Saturday, November 20, 2010

MEChA de Yale: Organization Update For This Month


This month MEChA de Yale has been focusing on the Mexican Bicentennial of Mexican Independence Day and the Centennial of the Mexican Revolution. For the past months we've held events celebrating the Día de los Muertos, setting up multiple altars and commemorating the loss of loved ones and of revolutionaries. We held a workshop on how to be a Modern Revolutionary, a viewing of Latin American art, a film screening of the narco-trafficking situation in Ciudad Juarez, etc. More is included in the flyer below. We're in the process of planning for the ECCSF winter conference in February. We are also having elections this month, and are turning over our group to a new e-board. 

Alejandro Gutierrez


Mezcla de Wellesley: Organization Update For This Month


Mezcla

During the month of October we had quite a number of events going on.We had a mixer with an MIT group. A professor luncheon in the middle of the month where we enjoyed pupusas and the company of select faculty. Personally, it's one of my favorite Mezcla events and we had positive feedback from both the members and professors. Basically a couple of professors and a large portion of Mezcla had a casual lunch where we all introduced ourselves and the professors talked about themselves in a nonacademic setting. It's a great way to connect and feel more comfortable with faculty. We also had a school wide pub night where we all bonded over good Latin music and sold homemade empanadas as a fundraiser. We also had two general meetings that went really well. Just this past Wednesday we had our annual Día De Los Muertos celebration which we co sponsor, that the Spanish dept and Latina advisor put on. There was a great turnout (and not just Latinas), great food and live mariachis. And yesterday we had a Big Sister/Little Sister dinner where we cooked delicious cuban food and bonded with our littles. 


Jessica Camacho
Class of 2013   
TCW
Mezcla

MEChA de Vassar: Organization Update For This Month


MEChA de VASSAR


We've done....
-DREAM ACT Demonstration & VIGIL
-DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION
*Altar demonstrations
-Sex education Fair:Collaborated with local Colleges/Non-profit groups/local High Schools on a event that focused on The prevention of Teen pregnancy through the arts.
-Pachanga Dance Party
-LONG ISLAND LEAFLETTING (Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act)

We plan to....
-rally for farm workers rights on campus, as well as in the surrounding town.

~Dennis Rivera-Cash 

Friday, April 30, 2010

DREAM Act Advocacy: Cornell University








April 22, 2010
Skorton letter in favor of DREAM Act attracts support of university presidents
Cornell President David Skorton has written a letter in support of bipartisan legislation that would provide some undocumented students with a pathway to permanent U.S. residency. The letter, which has been sent to members of Congress, has also been signed by eight New York state university presidents.

The DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act of 2009, sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), would amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to permit states to determine residency for college and university students.

Under the DREAM Act, undocumented alien students who arrive in the United States as minors and who graduate from a U.S. high school would obtain temporary residency for six years. During that time they must acquire a degree from a U.S. institution of higher education or complete at least two years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree, or have served in the military for at least two years and, if discharged, have received an honorable discharge.

After meeting these criteria and having lived in the United States continuously for five years, they would become eligible for conditional permanent residency in the United States.

"I am very excited to hear of President Skorton's support of the DREAM Act. Cornell University, alongside its peer institutions, is certainly in a position to have real effects on the type of attention that the DREAM Act garners within the discussion on immigration reform," said Alex Cárdenas '10, an American studies major.

He continued, "For many of my classmates, the lack of financial support and even the 'othering' of their college experience through the lack of protective measures which would safeguard them from actions such as deportations (which has occurred to Cornell students in the past) allows me to say that we must push to do more for the protection of this country's scholars. The [DREAM] Act is a measure to ensure that thousands of students who wish to pursue higher education in this country have the necessary means and support to do so."

The presidents of the State University of New York, the City University of New York, the State University of New York at Buffalo and Stony Brook, New York University, the University of Rochester, Syracuse University and Fordham University have signed on to Skorton's letter. It has been sent to the New York congressional delegation to ask for its support, and to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to thank them for their work on comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

The letter reads, in part:

"We would also like to take this opportunity to affirm our strong support for federal legislation that would provide a pathway to legal residency -- and remove barriers to higher education -- for thousands of students who are not legal residents of this country, through no fault of their own.

"As you prepare to introduce comprehensive immigration legislation, we urge you to include the bipartisan 2009 DREAM Act -- the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act -- which provides undocumented immigrant children who graduate from U.S. high schools in good standing with conditional residency status.

"This would enable them to enroll in colleges and universities in states that currently do not recognize them and to qualify for some federal and state financial aid benefits as well as in-state tuition.

"Currently, undocumented children can only obtain permanent residency through their parents. Many of these students came to this country as infants. This is the only home they have ever known, the only language they speak. They are the products of our excellent primary and secondary educational system and they deserve the right to access our institutions of higher education and become productive and engaged members of our society.

"This legislation will correct an injustice perpetrated upon thousands of American students and ultimately will benefit our country. It is the right thing to do and should be done now."

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Invitation to March for Immigration


Dear East Coast Chicano Students,

We write to inform you about a march for immigration reform occurring in New Haven on May 1st, the International Day of the Worker. We invite you to join hands with thousands of other demonstrators to make our voices heard. The march will begin at 10 AM from Front Street and Grand Avenue and proceed down Grand Avenue until to the Federal Building plaza behind city hall. Buses will be provided to transport students and New Haven members to the start site. Congresswoman Delauro will be present at the march and will be accompanied by other speakers who will address the urgent need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
 
The time for change is now. With a sympathetic president and a liberal congress the possibilities for humane comprehensive reform can and must become a reality. On March 19, Congressmen Charles E. Schumer and Lindsey O. Graham issued an op-ed in The Washington Post declaring their intent to publish a bill that would address many of the problems inherint in the current US immigration policy. With a sympathetic president, democratically controlled congress, and a bipartisan effort to draft this bill, prospect for humane and comprehensive reform has not been this strong since the 2007 Kennedy-McCain bill. In 2009, over two hundred deaths occurred in Arizona alone as immigrants tried to cross the border (for more information click here). The system as it stands today is broken

The recent passing of Arizona's controversial immigration bill (SB 1070) should serve to awaken us all to the oppression and racism inherent in our current system of immigration enforcement. Expanding on already vicious programs like 287 (g), SB 1070 does nothing to protect us; it only creates the equivalent of a police state for anyone who does not fit perfectly into officers' image of an "American citizen." We can no longer stand by as criminals like Sheriff Joe Arpaio continue to violate the basic rights of human beings and even wield influence over legislation. 

For the sake of our communities, we can wait no longer. Accordingly, MEChA de Yale hopes you will join us as we march with in unity down the streets of New Haven to demand that Obama fulfill his promise and make Comprehensive Immigration Reform a reality. We truly hope to share in this experience with you.

Thank you,
MEChA de Yale

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist; 
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist; 
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist; 
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew; 
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me. 
--Veni Markovski


Wednesday, March 31, 2010

¡ECCSF Conference @ Brown!





MEChA de Brown presents:

East Coast Chican@ Student Forum | Spring 2010

Poplitical: The Politics of Popular Culture

April 9-11, 2010

Online Registration/late fee applies after April 2nd:https://payment.brown.edu/C20460_ustores/web/store_cat.jsp?STOREID=2&CATID=78&SINGLESTORE=true


Keynote Speakers
Sergio Arau and Yareli Arizmendi, co-writers of “A day without a Mexican”

Conference Schedule
Friday, April 9 2010
→ Registration @ J. Walter Wilson 7pm-12am
→ “A Day without a Mexican” screening @ Salomon 001 7-9 pm
→ Semana Chicana party: “Fuego” 10pm-2am

Saturday, April 10, 2010
→ Breakfast @ Smith-Buonanno
→ Workshops @ Smith-Buonanno
→ Keynote Lecture @ Salomon 101 5-6:30pm
→ ECCSF Dinner @ Andrews Dinning Hall 7-9pm
→ ECCSF Party @ Andrews Dinning Hal 10pm-2am

Sunday, April 11 2010
→ Departure

For more information, please contact Brown co-chairs jose_loya@brown.edu or mayte_garcia-salgado@brown.edu



A Day Without A Mexican Trailer:

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Georgetown Advocates for the Dream Act

Congratulations to Georgetown on their ability to advocate change, and fight for the Dream Act!

The Georgetown president wrote a letter to Senator Durbin, in support of the Dream Act.
*Note that there is an option to zoom in, and to open the letter in full screen.

Durbin Letter

Friday, March 26, 2010

ECCSF at Harvard Recap
















Hearing Dr. Jose B. Gonzalez speak was one of the highlights of the conference. His insights about Latino literature, achievements, Latino pride, and motivational words were inspiring.  Here is a clip of a poem he recited:

Dr. Jose B. Gonzalez is a Professor of English and Latino Studies at the United States Coast Guard Academy. The presentation he gave at the conference was entitled, "What is Latino Literature and Why it Matters."


At dinner, everyone was excited to join the Harvard mariachi band in singing, "El Rey."

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Enamorado, A Short Story By Luis Alberto Torres Mendoza (MIT)

Enamorado-3

MEChA de Georgetown Organization Report

MEChA de Georgetown In Full Gear

MEChA de Georgetown began the new school year with the goal of maintaining tradition and bringing attention to current social issues affecting various communities. The Winter ECCSF conference, hosted by Georgetown in October, did just that. Under the theme “Narcocultura,” the conference brought awareness to the current drug trafficking issues that terrorize national borders and plague local communities. Several members from the DC community volunteered their time to contribute to the ongoing conversation. The conference came to a close with a brief cultural show, dinner, and a visit from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who also addressed the needs of the battered education system in America.

The organization also continued and began to celebrate new traditions. It cosponsored Reventon, a yearly cultural dancing showcase, celebrated Posada and Dia de Los Muertos, as well as volunteered to make sandwiches for the less fortunate. Among the new, MEChA organized its first Carne Asada Cookout, an event that promises to bring together the Latino community every semester. At the same time, MEChA de Gerorgetown continues its campaign to push for the GULSI Initiative, a proposal aimed at creating a Latino Studies Program at Georgetown University.

Looking ahead to 2010, MEChA de Georgetown will shift gears a bit and shed light on two topics: Immigration and Education Reform. In an effort to parallel the focus of President Obama’s agenda, MEChA de Georgetown will hold various events, ranging from writing constituent letters to introducing guest speakers, in order to highlight the need for immigration and education reform. These two matters mark an opportunity for what will be a very exciting, busy, and promising semester. 


Thursday, January 7, 2010

MEChA de Mount Holyoke Organization Report



*Noche Latina* (co-hosted with La Unidad) is an event where we will perform a series of dances, skits, and open mic acts. Refreshments will be served.
*Semana Chicana* is a week-long event where we will have keynote speakers, dinner and games. The dinner will serve as a fundraiser for a cause of our choosing. The whole event will address a political topic that has to do with Latinos. Last year's topic addressed the issues of immigration and how they have affected and continue to effect the chicano/latino community.
Dia de los Muertos Cena y Leyendas: A day to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, an important day in our culture with food, decorations, and storytelling. People came and learned about this important holiday and shared their experiences and leyendas.
Dia de los Muertos Altar: The group went and set up and decorated an altar in our campus center.
Carnival 
(co-hosted with La Unidad) games and food (arroz con leche, flan, popcorn, cupcakes, etc.) 
Mural
: Working on a mural that is meant to honor the diverseness of our culture and the impact being a Latina in the United States has had on all of us



*starred titles indicate upcoming events