North Carolina likes Undocumented Students

Well, this is from the News and Observer, all of it, so all credit belongs to them and the writer of the article, Kristin Collins. I’m busy now, I have a new Xbox 360, but I couldn’t pass the opportunity to post this. Stuff in bold is added by me for emphasis.

RALEIGH - The state Attorney General’s Office says it’s legal for the N.C. Community College System to admit illegal immigrants.

That advice, given to the colleges Thursday and made public today, represents a reversal for the office of Attorney General Roy Cooper, which advised the colleges in May to bar illegal immigrants from degree programs. The colleges took that advice and issued a new policy prohibiting illegal immigrants from enrolling, even at out-of-state tuition rates. Cooper’s office said at the time that post-secondary education might qualify as a public benefit to which illegal immigrants are not entitled under federal law.

But on Monday, Cooper’s office got a letter from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in response to a request for clarification of the law. The letter, from former Mecklenburg County Sheriff Jim Pendergraph, who now works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said that admission to colleges is not considered a public benefit under federal law.

Federal officials made the same statement to the News & Observer in May, but officials with the community colleges and the Attorney General’s Office said they wanted to wait for a formal letter.

J.B. Kelly, general counsel, advised the colleges in a letter Thursday that it is up to them to decide whether to admit illegal immigrants.

Community College System President Scott Ralls was not immediately available for comment on whether he would lift the ban on illegal immigrants.

Now, I’m pretty happy about this decision and you know what I do when I’m happy. I play video games. Not only that, but I laugh. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS. Maybe the people from NC aren’t as bad as I thought they were.

Fear of Being What We Are

Well, that is what it has come down to. Once again, in North Carolina. Again, I feel sorry for undocumented people living in this state. I’m glad I’m not there but I highly doubt my state is any better.

Anyway, it seems that Hispanic leaders have to be afraid because they are pro-immigrant. They have received the usual, profanity filled messages, hate messages, among others, I’ve received the same treatment. But now, they’ve received death threats. I mean, wow, how far are people willing to go.

This is from the News and Observer.

“This is not about immigration,” Bazán said. “This is not about debating policy. This has moved on to another sphere. This is hate.”

Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Greensboro Democrat who sponsored the bill (in-state tuition for undocumented students bill), said she received one phone message warning that “my days are numbered.” She said the message, which included profane insults, felt like a threat.

“I have not seen anything like what illegal immigration elicits,” Harrison said. “It’s revealing a very ugly side of humanity that I’ve never seen before.”

“When you describe immigrants as Third World invaders or murderers, or say that they are swarming or coming in hordes, this is dehumanizing language,” Lauter said. “That kind of rhetoric inspires others who might act out on hate.”

How low does this country have to go before things get better?

Of course, the comment section of the newspaper has comments like the following.

From Stonewall83.

Plain and simple get rid of those mexicans. We don’t need them. This is a country founded on wonderful anglosaxon traditions. Anything contrary is plain unamerican. Get out mexicans!

Buzzaw

People are sick and tired of non whites telling whites to conform to their cultures. This country was intended to be a european only country. Since we have strayed away from that, we have been on a sharp decline.

And I saw other recognizible names from an anti-immigrant website that I won’t mention, which leads me to believe that the rest of the comments are no better. It is sad that this is the norm. But at least we are not being killed on the streets–oh, wait.

Life as a Lie

I often say that my life is a lie. Some people disagree with me. But it is, it really is. While with my friends and girlfriend, it is not as much. It is their lack of understanding about this kind of life that makes them say that. My life is not a lie as it is with most people when I’m around them. I can thank them for that much, for making my existence easier.

As one girl from the video before said, you have to lie to everyone else about it, even joke about undocumented students and condemn them, in order to fit in. In order to let anyone suspect what you are. You can’t let people even suspect that you are one of the ‘other’. I’ve done so in the past. That is when it becomes obvious that I’m living a lie.

I have to ‘act’ almost all the time. 24/7. Keep up the charade. Not just on regards on being like everyone else, saying I’m legal and such, but also on regards to keeping my feelings in check. That means that when I’m depressed, I don’t act like it. I can’t. I don’t want people to see me and know and talk to me when I’m like that. So, the acting is a full-time gig.

But I’ve failed as an actor. Not totally failed but for someone in my situation, this kinds of failures could lead me to be in great trouble. The last slip-up was with my girlfriend. Or rather, before she became my girlfriend, she suspected that I was what I am. I was too emotional when I spoke about immigration and personalized the problem too much. But how could I not be personal when this is my life, all of this. It is taking a greater toll on me, this acting and I’m not able to do as easily as I did in the past. My failure showed me that. I have to get better, I have to continue the charade as best as I can. Hopefully this summer is helping me recharge for the coming school year because it will be challenging. I will have a new roommate, one that doesn’t know about my situation. With him, I’m not undocumented, I’m not living in fear, I’m not depressed, I’m not a blogger, I’m not everything I am. Hopefully things will go well.

So, lying is a way of life with me. It can’t be helped. By being honest I could lose everything. And for those who don’t understand that, well, I just hope you never have to be in my shoes.

Dream Act Students

Another great video. Must watch.

About those opportunities…

Well, the following is written by Elrandomhero over at his blog, American Wetback. I advice everyone to read it, it is really cool. So, I decided to re-post his entry on my blog because he and I share the same feelings on regards to opportunities. Read on…

In the last few days I have been contemplating something that I shouldn’t be and that’s passing on an internship. Without getting into any incriminating details, I basically passed on an internship opportunity this week because it means putting my self at risk. Again without getting into too much detail, the government has way of knowing everything you do in your life, whether you want them to know or not. Taking on this paid internship would have meant doing things that I shouldn’t be doing in the first place. I am not a legal U.S. resident , thus I cannot legally work or apply for internships that pay. Obviously I have considered the chance that I might still be able to be part of the internship without pay, but I need to focus on other things, despite again passing up such a great opportunity. This is not the first nor the last time I will have to make a decision like this. I have turned down many a job because of my legal status and every time I go through this stupid cycle of semi-depression. Every time I get my hopes up thinking that this time around they’re be some way for me to be able to take on a better paying job, I get denied. I’ve done it so many times now that it has sadly become a routine. People see the type of person I am and want to help me, but what good is that help if the U.S. says I don’t qualify for that help because of my illegal residence. The depression use to be a lot worse a year ago. Ohh man when I got frustrated back then about work, life and my x-girl I would go outside and punch walls till my knuckles bleed. Now adays I just pretend like everything is cool, when in reality I’m still dealing with what happened inside my head. Sometimes all that thinking makes me hungry for junk food that’ll only make me fatter. Passing by on great opportunities is part of my daily life. I don’t get excited about anything anymore really. Why should when I know that I’ll be denied and tossed to the side. I know that there are internships that don’t ask for the things that I lack, but those are hard to come by and sought after, just like scholarships. I know that it’s not impossible to make it because others have and sometimes I look to those who came before me for inspiration. Then again they had the support of family and friends. I on the other hand am grateful and extremely lucky to have the friends that I have, but at the end of the day it’s just me and my dog against the world. That’s what I’m reminded of when I have to turn down great opportunities, it’s me against the world. Somedays I even feel like going to sleep and never waking up ever again. Course those are the days when I’m depressed or bummed out, kinda like today.

Thanks again Randomhero for allowing me to repost this entry.

Another Political Cartoon

This is another political cartoon I like. Enjoy. From the US News and World Report.

Immigration Enforcement Working!

Oh yea, enforcement is working. It is taking those countless criminal scumbags of aliens of the streets and back where they belong. They are all so dangerous and scary. Lets take a look at the first example of a dangerous individual.

First up, as reported by FOXNews. There was an evil librarian in the town of Burlington, NC. Yep, she was taken care of. She was dangerous all right, being here for so long that she doesn’t remember the place she came from. And of course, she married a real American and had a kid. She committed the crime of stealing that guy from a real American woman. The shame! I’m so glad that giving the police immigration powers is working so swell.

Second to the plate, by the NY Times. This wretched human being was caught for driving badly. So, she went to jail for 6 days, she was 9 months pregnant and had a kid on a hospital while having an officer watching over her. Of course, she was also chained to the bed with handcuffs while having the kid. We all know women usually have a very merry time while giving birth. Having a kid is so easy that she could have tried to escape. So the police did the right thing by chaining her, right.

Now, I’m not even going to bother writing anything about this because I couldn’t seriously make this up or make fun about it, I’ll just quote the article.

After she was discharged from the hospital, Mrs. Villegas was separated from her nursing infant for two days and barred from taking a breast pump into the jail, her lawyer and a doctor familiar with the case said. Her breasts became infected, and the newborn boy developed jaundice, they said.

No, let me speak seriously for a minute. ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS??? The woman had a baby for Christ’s sake. But of course, she is a dangerous individual.

I’m so tired of the bullshit that comes from giving police immigration powers. Instead of going after people that actually put people in danger, you know, actual criminals, they do this shit. Going after librarians? Recent mothers? People working at factories? I mean, come on, the hypocrisy of immigration enforcement is so thick I could cut it with a knife.

Those two stories above are shameful and people should be embarrassed that their tax payer money (including my parents’) is being used like that. How did we come to this? What next? I’ll be taken out because I was having fun at my university?

Lack of Understanding?

I was recently asked a question about my relationship with my girlfriend. Is my immigration status a hindrance  of sorts? Is she capable of understanding what I go through?

I answered that no one is capable of understanding what I go through, she is no exception. Only people like myself can understand what it is to live like this. I don’t care about her any less because of her lack of understanding though. Nor do I resent any of my friends who know what I am because they don’t understand. It is a fact of life I have to live with, one I’m accustomed now going towards my third year of college. Aside from 2 others individuals, no one out of 17,000 students is like me. If I wanted friends who would understand me completely, than I wouldn’t have any, let alone someone to date. That is what makes one feel alone, but you know, I’ve learned to live with it. Pain and solitude hurt, but giving up and quitting lasts forever.

I also understand that my friends go through things that I probably don’t understand, mainly because I’m so far away from the norm in many ways. I try my best as I’m sure they try their best to understand me, the street goes both ways to some extent.

So, is my relationship harder or a hindrance or bad in comparison to other multiracial relationships where documentation is not an issue? I would wager that it is not, it just has different worries with different solutions. I’m glad that I was able to find someone who is kind and understanding to the best of her abilities. One of the perks of my relationship is that I’m able to tease her about being so very unpatriotic because she is dating me. We get good laughs out of that.

Illegal Founders

This is from FarkTV. I think it is hilarious. Have a good laugh.

Press 1 for English

You know, it really bothers me that Spanish is seen as a threat. I mean, I would have thought that being bilingual is good. But now, thanks to the immigration debate, knowing something other than English is seen as unpatriotic. I don’t understand it. I mean, no one, and I mean no one, is asking the American people to learn another language. They want new immigrants to learn English, that’s fine.

But give them a break, I mean, newcomer kids like myself do learn English. I’m in college for God’s sake. Adults, like my parents, they can’t learn as easily. It is harder for an adult to learn a new language, and they work 40 hour jobs which takes away their time and energy.

So, why does it bother people that others are speaking Spanish. I mean, it is not undermining the American sovereignty. I would like to know more than 2 languages but I think that my time in learning languages is coming to an end. Oh well, at least I’ll have a better chance in understanding people than monolingual people.

Funny Videos and Parody

The following videos are spoofs of the Mac vs. PC commercials, except the videos are done immigration style. No, by posting these videos I’m not saying that Mexicans or any other groups is better than another, I just think they are funny. I like stand-up a lot actually, maybe I should put more of that in the blog…something to think about.

Our Stories

Do you know how it feels to be unwanted? Do you know how it feels to be a burden? To be unknown and untruthful? Do you know how it feels to be invisible? Do you know how it feels to be not understood. To live in the shadows and in fear? Being undocumented is that and so much more. Try to understand us and watch, we only want to be accepted.

In Limbo

Wow, talk about being stuck in limbo and then some. I have the unique advantage of people not knowing my location and such, I keep a low profile. I mean, I could go out and party and such, make a disgrace of myself but I choose not to, I think it is the smarter move. Anyway, back to the point, this kid who goes by the name of Arthur Mkoyan is stuck in the limbo from hell.

He graduated with a 4.0 GPA, probably higher than most of his American-born peers, and a letter of admission to UC Davis. So, that would be good right. Well, no, he is an undocumented immigrant from Armenia. But wait you say, I thought all undocumented immigrants were stinky Mexicans. No, you are wrong, epic fail.

So, why is the kid an undocumented immigrant. His father made the choice of emigrating to the US bringing his wife and kid, Arthur, at the age of 1. So, now, after a 16 year process that didn’t give the family assylum, they are supposed to be deported. Apparently having your house burned down and shop they owned getting ransacked aren’t valid enough reasons to flee your country and seek asylum elsewhere.

Well, now, here we are 16 years later and Arthur is stuck in limbo. He wants to continue his education but that has become doubtful considering he is undocumented. So, here we have a kid who would probably do well in life, his life in the US, but can’t because of the mistakes of others. Are you going to ask him to leave to a place where he has never been? Is that fair? And I thought I had it bad. I still can’t believe things like this could happen in this country but I guess I was wrong.

Read more about Arthur and his family’s story in the following article.

Umm…if only there was a piece of legislation that would allow his DREAMs to come true. Nah, I’m sure there isn’t one, no wait–

A Couragous Stand

Well, this is not about immigration but I’m going to blog about it anyways. It is kind of old too but I’m glad that some people do have b***s. The past 4th of July, the man known as Jesse Helms died. As far as I’ve been told and now read, he was one the most racist and homophobic individuals to ever wield power in this country. Seriously, to the people of NC, what the hell where you thinking in electing this guy? So much hate, destruction, it’s ridiculous and embarrassing. You people should be ashamed. Here are some of the quotes from the illustrious man himself.

“The New York Times and Washington Post are both infested with homosexuals themselves. Just about every person down there is a homosexual or lesbian.”
– 1995

“The University of Negroes and Communists”
– Reference to the University of North Carolina devised by Mr. Helms when he worked for Willis Smith’s 1950 U.S. Senate campaign.

“Your tax dollars are being used to pay for grade-school classes that teach our children that CANNIBALISM, WIFE-SWAPPING and MURDER of infants and the elderly are acceptable behavior.”
– Fund raising mailer, 1996

“All Latins are volatile people. Hence, I was not surprised at the volatile reaction.”
– After Mexicans protested his visit in 1986

“Homosexuals are weak, morally sick wretches.”
– 1995 radio broadcast

“She’s a damn lesbian. I am not going to put a lesbian in a position like that. If you want to call me a bigot, fine.”
– Explaining why he was opposing the appointment of a woman for a cabinet post.

“They should ask their parents if it would be all right for their son or daughter to marry a Negro.”
– In response to Duke University students holding a vigil after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, 1968

Anyways, back to the point. I read this article over at Alternet and decided to share it here. So, the governor of NC, Gov. Easley decided that all flags should fly half-staff in order to honor the memory of their dead ex-senator. One man said no. It was L.F. Eason, a 29-year veteran of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. This is what he had to say about his choice.

“This is in no way a political decision. I simply do not feel it is appropriate to honor a person whose epitaph of government service was to have voted against or blocked every civil rights issue that came before the US Congress. His doctrine of negativity, hate, and prejudice cost North Carolina and our Nation much that we may never regain.”

All I can say is bravo good man, bravo. The man had to retire early from his post because of his decision Now, I say honor goes to the men who earned it. In my opinion, Jesse Helms didn’t earn any honor.

Ban on Immigrants

Well, now, this is insulting and unnecessary. I mean, has it really come to this. I guess so. Well, the following article from the city of Freemont says that now you have to have a license in order to live anywhere. I guess they finally found a way banish us. But really, I don’t think such an ordinance will be able to stand up in court. Such things never do.

Unsurprisingly, the article says that the ordinance doesn’t stipulate a penalty for landlords who fail to comply in checking out the licenses. Isn’t this like the raids, going after the little people instead of the ones who hire them. In this case, the people who allow them to have a residency.

Apparently the people are ’sick and tired’ on the lax immigration laws or the lack of action on the part of the federal government. Really, these people are sick and tired of what all the nativist are tired of, seeing people who are brown and therefore not liking them.

I’m sick and tired of all of this. Sick and tired of being considered a burden and a criminal. It depresses me the level of hate that people have toward me when they haven’t even met me. Or try to meet me.

This is a quote from the article from the Omaha World Herald, all credit goes to them, describing the racial stereotypes.

Angel Freytez, commission spokesman, said some opponents of the ban left the meeting early because they felt there was inadequate security. One opponent of the ordinance later broke into tears because of the “hateful” statements, said Freytez, who called the behavior at the meeting “shameful.”

“Instead of raising the level of dialogue over the immigration issue,” Freytez said, “they are degrading it.”

Pflanz, the Appleseed attorney, said some people in the audience of Latino and Asian descent overheard remarks aimed at them: “There’s an illegal. There’s an illegal.”

An illegal. An illegal. It goes on and on, doesn’t it? I’m tired of it. I’m tired of waking up and being on the same situation, I’m tired of just everything. How long can this mess continue, and even I don’t think I can last that long. Is it going to be until 2010? I don’t know, so many questions with no answers, yet. Banish? Cockroaches? And more, how long can this continue?

Read the rest of the article over the crap that is happening in Nebraska right here.