We're somewhere close to the living side of a ghost town:
Closed shops, empty parking lots, less traffic, bold lettered
proclamations of WE'RE STILL OPEN next to
the timid We'll Get Through This Together:
Hopeful, asking for money, for help breathing.
Not all, though, maybe most
Will get through this together,
Will get to keep this as a memory,
A face mask souvenir from passing through,
Just six feet away from heavy chested ghosts.
Homes will keep standing, rent unpaid, holding
The living who breathe safe air,
Shaking their heads at their anxiety,
Laughing at the way they doubted
Their invincibility.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Saturday, April 4, 2020
This, too
In the crisp new library
I looked up just as
A young woman runs her palm
Across the clear, clean glass,
Leaving a blur in her wake:
This, too, shall pass.
I looked up just as
A young woman runs her palm
Across the clear, clean glass,
Leaving a blur in her wake:
This, too, shall pass.
Friday, April 3, 2020
Skylight
Pink shingles on George St. in
Walking distance from school;
Surrounded by same aged children
And block parties with swings.
I could see clouds from my skylight
And grass from my back window
Under a red wood porch and a picnic table
Filled with friends and food.
Every winter we made tunnels
And every summer we danced in the sprinkler
I wrote stories and legends after we left-
What childhood magic this was
To protect me from truth for so long.
Walking distance from school;
Surrounded by same aged children
And block parties with swings.
I could see clouds from my skylight
And grass from my back window
Under a red wood porch and a picnic table
Filled with friends and food.
Every winter we made tunnels
And every summer we danced in the sprinkler
I wrote stories and legends after we left-
What childhood magic this was
To protect me from truth for so long.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Life as a Yell
In nightmares-
pulsing soundlessness
from empty screams
Running and tripping
On repeat for years.
In waking-
Constantly building life
Into a yell:
In writing, in poems, in sharing;
In calling, computers, and photos
In videos, repetition:
Conversations, 6 feet away, reaching,
with words.
pulsing soundlessness
from empty screams
Running and tripping
On repeat for years.
In waking-
Constantly building life
Into a yell:
In writing, in poems, in sharing;
In calling, computers, and photos
In videos, repetition:
Conversations, 6 feet away, reaching,
with words.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Things We Can Do
I recently asked Facebook what I could do to help stop the rise of concentration camps, family separation, extreme mistreatment of children, and overall crisis level situations regarding immigration and asylum seekers in the U.S.
I was overwhelmed with places that were looking with volunteers and ideas for how to help, so I organized all of the resources I collected into three categories: general ideas, local organizations, and national organizations so that I could get a better idea of what's out there, what's accesible to me, and what I can follow through with.
Here is that list! I can't vouch for most of the organizations listed on here since I have only worked with a couple. Please do additional research and please feel free to let me know if you find that one of the resources on here is not good for some reason.
Please also let me know if there are additional resources that aren't on here that should be added!
General Ideas
I was overwhelmed with places that were looking with volunteers and ideas for how to help, so I organized all of the resources I collected into three categories: general ideas, local organizations, and national organizations so that I could get a better idea of what's out there, what's accesible to me, and what I can follow through with.
Here is that list! I can't vouch for most of the organizations listed on here since I have only worked with a couple. Please do additional research and please feel free to let me know if you find that one of the resources on here is not good for some reason.
Please also let me know if there are additional resources that aren't on here that should be added!
General Ideas
· Post
Bail
o
South Texas Probono Asylum Representation
Project: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/immigration/projects_initiatives/south_texas_pro_bono_asylum_representation_project_probar/
o
National Bailout: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/national-bail-out-1?amount=$100
o
Raices: https://www.raicestexas.org/about/
o
Queer Detainee Empowerment Project: http://www.qdep.org/donate/
· Share
Resources
o
Rights Card: https://www.facebook.com/chirlausa/posts/2728976163797183
o
Defend Your Rights: https://mijente.net/2017/09/10/prepare-raids-new-defend-rights-materials-available/?fbclid=IwAR3fsnJ25BZ-dgMw6hj-dxWx7jFEJFTEgKGWefN2tigRXG5Yx5CuSxU6Pnk
o
Know Your Rights: https://www.afsc.org/knowyourrights
o
AFL-CIO Guide to Defense Against Workplace
Raids: https://aflcio.org/reports/we-will-defend-and-resist
o
Toolkits and Posters: https://www.immigrantjusticenow.org/resources
o
For women and families: https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/rights
· Sign
a petition
o
For sanctuary cities: https://mijente.net/expanding-sanctuary/
· Collect
evidence if a raid is done at your workplace
· Contact
your representatives
o
ResistBot: Text RESIST to 50409 or https://resist.bot/
o
Postcards for America: https://www.postcardsforamerica.com/
· Share
posters:
o
Keep Families Together: https://www.afsc.org/defund-hate-graphics
o
Abolish ICE: https://www.afsc.org/abolish-ICE-graphics
o
Sanctuary Everywhere: https://www.afsc.org/resource/help-to-promote-sanctuary-everywhere
· Volunteer
o
Collection of volunteer opportunities at
various places: https://www.brightest.io/issues/immigration-human-rights/
· Learn
o
Immigration Detention Syllabus: https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/immigration-detention-syllabus
o
Women, Children, and Families: https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/
· Donate
your frequent flyer miles
Local Organizations
·
The Florence Project
o
What They Do: https://firrp.org/who/mission/
§ Free
legal services to people in immigration custody in Arizona
o
Opportunities: https://firrp.org/getinvolved/volunteer/
§ Donate:
https://firrp.org/donate/
§ Be
a pro bono attorney
§ Raise
awareness
o
More Information
· Casa
Alitas
o
What they do: https://www.ccs-soaz.org/agencies-ministries/detail/alitas-aid-for-migrant-women-and-children
§ Aid
for migrant families
o
Opportunities
o
For more information
· Rincon
Migrant Shelter
o
What they do
§ Short
term housing and hospitality for migrant families
o
Opportunities
§ Transportation
§ Kitchen
§ Intakes
o
For more information
· No
More Deaths/No Mas Muertes
o
What they do
§ Work
to stop migrant deaths in the desert
§ Work
for immigration reform
o
Opportunities
§ Desert
Aid Camp
§ Leave
supplies in the desert
§ Abuse
Documentation
§ Keep
Tucson Together (Legal Clinic)
§ Help
get belongings back
§ Searching
for the disappeared
§ Arivaca
Humanitarian Aid Office
o
For more information:
§ Mailing
List: http://forms.nomoredeaths.org/join-our-mailing-list-2/
· Mariposas Sin Fronteras
§ solidarity to LGBTQ people in detention through
visits, letters, bond fundraising, case support, advocacy and post-detention
hospitality.
o
Opportunities
§ Letter writing and visitation: https://mariposassinfronteras.org/proyectos-de-mariposas/amigxs-de-mariposas-letter-writing-and-visitation-program/
o
For more
information
· Tucson
Community Rapid Response Team
o
What they do
§ Serve
as witnesses to immigration enforcement actions in Tucson
§ Education
and resources
o
Opportunities
o
For more information
· Peoples’
Defense Initiative
o
What they do: https://www.peoplesdefenseinitiative.org/our-campaigns/
§ Campaigns
related to several immigration and human rights issues
o
Opportunities
§ Free
the Children Coalition: https://www.peoplesdefenseinitiative.org/news/coalition/free-the-children-coalition/
§ Tucson
Families Free and Together: https://www.peoplesdefenseinitiative.org/news/campaigns/tucson-families-free-and-together/
o
For more information:
·
National Organizations
·
Al Otro Lado
o What
they do: https://alotrolado.org/who-we-are/
§ Immigration
related services
§ Border
Rights Project: https://alotrolado.org/programs/border-rights-project/
§ Medical-Legal
Partnership: https://alotrolado.org/programs/medical-legal-partnership/
§ Deportee
Program: https://alotrolado.org/programs/deportee-program/
o Opportunities
§ attorneys, doctors, mental health
professionals, tech professionals, social workers, and any other individual who
is passionate about immigrant rights: https://alotrolado.org/volunteer/
o For
more information
o
What they do
§ “assists folks coming out of immigration
detention in securing structural, health/wellness, educational, legal, and
emotional support and services. We work to organize around the structural
barriers and state violence that LGBTQIA TS & GNC detainee/undocumented
folks face related to their immigration status, race, sexuality, and gender
expression/ identity.
We are committed to assisting folks in building lives outside of detention, to breaking down the barriers that prevent folks from building fulfilling and productive lives, and to keeping queer families intact by demanding an end to deportations/ detention/ policing”
We are committed to assisting folks in building lives outside of detention, to breaking down the barriers that prevent folks from building fulfilling and productive lives, and to keeping queer families intact by demanding an end to deportations/ detention/ policing”
o
Opportunities http://www.qdep.org/get-involved/
§ Donate:
http://www.qdep.org/donate/
§ Fundraising
§ Visitation
§ PenPal
§ Advocate
§ Hotline:
http://www.qdep.org/help-ayuda-aider/
o For
more information
·
Freedom for Immigrants
o
What they Do
§ Policy
advocacy
§ Monitoring
and investigations
§ Visitations
§ Hotline
§ Alternatives
to detention
§ National
bond fund
§ Storytelling
projects
§ International
organizing
o
Opportunities
§ Learning
· Immigration
Detention Syllabus: https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/immigration-detention-syllabus
· Immprint:
https://imm-print.com/
· Other
resources available on website
§ Volunteering
· Hosting
asylum seekers
· Hotline
· Translation
· Detention
visitation
· Transportation
· Volunteer
recruitment
· Sponsor
an asylum seeker
· Start
a visitation program or support group
· Policy
advocate
· Donate
o
More information
§ Website:
www.freedomforimmigrants.org
§ Mailing
list
§ Social
Media
·
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
o What
they do:
§ Civic
engagement
§ Education
§ Advocacy
§ Legal
services
o
Opportunities
§ Civic
Engagement: https://www.chirla.org/civic
§ Community
Education: https://www.chirla.org/commedu
§ Legal
Immigration Services: https://www.chirla.org/legal-immigration-services
§ Organizing:
https://www.chirla.org/organizing
§ Policy
and Advocacy
o For
more information:
·
Detention Watch Network
o
What they do
§ Organize
to abolish immigrant detention in the United States
o
Opportunities
§ Donate:
https://detentionwatchnetwork.z2systems.com/np/clients/detentionwatchnetwork/donation.jsp?campaign=4
§ #CommunitiesNotCages:
https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/take-action/communitiesnotcages
§ #DefundHate:
https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/defundhate
o
For more information
§ Newsletter:
https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/take-action/signup
·
Lights for Liberty
o What
they do
§ Vigils
for people in detention
o Opportunities
§ July
12 Vigil: https://www.facebook.com/events/312178646356728/
o For
more information
·
Immigration Justice Campaign
o
What they do
§ Provide
legal services for detainees
o
Opportunities: https://www.immigrationjustice.us/volunteeropportunities/types-of-volunteer-opportunities
o
For more information
· Immigrant
Justice Now
o
What they do
§ Oppose
maltreatment of immigrants, including separation of families
§ Current
initiatives: https://www.immigrantjusticenow.org/current-initiatives
o
Opportunities
§ Donate,
learn, and pledge: https://www.immigrantjusticenow.org/current-initiatives
o
For more information
· Young
Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights
o
What they do
§ Support
immigrant children who arrive in the US on their own: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/about-the-young-center
o
Opportunities
§ Start
a fundraising campaign: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/start-a-fundraising-campaign
§ Refer
a Child: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/refer-a-child
§ Be
a child advocate: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/volunteer-at-the-young-center
o
For more information
· Women’s
Refugee Commission
o
What they do:
o
Opportunities:
o
For more information:
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