Poets and Immigrants Share Stories and Call for Action

Urging people to take a stand on immigration reform, JCUA hosted an evening with poet Kevin Coval, titled “Immigration and Its Discontents: Stories and Schtick,” Thursday, June 13, 2013.

Kevin Coval

Throughout the evening, Jews and non-Jews alike shared their immigration stories, describing both their family’s arrival to the United States and the life that followed.

The event was headlined by author, spoken word artist and slam poet Kevin Coval, founder of “Louder Than A Bomb: The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival” and Artistic Director at the non-profit organization “Young Chicago Authors.”

Kevin read excerpts from his newest book Schtick, which explores Jewish assimilation in America and the consequences of Jews shedding their minority status. By reflecting on the Jewish American story, one grounded in immigration and diaspora, JCUA hoped to remind others of the Jewish responsibility to take action for immigrant justice.

Contesting the assertion that homogeneity will lead to peace, Kevin described his point-of-view by quoting and explaining the lyric “going to war with the melting pot” from Wu-Tang Clan’s “Protect Ya Neck.”

“I believe we should maintain specificity,” Kevin said “I contest this idea that we have to become very boring and wonder bread. It’s better when there’s flavor, or any maintenance of culture. Like I said, I love Jewish noses! Or that joke, ‘there are two Jews, and three opinions.’ I love that we debate everything. What constitutes as a deli is a hot-button issue in my family.”

Kalman Resnick

Other participants included Kalman, an immigration lawyer, who told the story of his great-grandparents, grandparents and mother’s long and winding journey to America; Stephanie, an undocumented citizen from the Philippines and Jorge, an undocumented citizen from Mexico.

Stephanie

“I have always believed in global human rights, I have always volunteered, and yet still people think that something is wrong with me,” Stephanie said, elaborating on her experiences being undocumented.

Jorge

Stephanie’s message rang clear, illustrating the struggle of the millions of undocumented citizens throughout the nation. “These are mothers, and these are fathers, looking for work, without criminal records, yet our government spends money detaining then. We should have the rights other people have, especially when we are giving back to this country so much.”

Senator Kirk’s NO-Vote: What Can We Do Now?

by Jessica Cohen
JCUA Intern, Communications

After the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the immigration reform bill, proponents of Comprehensive Immigration Reform waited in anticipation of its debate on the Senate floor.

While the bill was moved to the floor earlier this week, many Illinois residents were dismayed by Senator Mark Kirk’s decision to vote NO to the motion.

With only a handful of Republican votes needed, Senator Kirk’s decision is especially disappointing: as a moderate Republican, he has the potential to progress immigration reform in a significant way that he has not yet taken advantage of.

The bill, SB 744, also known as the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill, includes a path to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States.

As Jews, we can fulfill the commandment to “welcome the stranger” by letting Senator Mark Kirk know that we support this path to citizenship and want him to take positive action in addressing our nation’s broken immigration system.

“As our elected official, Mark Kirk needs to know that the Jewish community supports a just and compassionate Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill and that we find his recent vote unacceptable,” said Rabbi Ali Abrams, JCUA’s Director of Organizing.  “Blocking the possibility of immigration reform goes against Jewish tradition and values.”

Although Senator Kirk has not released an official statement describing where he stands on immigration reform, his decision to vote against debating the bill makes clear his lack of interest in its discussion. Without a willingness to tell us where he stands or what he would need to pass this bill, Senator Kirk refuses us the ability to support him in making a positive decision.

We are at a crucial juncture for immigrant justice. To show Senator Kirk how out of touch he is with the concerns of his constituents, please call asking him provide a statement describing where he stands and what he would need to vote in favor of immigration reform.

Please call all three of Kirk’s offices: Chicago (312-886-3506), Springfield (217-492-5089) and Washington DC (202-224-2854). Here is a sample script provided by JCUA’s partner organization ICIRR:

“Hello, my name is ___________ and I am from ________ (city/town). As Senator Kirk’s constituent, I am extremely disappointed in the Senator’s vote against the motion to proceed to the Senate floor with Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Senator Kirk should tell his constituents where he stands on SB 744 and stop preventing the bill from being debated.”

Interfaith Prayer Day for Immigration Reform with the Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition

Showing their support for the passage of a Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill, participants from across the Chicago area gathered on Tuesday, May 28 2013 for a prayer session, press conference and meetings with staff members from Senator Durbin and Senator Kirk’s offices. Participants included religious leaders, members of various faith-based organizations and families fighting deportation.

Called to prayer, the “ask” from participants was for a “holy boldness” to address the inherent indignities of our current immigration system.  This need was personified in the testimony of Lourdes, a mother of four, who is facing deportation this week.  While three of her children have qualified to stay here in the United States, they would have to choose to do so without their mother or choose to return with her, leaving behind the only life they have known.  Lourdes broke into tears as she tried to tell her story.

If deportations continue at the current rate, there is the potential for 2 million people to have been deported during the Obama administration alone – Lourdes is just one of too many .

Following the prayer session and press conference, participants walked to the Federal building. While seven speakers met with Senator Durbin’s staff, the remaining group waited outside the building, as instructed by security.  The delegation asked that Durbin make a call to President Obama to put a stop to deportations as we get nearer to the possibility of immigration reform.

After the delegation with Senator Durbin, participants reconvened in the lobby, where they waited for a representative from Senator Kirk’s office.  Participants observed the symbolism between the extended amount of time that they waited to speak to a representative and the overall pace of the legal immigration system.  Also noteworthy was the number of steps (and, often obstacles) that the group had to move through in order to eventually speak with an elected official’s staff.

The group asked that Kirk take a stance in support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, demonstrating the broad-based support for such reform in faith-based communities.  Rabbi Ali Abrams of JCUA delivered a letter with the signatures of nearly 20 Illinois rabbis urging Senator Kirk to support immigration reform.

The next couple of weeks are a crucial time for the Senate bill on immigration reform and JCUA will continue to push our Senators for the most compassionate, just, and comprehensive bill possible.

For more information on getting involved, please contact Rabbi Ali Abrams at alison@jcua.org.

Interfaith Prayer Day for Immigration Reform

Stand with JCUA as we join religious leaders, families fighting deportations, and people of faith from many walks of life.

We will come together to pray, take action, and invite our elected leaders to support our shared values of dignity and mercy for all.  The Prayer Session and Press Conference will begin at 9:00am on Tuesday, May 28th at the DePaul Club Room, 1 E. Jackson Blvd, 11th Floor.  Following the press conference, delegations will visit the offices of Senators Durbin and Kirk.  We want to thank Senator Durbin for his leadership, ask him to continue being a champion of our principles, and ask that he makes a personal call to President Obama to stop deportations.  We will ask Senator Kirk to vote “YES” on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill, support our principles, and ask how we can support him as he makes his decision.

Please email Rabbi Ali Abrams at alison@jcua.org if you can attend.

JCUA’s Director of Organizing Will Speak on Immigration Through a Jewish Lens at Southside Community Gathering

Rabbi Ali Abrams will be talking about immigration from a Jewish perspective at the Hyde Park and Kenwood Interfaith Council 2013 Annual Meeting.

Rabbi Ali Abrams

• When: Tuesday, June 4, 6:00pm
• Where: Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave.  Below is a summary of the event’s schedule.

Event Schedule:

6 p.m. – Registration and dinner (buffet style) will begin.  Those coming for dinner are asked to contribute $10 toward its costs.

6:30 p.m.  While dinning continues, the program will begin.

The program is entitled “Welcoming the Stranger?  Faith Traditions on Immigration Reform.”  A panel of 3 or 4 individuals, from the Jewish, Christian, and eastern religious traditions, will speak on how their faiths inform and guide them in responding to the current Immigration Reform legislation and debate.

7:45 p.m. (to roughly 8:30 p.m.)  Annual Business Meeting

Contact:

If you have further questions please contact Rabbi Ali Abrams at alison@jcua.org.

[Action Alert] Jewish Community Immigration Reform Call-In Day

Join us in a Jewish Community Immigration Reform Call-In Day on Tuesday, May 21st. Please call Senators Kirk and Durbin letting them know you support a just, humane bill.

For the past few weeks, senators have been hearing and voting on amendments to the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act S. 744- the Senate proposal for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Senators reconvened today and they are expected to begin considering amendments related to refugees, asylees, and other vulnerable populations. We are also hearing that they might consider amendments related to family and the pathway to citizenship today or tomorrow.

Currently, 11 million people live in fear of separation and arrest because our immigration system is broken and there is no way for them to earn citizenship.  At JCUA, we want to make sure this bill creates a clear path to citizenship without obstacles.  We want our legislators to prioritize keeping families together, and want the bill to include protections for the families of LGBT persons.

American Jews are a community deeply connected to the immigrant story. That history guides us and we will not shut the door on those who came after us. Providing a roadmap to citizenship fundamentally reflects our Jewish values and communal experience in America.

It is critical that our senators hear from us now! Join us in a Jewish Community Immigration Reform Call-In Day tomorrow May 21st. Please call Senators Kirk and Durbin letting them know you support a just, humane bill.

[Video] JCUA Marches for Immigration Reform: May Day 2013

by Lauren Goldstein
JCUA Intern, Advocacy and Community Organizing

On Wednesday, May 1, JCUA joined thousands of families, individuals, activists, advocates, and organizations to march for just and compassionate immigration reform.

In photo: Rabbi Alison Abrams, JCUA’s director of organizing, at the march.

It was a beautiful spring day (finally!) – perfect for coming together for social change. We arrived at Union Park at 2:30 to the sound of drums beating, people chanting, and flags waving. We then joined the march, which was just getting underway. We marched alongside allies from the Erie Neighborhood House, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (of which JCUA is a member), Unite Here, Rabbi Joshua Salter from the South West Organizing Project, Community Renewal Society, and many, many more.

The energy was high and the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as the march converged with another march for immigration reform that started at a different location, so that we could all march together as one large group into the Loop to Federal Plaza.

As we weaved through the afternoon rush amidst businessmen and women, bicycles, taxis, and buses, the group continued to sing and shout chants such as “What do we want? Immigration Reform! When do we want it? NOW!” and we soon closed in on Federal Plaza. The rally continued at the plaza with the goal of sparking excitement and change for the future.

The need for comprehensive immigration reform, the necessity that we stop deportations, that we stop tearing families apart, is growing ever more important with each passing day. The time has long been here to change our current system so that we may be a more humane, compassionate people. On May Day, JCUA marched united with the many people in our city who work tirelessly for change, and we are honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of this vital change.

See footage from JCUA’s march on May Day:

For more on JCUA’s work for immigrant rights, visit:

http://www.jcua.org/immigration

Postville Remembrance Day – May 10

POSTVILLE IMMIGRATION RAID -  5 YEARS LATER

JCUA marches in solidarity with the people of Postville, Iowa, 2008.  » See more photos

On Friday, May 10, 2013 a gathering commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Postville, Iowa immigration raid will take place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The purpose of the event is to remember the 389 persons who were arrested on May 12, 2008, to reconcile with those who contributed to the injustices, and to advocate for the reform of immigration policies.  JCUA was very involved in the efforts five years ago and we continue to be committed to worker and immigrant justice.

The event will begin at noon with a remembrance ritual in front of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, 111 7th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids.

A “Walk for Justice” will follow at approximately 12:20 p.m. to Immaculate Conception Church, 857 3rd Ave. SE.  Here an interfaith prayer for reconciliation and a call for reform of our immigration policies will take place around 1:00 p.m. The assembly is being planned by a wide coalition of those involved in the response to the raid as well as those affected.  It will include immigrants who were part of the 2008 raid, church representatives who ministered to the immigrants and their families, lawyers who saw the injustice of the system, as well as others who are concerned about immigration reform.

The remembrance ritual is being held in front of the federal courthouse because of the court’s role in the raid and its significance to the ongoing national conversation about immigration.  Postville was one of the largest raids in American history and it devastated families and ripped an entire community apart.  We now must move forward to make sure Congress takes the necessary action to reform our immigration system—making sure we provide a path to citizenship, protect workers and end raids.

More information is at www.lirs/postville-anniversary.

RSVP:

If you are interested in going to Cedar Rapids with JCUA, please contact Rabbi Ali Abrams at alison@jcua.org.

 

[Action Alert – 5/3] Interfaith Vigil for Detained Immigrant Rights / Postville Remembrance Day

On May 3, 2013, the JCUA will participate in an interfaith vigil at the Broadview Detention Center. We will offer our support and prayers to those held at Broadview and subsequently deported. JCUA members will represent a larger Jewish voice demanding comprehensive immigration reform in the United States. The vigil will also serve to remember the tragic events in Postville, IA 5 years ago, as we seek to turn tragedy into a victory for justice.

We ask that you join us in standing with those held at Broadview and their families by participating in the vigil with us.

Click here to RSVP.

When:

7:15 AM – Vigil begins at Broadview Detention Center.

Where:

Broadview Detention Center
1930 Beach Street, Broadview, IL

Transportation:

• Once we know who wants to come, we will plan for transportation for those not driving.
• When you RSVP , please indicate if you need transportation.

Contact person:

Rabbi Ali Abrams
JCUA Director of Organizing
Alison@jcua.org

[Action Alert – 5/1] Act for Immigration Reform

On May 1, 2013, JCUA supporters will participate in the 2013 May Day March for immigration reform and immigrant rights. This movement calls for legislation to stop deportations and keep families together. It calls for legalization for all. The JCUA strongly believes that IMMIGRANT RIGHTS are HUMAN RIGHTS and we hope you will join us in marching for immigration reform.

RSVP here.

Date:

• Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Schedule:

• 2:00 PM – Gathering at Union Park
• 3:00 PM – March Begins
• 4:00 PM – Rally at Federal Plaza (Jackson St. and Dearborn St.)

JCUA Meeting Area:

Option 1: Meet us at 2:30 PM (Union Park)

• You can arrive at Union Park via Ashland-Lake CTA train (Green and Pink lines)
• JCUA members will be at the northeast corner of Ashland and Washington (see photo of meeting area). Look for the JCUA sign!

Option 2: Meet us at 4:00 PM (approximately) at the rally (Federal Plaza):

• When the march arrives at Federal Plaza, JCUA members will gather between the Calder sculpture and the federal building. (see photo of the meeting area). Look for the JCUA sign!

RSVP:

• Let us know if you plan on coming. It will make coordinating much easier!
• RSVP here.

With any questions, please contact:

Rabbi Ali Abrams
JCUA Director of Organizing
Alison@jcua.org