new immigrants were Asians compared to 31% for Hispanics, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center.

That’s a significant change from a decade ago, when 19% of immigrants were Asians and 59% were Hispanics.