images The Kansas City Star
regacct
11-23 01:27 PM
Why the Anti-immigrant Dog Did Not Bark in Illinois (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/why-the-anti-immigrant-do_b_787368.html)
In the Sherlock Holmes short story "Silver Blaze" the famous detective focuses his analytic prowess on the "curious incident" of the dog that did not bark in the nighttime.
In the recent mid-term elections there was a similar "curious incident" in Illinois that is important nationally. No major candidate in Illinois from either the Republican or Democratic Party demagogued the immigration issue. Neither the ultra-conservative Republican candidate for Governor, Bill Brady, nor the supposedly "moderate" candidate for Senate, Mark Kirk, ran ads, did mailers, or used talking points about the supposed scourge of illegal immigrants taking jobs or sponging up our tax money. Nor did any major candidate for Congress.
It is definitely true that a number of the Republican candidates that were elected to Congressional seats hold anti-immigrant positions. But they did not choose to use those positions as wedge issues in the recent election. Why not?
A possible explanation is that Republicans in Illinois are a kinder, more reasonable group than Republicans elsewhere. That, I'm afraid, does not pass the laugh test.
You could argue that it's because Illinois has a large immigrant population in general and a large Latino population in particular. But so do Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and California where Republican Party candidates tried to use "illegal immigration" and "amnesty" as wedge issues to galvanize their base.
It is true that Illinois has a more immigrant-friendly tradition than some of the states in the Southwest. Much of the Caucasian population in Illinois comes from recent immigrant stock themselves - from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Germany, Croatia and Serbia.
But there is also a more old-fashioned reason. Demagogues and bullies tend to prey upon those whom they consider too weak to strike back. It turned out that in Nevada, California, and Colorado they made the wrong call, since their demagoguery galvanized turnout among Latino voters that defeated right-wing candidates for the Senate.
In fact, the Latino vote saved the Senate for the Democrats.
But in Illinois the right didn't even try their demagogic tactics. That's largely because the immigrant communities in Illinois have worked hard over five election cycles to build a muscular political organizing vehicle that gets out the immigrant vote -- and can bite back fiercely at anti-immigrant demagogues.
In 2008, Jim Oberweis ran for Congress against Democrat Bill Foster on a heavily anti-immigrant platform and was flattened by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. That experience sent a lesson through Illinois' right-wing political class. Nothing like watching one of their own get scalded to teach others not to touch the stove.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) no leads The New Americans' Democracy Project . This year, 13 electoral organizers worked for months in both the City of Chicago and the Suburbs. They targeted 133,128 infrequent immigrant voters for a multi-contact phone and door operation, and before the election was done the volunteers they recruited did a total of 549,000 live phone calls to their universe of Latino, Asian and Muslim voters.
This work has been growing in scale and bite since 2002 when it began with no funding and in only nine precincts. At this point the immigrant vote can no longer be ignored by either party. Here are several key lessons from the Illinois immigrant organizing experience:
1) Consistency Counts: ICIRR has had between 10 and 20 full-time immigrant election campaign organizers every election since 2004. They begin their work in July and work through November, building a "recent immigrant" field operation. In every single cycle they add new skills to their electoral organizing.
2) Numbers Count: The immigrant voter program has registered over 90,000 new immigrant voters. They door-knock between 35,000 and 60,000 doors every election cycle.
3) Diversity is Strength: The Democracy Project works with leaders and organizations in Latino community, but also the Asian, Arab, and Polish immigrant communities.
4) Mine the "Base" and work the "Swings": The electoral work is done in the immigrant "base" Chicago port of entry neighborhoods to generate numbers, but also in swing suburban political districts where multi-ethnic immigrant organizing multiplies the voting power of Latinos. The activation of new immigrant voters in suburban "swing" communities forces Republican attention to immigrant issues.
5) Reward Friends, Punish Enemies: ICIRR keeps track of who engages in immigrant bashing -- and stikes back. When Republican anti-immigrant candidate Jim Oberweis polarized voters against "illegal immigrants", ICIRR released to the media a film of undocumented immigrants cleaning his business while being paid only $3.23 an hour. When old-school Democratic Mayor of Waukegan, IL attacked "illegals" with local law enforcement of immigration laws, he went down to defeat in the next election because Latinos in Waukegan mobilized to support his opponent.
6) Naturalize, Naturalize, Naturalize: ICIRR has one of the most aggressive citizenship programs in the nation. All told, an additional 170,000 immigrants were naturalized in Illinois over the last five years. The coalition itself directly assisted over 48,000 of those legal immigrants to become citizens, and thus voters.
ICIRR is not a partisan organization. In fact, their most recent fundraiser was headlined by the popular former Republican Governor Jim Edgar. But because of the track record of Republicans across the country, its organizing definitely benefits Democrats. In fact, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn - who won by fewer than 20,000 votes -- would not likely have been re-elected had it not been for their work.
On the policy side, ICIRR works for immigrant-friendly policies, and by any definition they have succeeded in winning some of the most immigrant-friendly policies in the nation at the state level in Illinois.
The state of Illinois leans Blue, but it has wide swatches of Red. In the recent elections the Democrats barely lost the Senate race and took some terrible losses in the Congressional delegation. But in addition to electing a Democratic Governor, both the State House and Senate remained in Democratic hands. The immigrant vote was critical to these Democratic victories, but it is also a force that Republicans ignore or abuse at their peril. In this election, at least, Illinois Republicans generally had the good sense not to bait the immigrant community.
In the current environment of racialized fear and polarization against immigrants across the U.S., the hard work of immigrant advocates in Illinois provides two key lessons:
* Demagogues go after the weak, not the strong. You don't stop anti-immigrant demagoguery through accommodation, you stop it with strength.
* Nuts and Bolts Organizing works.
In the Sherlock Holmes short story "Silver Blaze" the famous detective focuses his analytic prowess on the "curious incident" of the dog that did not bark in the nighttime.
In the recent mid-term elections there was a similar "curious incident" in Illinois that is important nationally. No major candidate in Illinois from either the Republican or Democratic Party demagogued the immigration issue. Neither the ultra-conservative Republican candidate for Governor, Bill Brady, nor the supposedly "moderate" candidate for Senate, Mark Kirk, ran ads, did mailers, or used talking points about the supposed scourge of illegal immigrants taking jobs or sponging up our tax money. Nor did any major candidate for Congress.
It is definitely true that a number of the Republican candidates that were elected to Congressional seats hold anti-immigrant positions. But they did not choose to use those positions as wedge issues in the recent election. Why not?
A possible explanation is that Republicans in Illinois are a kinder, more reasonable group than Republicans elsewhere. That, I'm afraid, does not pass the laugh test.
You could argue that it's because Illinois has a large immigrant population in general and a large Latino population in particular. But so do Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and California where Republican Party candidates tried to use "illegal immigration" and "amnesty" as wedge issues to galvanize their base.
It is true that Illinois has a more immigrant-friendly tradition than some of the states in the Southwest. Much of the Caucasian population in Illinois comes from recent immigrant stock themselves - from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Germany, Croatia and Serbia.
But there is also a more old-fashioned reason. Demagogues and bullies tend to prey upon those whom they consider too weak to strike back. It turned out that in Nevada, California, and Colorado they made the wrong call, since their demagoguery galvanized turnout among Latino voters that defeated right-wing candidates for the Senate.
In fact, the Latino vote saved the Senate for the Democrats.
But in Illinois the right didn't even try their demagogic tactics. That's largely because the immigrant communities in Illinois have worked hard over five election cycles to build a muscular political organizing vehicle that gets out the immigrant vote -- and can bite back fiercely at anti-immigrant demagogues.
In 2008, Jim Oberweis ran for Congress against Democrat Bill Foster on a heavily anti-immigrant platform and was flattened by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. That experience sent a lesson through Illinois' right-wing political class. Nothing like watching one of their own get scalded to teach others not to touch the stove.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) no leads The New Americans' Democracy Project . This year, 13 electoral organizers worked for months in both the City of Chicago and the Suburbs. They targeted 133,128 infrequent immigrant voters for a multi-contact phone and door operation, and before the election was done the volunteers they recruited did a total of 549,000 live phone calls to their universe of Latino, Asian and Muslim voters.
This work has been growing in scale and bite since 2002 when it began with no funding and in only nine precincts. At this point the immigrant vote can no longer be ignored by either party. Here are several key lessons from the Illinois immigrant organizing experience:
1) Consistency Counts: ICIRR has had between 10 and 20 full-time immigrant election campaign organizers every election since 2004. They begin their work in July and work through November, building a "recent immigrant" field operation. In every single cycle they add new skills to their electoral organizing.
2) Numbers Count: The immigrant voter program has registered over 90,000 new immigrant voters. They door-knock between 35,000 and 60,000 doors every election cycle.
3) Diversity is Strength: The Democracy Project works with leaders and organizations in Latino community, but also the Asian, Arab, and Polish immigrant communities.
4) Mine the "Base" and work the "Swings": The electoral work is done in the immigrant "base" Chicago port of entry neighborhoods to generate numbers, but also in swing suburban political districts where multi-ethnic immigrant organizing multiplies the voting power of Latinos. The activation of new immigrant voters in suburban "swing" communities forces Republican attention to immigrant issues.
5) Reward Friends, Punish Enemies: ICIRR keeps track of who engages in immigrant bashing -- and stikes back. When Republican anti-immigrant candidate Jim Oberweis polarized voters against "illegal immigrants", ICIRR released to the media a film of undocumented immigrants cleaning his business while being paid only $3.23 an hour. When old-school Democratic Mayor of Waukegan, IL attacked "illegals" with local law enforcement of immigration laws, he went down to defeat in the next election because Latinos in Waukegan mobilized to support his opponent.
6) Naturalize, Naturalize, Naturalize: ICIRR has one of the most aggressive citizenship programs in the nation. All told, an additional 170,000 immigrants were naturalized in Illinois over the last five years. The coalition itself directly assisted over 48,000 of those legal immigrants to become citizens, and thus voters.
ICIRR is not a partisan organization. In fact, their most recent fundraiser was headlined by the popular former Republican Governor Jim Edgar. But because of the track record of Republicans across the country, its organizing definitely benefits Democrats. In fact, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn - who won by fewer than 20,000 votes -- would not likely have been re-elected had it not been for their work.
On the policy side, ICIRR works for immigrant-friendly policies, and by any definition they have succeeded in winning some of the most immigrant-friendly policies in the nation at the state level in Illinois.
The state of Illinois leans Blue, but it has wide swatches of Red. In the recent elections the Democrats barely lost the Senate race and took some terrible losses in the Congressional delegation. But in addition to electing a Democratic Governor, both the State House and Senate remained in Democratic hands. The immigrant vote was critical to these Democratic victories, but it is also a force that Republicans ignore or abuse at their peril. In this election, at least, Illinois Republicans generally had the good sense not to bait the immigrant community.
In the current environment of racialized fear and polarization against immigrants across the U.S., the hard work of immigrant advocates in Illinois provides two key lessons:
* Demagogues go after the weak, not the strong. You don't stop anti-immigrant demagoguery through accommodation, you stop it with strength.
* Nuts and Bolts Organizing works.
wallpaper Kansas City Star JILL
eucalyptus.mp
02-18 08:58 AM
he is asking me to go back to India after March
lvaka
07-17 06:51 PM
Thanks a lot IV Core. I am sure this is a very small contribution for the cause. Just to start with here is my $100 one time contribution.
Order Details - Jul 17, 2007 7:16 PM EDT
Google Order #663744711461021
Order Details - Jul 17, 2007 7:16 PM EDT
Google Order #663744711461021
2011 C. Hamilton Building in
NIW
08-30 05:33 PM
We all sincerely appreciate your support & generosity. Keep us updating on immigration news.
Thanks
Srikanth
P.S: I can't donate for IV at this time as I have promised $350/month to a charity org. But I surely will in future.
Thanks
Srikanth
P.S: I can't donate for IV at this time as I have promised $350/month to a charity org. But I surely will in future.
more...
suman
12-17 10:00 AM
The letter does not say anything. It just says that your I-485 is denied.
It does not give nay reason. It does not even say to appeal..
Thanks
It does not give nay reason. It does not even say to appeal..
Thanks
ca_immigrant
03-25 04:39 PM
the one from vamsi has gone up to 116 now...
vote for a question folks....ask your friends also to vote..
does not hurt to try our luck...
vote for a question folks....ask your friends also to vote..
does not hurt to try our luck...
more...
swo
07-21 04:15 AM
I am moving July 25th,07 from New York to Phoenix.
Which address I should to give attorney to File AOS.
She plan to file before July 31st,07.
But so far we didn't found Apartment in Phoenix.
Thanks in Advance.
You better check to see if you are invalidating your entire petition.
You may get denied if they determine that the job you are taking is not where you originally stated. I say this because, if you haven't even filed for AoS then you clearly can't be using AC21 portability at this stage.
Which address I should to give attorney to File AOS.
She plan to file before July 31st,07.
But so far we didn't found Apartment in Phoenix.
Thanks in Advance.
You better check to see if you are invalidating your entire petition.
You may get denied if they determine that the job you are taking is not where you originally stated. I say this because, if you haven't even filed for AoS then you clearly can't be using AC21 portability at this stage.
2010 e kansas is of thrive creative
senthil
02-06 05:20 PM
all your points look ok to me. although it may differ for different prople.
in my case - i have an EAD. but cant use it. i had to stay on H1B to make my spouse's stay valid which is H4. i see the following as a comparision. guys pl feel free to throw ur inputs.
EAD
- ability to switch jobs as nessary - you decide
- AP to easy your life when you want to fly out and come back
( no hassle stamping tention etc, but comes with yearly price )
- of couse the important thing is your spouse can work
- need to stick with same designation
H1B:
- no hassles if you are within 6 year period. everything starts when its about to expire and you jump into GC train
[ you have to jump if you decide to stay more than 6 years. no option here, i guess ]
- same as EAD jumping jobs is easy, also can climb up the ladder
- if above 6 year limit and I-140 not approved, you get only yearly exentions
thanks.
in my case - i have an EAD. but cant use it. i had to stay on H1B to make my spouse's stay valid which is H4. i see the following as a comparision. guys pl feel free to throw ur inputs.
EAD
- ability to switch jobs as nessary - you decide
- AP to easy your life when you want to fly out and come back
( no hassle stamping tention etc, but comes with yearly price )
- of couse the important thing is your spouse can work
- need to stick with same designation
H1B:
- no hassles if you are within 6 year period. everything starts when its about to expire and you jump into GC train
[ you have to jump if you decide to stay more than 6 years. no option here, i guess ]
- same as EAD jumping jobs is easy, also can climb up the ladder
- if above 6 year limit and I-140 not approved, you get only yearly exentions
thanks.
more...
abhijitp
11-14 09:19 PM
Some folks are disappointed with the latest bulletin? Well, what else were you expecting?
And why should you care? One of IV's goals is to abolish retrogression and take away all the glamor associated with priority dates and visa bulletins! So, wake up if you haven't already... join your state chapter, and become an active member!
And why should you care? One of IV's goals is to abolish retrogression and take away all the glamor associated with priority dates and visa bulletins! So, wake up if you haven't already... join your state chapter, and become an active member!
hair KC Star (Newspaper) Building.
koppula09
01-04 12:51 PM
Hi,
I have a serious problem and I am not sure what would be the solution. My wife came on H4 in 2001 and we applied for H1B and we got an approval which was valid until Oct 2006. But, in Mar 2006, due to some personal reasons we applied for COS from H1B to H4 and we got H4 approval which was valid until Aug 27, 2006. Before the expiry of H4 status in August 2006, we decided to apply for H1B and since her H1B was valid until Oct 2006, our attorney applied for H1B under I-539 and they didn't apply for H4 extension simultaneously. Meanwhile, while the H1B was in process, we applied for premium processing later which added few problems. We got an RFE on this case and our attorney answered it by sending appropriate docs but again we got a second RFE which is not answered yet.
Right now she is out of status and also, what will happen if her H1 is rejected and is it possible to apply for H4 right now, since it was expired in Aug 2006. If her H1 is rejected, can we apply for H4 even though her H4 was expired few months back or she has leave the country. Please help us out.
Thanks & Regards,
-- Venkat
I have a serious problem and I am not sure what would be the solution. My wife came on H4 in 2001 and we applied for H1B and we got an approval which was valid until Oct 2006. But, in Mar 2006, due to some personal reasons we applied for COS from H1B to H4 and we got H4 approval which was valid until Aug 27, 2006. Before the expiry of H4 status in August 2006, we decided to apply for H1B and since her H1B was valid until Oct 2006, our attorney applied for H1B under I-539 and they didn't apply for H4 extension simultaneously. Meanwhile, while the H1B was in process, we applied for premium processing later which added few problems. We got an RFE on this case and our attorney answered it by sending appropriate docs but again we got a second RFE which is not answered yet.
Right now she is out of status and also, what will happen if her H1 is rejected and is it possible to apply for H4 right now, since it was expired in Aug 2006. If her H1 is rejected, can we apply for H4 even though her H4 was expired few months back or she has leave the country. Please help us out.
Thanks & Regards,
-- Venkat
more...
mirage
04-08 03:01 PM
For EB3 India 7% of 85,030 = 5903. And still Dates are stuck in 2001. I don't know what it take to move it to beyond 2002-2003 ?
I'm afraid if there are 100K EB3 in 2001-2004. Why doesn't USCIS come up with such statistics..
I'm afraid if there are 100K EB3 in 2001-2004. Why doesn't USCIS come up with such statistics..
hot Kansas City, MO 64108
imneedy
05-22 05:21 PM
Now if we can transfer our priority date from old system we would definitely get some benefit in the new system. Any comments ?
Let's hope :o
Let's hope :o
more...
house wife Kansas City Star
mnq1979
05-21 12:36 PM
well i have not used AC21, jsut changed the employer, so you mean to say i have to send the letter from the employer who originally sponsered me? right?
tattoo and the Kansas City Star
gcformeornot
12-31 12:39 PM
Friends,
We applied for 485 on July23rd. Still no FP notices have received. Lawyer says waiting is only option...
Please vote on your FP Notices status......
We applied for 485 on July23rd. Still no FP notices have received. Lawyer says waiting is only option...
Please vote on your FP Notices status......
more...
pictures shape Kansas City Star
newbee7
07-05 01:00 AM
Although USCIS stated in its 2006 Annual Report Response (at p. 8) that it provides detailed data to DOS, the tri-agency group identified gaps in USCIS’ data. Through these discussions, the Ombudsman learned that accounting and processing methods differ at the Nebraska and Texas Service Centers (where USCIS processes employment-based petitions).
dresses at The Kansas City Star.
sts_seeker
05-14 06:30 PM
I AM ALSO victim of same situation. I got my RFE and replied already but wife's RFE hasn't been received and its been more than 3 weeks. My atty called, sent letters and I also called but no letter yet. Don't know why this same pattern happening?
more...
makeup -Kansas City Star
Sakthisagar
04-28 10:05 AM
I agree US having fair consideration for illegals because of political reasons(VOTES to be specific)
but the author comparing India & Mexico having strict rules.. common...
India have borders open for Bangladesh and whoever crosses the border, with out any shame
the present ruling party kaangress is giving Ration Card and Voters Id.
Mexico we all know how tuff the law is and what they do.
So Please do not compare apples with oranges.. whoever is the author.
Now Texas, Utah, the list goes on, Hope at least because of this CIR will come to the floor soon!
here there is no legals and illegals now, no one should be allowed to do divide and rule policy.
now Legal and Illegals are almost the same on immigration thing at least.
Hispanics made us hostage so go with the flow.
but the author comparing India & Mexico having strict rules.. common...
India have borders open for Bangladesh and whoever crosses the border, with out any shame
the present ruling party kaangress is giving Ration Card and Voters Id.
Mexico we all know how tuff the law is and what they do.
So Please do not compare apples with oranges.. whoever is the author.
Now Texas, Utah, the list goes on, Hope at least because of this CIR will come to the floor soon!
here there is no legals and illegals now, no one should be allowed to do divide and rule policy.
now Legal and Illegals are almost the same on immigration thing at least.
Hispanics made us hostage so go with the flow.
girlfriend (KC Star)
ashutrip
06-04 11:19 AM
The one you are seeing is being replaced one section at a time..So I assume its incomplete.
when is the voting on this bill?
when is the voting on this bill?
hairstyles Kansas City MO; Category: Art
ThackeG67
08-08 08:20 PM
Hi I'm a newbie here and just want to know where can I find the forum rules to avoid posting errors. Thanks
amitkhare77
09-11 05:13 PM
you are right, this is still true. they write the counslate name which you attended last time for your F1 VISA interview. you can change that but again it takes time and money
In my case, my I-797 approval document itself specified which consulate I had to go to, which was Mumbai. In such a case, this consulate is notified of your H1B approval and you cannot go elsewhere for stamping. Of course, this was 8 years ago so things might have changed.
In my case, my I-797 approval document itself specified which consulate I had to go to, which was Mumbai. In such a case, this consulate is notified of your H1B approval and you cannot go elsewhere for stamping. Of course, this was 8 years ago so things might have changed.
gunsnkars
10-17 12:10 PM
Contract - Corp-to-Corp - Slave
Contract - W2 - Slave
Contract to Hire - Independent - Slave
Contract to Hire - Last but not the least "SLAVE"
"Any one with genuine answers"
Contract - W2 - Slave
Contract to Hire - Independent - Slave
Contract to Hire - Last but not the least "SLAVE"
"Any one with genuine answers"
