Destinations
-
Las Mariposas - The Butterflies
September 01, 2012
Its been more than a few times that while driving in between cities butterflies appear around us, and I’ve wondered whether or not they’re coming along for the ride or if its simply normal for them to be in these parts this time of the year. Their timing coincides with the image of the butterfly growing as a symbol of this ride. That is one of the funnest things to experience in organizing – when something begins to take on a life of its own. I love the possibility of an idea, a sense of something and not having a clue what it will become in the end. I am thankful that I am still willing to try things that I don’t have an idea of what the outcome will be. But having a sense of the possibility, and that it could be good, makes taking a chance, the risk is worth it.That is why as we continue on, the butterfly grows and flutters more and more in my mind. Ever present. Its nature, its essence. The way it has had meaning to cultures and different peoples. The way it develops, a physical manifestation of the quantitative growth of something…step by step by step..so delicate that you can’t always tell its changing; to the qualitative change, when something clicks and that person, place or thing bears little resemblence to its former self.
Read More » -
No Papers No Fear Head to Charlotte - WBTV
September 01, 2012
WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC
Undocumented immigrants traveling cross country to join protestors at the Democratic National Convention say "life as an undocumented person is not easy."
WBTV met Undocu-Bus... the bus bringing undocumented immigrants... as it makes it way to Charlotte. Organizers say about 37 people are coming to the DNC, 34 of whom are in the country illegally.
Read More » -
The Lion's Side of the Story
September 01, 2012
“Until The Lion doesn’t say his side of the story, his murderer The Hunter will always get away with the Glory” African Proverb
The No papers No Fear Journey for Justice made its arrival to Atlanta, Georgia on August 22nd, and started the visit with a protest outside the Atlanta City Detention Center. This is where victims of the collaboration between local law enforcement and immigration agents, through programs like Secure Communities, are held, sometimes for long periods of time. Here, immigrants without papers, are held in detention even after they paid their time for what ever "crime" they were accused of - often non-violent- and then turned over to immigration authorities.
Read More » -
Pricila get some love from labor
September 01, 2012
We are riding a 1972 MCI Challenger bus in our journey across the southwestern and southeastern part of the United States. This bus, who came baptized with the name ‘Priscila’ has been used in organizing tours mostly on climate justice issues. Inside she is more like an RV, with benches, a small kitchen and even bunk beds in the back.So, it was a roll of the dice to choose a 40-year old bus to make this trip. Partly it was a gamble of necessity, because we have not counted on lots of money to make this happen. And it was also a choice, understanding the potential drawbacks. To have a schedule and route we could control, to be able to make the bus in the image and design we wanted.
Read More » -
Watching Our Parents Come Out of the Shadows
August 30, 2012
On August 14-17, I and five other members of the Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL) followed the No Papers No Fear Ride to their stops in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee and Birmingham, Alabama. Those four days made me optimistic of the growth our community and movement is making.
The strength and courage the people on the bus have is inspiring as it shows the determination they have to live and organize without fear. Since the first day that we arrived in Memphis, we realized the diversity and intergenerational make up of the bus. The people telling their stories in public community events were of all ages and various backgrounds.
As somebody who has participated in the Coming Out of the Shadows rally in Chicago, I was excited to see adults coming out alongside youth. Every person who shared his or her story through words, theater, dance, or poetry did it with conviction. They spoke without shame and were unapologetic and unafraid.
Read More » -
Immigration advocates rally over law enforcement concerns in Knoxville
August 29, 2012
Undocumented immigrants and supporters spoke out Tuesday in Knoxville about their concerns over law enforcement ties to federal programs, blocked traffic and four were taken into custody.
Several groups spoke in front of the Knox County Sheriff's Office. They include: No Papers No Fear Riders, Knoxville United Against Racism, Allies for Knoxville Immigrant Neighbors (AKIN) Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and the Unknowns Working to be Known.
Read More » -
One Arrested, Three Cited Protesting 287(g) in Knoxville
August 29, 2012
Originally Published at WBIR
Read More »
A protest Tuesday led to several people being taken into custody.
Protesters were voicing their concerns over a program called 287(g) that the Knox County's Sheriff's Office is considering for inmates here. It's a partnership with federal authorities to check an immigrant's legal status.
Tuesday afternoon, protesters, including illegal immigrants, protested near the sheriff's office. Some are traveling across the country spreading a message they call "No papers, no fear."
They joined East Tennesseans, including an undocumented man named Alejandro Guizar. He was one of several people detained for blocking the intersection of Gay Street and Hill Avenue. -
UndocuBus Riders Find Struggle and Hope in Knoxville
August 29, 2012
Knoxville’s Church of the Savior was buzzing with energy last night. Some 70 locals prepared a potluck feast for UndocuBus riders, who have spent the last three days in eastern Tennessee. Riders include people of all ages, including students, day laborers, and domestic workers, and they’re headed to the Democratic National Convention. Last night’s generosity is indicative of the support riders have experienced since the ride started in Phoenix, Arizona more than a month ago. While UndocuBus is reaching out to those people who have been most affected by draconian immigration laws, they’re also building community with white allies who are helping to feed and house the riders as they head towards Charlotte for the convention.
Read More » -
Fran: How long can we stand by and watch?
August 28, 2012
My name is Fran Ansley. I am a retired law professor and I have lived in East Tennessee for forty years. I am here with my fellow Knoxvillian, Alex Guizar, to welcome the “No Papers No Fear” Bus Riders for Justice, and to thank them for coming to help us make Knoxville a safer, more democratic, and more welcoming community.For months now Alex and I have been working -- along with a broad array of other individuals and organizations -- to try to alert the people of Knox County and our sheriff, J.J. Jones, to the danger of programs like 287(g) and Secure Communities. Programs like these entangle local police, deputies and jailers in the dirty work of enforcing a broken, unjust and hypocritical immigration system. They invite and encourage racial profiling, they undermine the ability of local police to carry out what is supposed to be their primary mission, they tear families apart, and they create a reign of fear for many Latino immigrants and their loved ones.
Read More » -
Todo tipo de hispanos recorren EE.UU. por la dignidad de los "sin papeles"
August 28, 2012
Amas de casa, estudiantes, trabajadores de la construcción, activistas y madres de familia recorren varios estados de Estados Unidos en un autobús, que partió hace casi un mes de Arizona bajo el lema "sin papeles y sin miedo", para instar a otros a salir de las "sombras".
El recorrido no ha sido fácil. Han debido dejar atrás a sus familias, sus trabajos y enfrentar la incertidumbre de la posibilidad de ser detenidos o deportados, pero no hay rastros en ellos de arrepentimiento o deseos de abandonar el camino tras largas horas de viaje.
María Cruz Ramírez es una madre de 46 años que decidió abordar el "undocubus" para transmitir a sus tres hijos el deseo de "defender su dignidad".
Read More »