Announcing the Launch of The Sanctuary

Click to be transported to The Sanctuary

To all our friends and allies in pro-migrant blogtopia (yes! skippy coined that latter word in the phrase), this has been a long time coming. I’m happy to announce the launch of The Sanctuary, a new community-based blog that will feature a solid team of writers on its frontpage that have worked for years to raise the centrality of human rights in the immigration debate.

Several months ago, we started discussing ways to push for a more balanced discussion in the media and political system at all levels. Nativists and a few outright bigots have been allowed to go unchecked on television, radio and the internet with little or no refutations coming from an equally strong and credible source. Many of their remarks are damaging to families in direct ways – from children being left parent-less, detainees dying in horrible ways in the concentration camps that have been set up by the Department of Homeland Security, and cultural genocide practiced against groups that are not considered to be of default American™ mindset.

The Sanctuary will be more than a website. The Editorial Board is working with an ever-expanding coalition of human rights organizations across the country to share information and action alerts that will spark a fire of the human spirit that will work to transform a divided populace into a unified people that can dialog again. Disagreements on solutions will surely come up, but we have to get to the point where we can speak to each other again without constructing mental walls made of steel.

Immigration is one of those issues that can easily be governed by bumper-sticker politics, but it is far from that simple, and it is a disservice to do so. There are too many facets that are being ignored or overlooked that can help us build understanding and, hopefully, solidarity that recognizes the personhood of every human being – removing the tarnish off the plaque of Emma Lazarus’ New Colossus.

It is our goal to collect the wisdom and expertise that can only be found in community. Together labor leaders, community activists, allies and everyday people who are affected by the divisive politics of nationalism will build a true sanctuary on the web.

Hope to see you there as we build bridges and break down those walls.

paz,
Man Eegee

The Editorial Board of The Sanctuary:

Nezua … Founder and Editor: The Unapologetic Mexican Owner and artist: XOLAGRAFIK Media Arts Citizen Journalist: MTV Street Team 08 Rep.(OR) contact:nlxj@theunapologeticmexican.org

Liza … Founder and Editor: Culture Kitchen contact: nyc.blogdiva@gmail.com

Kyledeb … Founder and Editor: Citizen Orange contact:kyle@citizenorange.com

Manuel … Founder and Editor: Latino Politico Contact: man.eegee@gmail.com

Edmundo … Founder and Editor ¡Para Justicia y Libertad! contact: chicanopwr@gmail.com

Duke … Founder and Editor: Migra Matters – Progressive Immigration Reform. contact: MigraMatters.Duke@Gmail.com

LatinaLista … Founder and Editor: Latina Lista contact: mtrevino@airmail.net

Kai … Founder and Editor: zuky contact: wenkaimc@gmail.com

Kety … Board Chair: Institute for Progressive Christianity, Founder: CrossLeft contact: kety.esquivel@gmail.com

[UPDATE] Here is Nezua’s introductory post: Path to the Oasis

[UPDATE the 2nd] Kai has joined the party with The Sanctuary – A New Nexus

[UPDATE the 3rd] Duke1676 titles his announcement: A new offensive against intolerance: The Santuary

[UPDATE the 4th] Here’s Kety’s intro at CrossLeft

 

Pro-Migrant Blog Roundup

It’s time to take another look at what’s shaking across the pro-migrant web.

The crew over at Long Island Wins takes another look at the local neighborhood/workplace raids that saw over 2,000 people being rounded up and imprisoned.

Speaking of migrant prisons, the T. Don Hutto Blog alerts us to a sexual assault that lead to no prosecution of the offending officer. XicanoPwr expands at ¡Para Justicia y Libertad! with The Politics of Humanity: Deporting Victims of Sexual Abuse. yave begnet alerts us to a story where the sister of a U.S. citizen who was imprisoned for not being able to produce citizenship documents speaks out. Vox ex Machina writes of Flor Cristosoma, the latest migrant mother to seek sanctuary in her church.

Over at the Drum Major Institute Blog, Suman Raghunathan offers a post explaining the deadly consequences of a population that remains silent on human rights abuses within the broken immigration system. Specifically, the case of Edgar Castorena – a 2 month old Oklahoman that died after his parents were too afraid to seek medical care for fear of deportation.

Amnesty International’s Aliados Group blogs about their representation at the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights conference in Houston , Texas. The Open Borders Lobby alerts us to a fundraising effort for migrant students attending the University of North Carolina.

Moving to border politics, The Mex Files tell us about a terrorist apprehended recently by Border Patrol and muses about why its being met with silence from the ‘Secure the Border!!!’ crowd. Marisa over at Latina Lista covers the latest round of lawsuits the Dept. of Homeland Security is pursuing against residents of border areas in Texas. Censored News gives us an Apache/Native American perspective of the land theft. Also on the native american front, Kyle over at Citizen Orange shares a documentary entitled ‘Mayan Territory’.

The No Border Wall – Take Action Blog! shows different ways to submit comments to DHS regarding the border wall construction across the southwest. Pro Inmigrant discusses a humane way of looking at the idea of a border, and it doesn’t mean building walls. James over at The Mahatma X Files offers a roundup of border wall blogging. Nezua at The Unapologetic Mexican, meanwhile, covers a different border – the one that is being erected by Israel. Kai at Zuky also offers a post on the issue.

Since there’s apparently an election happening this year (who knew?), Generation 1.5 asks the question: Which Presidential Candidate Will Best Help DREAMERS. Over at the blog I am a Shadow, the politics of immigration and drivers’ licenses for migrants is discussed. Duke at Migra Matters highlights Mike Huckabee’s rightward trend to pander to the nativist crowd. Roberto Lovato at Of América shares Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani’s spanish language ads. Damn Mexicans gives us stats on the migrant population of Super Tuesday states.

ImmigrationProf blog highlights the new campaign by NCLR to fight coded hate speech that permeates the media within the immigration debate. The new site is We Can Stop The Hate.

El Loco over at LatinoPundit describes discrimination faced across America (not just the U.S., but all of America); while Dave over at Orcinus tells us the latest antics of Jim Gilchrist and the vigilante Minutemen.

At Dream Act – Texas, the latest round of state-based legislation is covered. Indiana’s new bill looks a lot like the controversial HR4437 that sent millions of migrants and their supporters to the streets to march for human rights a couple of years ago.

That’s the first round of offerings for this roundup. Feel free to add your picks to the comments. Everyday more voices are added to balance the immigration debate – voices that raise the flag of human rights and compassion – voices that are desperately needed.

paz

 

Pro-Migrant Blog Roundup

Here’s what’s crisping on the comal from pro-migrant blogs across the web

The dim bulbs over at the Politico have decided to lay claim on the spanish language, threatening La Política with legal actions for copyright violations on the name of their site. I’m salivating at the thought of receiving a notice in my inbox. La Neta over at Adventures of the Coconut Caucus does some sleuthing and discovers at the Politico is not the first publication by that name.

The crew over at Amnesty International’s Aliados blog are showing their solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers who recently marched against Burger King for refusing to pay their pickers and farmers just wages. They are also looking for artists to participate in the showcase titled, ¡Presente! Homenaje a la Mujer.

Brenda Norrell over at CENSORED sends out the alert for the cross cultural/bi-national event Día de los Reyes Magos on January 6th. She also reminds us that Blackwater is getting a bigger role in border security.

Kyle has created a great video presentation that show’s Lou Dobbs’ hypocrisy when it comes to race baiting. Check it out. Kyle’s blog – Citizen Orange – is also expanding its scope as a group blog with the addition of yave begnet to its list of contributors. You can also find yave over at his home blog.

New to the radar screen (for me, at least) is the blog Damn Mexicans. Love the snarky title and the posts even more.

Speaking of snark, a stream of it is predictable when Tom Tancredo gets nailed for hiring undocumented workers. Roberto Lovato files Tancrazy’s antics in the Super Hypocrite Files while Stace Medellin over at DosCentavos calls it delicious.

Luis Alberto Urrea has a blog! …and he also has a bit of an identity crisis during this week’s Immigration Monday post. “If I were Stephen King, I’d say kiss my ass.” Heh.

Another author on the immigration beat recently was Alisa Valdez Rodriguez who has resumed writing at her blogspot site. She’s been considering a run for Congress in Nuevo México but is conflicted with the way hispanos are equated with “illegals” among the chattering masses of Americans™ Of course, if you’re Mitt Romney, Cubans are exempted from restrictions since they’re fleeing communism. Or something. …but what about the IRISH?!?

Maybe they can be candidates on the new “Who Wants to Marry a U.S. Citizen” gameshow. No, I’m not kidding.

Moving from the absurd to the dangerous, Marisa over at Latina Lista talks hate crimes and the rapid increase of Latino/Latina targets due to anti-migrant hysteria. Also, KJ over at ImmigrationProf Blog warns that the City of Phoenix may change its long-standing policy of barring local law enforcement from determining citizenship status of people arrested.

Last, but certainly not least, Duke1676 over at Migra Matters is doing a call-out for all pro-migrant bloggers so the blogroll over there can be updated. Check in and let him know what you’re covering in the world of global human rights.

Great to see more voices added to the chorus everyday. What else are you reading?

Crossposted at culturekitchen