Movie Quote of the Day

“I have dreamed a dream, but now that dream is gone from me.” Morpheus. The Matrix Reloaded.

Mexican Wall and Lewis Black

George Carlin isn’t the only comedian that I like. Another one is Lewis Black. This is a clip of him talking about the US building a wall in the Mexican border.

Undocumented Student Speaking

Another article where undocumented students are the spotlight, therefore another one of us speaks.

She is one of several thousand undocumented immigrants attending Texas universities and colleges, according to the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas (IRCOT).

Carmen — who declined to give her last name for fear that her current employer could face repercussions — came to the U.S. from Chiapas in 1992 at age 14, unsure of what was happening or what her future held.

Nothing like living in fear and paranoia. Seriously, it makes for a great way of living.

Now, at 32, she is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Texas-Pan American with the peace of mind that even if she is forced to leave the U.S., the federal government cannot take away her college education and the hope of better employment in Mexico.

Sitting in a classroom at the university late one night, she said she was unsure what she would do with her master’s degree in Spanish literature. She has no path to legal residency status here and does not want to return to Mexico — a country she barely knows anymore.

She may have no choice.

Nothing is better than returning to a place that you barely remember and leaving all your friends and loved ones behind. Life and its easy choices is wonderful.

Anyway, she is being interviewed because there is a lawsuit by a group that wants to take away in-state tuition away from undocumented students in Texas. Because there are so many of us! We are invading! WHOOOOO! Be AFRAID!

In the fall 2009 semester, about 300 of UTPA’s 18,337 students, or 1.6 percent, were undocumented, and about 500 of South Texas College’s 27,000 students, or 1.9 percent, were undocumented , according to the institutions’ admissions offices.

You know, this just comes of as mean and can’t help but feel bad because of stuff like this. I mean, you really have to dislike us to try to take away something that helps about 2 percent of people going to school. Sigh.

More here.

Some Things Never Change

Raids. So much for change. I, unlike a lot of people, didn’t pin my hopes in Obama doing shit for me. I’m after all a very cynical and jaded person. I know better than that. And Obama is a politician. I never believed that anything immigration related was going to happen at the federal level and I was right, so far, nothing has happened. Nothing will happen this year because of the mess called Healthcare Reform and elections, and next year, Obama is going to be worrying too much about re-election to worry about people like me. And nothing will happen in 2012, because like this year, it is an election year. As for after that, well, we shall see who is president then. I have to say, I’m ashamed that I actually celebrated Obama’s victory. I still believe he was a better choice than McCain but for me personally, nothing has come out of this. I know it sounds selfish of me, to only care about myself but frankly, it is hard to give a damn about anything else when your future looks as bleak as mine. Anyway, onwards now, to the point of that article.

Raids happened. People were taken away.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained seven people from Honduras after a raid Thursday in Anne Arundel County, prompting a demonstration outside the Baltimore Federal Building.

Eh, it seems like people like us don’t have the right to due process and all that fun stuff. Better be on the lookout for the future I suppose. This happened at a restaurant. And some people protested, thinking that their protests somehow could change the outcome. I laugh.

Read more here.

Movie Quote of the Day

“Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness.” The Architect. The Matrix Reloaded.

Dead on Water

Alas.

A bill to grant undocumented students in-state tuition rates in Massachusetts “isn’t going anywhere” and is likely dead this legislative session, Gov. Deval Patrick said Wednesday.

Well, that sucks. Like my state, Massachusetts isn’t granting people like me in-state tuition. Why?

Responding to an angry e-mail on his monthly radio show on WTKK-FM, Patrick told listeners that strong resistance from residents meant that lawmakers were probably not going to tackle the bill.

I’m sure people from a certain unmentionable website are to blame for this. I’m not going to say much on them, or even link them. But yeah, yay for populist ideas. As always, people are stupid, individuals are okay. Sigh.

Read more here.

On Being a Menace

Hey, I love it when I get insulted. Here it is.

One only has to roam the neighborhoods of Los Angeles to see how illegal immigrants have corrupted our schools, hospitals and just about everything else. They are a menace to our society and their supporters should be ashamed.

Nothing is better than to paint all Latinos as undocumented, nothing racist in that, not at all. And for that reason, I must not exist, because who try to do well and aren’t trying to make trouble can’t possibly exist as the writer of that quote wrote. Sigh. And being a menace, thanks for trying paint a picture of people like me as things other than humans.

Read more of that crap here.

Also, to the writer on the article that the link leads to, there is no amnesty happening. I wish. Nothing on immigration will happen until at least 2013.

Movie Quote of the Day

“Denial is the most predictable of all human responses.” The Architect. The Matrix Reloaded.

Why I do What I Do?

I tell people about myself and my status. I tell them I am what I am. Why? Why do I do it?

I do it for two primary reasons. First up, the reason is practicality. Being undocumented isn’t an easy thing. I feel bad about this from time to time and it is clearly visible that I am upset. And it is hard for me to lie and lie about it, make up stuff about it. So, I tell my friends the truth about what I am. It just easier for me to be honest about why I feel what I feel.

Second reason, and in a way, more important, is this. When I hear people speak about immigration, there is an air of the entire issue being abstract. You are speaking about “them”. “They” are far away. We are an idea, something that most people in this debate usually don’t know any of us. So, I tell people to shatter this perception. Because you aren’t speaking about some abstract idea, you are speaking about me. And I want to let my friends know, that whenever this topic comes up, it is me that they are talking about. It isn’t something that doesn’t affect, but it is something that affects someone close to you. This is the most important thing for me. I can’t really speak for myself in the way I want, so I like it when someone else can do so.

No one is going to care about you if you don’t tell people. I respect being fearful of telling people, and not telling anyone about your status, but no one is going to care if no one thinks of you when this issue comes up. Don’t be surprised if you don’t tell people about yourself, and then don’t be surprised if anyone insults you without knowing. That’s the way it goes.

Quote of the Day

I like this quote.

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.”

Cesar Chavez

Utah and Undocumented Students

The article I’m quoting from is about undocumented students in Utah and how some people don’t want them and some do. However, I’m not going to focus on that. I’ll focus on a quotes that bothered me about the article.

“It’s unfair to give that in-state tuition amount to the kids who are from undocumented families,” Barton said. How is it unfair? How is it affecting any American families, something that has nothing to with them.

Ron Mortensen, co-founder of the Utah Coalition on Illegal Immigration, says in a year when universities are capping enrollments to keep costs down and students are struggling to find space in classes, undocumented immigrants should not be allowed to attend at a state-subsidized price.

“That’s 600 seats that should be filled by Utah students,” Mortensen said. WRONG. I’m sorry, but really, what else is student who is undocumented from a certain state. Let’s say, I’m from North Dakota. I’ve studied in North Dakota for 12 years now. Am I not a North Dakota student? Am I not a student from that state when I know about its history, and so much more. Really? Trust me, when an undocumented student is accepted to a community college or university, it is because they know what they are doing, they are good students. Sigh.

“We need to take care of people who are citizens,” said Walker, who responded to The Tribune ’s poll. “It’s not that we shouldn’t help other people, but it takes away from other people who are paying taxes and doing things fair.” I’m sorry but my parents pay taxes. You see, they get checks and yes, taxes get taken away. They also pay property taxes every year, since I have to translate for them at the county seat. And yeah, I pay my own sales tax  as well as my parents. Also, how can we do things “fair” when we aren’t given a chance to do so. Specially those of us in the lower class like I am.

Read more of that article here. I’m tired of answering the same damn comments though. Sigh.

Video Game: Mass Effect 2 Launch

And Mass Effect 2 is launching! I loved the first game and can’t wait for my copy to arrive by mail. I got it from Best Buy unlike what I usually do, which is get it from my local Gamestop. Anyway, reviews seem to be to strong, so I’ll be playing whenever I have free time. I loved the first game, as flawed as it was but it seems that most things wrong with the first have been fixed and the story is even stronger. Here are some trailers for the game, and if you are an Xbox 360 or PC gamer, don’t miss out!

The first teaser. It was controversial because of the simple fact that the main character, Shepard, was apparently killed in action.

The E3 Trailer. Reveals that Shepard wasn’t in fact dead, but very much alive and kicking ass. Also, I really hope Joker doesn’t die. I liked him from the first game.

The cinematic trailer. All CG but looks pretty cool nonetheless.

The launch trailer. It makes me unable to wait for the game to arrive.

Criminalization of Immigrants

The criminalization of immigrants continue. A new bill is making its way through the Arizona Senate. Here are the highlights.

Paving the way for law enforcement to conduct “sting” operations to find companies knowingly hiring undocumented workers.

Making it a crime to stop a vehicle on the street to pick up someone to do a “day labor” job.

Requiring police to make a “reasonable attempt” to determine the immigration status of anyone they contact officially if there is “reasonable suspicion” they are an illegal immigrant.

Permitting anyone to sue a city, county or any government that has policies which limit immigration enforcement by their employees “to less than the full extent permitted by law.”

Well, that means that if you are brown looking, be expected to answer a lot of questions about where you’re from and if you speak English and prove you are an American citizen. I would suggest to actually carry around your birth certificate. This is America right, you are guilty until proven innocent.

Anyway, it has passed to the senate, and perhaps, well, I hope it doesn’t pass any more than that. Even if it does, someone will challenge it and we shall see how that turns out.

Read more here.

English-Only At Bookstore

Of all places, New Haven, Connecticut? REALLY? Come on. Well, nativism and racism is everywhere I suppose, even in the most progressive of places. I should know, I’m supposed to live in one of those places and yet I’m still shit out of luck if I drive. But back to the subject on hand, yes, a popular bookstore in New Haven made a new rule, no more other languages at work, only English.

Atticus Bookstore and Cafe recently issued a policy stating that English should be the only language spoken on the floor and behind the counter. “Spanish is allowed in the prep area, the dishwasher area and the lower level. Let’s make our customers feel welcome and comfortable,” the policy states, according to New Haven Workers Association, a group of activists who said employees gave them a copy.

Of course, this is dehumanization at its best. Of course, please, use your native language where it isn’t heard, where no one cares. But in the real world, use only English you savages! A little bit of an exaggeration but you get the point. It really is, dehumanization, that’s how insidious it is. it only takes little things, like that, for the doubt to form in the mind. Are you lesser than anyone else is the question that we ask ourselves. Well, not me, not now anyway. But yeah, it is also such a blanket statement, it is just wrong.

Of course, the policy is under review now and will probably be rescinded, considering the community though, I’m quite surprised.

Read more here.

And if that link closes, since it is the Washington Post, go here.

George Carlin’s A Modern Man

Perhaps one of my favorite bits of stand-up comedy is not in fact that comedic, I mean, compared to his other stuff. I wonder how long it took him to learn it all, it is an amazing feat. And I love it, because I don’t know, in some ways, it is true. Here it is, George Carlin’s A Modern Man.