1959 Highlander Way · New Market,
TN 37820 · phone: (865) 933-3443 · fax: (865) 933-3424
e-mail: hrec@highlandercenter.org
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1959 Highlander Way · New Market,
TN 37820 · phone: (865) 933-3443 · fax: (865) 933-3424 |
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Grassroots Action for Global ChangeSecuring Immigrant RightsOrganizations | Videos
In the last 15 years, there has been a remarkable increase of immigration to Appalachia and the Southern U.S., particularly from Mexico. It is important for us to understand that the force driving immigration is almost always an economic force, and that the international economic policies driven by our country have direct impacts on the abilities of workers in Mexico and elsewhere to remain in the communities their families have often known as “home” for generations. Leaving one’s home country can mean separation from a spouse and children, mothers and fathers, and other family members and friends in order to earn money working in precarious work situations.  Many of the economic policies the U.S. promotes abroad are exacerbating the level of migration and immigration in the world. When countries are forced to prioritize debt payments to Wall Street above their own social spending, those with the fewest resources lose access to health care, education and housing – often moving from rural communities to urban areas or to foreign countries in efforts to survive or gain access to critical resources. Large scale agricultural production often destroy market access for small farmers, leaving them to look for factory jobs or other work in rural areas or to make the risky trek across international borders to find work. Despite these circumstances, and often due to lack of understanding or outright racism, immigrants are regularly met with hostility when they come to Appalachian communities. This results in social discomfort, violence, unjust working conditions and the development of negative views of Appalachia and the U.S. Yet, immigrant organizing is continuously left out of global justice organizing strategies. Immigration and immigrant exploitation is not a new phenomenon in Appalachia. People have come to Appalachia from all over the world – many arriving during the wicked era of slave trade that was the backbone of economic development in this region for many years. Although immigrants continue to come to Appalachia from all over the world for a variety of reasons, most immigration is coming from Mexico. The U.S. has a close relationship to Mexico geographically, culturally, politically and economically. Our relationship with Mexico, particularly after the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, has contributed to the realities below. In the last 15 years, Mexico has seen:
The opening of free trade with new parts of the world has caused companies to slow investment in Mexico and begin moving production from Mexico to other countries, especially to China, where average wages are even lower than the wages received by Mexican workers. In addition, the need for low-wage workers has encouraged many U.S. employers to increase hiring of Mexican and other immigrant labor. Many workers do not have legal immigration status here, so employers may take advantage of under-the-table work arrangements to pay below minimum wage and ignore health, safety and other provisions. Many immigrant communities are organizing to help improve their conditions and to fight anti-immigrant strategies. In addition, many groups in the United States see the need to build understanding and bridges between immigrant and non-immigrant low wage workers – between Latinos, African Americans and poor whites, in order to circumvent the anti-immigrant and racist forces that have been exacerbated by September 11 and declining economic conditions. This section contains resources to support organizing for immigrant rights and cross-cultural community organizing. OrganizationsFarmworker OrganizationsCoalition for Immokalee Workers The Coalition for Immokalee workers is currently working to raise the wages of tomato pickers, many of whom are immigrants. After years of dogged determination, hunger strikes, organizing, and networking, CIW won a 2004 agreement with Taco Bell that provides additional wages and support to tomato pickers working for Taco Bell suppliers. CIW is also working to address the growing issue of slavery conditions faced by immigrant workers in the Florida fields. An article about these conditions, Modern Day Slavery: A Palm Beach Post Special Report, is available at: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/moderndayslavery Farm Labor Organizing Committee FLOC has worked for years to organize migrant farm workers for better conditions. After five years of public action boycotts, FLOC has reached a precedent-setting agreement with the North Carolina Grower's Association and the Mount Olive Pickle Company. The agreement will cover over 8,000 “guest” farm workers in North Carolina. These workers, primarily from Mexico, are brought to North Carolina to work temporarily on farms across the state. The Farmworker Association of Florida, Inc. FWAF is “a membership organization of over 6,330 farm worker families from predominately Mexican, Haitian, Afro-American, Guatemalan and Salvadoran communities, which was begun in 1983 and incorporated in May, 1986. The goal is to build a strong multi-racial economically viable organization of farm workers in Florida empowering farm workers to respond to and gain control over the social, political, economic, and workplace issues that affect their lives.” Farmworkers Self-Help Farmworkers Self-Help is a multi-purpose organization that works with orange grove workers in a low-income rural town. FSH works on youth leadership, health education, and the provision of needed community services. Regional OrganizationsCoalicion de Organizaciones Latina-Americanas COLA is “a collaborative of around 25 Latino-led organizations across a 20-county region. COLA's mission is "to promote the well-being and integration of Latino communities through the support of Latino grassroots groups." COLA grew out of the organizing efforts of the Center for Participatory Change, an organization that supports grassroots organizing in Western North Carolina. During 2001 and 2002, CPC started supporting emerging small Latino-led organizations across their region, which launched into this network. El Centro Hispano El Centro Hispano began in Durham, North Carolina in the early 1990’s, organizing and providing language and other helpful education resources for the new Latino immigrants there. El Centro has been a model for many other community-based centers in Appalachia. El Centro has developed a successful credit union, allowing immigrants to obtain bank accounts, loans and financial education. Mujeres Unidas y Activas Mujeres Unidas y Activas, United and Active Women, is a program of the Northern California Coalition for Immigrant Rights. MUA works to defend the rights of immigrants and Latina refugees in San Francisco. Components of MUA’s program include education about immigrant rights, health, women’s rights and challenging traditional gender roles. MUA has a great publication that documents the development of the organization. The document, “Taking Flight, Comenzando a Volar, Latina Immigrant Women Organizing for a Better Future: A History of Mujeres Unidas y Activas” by Julia Teresa Quiroz, May 2000, is available in English and Spanish. Southeast Regional Economic Justice Network REJN works with 60 economic justice organizations across the southern United States to build relationships and coalitions amongst people of different races in the Southeast and with groups across the world. REJN works to build relationships between African Americans and Latinos in North Carolina. Excellent tip sheets on coalition building are available on the REJN website: http://www.rejn.org/. Southern Regional Council The mission of the Southern Regional Council is “to promote racial justice, protect democratic rights and broaden civic participation in the Southern United States.” Since its founding in 1919, SRC has engaged Southern communities on issues of democracy and race, working for many years on civil rights and voting issues relating to African American communities. Their Partnerships for Racial Unity program develops relationships amongst peoples of different races and nationalities. SRC has developed a collection of collaborative stories by African American and Latino communities, available at http://www.southerncouncil.org/partner/racenation.html. Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition This coalition began in 2001 out of allies who had been working to increase access to driver’s licenses for immigrants. Membership includes Latinos, Nigerians, Somalians, Iranians, Kurds, and Egyptians, joining together to address common issues for immigrants and refugees. National OrganizationsAmerican Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations The AFL-CIO changed their position around immigrant rights in 2001, in some ways reverting to the labor movement’s history of organizing amongst immigrants in its earlier years. They sponsored the Immigrant Workers Freedom Rides in fall of 2003, bringing immigrant workers and allies to communities across the nation in efforts to educate the nation and to build support for organizing for immigrant rights. American Friends Service Committee AFSC has many local immigrant rights projects around the country united in their Project Voice program. A list of these groups, along with links to other national and research groups working on immigration is available at http://www.afsc.org/immigrants-rights/programs.htm. National Coalition for Dignity and Amnesty for Undocumented Immigrants The National Coalition for Dignity and Amnesty for Undocumented Immigrants is an alliance amongst grassroots labor, religious and ethnic organizations struggling for the legalization of all undocumented immigrants. National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights NNIRR is made up of “local coalitions and immigrant, refugee, community, religious, civil rights and labor organizations and activists.” They “share information and analysis and develop plans of action on important issues relating to immigrants and refugees.” NNIRR’s Building a Race and Immigration Dialogue in the Global Economy project supports the work of community organizers and activists by “using popular education and community dialogue to discuss and tackle critical issues related to immigrant and refugee rights.” The BRIDGE toolkit, and their video, Uprooted in the Global Economy are available at http://www.nnirr.org/projects/projects_bridge.html. These tools are designed to help deal with the “rise in racist and anti-immigrant activities.” International OrganizationsEnlaces America With the goal of supporting the development of Latino immigrant-led organizations as national and regional leaders in the Americas, Enlaces America employs a variety of educational, capacity-building, and collaborative strategies. VideosLa Ciudad La Ciudad, The City, directed by David Riker, describes “present immigrant life in New York’s Latino Community. The film is comprised of four unforgettable stories: a group of day-laborers scavenge for bricks; teenagers meet at a party in the projects; a homeless father tries to enroll his daughter in school; and a garment worker seeks justice in the sweatshops.” Filmed in black and white, this film is a powerful way to in- crease understanding of the many difficulties faced by immigrants to this country. Additional stories, immigration fact sheets, quizzes and other tools for using this video are available at the Public Broadcasting Station website: http://www.pbs.org/itvs/thecity/. 88 min., in English and Spanish with English subtitles, 1999. Dialogues for an Inclusive Democracy This 7-1/2 minute video provides a rich cross-section of comments from African American and Latino leaders about the changing demographics of U.S. South in the face of recent increases in immigration. Southern activists share views about the need for alliance building across these two populations, as well as tensions and divisions to be overcome. This video conveys a number of ideas in a concise format and is a great tool for engaging groups in strategic conversations around coalition building across race and ethnicity in the Southern United States. Available in English and Spanish. $19.95, 7.5 min., 2002. Enchando Raices/Taking Root: Immigrant and Refugee Communities in California, Texas and Iowa Enchando Raices/Taking Root is a production of the American Friends Service Committee and community partners working on immigrant rights. Stories and reflections from immigrants and refugees are woven with scenes of immigrants in Fresno and Stockton, California, Houston, Texas, and Des Moines, Iowa. The video comes with a study guide containing useful information and ideas for organizing around immigrant rights. Available in English and Spanish. $20, 60 min., 2002. Long Journey Home Long Journey Home, directed by Elizabeth Barret, is a great video for new immigrants to the U.S. to watch. It details the ethnic diversity of Appalachia and chronicles both the migration of immigrants and African Americans into the growing coal camps and then the enormous migration out of the camps in the 1950’s as mechanization took coal mining jobs. “Long Journey Home is an important film for anyone contemplating the past and future of the American economy and the toll industrial capitalism takes on individuals, families, and communities.” 58 min., 1987. Morristown Video Letters: Stories from the Grassroots about Globalization Morristown Video Letters, directed by Ann Lewis, interviews workers in Tennessee, in Mexico, and on the U.S.-Mexican border as they discuss life, work, disappointment and hope. Common threads in these interviews include poverty, migration, insecurity, exploitation, and the need to organize, offering a working class critique of globalization. The video letters are meant to be used a few at a time to prompt discussion, popular education and organizing. $15, 60 min. Available in English and Spanish. 2000. The New Americans The New Americans follows “a diverse group of immigrants and refugees as they leave their home and families behind and learn what it means to be new Americans in the 21st century.” This film helps viewers understand what it is like to view the American dream through the eyes of today’s immigrants and refugees? From Nigeria, India, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, they come with different dreams: to achieve athletic glory or high-tech riches, to escape poverty and persecution, and to provide for their families. The series follows these newcomers from each of their homelands through their first years in America. You may request a companion book for this series by calling (800) 233-4830. 7 hrs. in 3 parts. The Sixth Section The Sixth Section “captures a dynamic form of cross-border organizing through the efforts of “Grupo Unión,” a small band of Mexican immigrants in upstate New York devoted to raising money to rebuild the town they left behind.” The PBS website listed above also has additional information, stories and links related to cross-border organizing. University, library & institution use: $175; community & grassroots use: $75; home use: $29.95. Add $10 shipping and handling, 2003. Uprooted: Refugees of the Global Economy Uprooted: Refugees of the Global Economy “is a compelling documentary about how the global economy has forced people to leave their home countries. UPROOTED presents three stories of immigrants who left their homes in Bolivia, Haiti, and the Philippines after global economic powers devastated their countries, only to face new challenges in the United States. These powerful stories raise critical questions about U.S. immigration policy in an era when corporations cross borders at will.” This video is useful for helping people understand some of the devastating reasons people are pushed to immigrate to the United States, as well as to learn about ways that immigrants are organizing for change. Other ResourcesAcross Races and Nations: Book and Resource Guide This book chronicles a four year project about the growing immigrant population, largely Latino, in the southern U.S. The book contains reports covering impacts and dynamics in local communities and ways groups are working to build coalitions and overcome obstacles. The resource guide contains fact sheets, workshops and resource lists to help provide tools for local communities and groups working on immigrant issues and trying to build coalitions across race and nationality with people in their own communities. Available in English and Spanish Versions! Applied Research Center The Applied Research Center is “a public policy, educational and research institute whose work emphasizes issues of race and social change.” Their website provides a number of useful resources, including: “Mapping the Immigrant Infrastructure,” a May 2002 article on immigrant and refugee organizing efforts in the U.S., available for $15 at http://www.arc.org/Merchant2/merchant.mv? BRIDGE: Building A Race and Immigration Dialogue in the Global Economy “BRIDGE is a tool for all organizers , community groups, educators, activists, advocates, and leaders-anyone committed to supporting the rights of immigrants, refugees, and the communities where we live. Who and what does this ‘bridge’ connect? This workbook contains tools for organizers working with immigrant communities to build alliances and find common ground for action with others fighting for economic, social, and racial justice, and to envision alternatives and resistance in these times of global exclusion, racism, and human rights abuses.” NNIR is setting up training for the BRIDGE curriculum. Dream Act The Dream Act is a piece of proposed legislation that would allow children in the U.S. whose parents don’t have documents to attend college by eliminating barriers such as payment of out-of-state tuition. La Jornada Sin Fronteras La Jornada Sin Fronteras is a web page designed for Mexican immigrants in the United States. It contains news from the U.S. and Mexico, information on immigration policy, and links to useful groups and resources. Many of these resources are available in English at the Americas Program website: http://www.americaspolicy.org/. Mexico-U.S. Migration and Labor Unions: This article, written by Julie Watts of California’s Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, “examines the historical, political and institutional obstacles to cross-border labor union solidarity on migration issues.” The article describes a 2003 petition aimed at the Mexican government, organized by the U.S.-based Farmworker Justice Fund and the Mexican-based Central Independiente de Obreros Agricolas y Campesinos. This petition, written in defense of Mexican migrant workers in the U.S. and targeting a North Carolina employer, was the first petition to be filed jointly by U.S. and Mexican organizations. Modern Day Slavery: A Palm Beach Post Special Report "For nine months, The Palm Beach Post explored the roots of modern-day slavery. Reporters and photographers traveled to destitute Mexican villages, crossed the desert with a smuggler, rode across the U.S. with illegal immigrants, found new claims of slavery, uncovered rampant Social Security fraud, and found that Florida's famous orange juice comes with hidden costs.” National Council for Occupational Safety and Health Education Materials NCOSH is “a federation of non-profit organizations around the United States that advocate for worker safety and health.” Their website “provides background on the COSH groups and links to their sites as well as a variety of resources on worker health and safety. The site focuses on practical tools for workers in using their rights under OSHA and resources for particular groups of vulnerable workers such as immigrant workers and youth. The site also contains a good set of links to comprehensive collections of occupational safety and health resources.” The NCOSH affiliate in North Carolina is active and has worked with immigrant and non-immigrant workers for many years. Southern Latino Directory The Southern Latino Directory, developed by the University of Memphis Center for Research on Women, is a recently compiled directory of groups in the southeast United States that work on issues affecting Latino immigrants. On the Center’s website you will also find “The New Latino South” and other reports relating to immigration and alliance building in the southern United States. |
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