As talk of comprehensive immigration reform has taken a backseat to more pressing issues like the economy, counties and municipalities all across the U.S. are passing laws restricting the role of immigration law enforcement. Sanctuary statutes have been popping up all across the country for the last twenty years.
Chicago and Cook County both have such laws in place. Chicago's sanctuary laws state city employees and agencies cannot ask about the legal status of persons when seeking city services. Unless it is an investigation of a criminal act, city employees and agencies cannot ask about or investigate legal status. In addition, agencies cannot “disseminate information regarding citizenship” unless order to by the court system.
The Cook County resolution, passed by the board in April 2007 and sponsored by Commissioner Roberto Maldonado (8th District), declares the county to have sanctuary for undocumented immigrants. Along the same lines as the city's ordinance, county employees and agencies are prohibited from seeking information regarding legal citizenship status unless the investigation is directly related to a criminal act. Additionally, the Cook County Sheriff's Department cannot aid in the “enforcement of federal civil immigration laws to the extent legally possible,” according to documentation from the National Immigration Law Center (NILC.)
Commissioner Maldonado was born in the South Bronx before his family returned to their homeland of Puerto Rico in 1955. At the age of 27, Maldonado returned to the U.S. 30 years ago from Puerto Rico. The introduction of the resolution spawned from Maldonado's belief of “systematic persecution” of Latinos.
“This is the civil rights struggle of this era,” said Maldonado. “How can you tell the difference between
When a person in taken into police custody in Cook County for a criminal act, deputies are allowed to ask about a person's legal immigration and/or citizenship status. Only after the court case has been completely disposed in the court system may Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officials step in to begin the potential deportation process. Maldonado said there is an overwhelming amount of Latinos going through the court system, but most of their journey begins with a traffic violation, an offense below a misdemeanor.
After requesting to copies of ICE reports, Maldonado said he made an interesting discovery.
“If you look at (those) ICE reports that I saw, most of those people that were arrested originated from a traffic violation,” said Maldonado. “From below a misdemeanor to mushroom in which you find yourself before a judge on a felony or misdemeanor is just outrageous.”
Maldonado said three ICE officers attend bond hearings every day in Cook County and he has documentation of at least three U.S. citizens who have had ICE officials questioning their status.
The sanctuary provisions are mainly put in place to benefit the families living in the area, according to Fred Tsao, policy director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.
“It's not just a matter of undocumented people,” said Tsao. “This is a matter of people coming forward with U.S. born children and spouses from other countries.”
Tsao said opponents of the resolution were most concerned about the cost to the county, something Joan Friedlander, immigration policy analyst from NILC agrees with.
Friedlander said she does not like to refer to such policies as “sanctuary,” but rather as community policing because of the sanctions placed on the areas cooperation with federal immigration law. It is expensive for cities to take on the enforcement of immigration law, but Friedlander sees the implementation of such laws as more about “community safety.”
Chicago and Cook County's laws are not as strict as those in San Francisco, Houston, and Hartford, Conn., which Jessica Vaughn feels are protecting criminals. Vaughn is senior policy analyst for the Center for Immigration Studies.
Vaughn does feel like the county's laws are”schizophrenic,” after she came to the area to testify about guest workers.
“I just found it odd the county was worried about the number of legal guest workers and how they were recruited considering they're worried about their skilled workers, but not they're unskilled workers,” said Vaughn.
-Source List
-Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado. Cook County Office Phone: 312-603-6386. District Office Phone: 773-395-0143. Interviewed at his office in the Cook County Building on 10-22-08.
-Fred Tsao. Policy director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Phone: 312-332-7360, ext. 213. Interviewed via phone on 10-20-08.
-Joan Friedlander. Immigration policy analyst for the National Immigration Law Center. Phone: 202-384-1279. Interviewed via phone on 10-21-08.
-Jessica Vaughn. Senior policy analyst for the Center for Immigration Studies. Phone: 508-346-3380. Interviewed via phone on 10-22-08.
Jose Quintero remembers clutching his mother's hand on the tarmac of an airport in Havana, Cuba, on August 12, 1960. Soon Quintero would be in America, away from the rising Communist regime of Fidel Castro.
Thirty-four years later, Juan Carlos Subiza, Quintero's cousin, would make the same decision to leave his homeland, but would take a much more dangerous route. Subiza, along with 13 others, made a raft and set sail for America, praying the Cuban Coast Guard would not pick them up.
Hundreds of thousands of people have left their homeland of Cuba, an island off the coast of southern Florida since Castro took control by force in 1959.
Standing in his sunny kitchen in Quincy, Ill,, Quintero tells of a pleasant childhood on a corner lot in Havana, the capital of Cuba. Quintero's father had a lucrative job working on a government project and was a respected man in the sugar industry. The family lived in a compound consisting of four other homes where family members also lived.
An aunt still lives in the compound, but she says it has fallen into ill-repair. Other families were given the other homes in the compound by the government and Quintero has never seen pictures of where his family used to live.
Quintero was chauffeured to private school everyday, along with his two sisters. The family nanny was Celia Cruz, a well known Cuban singer, and servants were always watching over the children.
When Castro assumed power, democracy was promised but by late 1959 and early 1960, it was clear that was not the case, said Quintero. The children were not allowed outside the compound alone. Quintero's mother even had the barber come to the house for fear of anything happening. Movies were particularly off limits as movie complexes were being blown up.
“We heard gunfire every night,” said Quintero. “We would turn off the lights.”
Quintero's mother owned a small business, but Che Guevara had begun taking money out of the banks and freezing assets. The family's flight to the U.S. began soon after. Quintero's father assets were either sold or given to Quintero's aunt to secure visas for the family. Quintero's father also had many connections in the U.S., and already had a job when the family arrived.
Quintero and his family were placed on the last flight leaving Cuba for the U.S. Before the plane had left Havana airspace, the pilot was told to turn around, but he ignored it. His mother hid her wedding ring in her hair and the entire family had one small suitcase plus the clothes on their back.
“We thought we were going on a trip, but I think Dad knew when he left it would be the last time,” said Quintero. “He knew it would not be short.”
The family landed at what is now Kennedy Airport in New York City, and then went on to Philadelphia, staying at a motel called The American. The children had already been enrolled in school and started on time that fall. Quintero said he felt no discrimination, but rather acceptance because the other children in school were eager to learn about these new foreign students. Despite being in the fourth or fifth grade, Quintero frequently was in the first grade class in order to learn English, which he knew none of upon arrival.
“The kids were kind of infatuated with us, like a toy,” said Quintero laughing. “And of course, we were taught by nuns.”
Quintero went on to college in Missouri. He has taught Spanish at the public high school in Quincy for the past 20 years and has also coached football and basketball. He and his wife Kathy have two adult children, Drew and Ashley.
The Cuban heritage is not lost on Quintero's son. Drew has a tattoo on the inside of his bicep of the outline of the Cuban island with the national flag on the inside and recently threw a Cuban themed party for family and friends.
While Quintero had an easy life and transition, Subiza's story stands in sharp contrast.
Subiza had a hard life in Cuba. Although he said he always had a job, the worth of Cuban money is not high.
“I made about $20 a month and could not own my own house or car,” said Subiza. “How would you like to live like that?”
Subiza came to the U.S. in 1994 with his girlfriend and 11 others. They spent two days in the water before hitting land.
“It feels like you've been living in the dark,” said Subiza. “I was 25 when I came here and it felt like I was seeing the light for the first time.”
Everything was new to Subiza upon his arrival, especially democracy. When interviewed, Subiza was getting ready to cast his vote on Election Day in Connecticut. Part of Subiza's journey was recorded in the documentary Balseros, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
Quintero and Subiza both became U.S. citizens. Quintero waited the standard five years before he and most of his family applied for green cards and eventually citizenship. Subiza became a citizen on November 3, 2003.
Adjustments must be made when coming to the U.S. and for Cubans, and there are many, according to Dr. Andy Gomez, assistant provost and senior fellow at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies at the University of Miami.
“The biggest adjustment is the psychological transformation of values and attitudes,” said Gomez.
Gomez explained Cubans are not used to having liberty and freedom, so when they arrive in the U.S., they do not know what to do with it. Also most of the early arrivals from Cuba were whole family units who have been in the U.S. for years without any family or friends back in Cuba. Now the newer arrivals are more individuals who are leaving family and friends behind, said Gomez.
Gomez himself left Cuba at the age of six and a half and moved with his family to Venezuela before coming to the U.S. in 1965.
Source List
-Jose Quintero. Address: 1924 W Wilmar Dr., Quincy, IL, 62301. Phone: 217-222-3103. Interviewed in person on October 5, 2008 at his residence.
-Juan Carlos Subiza. Phone: 860-882-8751. Interviewed via phone on November 4, 2008.
-Dr. Andy Gomez. Assistant Provost and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies at the University of Miami. Phone: 305-284-9431. Email: agomez@miami.edu. Interviewed via phone on November 6, 2008.
Most of the blogs about the tiny country of Liechtenstein deal with the latest financial situation. Apparently Liechtenstein is like Switzerland, a mecca of sorts for the rich to store their money free from taxes and prying eyes. And this is causing problems. The first blog I found considered the reaction of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein to “Germany's Fourth Reich.” The prince is upset because German intelligence is wanting files from Liechtenstein's national bank about German tax evaders, stating Liechtenstein has already lived through three German installations.
A second blog from Don Surber of the London Daily Mail also harassed Liechtenstein about its financial governances. But this time Surber found humor in the U.S. joining Germany in its questioning of Liechtenstein's rules. A quote from IRS acting commissioner Linda Stiff said finding people avoiding taxes with off-shore accounts was a top priority. Apparently finding ways to turn the now official recession around for middle class Americans is not...
On a brighter note, the Deputy Speaker of the Liechtenstein House of Representatives, the Hon. Carmelo Abela, will be speaking at the Third European Small States' Conference of Presidents of Parliament. Abela will be helping smaller European principalities and countries discuss immigration, tourism and labor market issues as they specifically relate to their small populations. Having spent two hours in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, during a European vacation, I think tourism is the least likely of its problems. Maybe they should stick to hiding tax funds for the rest of the world...
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African American AIDS statistics
The first blog I found stated a simple fact: If African Americans were one country, they would have a higher infection rate for HIV/AIDS than some of the African nation counterparts. Pretty heavy statistic to swallow. One in every eight Americans is African American, but one in every two people with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. is African American. I know this blog was supposed to be about AIDS in Africa or Asia, but the fact that this statistic represents what is happening in America was absolutely shocking and saddening to me.
Another blog concerns FACE AIDS, a California-based student run campaign to fight AIDS. The organization focuses on a trip three members took to a refugee camp in Zambia, where few people were openly known to have AIDS and regular testing for the virus was almost obsolete. I think this is the biggest problem in terms of the AIDS epidemic in Africa. There is so little knowledge, resources and open communication about the virus. From reading Michael McColly's book, it seems like everyone wants to keep the issue at bay, which only makes it worse.
The last blog I found was about a new program in South Africa that would sent text messages via cell phone. I think in this technological age, this is a great idea. Now if only I could get reminders on homework assignments, stories, dentist appointments and credit card payments on my phone, my life would be a lot easier.
Waiguoren Critic of South China
One blog I found from China was a professor talking about the lack of glasses available for children. Parents think giving their children glasses because they think it will make the children's eyesight worse over time. This leads to problem in the classroom when students refuse to answer questions because they cannot see the board or overhead. It is also disruptive in class with students leaving their seats to get closer to the board to take notes. I found this interesting because parents in the U.S. have their children in glasses as early as two or three years old.
Another interesting blog I found was of reports of factories closing in China, sounding vaguely familiar to what Americans went through over the last 30 years. Unemployment in certain areas of the country are skyrocketing, with 400 factories closing in one part of the country alone. Most companies are moving to Mexico to reduce export costs.
The last blog I found was two Americans teaching English in China's Xinjiang district. The couple live in near six other foreigners and have a KFC near by. But 70 other teacher lives close together, eating at western restaurants on a regular basis, more than Chinese restaurants. American movies are prevalent and buy western snacks. After being in Europe for a few days, I was amazed when our trip leaders went into McDonald's. I swore I wouldn't eat anything I could get at home, but after a while it was a comfort. So I can understand these teachers spending years teaching English to want to enjoy something a little more familiar.
I found a blog about a genocide occurring in India. Hundreds of thousands of Hindus living in the Kashmir Valley have been forced from their homes by Muslim terrorists and are in exile within their own country. This is something I had never heard of before viewing this blog and I was deeply disturbed. After WWII, the world promised “never again,” but we have seen genocides in Bosnia, Sarajevo and Darfur. It is interesting that the world said “never again” after the genocide of the Jewish people in Europe, but they are doing nothing about this conflict going on between Hindus and Muslims.
Another blog I found was titled An Indian Muslim. The blog featured observations from everyday occurrences, including a protest against terrorism, people professing their love for each other on India's trees and monuments and violence. One entry talked about innocent people being killed, while those who commit crime and know people in the government walk free. The article talks about overthrowing the police forces still intact from when the British were in power.
A recent entry into the Pro Pakistan blog stated that the country should have a punishment of the death penalty for anyone involved in “monetary scandals” and embezzlement. I found this slightly humorous given the recent financial climate and scandals that have rocked the U.S. in past years. That's one way to keep Wall Street in line...
Iran is constantly in the news with images of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons and so forth. The country is situated in the crossroads of the Middle East and has become supposedly one of the most threatening countries to the world. But most of the blogs I found state that Iran is a danger mostly to its own citizens.
One blog I found is contributed by three people: one from Iran, one from Germany and one from Israel. The blog is titled Rotten Gods and focuses on mostly human rights and religious issues in Iran. Some interesting ones I found were about censorship of the media, people being killed for converting from Islam to Christianity or atheism and women removing their scarves and long clothing when leaving Iranian airspace.
Another blog I found was from Chris Gelken, a self-proclaimed “nomad journalist.” He spent a year working in Tehran before returning with his wife to Beijing. Gelken wrote about a memoir he was reading that was written by a female professor living her life in and around the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The book is not easily found in Iran, according to Gelken, because of the apparently negative interpretation of the revolution and its after effects. I like blogs that can point me to other blogs or sources of information, so I am looking into tracking down the memoir he was reading and writing about.
The final blog I viewed was about the Iranian Film Festival. I found this post particularly interesting because the movies were mostly about women. Yet women are treated very poorly in Iran. I cannot believe women would even be allowed to star in, write or direct movies because of the oppression that takes place in Iran.
Blogger Dmitri Minaev is trying to help the world understand the rich history of Russia. In that regard, he is able to help simple graduate students like me understand the current atmosphere of Russia and what is in store for its future. Articles range from a short daily history lesson to more in depth pieces about significant moments in Russian history. Minaev works as the moderator for an online history forum and resides in Samara, Russia. Below is a list of questions I emailed him with and his responses.
What is the biggest misconception Americans have about Russia?
There's a trap here. My answer will tell more about my
misconceptions about Americans than the other way round :). So, I
will proceed from my own prejudices. Besides, my views on modern
Russia may be not shared by many other Russians, who may have other
opinions on what is a misconception. So, one of my Russian friends,
who lives in the USA, to whom I referred the same question, really
went mad and said: "Let them [the Americans] keep away from Russia!
None of their business!". Anyway, he doesn't plan to return to his
home country, which renders his warlike intolerance somehow
untrustworthy :)
I know few Americans in person, and most of them came to Russia
because they were interested in learning more about the country, so
they are hardly average Americans (if we assume such average people
exist at all). I have many more online acquaintances in USA, but
most of them are history fans who visit my favorite history forum,
Sima Qian Studio (www.simaqianstudio.com). So, they are just another
group with very distinct opinion formed by historical studies rather
than mass media and they are much more open to alternative points of
view.
If I make my conclusions from what I know about these people, I have
to say that our views on the current situation in Russia rarely
disagree. One example of such disagreements is their underestimation
of Russian/Soviet science. My ultimate argument in such discussions
is that Russia (or, rather, the ghost of the Soviet Union) is still
the only country able to keep the ISS running on its orbit. I don't
know for how much longer, but the argument is still valid.
More often we argue about Russia's past. Some of my correspondents
seem to think that the 19th century Russia was 90% serfs terrorized
by 10% of nobles, that Ivan the Terrible was a terrible mass
murderer, that the Brezhnev's Soviet Union was more or less the same
as the Soviet Union of Stalin and Lenin, and so on. These
stereotypes finally made me start blogging. In my blog I don't
question these opinions directly, but try to find some scattered
facts that would give a better insight into the life of old Russia
and Soviet Union. Some of them are really frightening, some are
emotionally touching and inspiring and some are just dry basic
facts.
The worldview of other Americans is more influenced by mass media
than by history books, so I assume that the news presented by CNN,
NY Times and other major news sources reflect the view and bias of
an average American. If so, one thing is obvious: in all dubious
situations Americans tend to think that the role of the bad guy
belongs to Russia. Take the recent events in Georgia. It took more
than six weeks for the Western countries to recognize the role of
Georgia who initiated the conflict. During these six weeks the media
accused Russia of invading a small but brave democracy, not even
mentioning the international obligations of Russia in Georgian
break-away republics, the treaties signed by Georgia and giving
Russia the right and duty to interfere, the roots of these ethnic
conflicts, where Georgia played an active role, etc.
This bias, in my opinion, originates from too much trust the
Americans put into their media. I have to admit, though, that this
non-critical approach is also typical for Russians and other
countries. Of course, nobody is going to run a little personal
investigation on every bit of news reported on TV, but a little
healthy skepticism is always necessary.
The only way to solve the problem is to know more about each
other. That's what I try to do in my blog. Oh, and a little bit more
respect to the choices of each other. There are nine and sixty ways
of constructing tribal lays. And every single one of them is right.
* What do you see as the biggest public affairs issues in Russia?
I'm sorry to say it, but neither of them is in acceptable state. It
depends, though, on what we compare them with. So, the medical
equipment the doctors use is significantly better than what they had
in the USSR, but it seems that they care more about getting rid of
difficult patients and selling useless, but expensive drugs to the
others. In the Soviet times the health system provided
all-encompassing and consistent ways to monitor the health of
individuals and prevent possible problems. Now, it's gone. And yet,
my Russian friends who moved to other countries of Europe or to the
USA, still prefer to come to Russia when they have problems with
their health.
The education system is degrading. Modern students really scare
me. The young people who come to work don't know the most basic
things. But then I recall the words of Olin Shivers, a teacher in an
American college: "I couldn't get through the day as it is without
the Prozac and Jack Daniels I keep on the shelf, behind my Tops-20
JSYS manuals. I start getting the shakes real bad around 10am, right
before my advisor meetings. A 10 oz. Jack 'n Zac helps me get
through the meetings without one of my students winding up with his
severed head in a bowling-ball bag. They look at me funny; they
think I twitch a lot. I'm not twitching. I'm controlling my impulse
to snag my 9mm Sig-Sauer out from my day-pack and make a few strong
points about the quality of undergraduate education in Amerika."
Government? Those of them who are literate enough to perform their
duties, care more about their bank accounts, so we just pay them to
leave us alone. Fortunately, as a Russian saying goes, the
strictness of our laws is compensated by their non-obligatory
nature. So, even our FSB doesn't try to compete with DHS or NSA and
doesn't spy on average citizens, preferring the most influential and
rich persons and organizations.
Another dangerous thing is the growth of the religion. It's not
nearly half as bad as in many other countries, but the trend is
worrying.
* What do you see in the future for relations between the U.S. and Russia?
Both countries need each other. The most important international
issues, like the nuclear program of Iran, unrest in Afghanistan,
North Korean nuclear rockets can only be solved by joint
efforts. At the same time, in the course of this cooperation both
countries will compete for the influence in international
affairs. Europe will participate in this competition, too,
like France is doing now. USA have a lead in this race, but Russia
is catching up. In spite of this, the necessity to work together
will cool down the temper of the two.
* How do you feel about President Dmitri Medvedev joining the blogging
community?
Indifferent. That is, absolutely. He's just a president, so he
hardly has anything interesting to say. Moreover, it won't be his
blog, it's his speechwriters' blog.
I've heard about his blog before, but didn't see it till you asked
this question. I've checked it right now and there's just one video
clip. It doesn't seem that the blog will last long.
Most of the blogs I found on Russia were from every day people writing about their experiences. While not always the most well written blogs, I like looking into the lives of those people because I feel like I can relate to them more than a politically run blog.
One of the best blogs I found was actually written by a history student at UCLA, Sean Guillory. His blog was the most political of the ones I found. He is writing is dissertation on the Young Communist League in NEP Russia, although he follows many forms of Marxism. The most interesting entry I found was about Russian President Dmitri Medvedev taking to the video blogosphere himself. In the video on Sean's blog, President Medvedev discussed what he would be taking to the World Policy Conference in Evian, France. The conference took place on October 8. Medvedev stressed the need for updated security measures, citing the old system does not work and gave examples of the conflicts in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan of the failure of the old system. I found it very interesting that the president of a country would be willing to get on video and make promises like that, especially since Russia has been in minor conflict with Georgia recently.
Medvedev also said the “world financial crisis requires urgent joint action” between the world's powers.
Another blog I found interesting was that of Kolin Zeinikov, a Moscow blogger who uses photos from his cell phone to show the world his life. I like the idea of a young person taking the time to show the world around him with an emphasis through Russia's music scene. The top of the blog is a disclaimer saying the blog is not a typical one and I do not think it is.
The blog on Russian cultural differences called The Russian Way was another eye opening look into life over there. One thing I found interesting was the abundance of homeless dogs that supposedly exists in Russia. Another thing was the lack of attention to maintaining infrastructure in terms of paint, etc. The blog states that most infrastructure was inherited from the former Soviet Union and a “lack of private ownership on city property” leads to no one being willing to take responsibility for maintenance.
Another blog is written in protest to the Sochi 2014 winter Olympics. I found this interesting because I have not seen a lot of support for the Chicago 2016 summer Olympics outside of those pushing for it, like Mayor Richard M. Daley and Chicago Olympic Committee members.
Two other U.S. blogs about Russia caught me eye. One is from a jazz musician originally from Russia. Alexei nows lives in the U.S. and discusses those who voted for President George W. Bush twice and the resurgence of jazz music in Russia after Joseph Stalin's death in 1953.
The last blog is a dual blog written by an American man and his Russian wife. It is interesting to see the different ways they view things because of their cultural differences. They also sponsor Russian students who are seeking to improve their English
I always like reading blogs about people who live abroad and how they go about their day to day business. This week I choose to look up what is going on in the Central American country of Belize. The first blog I found was from a Canadian woman living in Ambergis Caye. It talked about weddings, a friend who recently passed away and rain. Sounds like everyday worries halfway across the world...
The second blog I found was a photo blog from a woman named Fiona living in Placencia, Belize. She takes pictures of everyday activities and I cannot believe how beautiful it is! It makes me so jealous to know people live in these tropical places and seem to have no cares in the world. I know that is not true but just living in a warm climate all year makes me mighty envious.
The final blog I found was called Living in the Jungle and shows how people can live like they would in a city. There are tips on construction, water supply and how to set up a solar energy system. I also found there are several Mennonite communities in Belize; again this is something I never would have thought of on my own. It also is interesting because when people think of visiting a tropical country with a jungle, they do not think of solar energy panels and Internet connections. So I wonder is this good for the jungle country or not?