₦airaland Forum

(here is a snapshot of what despondent dreamers are saying)


http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/12/readers_and_dreamers_have_last_words_on_immigrations_future.html




As the end of the year and of the legislative session approaches, we’ve seen the DREAM Act get closer to reality than many thought possible—and with an incoming Republican-controlled congress, it likely represents the last chance to humanize any part of U.S. immigration policy for at least a couple of years. And it’s an issue that’s brought out passionate dialogue from both sides here at ColorLines.

Here’s a selection of the best and most thoughtful comments from ColorLines readers on our ongoing coverage of the issue, as DREAM Act supporters have braved hunger strikes, direct actions, media blackouts, and deportation, and as the bill itself has undergone compromises and bargaining in the halls of the House and Senate.

Thanks as always to Julianne Hing for her tireless and meticulous coverage of the bill’s convoluted recent history, and to all our writers and interviewees. And if you’d like to join the conversation, jump into the comments right here on ColorLines.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Youtube.

GabachodeMichigan on Julianne Hing’s profile on Hector Lopez, a college student who didn’t know he was undocumented until ICE agents staked out his house:

Ignorance is the root of why folks fly airplanes into buildings and it is not just the ignorance of the hijackers. It is comforting to think “they hate us because of our freedoms” but ultimately our current immigration system serves neither our long-term security or our long-term economic interests. Injustice breeds injustice.
You can keep on repeating simplistic slogans like “enforce our laws” or you could go pick some vegetables in the fields and learn something from your co-workers.


FaithBasedHate on Julianne’s December 6 roundup of the act’s then-dim prospects:

Being in this country illegally is a civil violation, not a crime. Whether you like that or not, get your facts straight.
I agree with everything you just said. Enforce the laws and make sure no one crosses the borders illegally. So for the beneficaries of the Dream Act, who by the way have not broken that rule, should be given an opportunity.

Dream Act kids did not cross the border illegally. They were pushed over the line by no fault of their own. American law does not punish people like that. “Most” of us sane people are able to distinguish between the perpetrators and the victims.


Adrian on Julianne’s breakdown of the misinformation spouted by GOP legislators in opposition of the bill:

My wife and I have been waiting over 3 years for here legal status because she came to the U.S. at age 2 illegally and after high school she decided to get a college degree. The point that marriage makes you have resident status does not apply if you stay in this country after you turn 18. At that point they consider you breaking the law. If you lie and say you went to Mexico after high school, it can give you resident status rather quickly. I thought the same thing till I went through the process, there is so many different laws and stipulations attached to immigration. They sent her a deportation letter after I applied for her citizenship.
Figuringitout on Miriam Zoila Pérez’s comparison of the DREAM Act’s potential positive impact to the success of Cuban immigrants:

I’m not sure this is true for most. Many of those who fled Cuba were elites deposed by Castro as well as middle class people who had connections, especially to credit, in Cuba. The U.S. was happy to accept Cubans as a strike against Communism. I’m all in favor of the DREAM Act, but it seems like the argument that “if we gave Mexicans and Central Americans citizenship, they’ll end up as successful as Cubans” ignore a lot of class and political history.
[…] didn’t the system “actively” help Cubans because the first wave of Cubans to come to south Florida actually had a reasonable amount of money, had access to credit in Cuba, and could kind of set up shop without much help from the U.S.?


Amor2 on the same post:

Woohoo! Right on I’m Cuban too and it seems so unfair how much better we get treated than other Latino groups. Isn’t it amazing what immigrants can achieve when the system is actively helping them, as opposed to actively oppressing/marginalizing them?
And @tnopper, responding on Twitter — pardon the formatting and grammar:

This is a TERRIBLE defense of DREAM ACT […]
#1: it doesn’t adequately address how 1st wave cuban refugees were encouraged to overthrow socialism/castro via entry in US

#2: doesn’t adequately interrogate immigration/refugee politics as a tool of US hegemony or as a means to engage in geopolitics

#3: why would anyone committed to social justice want people to take a route like Cubans did in terms of whiteness & politics?

#4: doesn’t adequately critique whiteness—just reporting that some groups aspire to be white isn’t challenging the desire[.]


Rodrigo Araujo on Julianne’s December 8 liveblog, during which the DREAM Act was successfully passed by the House of Representatives:

if I owned a bank or a business, I would print instructions, manuals or whatever in all languages possible that were present at the community where my business is taking place.
One of the most American things is capitalism, and my man, when you own a business you want to make money and not choose your customers and make less

These kids will not take college spots or working spots from Americans, it will open more spots at colleges and jobs and also make the market that more competitive because it means more higher educated people looking for a job, and the higher educated you are the more you make, so imagine all the nice competition that our market will have, Americana at its best (and Capitalism).

[…] You know that our current system is broken right, someone will waste around $30k and wait almost 7-10 yrs to get the green light to come here, which until then he will have lost the job, died, or to begin with he did not even have $30k to invest in something that in the end could come back as a NO.


Just_Anita on Julianne’s recap of the highlights and worst moments from the House debate:

[…] why didn’t we hear one word about the $37 billion dollars our immigrant population contributes to our economy? Not one word!! And yes, it’s completely cold hearted and narrow minded to say that spending $1 on an immigrant (legal or otherwise) child is $1 less dollar spent on a national’s child. What?? Seriously. How about the $3 a immigrant pays in taxes to every $1 we nationals spend. These are our Representatives?
PiperJM on the same post:

FYI: There is no such thing as 2 years of military service. the bill require military service which is a commitment of 8 years total (4 active duty and 4 reserves) in most cases. … I just want people to know that the commitment is not *just* two years because many youth are misinformed on that count. The likelihood of being honorably discharged before your service is up is very slim.
And @ChepeMX via Twitter:

You guys have done a really bad job of covering the DREAM Act recently. What happened to stories like [ColorLines contributor Michelle Chen’s May 2010 article “Is the DREAM Act a Military Recruiter’s Dream, Too?”]? […] The military component & the DREAM Act movement itself deserves critique. What’s up w the Cuban story? Overall, weak coverage.
And finally, M.H on Harry Reid’s promise that the DREAM Act will get a vote in the Senate before the end of the session turns the House vote into worthless paper:

As much as I want to lash out at this bill and these people, my heart says otherwise. I’m a conservative. The usual conservative objection to any path to citizenship for illegals is that it rewards lawbreaking. You can hardly apply that argument to people who came here as kids because their parents dragged them across the border or some overstayed their visa. These kids could be anybody including Irish, Italian, or any other race that might look just like the rest of us. I was against it before but now I support it. It would be inhumane not to

The Europeans really haven't left Africa. Only a fool would deny this. The British, the French, and the Portuguese continue to play a role in most African states. That is why I am not surprised that behind the scenes, the French and the rest of the West may be playing a role in the Ivory Coast.

In addition, the structural adjustment programs created by the World Bank/IMF are pure evil if you ask me. When African states implemented these policies, Africa became a lot poorer. The West does not have Africa's best interest at heart. They just want to steal from our beloved continent as they have been doing so for centuries. And we Africans have not awaken to this fact. It is a shame and it also makes me sick.

What happen to our revolutionary leaders like Patrice Lumumba, Amilcar Cabaral, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Julius Nyerere etc?

This!

The Yoruba Tribe is an amalgamation of many DIFFERENT ethnicities.

You mofo's banded together to raid others for SLAVES.

duh,

why you think YA'LL look so different?

ya'll like fugging

simple

Don't like talking about it, but love doing it.

;d ;d ;d ;d

I have been to the US so many times and as a UK citizen i don't need a visa to get there, I can move to the US anytime i want to but i have chosen not to, the next place that i will be going to will be my father's land - nigeria.

Why are you so concerned about me and my qualifications, try focusing on how your beloved america has failed black people like you and continues to treat you as second class citizens.  Your so caught up in your dream world thinking that you are above africans that you can't see how white america has screwed you up mentally.  They taught you how to hate yourself to the extent that you don't want to be affiliated to the land of your ancestors, the other day i was reading one of your posts headed "thank god for slavery" is it any wonder white people in america treat people like you like garbage.  Who would respect someone who hates themself?

In almost all of your posts you keep trying to convince yourself that you are above africans and how grateful you are to have been born an african american, and yet this great america that you love so deeply has throughout history shown you nothing but hatred and contempt.

I feel sorry for you because you are so confused and twisted, it must be mental torture being you - you're not wanted in the land of your birth and you have refused to embrace the land of your ancestors.

Like i said get ready for the imminent collapse of the US empire - the handwriting is on the wall, and you will be the first one to be affected - you only have to look at all the major cities where blacks are in the majority ie detroit, washington and see the level of unemployment, rising crime and despair, and you will understand what i mean.

Detroit , michigan which is a predominantly black city has been one of the hardest hit since this recession started - the auto industry which used to be a major employer of african americans has shed so many of its workers , unemployment in detroit now stands at  27%  -take a look at the place now:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCm1tQfuHeg&NR=1


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eR5bZ-lRL4&NR=1&feature=fvwp


see what corporate america has done to your people:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hamL1H-rjhw

is this the sort of place you think i'd want to leave the UK to come live in? you must be crazy??

Everybody in Amerikka know that  Nigerians are liars.  Yet all your post are about Amerikka.  Which means Amerikkka STAYS in the forefront on your mind.  And please, u do not want me to start posting pictures about Nigeria or the Carribbeans that cannot stand Nigerians.

Nigeria settled for $250,000,000 USD

You know u want it too.

Western Europe is a Welfare continent.

All those protest you see are Europeans wanting to keep and maintain their welfare.

What's wrong with taking care of people that have fallen on bad luck

Africans are so used to hardships that getting money for housing/clothing/food is beyond your scope of thinking.

Guess what

This World is full of ABUNDANCE to Feed clothe and house EVERYBODY.

Greedy Capitalist enjoys have nots suffering.

in Haiti doing what? What happened to Alaska?

hugging poor impoverished black kids for the camera's

& faking folks out. Like she cares about them.

fat and Ugly

What kind of comment is this? Did Clinton force black men to commit the crimes they went to jail for? Is it the govt's responsibility to provide food for you or anyone else? isn't that your own responsibility? This is a regrettable comment to say the least.

YES, YES AND YES

If I were a NIGERIAN POLITICIAN I would steal from slowpoke like you too.

Fugg clinton

he got rid of Welfare and put more black men in jail.

fuc.k him!!!

(which is why the current refugees from africa are struggling)

yeah, yeah, yeah.

We will be FOSSIL FUEL when the Whites get crushed.

I'm all for it

Myth making is HUGE with nigerians.

carry on

You aint gonna do Sh. it but continue being POOR and kissing the White Man's ass.

Almost every AA male of my street is a bum/ex-convict/lazy

and every NIGERIAN i know is a SKILLED 419er, getting deported for identity theft.

I noticed this list includes the Nigerians that were the First immigrants.

The NEW IMMIGRANTS are working-class and impoverished stiffs.

Besides, almost ALL nigerians want to be nurses.

WTF

Nigerians do not have a care ethic

So!

Unlike you COWARD A.ZZ NIGERIANS.

We affect change in this muthafugga. We do not sit on our black butts and DO NOTHING!!!

While white greedy mofo's run roughshod over us.

Nigerians are some DEFEATIST mofo's. All u black niggers want is a few material gains and you happy.

FOR YOURSELVES!!!!!!

which is why the larger Nigerian population is a complete failure.

If you come up, bring your nigerian brothers with you.

Have you ever heard of GREEDY A.SS WHITE MEN?


I'm sure you have. They are harvesting your resources and

Have you ever heard of World War I and WWII

what were they fighting over again?

dumb. a.zz

Something called scholarships.

Friends/family abroad.

But mainly scholarships because Africans are so freaking brilliant!

International students are BLOCKED from scholarships.

Damn, stop L Y ING to yourselves.

You see.

This is why Africans that come to the US are so disillusioned once they get here.

I just want to know?

How are you people going to pay the tuition??

especially when it will be almost 2 -3 times the rate of Local Americans. and you Cannot work.

Unless, u coming here to Drive taxi - illegally.

It's a rough life for a student who cannot afford their tuition and living expenses in Amerikkka