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Showing posts with label Immigration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Immigration. Show all posts

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Race, The Prince of Persia, CNN and Trevor

This Memorial Day week-end our youngest asked us to go see the Prince of Persia.  He loves the Prince of Persia Legos his father bought him (He says they look just like Indiana Jones)...

It was right about at that point in the conversation (when he was explaining how the Prince of Persia looked exactly the same as Indiana Jones) when I requested that we have a conversation about race since:

#1- The Prince of Persia is Persian.  
(Though in the movie the role is played by Jake Gyllenhaal who is a descendant of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family on his father's side and of a Jewish New York family on his mother's side.)
#2- It seems kind of strange that Indiana Jones and the Prince of Persia are interchangeable in Lego land since the Prince of Persia is from Persia and Indiana Jones is well, not.  
#3- Earlier in the month I had seen clips of CNN's study on race and what I had seen had shocked me.





Another clip from the study, "Why do you want that skin color?" 


Parts two and three of the study's findings continued here.

I have been in Trevor's life for the last three years.  Since I have been dating his father we have:

#1- talked about Thanksgiving and what happened with the Native Americans that were here before us; 
#2- talked about immigration and the DREAM Act and taken him and his brother to detention centers and immigration marches;
#3- talked about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Park;
#4- talked about the struggles that the Irish have gone through historically both in this country and in Great Britain.

So this week-end we talked about the Prince of Persia and CNN's video clips on race.  Trevor's response when he saw the clips?

"They don't know anything."

We asked him, "What don't they know anything about Trevor?"

His response, "They don't know anything about anything. All people are the same.  It doesn't matter what color they are on the outside."

We proceeded to have a great conversation about what this means for him in school as a young blond haired white male, as well as the child of a multi-racial family (his cousins are mixed, African-American fathers and a white mother as well as one cousin whose mother is Latina and whose father is white).  Moreover, I spoke to him about privilege and structural inequalities and  explained to him that if someday his father and I had a child that his brother or sister may look like me, much tanner than either he or his brother.  I am happy to report that little Trevor was quite engaged in the conversation, asked many questions, offered up his thoughts and overall his main concern seemed to be that we not have the child too soon, since right now he's our little baby.

I was thankful that we were able to have the talk that we did with our six year old, especially in light of the CNN study which says that children's views on race are informed by the conversations that they have/do not have with their parents.  Moreover, I was thankful that Rich has done such a phenomenal job raising the children the way that he has and I was thankful that I was there to be a part of the conversation with this brilliant little being as he continues to grow up.

For more on the importance of talking about race with children, regardless of their race, read this post from Modern Familia. 
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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Tweets from May 1st Marches

On May 1st people took to the streets again to peacefully demonstrate on behalf of immigration reform. I participated in the march in real life in DC as well as through the twitterverse.  Below is my twitter stream with selected tweets from the marches across the US.  I am also working on a piece for YES! that should be online in the coming days. 

  1. From Jefferson Memorial #MayDay #DC #Immigration marches#LATISM #p2 #USA #immigrant #Americahttp://tweetphoto.com/207028574:45 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  2. With family at the #Jefferson Memorial after #MayDay #Immigrationmarches #DC http://tweetphoto.com/207019604:38 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  3. Jefferson memorial "laws and institutions must go hand in hand w the progress of the human mind" #MayDay #DChttp://tweetphoto.com/207017304:36 PM May 1st via UberTwitter






  4. RT @RedRedGreen @KetyE Getting arrested as protest tool maybe strategically used in AZ 2fill jails 2excess capacity maybe daily #Latism 4:14 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  5. RT @RichMcCarson They begin dismantling stage as the #maydayrally in #DC winds down #immigration #Latism #p2http://tweetphoto.com/206949234:11 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  6. RT @RichMcCarson Ppl cheer as bus carrying arrested pulls away#DC #MayDay #immigration #Latism #solidarityhttp://tweetphoto.com/206912494:10 PM May 1st via UberTwitter










  7. RT @RichMcCarson Police on horse back in front of White House#immigration #Latism #solidarity #MayDay #p2http://tweetphoto.com/206898324:09 PM May 1st via UberTwitter




  8. RT @RichMcCarson: Chanting "Yes We Can!" and "Let my People Go!" #Latism #DC #immigration #solidarityhttp://tweetphoto.com/20689070 #MayDay4:08 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  9. RT @RichMcCarson RT @BreakingNews 1000s Berlin residents take 2street 2prev neo-Nazi march http://bit.ly/9dKShA #solidarity#LATISM #MayDay4:07 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  10. RT @RI4A: Marching in Minnesota! RT @xavierla: The #maydayrally for immigration reform reaches Whittier. http://bit.ly/dlNd3#LATISM3:55 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  11. RT @RI4A: We're marching in Iowa! RT @iowacci: CCI members posing at the Des Moines #mayday rally http://twitpic.com/1k2645#LATISM3:54 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  12. RT @XicanoPwr: #mayday #austin #ri4ahttp://tweetphoto.com/20694314 #Latism3:50 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  13. The crowd broke, the horses/police moved them back & the bus w the ppl arrested left #WhiteHouse #MayDay #Latism #p2 Rally winding down #DC3:24 PM May 1st via UberTwitter








  14. Folks in front of me ran scared "they r going 2 make the horses run us over" #DC #Whitehouse #MayDay #LATISM <-I asked Rich 2move the kids3:22 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  15. RT @RI4A:Police 2get aggressive,moving media off #whitehousesidewalk #mayday #dc #latismhttp://tweetphoto.com/206838013:16 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  16. Folks chant: The ppl united will never be defeated #MayDay El Pueblo Unido Jamas sera vencido http://tweetphoto.com/206901853:14 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  17. Folks are asking President Obama come out and "show his face"#Latism #MayDay http://tweetphoto.com/206889473:06 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  18. crowd says "Yes we can" chant of Obama campaign & farmworkers before him- Pres Obama are u listening? #LATISMhttp://tweetphoto.com/206885503:03 PM May 1st via UberTwitter











  19. RT @americasvoice: 1st of 40 arrested 'obama, stop deporting our families.' Very respectful but lots of booing #p2 #ri4a #mayday2:57 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  20. RT @RI4A: Ready for more numbers? 65,000 people marching in Milwaukee, WI today: http://bit.ly/bZPBL1 #mayday#youreadthatright #LATISM2:55 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  21. RT @silversunstop: An injustice to one is an injustice to all. Any law that does not recogz hmn dignity is unjust. #mayday #march#LATISM2:54 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  22. RT @neontommy: Just released dozens of white doves, who are now circling City Hall. #dtla #la #mayday #cir #ascj #LATISM2:53 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  23. RT @eileentruax Decenas de palomas blancas liberadas y vuelan sobre miles y miles de manifestantes q marchan por Broadway.#Mayday #LATISM2:53 PM May 1st via UberTwitter



  24. RT @JessLMorales: @barackobama ! Obama escucha, estamos en la lucha! #mayday #immigration #p2 #myheartiswithyou#LATISM2:51 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  25. RT @neontommy: Cardinal Mahony, as he looks out at the enormous crowd by City Hall: "I see America." #dtla #mayday #la#cir #ascj #LATISM2:47 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  26. RT @dannyoso Thousands of ppl protesting outside white house. Obama, the time to act is now #maydayhttp://tweetphoto.com/20685560 #LATISM2:46 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  27. RT @kendra217: SF march takin off. #MayDayhttp://tweetphoto.com/20685175 #LATISM2:41 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  28. RT @lorikodama (yes!) deeper meaning of #mayday solidarity across national lines, class lines, gender. #philly #m4a /via @sookyung #LATISM2:41 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  29. RT @willcoley #LA mayor @Villaraigosa Laws like the one in Arizona have no place in America! http://tweetphoto.com/20684878#mayday #latism2:40 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  30. RT @neontommy Speaker told protestors-fill out census forms "to show we are part of the fabric of this country." #dtla #mayday #asc#LATISM2:35 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  31. RT @qitah: Too many ppl at Union Park, so we've got to move! Ready take over Chicago! WHOSE STREETS? OUR STREETS!#mayday #LATISM2:33 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  32. RT @trunksy Villaragosa on podium - "For 200 yrs, we have been a nation of immigrants with dreams" #mayday #immigration#losangeles #LATISM2:33 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  33. RT @flormz: Villaraigosa speaking to over 250,000 in downtown LA#mayday http://twitgoo.com/u4vah #LATISM2:31 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  34. RT @NestoRivera: RT @DreamAct Getting arrested? #mayday#lineup http://twitpic.com/1k1jle #LATISM2:30 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  35. RT @pilarmarrero LA Police est 80000 organizer est 250000-truth-somewhere in the middle. Maybe 150,000? always in the middle#mayday #LATISM2:28 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  36. RT @lpecikonis: Sit in a the white house! Dream walkers & friends unite! @ri4a #mayday http://yfrog.com/494n6j #LATISM #p22:26 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  37. RT @RI4A RT @americasvoice This is intense, ppl at wh 2 get arrested, ppl across st chanting-obama listen we r fighting #mayday#p2 #latism2:25 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  38. RT @instantkarmaiu: Rev. Abraham Funchess speaks in support of reform #mayday Des Moines http://twitpic.com/1k1hq6 #LATISM2:24 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  39. RT @kendra217: "Deportations are up 30% under Obama." - ISO rep #MayDay #LATISM2:23 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  40. RT @sophievodka #SB1070 doesn't just hurt Hispanics, hurts ALL ppl of color!We shd stand in solidarity w/ Hispanic bros/sis#MAYDAY #LATISM2:22 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  41. RT @eileentruax: Aztec dancers in front of the City Hall during#Mayday march in Los Angeles. #LATISMhttp://tweetphoto.com/206815272:21 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  42. RT @ThinkMexican: All the way from PA - My Dreams are not illegal!! #dreamact #mayday http://twitpic.com/1k15bm (via @DreamAct) #LATISM2:20 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  43. RT @CyberMixtape @DreamAct #mayday march in #LA! @DTLA_CA #dreamact #immigrationhttp://tweetphoto.com/20672340 via @LizbethMateo #LATISM2:17 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  44. RT @JakeM: Yes, there's a huge pot of tamales just in case you were wondering. #mayday #pdx <- Nice #LATISM2:16 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  45. RT @justinberton: signage #mayday march SF Corner 24th/Mission http://tweetphoto.com/20681033 #LATISM2:15 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  46. RT @CassandriaLC: @KetyE CAUSA OREGON ROCKS! #mayday#LATISM #immigration #p22:14 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  47. RT @RussellBannan: 1000s of people rallying in Denver for#immigration reform. #mayday #ir4a http://yfrog.com/9e46tj#LATISM #p22:13 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  48. RT @barbiesnow @icirr Never to young 2 stand up 4 ur rights. @verocastro Starting them young! #MayDay #RI4Ahttp://yfrog.com/g46e7oj #LATISM2:12 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  49. RT @iyjl "I no longer blame myself.. I blame the immigration system that made me a criminal before I could walk" #mayday #DreamACT#LATISM2:11 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  50. RT @AAPIP RT @jaeun2 There is energetic chanting mixed with Korean, African drumming here at #mayday march in foley square#m4a #LATISM #p22:09 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  51. RT @brodifaabs @willcoley "Don't imprison us! We just want 2go 2school! http://tweetphoto.com/20679941 #dwn #LA #mayday#dreamact #LATISM2:08 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  52. RT @CAUSAOregon: Several hundred marching for reform in Salem #mayday http://twitpic.com/1k17wy #LATISM #immigration#p22:01 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  53. RT @nakasec RT @americasvoice Adorable 11 yr old talking about families getting torn apart. We want Obama 2 keep his promise #mayday #LATISM2:00 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  54. RT @joaquinhguerra: @seiu exec vice president Eliseo medina speaking now in #NYC #mayday http://tweetphoto.com/20668012#LATISM #p21:59 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  55. RT @YCarrillo4: "we too shall act with civil disobedience." - Rep Gutierrez #mayday #dc http://tweetphoto.com/20678258 #LATISM1:58 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  56. RT @willcoley Must be LOTS ppl here bc have 2 inch along w half steps. http://tweetphoto.com/20672880 #LosAngeles #mayday #p2#LATISM1:57 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  57. RT @DreamAct: Hanging out with @lamarichola and @nysylc !#mayday #dreamact http://twitpic.com/1k19ko #LATISM1:56 PM May 1st via UberTwitter





  58. RT @americasvoice Another kid-Jaime speaking: if my family gets separated, im going to have 2 choose btwn mom and dad :(#mayday #p2 #ri4a1:54 PM May 1st via UberTwitter

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