RISE

A New Landscape

Dear supporters,

It has been over 3 months since the completion of the historic Fast for Our Future and the election of Barack Obama. The new political landscape for our struggle for immigrant rights is becoming clear. There are signs of hope and reasons for renewed concern.

On the plus side, Congresswoman Hilda Solis, a staunch supporter of immigrant rights who attended the Fast in Los Angeles, has been appointed Secretary of Labor. However, Obama's choice to head the Department of Homeland Security, Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona, is an advocate of strict enforcement of our broken immigration laws. Further, ICE raids agents raided a plant in Washington this past Tuesday (the first raid of Obama's presidency) and it appears the administration may postpone just immigration reform to a possible secondterm. It is clear that without sustained pressure from our movement, the promise of change we helped create will not be realized for years to come.

One week from today we will deliver to the White House the thousands of petitions demanding an immediate moratorium on ICE raids until just and humane immigration reform is passed and implemented. We need to get every possible signature before then - if you haven't already, please sign the petition today and forward this email to your friends and family.

Beyond this, our movement will have to continue on the path of militant nonviolent direct action exemplified in the Fast to create a moral and political imperative for urgent immigration reform. But to carry forward with this vision we need your help. We are still raising money to pay off expenses of the Fast and any future work will require major new financial support. Please donate today to support nonviolent action for immigrant rights.

Thank you so much.

La lucha sigue! The fight continues...

The Rise team

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12:00 AM Feb 27, 2009 - 0 comments permalink

Petition to President-elect Obama for a Moratorium on ICE Raids

President-elect Obama, we congratulate you on your historic victory, and we celebrate this moment with great hope that under your leadership we will finally be able to achieve a humane, inclusive immigration policy that unites families and offers a path toward citizenship for the undocumented. Fundamental reform of our broken immigration system is an urgent national priority. The first step, that you can take through executive order, is to immediately end all Immigration & Customs Enforcement raids.

The enforcement of the unjust laws of our broken immigration system is tearing our country apart. The workplace and neighborhood raids by squads of ski-masked ICE agents armed with automatic weapons are the most brutal and outrageous part of this enforcement. They tear our families apart. They terrorize our communities. And they routinely violate the civil and constitutional rights that define our nation.

The ICE raids must end now! President-elect Obama, Latino and immigrant voters responded to the promise of change you made to our nation and voted for you by huge margins and in record numbers. We call on you to uphold that promise and honor our support by declaring an immediate and unconditional moratorium on ICE raids until just and human immigration reform is passed and implemented.

Click here to sign the petition.

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12:00 AM Nov 05, 2008 - 3 comments permalink

On Our 19th Day Without Food, An Urgent Plea for Help

Dear Friends and Supporters,

On the 19th day of this historic Fast, we are writing because

we urgently need your help.

Just two days before the November 4th election, we are amazed by the response of people all over the country to the Fast. Almost 300 people have fasted and joined the encampment in Los Angeles and a dozen courageous people haven't eaten anything since October 15th. Solidarity fasts are popping up from Santa Cruz, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and Lansing, MI to Cincinatti, OH, Washington, DC, and Miami, FL. The Fast has been covered extensively in local, national, and even international Spanish- and English-language media from Telemundo to CNN (check out the embedded video - we even came out good on Lou Dobbs!) Thousands of people are signing the Pledge across the country and election observers are expecting a record turnout among Latino, immigrant, and progressive voters on Tuesday.

All of this, and everything we do between now and when the polls close on Tuesday and we break the Fast on Wednesday has been and will be possible because of you and your support. Now, we

desperately need your financial support.

The Fast and encampment have cost well over $20,000. Medical monitoring and equipment for fasters, port-o-potties, printing, extension chords and duct tape, sanitation supplies, website infrastructure, minimal expenses for full-time organizers, wheel-chairs for fasters - even with an ethic of simplicity and a commitment to efficiency, there are so many things that have been essential to this historic campaign. Even with doctors volunteering to help monitor fasters, blood tests alone have cost over $2500. We are a grassroots, volunteer-driven operation, funded by the donations of supporters like you. Currently, we have raised less than 25% of the costs of the Fast and encampment. We need your help urgently.

Please donate today and ask your friends and family to do the same.

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12:00 AM Nov 02, 2008 - 0 comments permalink

Day 16. A Message from Dolores Huerta

Dear Supporters and Friends of the Fast for Our Future,

In less than a week, our country will hold the most important election of my lifetime. At this time of crisis for our community and our country, it is so important that we all - Latinos, immigrants, and people of conscience - vote to send an unmistakable message that our broken immigration system must be fixed without delay.

When I first visited the Fast for Our Future encampment at Placita Olvera in Los Angeles last Tuesday, I was so moved by the sacrifice and commitment of the people who had been fasting for 7 days, especially the young people. I felt I had to do whatever I could to support them and make their sacrifice as powerful as possible. I know from Cesar's fasts how deep a sacrifice they are making.

So, I returned tonight to support the fasters and call on people to sign the Pledge to vote for immigrant rights at www.fastforourfuture.com. It's time to uphold the promise we all made in the marches of 2006, it's time for us all to march together into the voting booths and give hope to our millions of undocumented brothers and sisters.

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12:00 AM Oct 30, 2008 - 0 comments permalink

Day 14. Meet Adriana

Hi.

My name is Adriana.

I'm writing to you from the Fast for Our Future encampment at Placita Olvera in Los Angeles. I've been fasting on water for 14 days. I want to tell you a little bit about myself and urge you to do everything you can to make sure that everyone you know signs the Pledge to vote for immigrant rights at www.fastforourfuture.com.

I'm a 19-year-old photojournalism major at Santa Monica College. I have 2 jobs, as a waitress and as a photo assistant. One of my favorite things to do in the whole world is eat homemade nachos while watching the original Planet of the Apes. One of the greatest movies ever made...

I decided to join the Fast as soon as I heard about it because of people like my parents. They came here from Mexico in the 70s without papers and started over from scratch. I never had a birthday party because they were always working to give my brother and I a better life. Somehow, after another long, hard day at work, my dad usually still had the energy to read me a bedtime story. I'm fasting because no child should have to grow up without their parents, and the enforcement of our unjust immigration laws is tearing mothers and fathers away from so many children. This can't go on... please help us by signing the Pledge and sending it to everyone you know right now.

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12:00 AM Oct 28, 2008 - 0 comments permalink

Day 12. "The Fast for our Future" - Jason De La Paz

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12:00 AM Oct 28, 2008 - 0 comments permalink

Day 12. South Central Farm comes to the encampent

Sunday, October 27th

Tonight we had the good fortune to host a screening of the documentary film by Scott Kennedy, The Garden, which shows pieces of the story of the South Central Farm, a collective of over 350 farm families who grew a community garden on an otherwise barren piece of downtown Los Angeles.

For many Angelenos the story of the South Central Farm is nothing new, we saw how the farmers were ultimately ousted from the land they worked for many years, a land that had become a sacred community space. As politicians turned their back on the South farmers, they continue the struggle and do not give up. Four members of the South Central Farm family joined us for the viewing and for discussion afterward. We talked about the connections between struggles and explored two ways to fight oppression: money and bodies. Both the SCF and RISE encampments are examples of people who are willing to use their bodies to occupy, to resist exploitation, dehumanization and greed and to assert right thinking and moral principles through their actions of nonviolence.

At the end of the evening, we asked if we could arrange to use fresh, organic produce grown on the SCF's current plot of land near Bakersfield to break the RISE fast in solidarity.

The event was a success but do not forget to continue your support

Sign the Pledge and tell your friends

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12:00 AM Oct 26, 2008 - 0 comments permalink

Day 11. Student Summit Day

On Saturday, October 24th over 75 students gathered at the Placita Olvera to join the hunger strikers in solidarity via the fast or to begin a dialogue to discuss the situation of the immigration crisis. Students came from CSUN, UCLA, APU, LMU, Occidental, ELAC, LACC, SMC, UC Santa Cruz, Cal State LA, CSULB, and CSUDH.

During the first gathering, we discussed the Fast For Our Future campaign and were accompanied by 3 day faster Maria Elena Durazo, Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. Maria Elena discussed her experiences within the Immigrants Rights Movement alluding to her past experiences in organizing as a community leader and as a union leader for the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. She described that fight as a long one that began in the 70s and lasted a decade to achieve the limited reform that they accomplished. Encouraging students to learn organizing skills she cited this as an incredible asset to our communities that would help us accomplish anything that we set forth. Particularly, she encouraged us to bring our youthful energy and our academic analysis to the table and to reframe debate. Immigrants are not only workers, a source of cheap labor oppressed by the system, but we are human beings striving to fulfill the American Dream.

Students came together to assist in beautifying the encampment for the fasters by making posters, stencils, and helping with starting the altar for Day of the Dead. Ya Tu Sabe Entertainment brought the musical talents of reggaeton artists such as Sammy Cultura, Kevin K, FinoBoy, Felony, La Verdad, and a ladies dance troupe.

The second discussion was focused on Youth, Nonviolence, and the next steps of the Immigrant Rights Movement. While some technical and natural difficulties set back our outdoor viewing of "A Force More Powerful," we began to carry out a discussion around what was nonviolence and how it fit into mobilizing within the immigrants rights movement. After seeing "A Force More Powerful" we were able to see how the students during the Civil Rights Movement utilized the sit-ins as a nonviolent tactic to highlight the moral crisis of that time. We concluded that as students we can do our part to educate the community around what we could do in order to protect out communities while at the same time pushing forward to humane immigration legislation.

After hearing the testimonies of other student fasters, community leaders, and community members fasting, students were able to experience the encampment and have a deeper understanding of how the issue of immigration is affecting us at a personal level. We left inspired to go back to our communities, schools, and homes to tell them about what they can do to make the much needed change. We are not only calling people to vote during this historic election--we are calling on people to vote with a conscience. Immigrant rights are human rights.

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12:00 AM Oct 25, 2008 - 0 comments permalink

Day 10. Meet Raul Añorve

Today its my 10th day of the hunger strike. I think of sacrifice, I think about the millions of people who go without eating and have no option. I have an option.

I think of Cesar Chavez and how he was able to endure 24 days without eating and I think about Ghandi and his 21 days.

Now that my 10th day has began, my body is weak but not my spirit of struggle. The unconditional love to my immigrant people sustains me as a a thick and big tree that is deeply entrenched in the soil, this soil that is of those who work it.

I think about my abuelos and my parents who suffer discrimination and who gave me life. And through me, it's given to my children and my grandchildren, the future.

During these stormy times where a pair of brand shoes are worth more than the life of a child, I dream of the immigrant people's freedom who dream of seeing their families and their country of origin. Their struggle is our struggle and if they do not become free of the yoke that has them under the shadow of the maquilas, no other group can be free.

These dreams are the ones that water my roots.

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12:00 AM Oct 24, 2008 - 0 comments permalink

Day 9. La Lucha Sigue

Hello supporters,

This morning has been very inspiring! We began the day with a blessing from el Tata of Semillas del Pueblo. He blessed our tents and we started a ceremony by saluting our four directions as well as receiving the blessing from our ancestors.

As the morning progressed we had our meeting where we discussed our daily activities and plans for the week which we will let you know later.

But today was a day full of hope because we had an extremely important visit. IDEPSCA's Aprendamos' children visited the encampment this morning to not only experience what was going on at the camp but to be reporters and document this historic moment. The children came equipped with video cameras, photo cameras and microphones to record the experiences of the fasters and to thank them for their sacrifice. They even sang songs and rejoiced with the songs that Samuel and Alex sang for them.

Moments like this are the ones that keep this encampment going, the Aprendamos' children are seeds of hope and the future of this movement.

Remember to be ONE OF THE MILLION TO SING THE PLEDGE!! SIGN THE PLEDGE AND SPREAD THE WORD!

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12:00 AM Oct 23, 2008 - 0 comments permalink

Day 9. Las Cafeteras

Although it was dark Las Cafeteras - A son Jarocho student group from Los Angeles visited the camp and sang for all the fasters. Enjoy the music as much as we did!

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12:00 AM Oct 23, 2008 - 0 comments permalink

Day 8.

Hello Friends,

Today the Fast For Our Future began its 8th day. Strength and inspiration runs through the spirit of the fasters and love and support runs throughout the air.

We woke up today to the sound of a Tibetan bowl being sounded. Raul, one of our camp elders, a long-time organizer in the community and someone who is a veteran of many fasts, walked slowly through the tents striking the tone. We start each day with a camp meeting where we check in and look at the day's doings and volunteer to do certain daily tasks, such as staff the reception and registration table, do data entry of the Fast For Our Future pledge forms and coordinate shower shuttles so camp huelgistas can clean up. Our meetings take place in a shaded corner of the placita and are facilitated by volunteers, fasting and non-fasting, who live in the camp.

The fasters still need your support!

Help us spread the word: Be one of 1,000,000 to pledge to vote and take action for immigrant rights!

http://www.therisemovement.org/

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12:00 AM Oct 22, 2008 - 0 comments permalink