Story Archives 2009

by Guillermo Gonzalez/Voces De Inmigrantes en Resistencia- Prensa POBRE

For English scroll down

Yo soy el hijo de una ola… una ola de trabajadores indocumentados… una ola ascendiendo y descendiendo… Toda mi vida hemos estado montandos esta ola, una ola de incertidumbre, una ola de altibajos, a veces sin saber si las altas fueron bajas o si las bajas fueron altas. Una ola que se celebró un momento, y fue culpadó a otro. Una ola que emigraro a estas tierras trabajando duro y dando a sus hijos algo que nunca tuvo, la oportunidad - una oportunidad para permanecer a flote; una oportunidad para comenzar nuestra vida en tierra firme. Estoy en tierra y veo las olas. Veo una ola de Pilipinos, una ola de chinos, un a ola de indios… veo una ola indígena a través de ojos indígenas. Ellos son hermosas. Yo soy la ola.

Esta es mi oportunidad - a navegar a través de instituciones de educacion, mientras escribiendo para POOR Magazine. Yo soy un residente legal de un país que criminaliza a mi familia y mi comunidad. ¿Dónde irá mi ola? Veo ahora una nueva ola - fea, fascista; una multitud envuelta en el patriotismo. Esta ola es Control de Aduanas e Inmigracion (ICE). Los ataques a la zona de la Bahía ha resultado en más de 400 detenciones de personas migrantes. El 2 de mayo de 2008, ICE ataco 11 taquerías de El Balazo adonde arrestaron 63 trabajadores inocentes. Los efectos de esta ola terrible prevalecen en nuestra comunidad. El temor, la incertidumbre y la paranoia que siente cada uno de los trabajadores y sus familias no se desaparecen, si no manchan el corazón y la mente. "Adonde iremos si nos capturan? ¿Qué haremos? Tengo miedo. He oído historias" .. . Lo vivimos.

Esta ola de opresión ha ido más allá de lo que creíamos posible. Una ola terrible - como la ola que nos hizo huir nuestra tierra. He leído acerca de un tiempo similar - un tiempo cuando personas fueron golpeadas en la calle por nada-un tiempo cuando las personas diferentes tubieron derechos sólo en papel. Suficiente es suficiente. Miro alrededor y veo que Jim Crow nunca murió, simplemente cambió su nombre a ICE. Él modifico sus técnicas de violencia, pero él sigue siendo el mismo, con la misma cara, con la misma gente que le apoya con mensajes de odio. Un día alguien va a leer acerca de nuestra situación, nuestro tiempo, nuestra ola… y ellos también leeran que a veces, suficiente es suficiente.

Hace algún tiempo, nuestra ola fue celebrada. Apoyada por el trabajo duro que hacemos por salarios bajos. Todavía trabajamos duro y apenas nos pagan, pero ahora, somos llamados delincuentes. Los culpables de la crisis económica. Blancos para el abuso. Hemos vivido con esto por un tiempo. Pero ahora esta hasta nuestro cuello, y estamos haciendo algo al respecto.

A principios de mayo de este año, los miembros inmigrantes de las comunidades del Área de la Bahía, organizaciones de defensa y derechos de inmigrantes, se reunieron para elaborar estrategias de cómo los condados del Área de la Bahía podrían colaborar para poner fin a las redadas de Control de Aduanas e Inmigracion (ICE), que siguen aterrorizando a todas las comunidades migrantes y tienen un impacto directo a nuestra economía local. Consideramos estas medidas de ejecución como una forma consciente de persecución masiva, que penalizan nuestras comunidades y separadan nuestras familias. El número de detenciones y deportaciones de este año ha creado un clima de temor que también pone en peligro la seguridad pública. Las comunidades de inmigrantes tienen miedo de denunciar los delitos, ir a las clínicas de salud - incluso enviar a sus hijos a la escuela. Como un líder en su comunidad, esperamos que puedan unirse a nosotros y hacer más para crear soluciones regionales a un problema que afecta a todas las comunidades en la mayor área de la Bahía.

La Junta del Pueblo del Area de la Bahia será un foro que reúne a politicos y familias que han sido afectados por estos ataques. Residentes inmigrantes de condados de San Francisco, Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano y Marín tendrán la oportunidad de compartir con politicos los efectos de los ataques, así como hacer peticiones concretas sobre cómo los funcionarios electos puedan responder.

La Junta del Pueblo del Area de la Bahia sera en Richmond en el gimnasio de la Iglesia San Cornelio, 201 28th St. Richmond, una ciudad que tiene una población que es predominantemente de inmigrantes y comunidades de color. Muchas familias inmigrantes se han movido a Richmond, porque no pueden vivir en lugares como San Francisco y Silicon Valley por los precios de renta tan altos. Richmond está experimentando en esfuerzos para aprobar una ID Municipal, pero esta también luchando contra las acusaciones de la policía injustas que apuntan a parar inmigrantes cuando estan manejando.

En Engles

I am the son of a wave… a wave of undocumented workers… a wave rising and falling… All my life we've been riding this wave, a wave of uncertainty, a wave of ups and downs, sometimes not knowing if the ups were downs or if the downs were ups. A wave that is praised one moment, blamed at another. A wave that migrated to this land working hard and giving their offspring something they never had, opportunity--an opportunity to stay afloat; an opportunity to begin our lives on solid ground. I stand ashore and I see the waves. I see a Pilipino wave, a Chinese wave, an Indian wave…I see an indigenous wave through indigenous eyes. They are beautiful. I am the wave.

This is my opportunity--navigating my wave through institutions of higher learning while writing for POOR Magazine. I am a legal resident of a country that criminalizes my family and my community. Where will my wave go?
I see another wave now--ugly, fascist; a mob cloaked in patriotism. This wave of Immigration, Control, and Enforcement (ICE) attacks in the bay area has resulted in over 400 arrests of migrant people. On May 2nd, 2008, ICE attacked 11 of El Balazo taquerias which resulted in over 63 arrests of innocent workers. The effects of this dreadful wave prevail in our community. The fear, uncertainty, and paranoia felt by each worker and their families do not fade, they stain the heart and the mind. "Where we will we go if they catch us? What will we do? I’m scared. I’ve heard stories".. .We ride.

This oppressive wave has gone beyond what we thought possible. A terrifying wave--like the wave that made us flee our home-land. I read about a similar time--a time when people were getting beat on the streets for nothing—a time when people who were different had rights on paper only. Enough was enough. I look around and see that jim crow never died, he just changed his name to ICE. He modified his techniques of violence, but he’s still the same guy with the same face with the same people backing him up with messages of hate. One day someone will read about our plight, our time, our wave… and they too will read that sometimes, enough is enough.

Some time ago, our wave was praised. Celebrated for working hard for cheap wages. We still work hard and hardly get paid anything, but now, we are criminals. Scapegoats for the economic crisis. Targets for abuse. We lived with this for a while. But now it is up to our necks, and we are doing something about it.

In early May of this year, members of the Bay Area immigrant communities, and immigrant rights advocacy organizations, gathered to strategize how Bay Area counties could collaborate to stop the current Immigration, Control, and Enforcement (ICE) raids, which continue to terrorize entire communities and have a direct impact on our local economy. We view these enforcement activities as a massive form of conscious persecution, which criminalize our communities and separate our families. The record number of detentions and deportations this year has created a climate of fear which also threatens public safety. Immigrant communities are fearful of reporting crimes, going to health clinics-- even sending their children to school. As a leader in your community, we hope you can join us and do more to create regional solutions to a problem that impacts all communities in the greater Bay Area.

The Bay Area Regional Town Hall Meeting will provide a forum that brings together elected officials and families that have been impacted by these raids. Immigrant residents of San Francisco, Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano and Marin Counties will have the opportunity to share with elected officials the impacts of the raids, as well as make concrete requests on how elected officials can respond.

The Regional Town Hall Meeting will be held in Richmond (exact location to be announced), a city which has a population that is predominantly immigrant and communities of color. Many immigrant families have moved to Richmond because they can no longer afford live in places like San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. Richmond is experiencing exciting efforts to pass a Municipal ID, but is also dealing with allegations of unfair police check points which target immigrant drivers.

For more information download flyer for Town Hall Meeting

by Willie Warren

Friends and volunteers too;
Who still want their housing,
And not sure what to do.
You've done all needed steps,
To get a place to live;
The Public Housing folks,
Find reasons not to give.
They check into your past,
To see if you qualify;
They don't stop to think,
If you don't, you won't try.
Sometimes you get the feeling,
They think that you have lied;
You feel the shadow of,
Being homeless and denied.

While you're with your worker,
Thoughts flow a two-fold way;
You think about your shelter,
And the bed where you lay.
Or if you sleep outside,
Along a road well ridden.
Has your campsite been found?
Or is it well hidden
Then your worker tells you,
You’re not getting the place;
You did hard time in a,
Correctional law space.
Or amends unfinished,
For court not yet been tried;
Lengthening your lifetime,
As homeless and denied.

Objecting to this rule,
Puts delays in your sights;
Now fueling your quest is,
Constitutional Rights.
You leave the Housing Place,
With efforts flowing strong;
To find defense masters,
And correct this great wrong.
First, find an advocate,
That has a current list;
Of those who are seasoned,
In Housing laws to assist.
This keeps the housing hopes,
From ended or have died;
Time to build a defense,
For homeless and denied

Now you need a lawyer,
To start this long process;
And file for equal rights,
With certainty, not stress.
Free or cheap attorneys,
That have a sliding scale;
On retainer fees cost,
To help justice prevail.

Evidence collection,
And all papers concerned;
Are case filing weapons,
To prevent getting burned.
Negotiating calls,
With patience are applied;
Designed to change the course,
Of homeless and denied.

A challenging lawyer,
Agrees to take your case;
This brightens the future,
Of achieving homebase.
The lawyer makes a plan,
To find some salvation:
Federal laws give rights,
To this entire nation.
Signing up for schooling,
To save the soul from scorn
And find the correct path,
To proove you’ve been reborn.
Showing that all your goals,
Are inspired from inside;
It brings defense muscle,
To homeless and denied.

Your former legal guard,
The office of Parole;
Possesses your records,
And maintains silent role.
Acquaintances letters,
And some from certain friends;
Sweeten the strategy,
Introducing new trends.
Thirteen has the magic,
To help a judge believe;
That rebirth has moved in,
And made criminal leave
The stage is now all set.
A lawyer must now ride;
The art and skil to win,
With himeless and denied.

All evidence gathered,
Has been forwardly plunged;
Amends can get settled,
Or felonies expunged.
Housing Office is called,
To make sure there’s no goof;
Back to your Case Worker,
With all new correct proof.
Qualifying returns,
Finally with success;
Your unit is assigned,
You’ve won this game of Chess.
Shelters and camping ends,
Human rights regain pride;
Freedom from thr column,
Called Homeless and denied.

by Bruce Allison/PNN elder and poverty scholar

Back when San Francisco was celebrating the beginning of the roaring 20's, a decade of peace and prosperity, the lower Haight district was one of the top places for citizens to enjoy.

Fast forward to 2008. San Francisco is continuing the legacy of anti-discrimation and respect for all by opening units of affordable housing that would be open to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors in San Francisco as well as those that are straight.

The property being used as the site for this affordable housing unit is about 3 sq. acres and though it may seem small, in San Francisco it is considered to be quite large. This land was originally the campus of the University of California, San Francisco. In the 1920s, the property was given to the University of California, Berkeley in which they had designed into an extension campus. In 2004, UC Berkeley chose to abandon this property and gave it up to the city in order build affordable housing for seniors and people with disabilites

.

To take this a step further, OpenHouse, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco that provides opportunities and programs for LGBT seniors in the Bay Area, has proposed to make the property of 55 Laguna Street into affordable housing for but not exclusively to LGBT seniors. Though not given preferential treatment, seniors that are LGBT are given priority because many have complained about being harassed by landlords and not given places to live. The area media income required to live in these units would possibly equal 30%.

This past March, the plans for these affordable housing units were put in front of the Board of Supervisors at City Hall. Though the NIMBY(Not in My Neighborhood) citizens voiced their discontent by arguing that seniors that are mostly 70-80 will group together and form a gang that will attack the other citizens in the neighborhood, they were igonored. The Board of Supervisors voted for the plans for affordable housing for LGBT seniors and construction is set to begin in 2009.

by Vivian Hain/PNN poverty scholar in residence and welfareQUEEN

As a welfare QUEEN and superbabymama, I have overcome unbelievable obstacles in my life on many levels--rising up from houselessness and domestic violence to recently earning my B.A. I've successfully completed four years in formal institutions of learning after having to fight the welfare department for my right to be there while living in poverty with the help of LIFETIME (Low-Income Families Empowerment Through Education). I didn't realize that I would have to fight for my right in having the true ability to properly transition off of welfare

Having graduated with my B.A. in Public Policy in December 2007, I felt it was time to begin planning for my future in a way that would help me to get to the next level in my life--which would open new doors of opportunity for me. Though I have still been attending community college, taking courses that would update my present skills in multimedia, I was also working at the college as a part-time teacher's aide, so that I could gradually transition off welfare and into the workforce. As a very low-income single parent with children, transitioning off welfare is very hard, especially when the welfare department doesn't help parents who are trying to seek stable career opportunities. But, imagine all of a sudden, getting arbitrarily cut of!

In July 2008, when the welfare department decided to kick me off welfare, instead of sending me the new version of the official forms I needed to give to my doctor so that I could continue receiving care, the welfare department arbitrarily cut me off without advance notice. It is illegal to cut anyone off of public assistance without advance notice. This created extreme financial hardship for my family and me. It also caused me to get behind on my PG&E bill. For more than two weeks I was not able to contact anyone who I needed to talk to regarding my case and the fact that they had cut me illegally off welfare. Immediately, LIFETIME was on the case, advising me to file an appeal and, as my authorized representatives,, tirelessly attempted to contact the Alameda County of Social Services, only to get no response for days�

The next month was nearing and still LIFETIME or myself were not able to reach anyone to discuss my case. So, as my last resort with the help and advice of LIFETIME, I went to my County District Supervisor Keith Carson's office to make a formal complaint on what was happening to me and how everyone at the welfare department had literally dropped the ball regarding my case. I met with County Supervisor Keith Carson's Legislative Aide Aisha Brown. She sat down with me and listened to everything I told her as she took notes. She also asked me for all of the names of my social workers and their supervisors and told me that she would make some phone calls to find out why they did what they did to me.

Before I knew it, she made a single phone call to the welfare office and within fifteen minutes of leaving County Supervisor Carson's Office, I got a phone call from Ms. Brown, telling me that my cash-aid should be reinstated within minutes. She told me that if I had any problems with receiving my welfare benefits to contact her immediately. I was so relieved! This took a massive weight off of my shoulders that had been on me for a month! I am very thankful to LIFETIME for their help and to County Supervisor Keith Carson's office and to his Legislative Aide Aisha Brown for getting me my welfare benefits. "No family should ever have to go through what I went through, yet it is good to know that we have true allies out there who will bat for us."

by Tony Robles/PNN

The Chronicle recently ran an article whose headline read, "Black population deserting SF". To me, a 4th generation San Francisco native, San Francisco has deserted its black population. The city is losing its heart. Its soul cries.

I attended a hearing at the SF Board of Supervisors regarding the black exodus from San Francisco. I arrived while another agenda item was being heard. I walked through the chamber past beautiful Muslim women with their children, black men in suits and ties. They looked as if they'd been waiting…and waiting. Their silence said it all.

The black community is the heart of San Francisco. I recall going to a café for a cup of coffee not long ago. It was in a neighborhood undergoing gentrification. On the walls were pictures of great jazz and blues singers of the past. The voice of Billie Holiday came through the overhead speaker. I looked around—no black people to be seen, just gentrifiers drinking coffee.

The item being discussed was about the SF zoo. The mostly white folks in attendance spoke passionately about whether the zoo should be changed to a zoo strictly for "rescue" animals who have been liberated from roadside zoos and the like. "I was born in a land where animals were free", said a lone man of color speaking on the issue. "I believe in freedom, animals should roam freely". When the agenda item ended, the zoo docents and other advocates left in exodus. The chamber was noticeably less crowded. I looked around at the faces—still black, still waiting.

Our item was item #11: The dwindling African-American population in San Francisco. A representative from the San Francisco Redevelopment agency presented the findings of the "African-American Out-migration task force" put together by the mayor's office last year. The purpose - to find ways to stem the tide of out-migration of the black community.

I listened as the nicely dressed African-American man from the Redevelopment Agency asserted that the black exodus in San Francisco is more pronounced here than in any other city in the country. I sat thinking that it is ironic that a man from an agency that has done more to cause the black exodus would be the one presenting the findings of what that agency has sown.

"I wanted to have this hearing 7 years ago but felt that politically I couldn’t have it. But now I can" said Supervisor Chris Daly, facing an audience eager to speak. The Supervisor cited many causes for the exodus, including lack of educational, social and cultural opportunities, housing affordability, environmental injustice and the epidemic of violence.

Looming heavy in the air of the chambers was the subject of Lennar Corporation and the environmental justice concerns of Bayview Hunter's Point that have gone unaddressed. Figures and statistics were given indicating that 45 % of the black population in San Francisco have been exposed to asbestos. Lennar Corporation spent over 4 million dollars to pass Prop G, a major housing development at the Hunters Point Shipyard and Candlestick Point. Residents know it for what it is - a land grab - with the city giving 720 acres of land to Lennar. The result has been 250 eviction notices to residents of Bayview Hunters Point.

Fred Blackwell, head of the Redevelopment agency, presented the numbers. The black population in 2000 was 54,000. In 2005 there were 46,000 blacks in the city. "That’s not enough to fill Candlestick Park" he said as the audience sat patiently. The bottom line - all other ethnic groups increased in population while the black population decreased.

A paralegal from Hunter's view cited the San Francisco Housing Authority's role in contributing to the exodus with it's Grannie Evictions - the practice of evicting grandmothers for the deeds of a grandchild.

Aileen Hernandez, chair of the task force expressed frustration at the process. This is a city that has a problem with discrimination. Task forces are put together but often times not paid attention to. We can put out 10 more reports but if we have no vision, we have nothing.

A resident from Bayview Hunter's Point concurred. "This is an emergency situation. There should be emergency hearings. If you want a problem to go away, study it to death. 6 months later people will forget about it and we'll be back to business".

The final report and its recommendations will be presented to the board of supervisors within the month.

by Guillermo Gonzalez/PNN & Diane Macasa/ISO

for english scroll down

los captores de esclavos del siglo 21 Guillermo Gonzalez de POOR Magazine y Diana Macasa de la Organizacion Internacional Socialista dan el reporte de sobre los Derechos de Inmigrantes.

RICHMOND-"El pueblo vive, la lucha sigue"� - Mas de doscientos cincuenta residentes de cinco condados incluiendo Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Alameda cantaron en unidad - "El pueblo vive, la lucha sigue" - para poner en marcha la Junta del Pueblo de la Area de la Bahia sobre los derechos de inmigrantes en Richmond el sabado, 6 de Septiembre. Organizaciones de la comunidad de la Bahia entraron como pudieran a una cafeteria pequena y llena de gente para expresar nuestra oposicion al continuado hostigamiento de trabajadores inmigrantes por parte de la policia de Inmigracion y Aduanas (ICE). Ramon Cardona abrio el foro para la discusion exigiendo, "Paren las redadas, no mas paros policiacos descriminatorio a las familias inmigrantes, den identificacion municipal a todos los residentes de la Bahia, y queremos que California se convierta en un estado santuario que defiende y vela por el cumplimiento de derechos para todos ". Todo la gente por unanimidad declaro que la Area de la Bahia se encuentra en un estado de emergencia para los trabajadores inmigrantes y sus familias.

Este estado de emergencia viene de las redadas de ICE que en los ultimos meses en la Area de la Bahia ha resultado en la detencion de mas de 400 trabajadores inocentes. Nuestra gente trabaja por menos del salario minimo, pagan sus impuestos, no tienen un record criminal aun son llamados delincuentes por un sistema que se beneficia de su mano de obra barata y en ultima instancia, son culpados por la crisis economica. No solo es evidente en la A�rea de la Bahia donde los residentes estan muy politizados y organizaciones expresan su oposicion a esta injusticia, pero es una tendencia nacional que afectan a areas como Postville, Iowa y Laurel, Mississippi, donde poco apoyo politico para los inmigrantes existia antes de los ataques terroristas realizados por el ICE en las fabricas este ano adonde mas de 1000 trabajadores petrificados fueron arrestados. Estos ataques no estan detras de nosotros, ellos continuaran como las recientes incursiones de el distrito de Bayview en SF y la pequena ciudad de Arcada han demostrado, y continuaran en todo el pais a menos que se exige el cambio en inmediato.

En la manana de miercoles 3 de septiembre, una madre en el distrito de la Mision en SF vio a sus dos hijos siendo arrestados por ICE ilegalmente e injustamente aunque ella mostro a los oficiales documentos oficiales que acreditaban que sus condiciones de residencia se encontraban pendiente. Esta fue una de las muchas historias que se compartieron en la reunion que describe el estado de panico en que los inmigrantes viven a diario. Feliciano, un trabajador afectado por las redadas en las taquerias de El Balazo el 2 de mayo, describe los efectos de la violencia de ICE que afecta a toda su familia negandole el derecho a trabajar y proporcionar un ingreso estable para su hijo que sufre de cancer terminal. La historia de Feliciano y muchas otras historias donde los arrestos de ICE inmovilizan los proveedores principales de ingresos de una familia crean un sentimiento de desesperanza en la familia y la comunidad; un sentimiento de obstaculos ineludibles y destruyen las posibilidades de superar y sobrevivir, un sentimiento que solo podria ser provocado por el genocidio intencional de una comunidad. Despues de escuchar estas historias, las exigencias de la reunion estan justificadas y aclaran por que estas exigencias deben cumplirse inmediatamente-- los derechos humanos de trabajadores migrantes no deben ser un punto de discurso y conflicto entre la izquierda y la derecha. Todo ser humano merece vivir con dignidad. Este fue el mensaje a los politicos en la reunion.

Phil Hutchings de la Alianza AfroAmericana para Inmigracion Justa afirmo a todos los presentes en la reunion, "ICE son los captores de esclavos del siglo 21!" Y Gloria Esteva de Voces de Inmigrantes en Resistencia de POOR Magazine exclamo, "Nosotros somos los trabajadores que se les paga nada a hacer mas ricos a los ricos!" Estas injusticias no son desconocidas, sin embargo, las demandas simples de la reunion aun no se han aplicado: un alto a las redadas violentas de inmigracion que destruyen comunidades enteras, un alto a la policia discriminando contra los conductores latinos, IDs municipales para todos, y lo que es mas importante, hacer California un estado santuario. Los politicos escucharon, pero sin una voz constante de descontento y oposicion agresiva expresada por la comunidad, no habra presion para cumplir con estas exigencias. La Reunion de Richmond unio activistas de la comunidad, un gran numero de organizaciones de derechos de inmigrantes y los trabajadores migrantes que han sido directamente afectados por la violencia de ICE, pero para que nuestras exigencias sean cumplidas el impulso debe prevaler y debemos permanecer unidos y continuar la lucha y ganar la amnistia para todos los inmigrantes. "El pueblo vive, la lucha sigue!�

RICHMOND- "El pueblo vive, la lucha sigue"--"The people live on, the struggle lives on." Over Two hundred and fifty concerned residents of over five counties including Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and Alameda chant in unity-- "El pueblo vive, la lucha sigue"-- to kick off the Bay Area Town Hall Meeting on Immigrant Rights in Richmond on Saturday, September 6. A number of Bay Area community organizations cramped a small cafeteria to voice our opposition to the continual harassment of immigrant workers by the police and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ramon Cardona opened the forum for discussion by demanding, "Stop the raids, stop police checkpoints that target immigrant families, give every resident of the Bay Area a municipal ID, and we want California to become a sanctuary state that upholds and enforces rights for everyone." Everyone unanimously declared that the Bay Area is in a state of emergency for immigrant workers and their families. This state of emergency derives from the trend of ICE raids within recent months in the Bay Area that has resulted in the arrests of over 400 innocent workers. Workers that work for less than minimum wage, pay their taxes, have no criminal record yet are criminalized by a system that benefits from their cheap labor and are ultimately used as scapegoats for the current economic crisis.

Not only is this evident in the Bay Area where residents are highly politicized and organizations express their opposition to this injustice, but it is a national trend affecting areas like Postville, Iowa and Laurel, Mississippi where little political support for immigrants existed prior to the terrorist attacks conducted by ICE in the factories this year where over 1,000 petrified workers were arrested.

These attacks are not behind us, they will continue as the recent raids of the Bayview district of SF and the small town of Arcada have proven, and will continue nationwide unless change is demanded immediately.

On the morning of Wednesday September 3, a mother in the Mission district in SF witnessed in horrific shock the illegal and unjust arrests of her two sons by ICE even as she showed the officers legal documents proving that their immigration status was pending. This was one of the many stories that was shared at the Town Hall meeting that depicted the state of panic that immigrants experience daily.

Feliciano, a worker affected by the El Balazo Taqueria raids on May 2nd, depicted the effects of the violence of ICE perpetrated on his entire family by denying him the right to work and to provide a steady income for a son suffering from terminal cancer. The story of Feliciano and many other stories where ICE arrests immobilize the main income providers of a family create a feeling of hopelessness within the family and community; a feeling of inescapable, unbeatable odds to overcome and survive, a feeling that could only be brought about by the intentional genocide of a community.

After hearing these stories, the Town Hall demands are justified and clarify why these demands need to be met immediately. The human rights of migrant workers should not be a point of discussion and conflict between the left and the right. Every human being deserves to live with dignity. This was the message to the politicians at the Town Hall meeting.

Phil Hutchings from Black Alliance for Just Immigration asserted to everyone present at the town hall meeting that, "ICE are the 21st century slave catchers!" and Gloria Esteva from the Voces de Inmigrantes en Resistencia program at POOR Magazine further exclaimed, "We are the workers that get paid nothing to make the rich richer!" These injustices are not unknown, yet the simple demands of the Town Hall meeting have yet to be implemented: stop violent immigration raids that destroy entire communities, stop police checkpoints that target Latino drivers, issue municipal ids for all, and most importantly, make California a sanctuary state.

The politicians listened, but without a constant voice of discontent and aggressive opposition being expressed from the community, there will be no pressure for them to follow through on these demands.

The Richmond Town Hall Meeting united community activists, a large number of immigrant rights organizations, and migrant workers who have been directly impacted by the violence of ICE raids, but in order for our demands to be met the momentum must prevale and we must stay united and continue the struggle and win amnesty for all immigrants. "El pueblo vive, la lucha sigue"--"The people live on, the struggle lives on."

by Leroy Moore/PNN

What did the all women in the Hip-Hop group, Salt-N-Pepa, say in 1991? "Lets Talk About Sex". Well people with disabilities today in 2008 are not only talking about sex and sexuality, they are politicizing it, shaping it in their own voice, image and performance!

For the last three years the Bay Area has been the stage of a new cultural revolution by disabled artists/activists who are of color, queer/trans around embodiment and disability, what we call Sins Invalid: An Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility or for short just Sins Invalid.

This annual performance will be undressing itself at the BRAVA Theater in the Mission District of San Francisco September 5th and 6th 2008 at 8pm.

Hold up, lets pull the curtains back to reveal a brief history of Sins Invalid and what you will be witnessing on September 5th and 6th at the Brava Theater. The combination of friendship, art and food is and has been a powerful starting point for some amazing ideals that grew into events, activism, movements and organizations.

Two years ago, in 2006, this combination was in the air when Patty Berne and Leroy F. Moore Jr. were hanging out. Two friends who share a lot in common, both persons with a disability, both of color, both community activists, both artists and both questioned why there wasn't an artistic/political stage in the Bay Area cultural arena for people who shared our identities and politics. We put down our forks and started to examine our his/herstory in activism and art realizing that our portfolios were full with DVDs, poetry notebooks and a long list of successful community organizing events, some hot and sexy and some political cultural work.

What happens when you question authority? Well, sometimes you find out that there is a need to be filled. With all of our work in the community, we knew that a craving for a cultural/political event was bubbling in the Bay Area. Patty and I gathered with friends to show our videos and talk about the disability rights movement, and how we as people of color and queer/gender queer can make our voices and art heard and seen in all communities, with a message that all bodies are beautiful. This vision was blown up when I put what my mother taught me, networking , to work. We, Patty and I formed a partnership with the founders, Todd Herman and Amanda Coslor of The Dancing Tree, a non-profit alliance of visual and performing artists seeking to facilitate, develop, perform, document and publish the stories of underrepresented people around the world, and launched a revolutionary series - Sins Invalid: Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility was born.

Since 2006, the first Sins Invalid show at BRAVA Theater, Sins Invalid has grown from a one day film event with local artists with disabilities, to year round programming with our multidisciplinary performance base workshops, political/cultural presentations at conferences, local colleges/universities, non-profit organizations and collaboration with national and local organizations, to international artists with disabilities. Sins Invalid is now a two day annual event with the future goal of touring. Sins Invalid grew not only in artists but also in staff, tech team and our community.

In past years, Sins Invalid found artists by putting out a call locally, nationally and globally and got back some amazing art in all forms; videos, spoken word, visual, music and the list goes on. This year, 2008, we had a chance to build on a part of our vision and that was mixing our cultural art with our politics and organizing skills. We did this by selecting a group of artists from previous years and built a community of sharing our political views around sexuality, disability and our identities/culture. What you will see on September 5th and 6th at the BRAVA Theater in San Francisco is not only artistic beauty but a year long community building that took place within Sins Invalid's performe's core uncovering our struggles, personal stories of society's attitudes towards us, experiences of institutional practice, that led to our healing and reclaiming our strength, voice, sexuality, community. All of this will be on the BRAVA stage through dance by Rodney Bell, a Maori male dancer from New Zealand, performs aerial dance in his wheelchair in celebration of the body. Maria Palacios, a Latina poet, performs her acclaimed spoken word piece about forbidden love (Maria, Full of Sin) and also transforms herself from crippled girl into a goddess (in Testimony). These pieces, along with original works by Patty Berne of Oakland, Noemi Sohn, Seeley Quest, Leroy F. Moore Jr. and Nomy Lamm are simultaneously erotic, tender, and fierce to name a few.

So here we are, "Sins Invalid", ready to pull back the curtains again to display what is a part of life and that is our sexuality, political thought, art and expression as people with disabilities. This offering is for our communities, love ones, supporters, families, allies, media, professionals, politicians, artists, activists, lovers and yes strangers.

Patty Berne, Artistic Director of SINS INVALID, describes this performance event as "a healing for all who challenge themselves honestly when unearthing their sexual expression. SINS INVALID recognizes that we will be liberated as whole beings as disabled/as queer/as brown/as black/as genderqueer/as female or male bodied as we are far greater whole than partitioned. Our stories, embedded in analysis, offer paths from identity politics to unity amongst all oppressed people, laying a foundation for a collective claim of liberation and beauty."

The third annual SINS INVALID: An Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility will be performed on Friday and Saturday, September 5-6 at 8pm at Brava Theater (2789 -24th Street, San Francisco). The performances are wheelchair accessible and ASL interpreted. Tickets are affordably priced at $15 sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. You can buy tickets in advance at www. brownpapertickets.com or at the door. PUBLIC INFORMATION: (510) 689-7198 or sinsinvalid.org

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the content of the program, this show contains nudity and explicit content. It is appropriate for ages 18 and up. SINS INVALID: An Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility is made possible by grants from the AEPOCH Fund, Cultural Equity Grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission, and the Astraea Foundation.

By Leroy F. Moore Jr.
Co\Founder, Community Relation Director and Performer of Sins Invalid.

www.sinsinvalid.org
sinsinvalid07@yahoo.com
blackkrip@gmail.com

by Catherine Limcaco/POOR Magazine Race, Poverty and Media Justice Intern

"We want to remove their faces", proclaimed Quanah Brightman. Quanah was of one of the many activists in attendance at the Mount Rushmore Reunion that took place on August 29th 2008 in South Dakota. As people commemorate and remember the land that Mount Rushmore covers, it is surprising that many do not know another silenced story about the mountain: Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincon, Theodore Roosevelt , and George Washington have nothing to do with it.

In many historic accounts that range from the Great Plagues to 9/11, each record is written and then distributed by a publisher. Each publisher upholds different standards and criteria when choosing what events are important for the public to know and what events should be forgotten or in many cases, buried. If only people read between the lines in those history books.

The Hearst Family is one of those families that represent the closest thing the U.S. has to corporate royalty in this country. William Randolph Hearst was the forefather of the white-owned, rich-people controlled newspaper industry and his great granddaughter Patty known for her scandalous run-in with the law. The man behind the legacy is George Hearst--a man devoted to discovering (colonizing) the best mines in the country as well as investing (stealing) from the most profitable land. George Hearst was not only able to provide a future of wealth and privilege for his family, but he gave the U.S. a memento that would stand the test of time.

On August 29, 1970, the Sioux peoples and many supporters made the mark on Mount Rushmore, an iconic landmark in the United States provided by George Hearst. The Black Hills is a sacred site that is significant to the Sioux culture. In fact, the area that Mount Rushmore inhabits is sacred to the Sioux. In an effort to take back their land, the Sioux stabbed their flag reading "SIOUX INDIAN POWER" into the heart of Mount Rushmore. Within moments, many--especially the media--were attacking the Sioux for "disrespecting" a monument so powerful as Mount Rushmore.

Unfortunately, the media didn't know better as well. The Hearst Family were pioneers in the corporate news industry at the time; could it be that they prevented the REAL story from coming out?

"This is a national movement for the public," says Linda Roberts, of United Native Americans Inc. As a Chickanmauga Cherokee, Linda is an example that this problem just doesn't affect the Sioux people. Linda says, "All Native people, we are all responsible for protecting these resources." The 2008 event also acted as a memorial to women like Linda, women of the red power movement.

The published history of Mount Rushmore disguises the true story of the Black Hills. When George Hearst purchased the mine under the Black Hills, he devoured all it represents and the gold that could be found there. George Hearst was not the only one at fault; the government has their hand in this invasion signing a document entitled The Fort Laramie Treaty which they never honored.

An excerpt from the Fort Laramie Treaty

ARTICLE I.

From this day forward all war between the parties to this agreement shall forever cease. The government of the United States desires peace, and its honor is hereby pledged to keep it. The Indians desire peace, and they now pledge their honor to maintain it.

And the government know they did it too. The Sioux people were offered 600 million dollars by the federal government, but they refused claiming that the land is sacred and not for sale.

How did "the heart of everything" that the Sioux represents become a "National shrine of Democracy?" The silenced story reads more like a mockery of Democracy.

by Tony Robles/Co-editor

"Think of a Number", said Peter Johnson, the new millionaire buyer of the office building where POOR Magazine is located and now faces eviction. He was smooth -smooth like a snake; his voice, his demeanor, his bootstrap "rags to riches"story. He was smooth and authentic-seeming as he prodded co-editor and founder Tiny AKA Lisa Gray-Garcia and myself to think of a "number", i.e., the price of what it would cost for POOR to relocate our entire multilingual, multigenerational classroom and multi-media production center. At that moment, Tiny and myself were completely drawn into his story. What we later discovered was his cleverly woven web of lies and betrayal.

POOR Magazine is an indigenous organizing project. We practice eldership, true community, revolutionary journalism and truth journalism. We bring together silenced communities - mamas, elders, youths, migrant and indigenous folks whose voices are silenced in mainstream media. We are media producers and digital resisters. We do the work that needs to be done. We practice interdependence rather than separation. We do not practice poverty pimpology. As POOR Magazine's new co-editor, I am proud to say that we are true to our mission. We have not sold out. Now we are being evicted. And there is no "number" being offered to us, only eviction notices and threatening letters from lawyers.

POOR Magazine has called 1095 Market Street its home for the past 4 years. From our small offices we have produced our radio shows, our poor press books, our online magazine, our Welfare Queens theater production and provided community and professional development through our Race, Poverty and Media Justice Institute www.poormagazine.org/RPMJ/

Peter R. Johnson is a wealthy Australian whose fortune was earned through technology. He purchased 1095 Market Street for 2 million dollars in cash. His wife sits on the board of Larkin Street Youth Services. He says he cares about the youth of the community. His son Simon occasionally wears a knit sport-shirt with the Larkin Street logo as he saunters past the increasingly vacant offices at 1095 Market. Meanwhile, the youth at POOR's FAMILY project which provides arts and social justice education and advocacy are being evicted.

POOR has faced eviction before - a few years back by a previous owner - and through a collective effort with other tenants - was able to retain its offices. This time the eviction didn't just impact POOR, but many others in the building - including long term tenants whose tenancy extends more than a decade.

The tenants at 1095 Market contacted Chris Daly's office for help. In mid August we met at City Hall with the landlord and his son Simon Johnson, whose vise-like handshake said volumes. The Johnson's assured supervisor Daly and the tenants that they had the community's best interests at heart and that they would meet tenants individually to reach agreements beneficial to both parties.

The day Tiny and I met with the Johnson's we discussed the fact that we recognize and follow the UN Declaration on indigenous people - that we have a right to this land and a right not to be displaced. We also brought to the Johnson's attention that their home country, Australia, was one of 3 countries that did not sign the UN Declaration. Mr. Johnson indicated he was aware of the declaration and that his home country was not among the signatories.

Mr. Johnson informed us that we were going to have to move. We responded that displacement would be an extreme hardship on our organization - one that has very limited resources. Mr. Johnson assured us 3 months free rent and that we would meet again to discuss compensation that would make for the smoothest transition. He indicated that he would donate new computers to POOR and help us defray our relocation costs. We were told to go back and think about a "number" i.e., fair compensation to present to our next meeting.

That meeting never came. What we got instead was a notice of an Unlawful Detainer action. We have been helped by the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and Randy Shaw. They wrote Mr. Johnson, reminding him of his commitment to discussing fair compensation for POOR Magazine. What we received was a letter from his attorney denying all the specifics of our discussion.

POOR Magazine is an indigenous organizing project practicing eldership and interdependence. Ours is not an easy road. What we stand for is threatening to the corporate and non-profit colonizers who are in control. As long as we are dependent upon them for grants and operating space, we will be running like hamsters in a cage.

POOR Magazine has launched a Capital Campaign ( which we are re-naming an "equity campaign" ) called "Homefulness". Homefulness is permanent housing based on a sweat equity model - not based on how much money a person has or makes, but what they can contribute, be it art or maintenance work or teaching, child care,etc. Our dream is to permanently house 3-5 families, to have a space for a school, computer lab, and arts and performance cafe. Tiny at POOR Magazine already has created a template for homefulness at her current residence in the Mission. Homefulness works - and we want to use this blueprint to house and empower families. Bottom line, POOR Magazine needs a building. If you know of an available building or have suggestions on how we can obtain one, please contact us.

POOR Magazine needs your help. Any amount you can donate is appreciated. Donations can be made on line at www.poormagazine.org www.poormagazine.org. Or you can mail donations directly to:

POOR Magazine
1095 Market Street #307
San Francisco, CA 94103

by Atwynn Delgado/Youth in Media Intern/POOR Magazine

Im 17. Im Black. I live in the United States and I'm gonna die very soon.
Maybe not today, but very possibly tomorrow. Not because of an illness, or
car crash, but because I will be shot.

After the shooting death of Joshua Cameron and other young men of color in
San Francisco last month and countless other youth of color shot dead in the
Bay Area over the last year, I traveled from Oakland, where I live, to
gather alongside several hundred youth, families and youth advocates on the
steps of City Hall in San Francisco last week to mourn their death and ask
why.

I know why. A lot of my friends know why. There are a lot of "whys"--
corporate media images perpetuating violence, the school to prison pipeline,
poverty and institutional racism and a society hinged on financial wealth
and consumerist values have conspired to promote violence as a living,
breathing thing that has a life of its own. Many of my friends, long ago
alienated by a gutted school system that no longer teaches us anything
except how to take a test; families, communities and generations destroyed
by years of poverty, de-stabilization, gentrification and joblessness, are
no longer listening to our elders and even if they are, they are shot by
other youth not listening to their elders, their ancestors, their cultures,
their humanity.

For many youth in poverty, the lack of real opportunities for living wage
jobs are staggering, so many of us are forced to earn income through
underground economic strategies. These strategies are criminalized, so if we
aren't shooting each other, we are being incarcerated and criminalized. Our
schools seem to be set up to discourage us with endless tests and things like
art, music and social studies being taken out completely.

The voices of the youth who spoke broke my heart--like they always do, like
they did for my cousin who was shot in Oakland two months ago; like they do
when I hear about anyone taken from this earth for no good reason at all; like I do when I hear about children and families shot in Iraq for a war we
have no reason to be in; like I do when I hear about another young person
joining the military to fight and probably get killed in this ridiculous
"war"; like I do when I hear of another young person being pushed out of
school cuz they didn't pass the barrage of tests they are given; like I do
when my mama cries in fear for my life when I go out at night.

One young man at the memorial for Joshua spoke of being afraid to walk
outside, for fear of getting shot. That's when I knew. It wont be today or
even tomorrow, but if we don't do something very different about these
"whys", me and my friends wont make it through this year.Im sure of that.