Join us at our Summer Bash – A fundraiser for the NYSYLC!
Mark your calendars! The NYSYLC is hosting Summer Bash, a fundraiser party, on Saturday, August 14 at the Judson Memorial Church. Doors open at 7.30pm. Wanna show off your awesome skills on the dance floor? Register in our dance contest. Moreover, we will have great guest DJ's, a talent auction, food and drinks (21+ with ID).
Tickets are available in advance at $8 at http://bit.ly/ylcprom0, and $10 at the door. All proceeds will help fund YLC programs.
We hope to see you there! And don't forget to spread the word and bring friends!
- Your friends at the NYSYLC
From Gandhi to Chavez to Dreamers
Hunger striking for centuries has been a means to raise awareness about an injustice. Typically done at the doorstep of the offender, hunger striking has been used to shame the offender, get justice for a wrong, or communicate a message in a non-violent way. Today, immigrant youth in New York are hunger strike with all three purposes. A group of 12 young people are at the doorstep of Senator Schumer's office starving for their dreams and the dreams of thousands of undocumented youth. Today, day 8 of the hunger strike starts for the Starved4Dream strikers. Day 8.... day 8. Can you imagine going 8 days without ingesting any meals?
This is what Congress' inaction and a wide-known yet ignored reality have brought us to. Having a group of 12 youth starving for more than 8 days because the voices of undocumented youth have remained unheard. A reality that has kept thousands of undocumented young immigrants in the darkness, where no hope, plans or future can be made. A darkness that is unexpected because we, as American children, grew up believing that this country, our country, was the place of opportunities where all dreams could come true as long as you work hard. And that is what dreamers do. We work hard, give our best effort at school, graduate top of our class, are active members of our communities, have aspirations and dreams; yet the broken immigration law system and politicians' games keep deferring our lives as if they were bargaining chips.
Oppressed groups in history had to face the same reality. In 1930's, Mohandas Gandhi carried out several hunger strikes to improve the lives of the untouchables, end inter-religious violence and stop the British rule on India. In 1968 Cesar Chavez, the United Farm Workers Union founder, began a 25-day fast to draw attention to issues migrant workers faced, such as their fight for a decent wage and better labor conditions. Today, undocumented youth are hunger striking to demand Congress to take action and bring undocumented youth out of the shadows, where the obsolete immigration laws have kept them. Dreamers feel, act, think and are Americans; we need the laws - the DREAM Act - to realize our dreams, use our full potential and contribute to our country.
We are reliving history. In the 21st century, undocumented youth are fighting tirelessly for an opportunity to achieve their dreams. From Gandhi to Cesar Chavez to dreamers, this is the building of a new movement. This is the civil rights movement of our era. Pay attention Schumer! Just re-read your history textbooks and see what happened with Gandhi, Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King Jr. Hope you get the hint!
Hasta la victoria!
Three Dreamers Detained in AZ!
On the anniversary of landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education, Arizona law enforcement arrested three undocumented leaders of the immigrant student movement in addition to Arizona native Raul Alcaraz after staging a sit-in at Senator John McCain’s office. Lizbeth Mateo, 25, an organizer with DREAM Team Los Angeles, Mohammad Abdollahi, 24, co-founder of http://www.facebook.com/l/ecb0b;DreamActivist.Org, a resource web portal for undocumented students, and Yahaira Carrillo, 25, a founder of the Kansas Missouri Dream Alliance are risking deportation in hopes that this action will make a significant contribution to the fight for immigrant rights. In response to the onslaught of enforcement-based immigration law, they staged a sit-in at Senator McCain’s office, and urged congressional leadership to champion the DREAM Act and the values it represents: hard work, education, and fairness.
In response to the action of the youth in Arizona, the NYSYLC is calling an EMERGENCY MEETING for Wednesday, May 19th at 6:30PM. Please come to this meeting to plan what the NYSYLC will do in solidarity with the detained youth. We are planning to initiate a hunger strike on Monday, May 24th if Senator Schumer does not meet with us by the end of this week. Contact Jennifer@nysylc.org to get involved. More details will be discussed at the Emergency Meeting.
Also, join us this Saturday, May 22nd at our General Meeting at 11AM to continue planning~ Let's keep on, P'alante!
Trail of Dreams NY Stages Die-In in Sen. Schumer’s office
Our dreams and futures continue to be put on hold due to Congress's inaction. As a demonstration of our frustration and sense of urgency, the walkers of the Trail of Dreams NY and members of the NYSYLC held simultaneous die-ins in the DC and NY offices of Senator Schumer on April 30, 2010.
Wearing caps and gowns that represented our desire to get access to college, walking barefoot that represented the blisters and tiredness of our feet after walking 250+ miles from NYC to DC, and white paint and blood stains on our faces that represent the death of our dreams, we stormed into Senator Schumer's office to demand answers and action.
Our message to Congress: OUR YOUTH CAN'T WAIT ANYMORE. We need less talk and more action!
Our message to Youth: Don't be afraid! Organize and demand the change that we need. We are all united in this cause and we are here to support each other.
See the vid below:
Support the Trail of Dreams: Food Drive
There are other ways in which you can support the Trail of Dreams, particularly the 1st day of the walk-a-thon:
From "Papers" to "Nine Magic Numbers"
by @SoniaG
On a chilly October evening the Youth Leadership Coucil hosted the New York City premier of "Papers" the movie . Many students, parents, dreamers, and supporters arrived and filled up the LGBTQ Center(where the movie was being screened). The reaction to the movie was very clear, everyones faced illustrated an appreciation to a documentary that portrayed the undocumented situation in a "to the point" manner but also as a very humane issue.
Not only was there a connection to the movie , but people felt connected to each other on that night. And that is where my connection with Lindsay A. Lazarski occurred. She approached me with the opportunity to be part of her project ( project that in the future would be known as Nine Magic Numbers). Over a period of two months she played "paparazzi"; following me around the city, in my college, and at home. She went with me to events (open mics, Hip Hop shows, etc.) She interviewed me, interviewed my family and took photographs.
All this data and pictures that she was compiling about me was part of a multimedia project that shares the stories of undocumented youth in New York City and their experiences with higher education and the college process. This project is called Nine Magic Numbers .
***Nine Magic Numbers has been embraced by the community, by artist and TV shows in such a great manner:
On Wednesday ,January 7th, Lindsay A. Lazarski( and I where special guest at the Brain Lehrer Live Show ( on CUNY TV). It even received a special shout out on www.wesofresh.com and soon will be screened at an event hosted by Rebel Diaz.
Do your part. Check the website out : www.NineMagicNumbers.com and leave a comment.
Special thanks to writter, Producer, and Editer of Nine Magic Numbers:
Lindsay A. Lazarski
Multimedia Journalist
CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
lindsay.lazarski@journalism.cuny.edu
CALL NOW – New Jersey State Senate is Voting on In-state Tuition This Thursday!
Bill S1036 is up for a full Senate vote on Thursday, January 7th. The bill was approved in the Appropriations Committee of both the state Assembly and the Senate on Monday, January 4th. We are very close to a victory and we need each of you to take action!
Please call your State Senator between now and Thursday morning and ask them to support bill S 1036. Below are some talking points...
- In-State Tuition is critical for immigrant youth to access higher education.
- The report recently released by the State Legislative Affairs says providing resident tuition for undocumented high school graduates will not cost the State of NJ any money.
- In-State Tuition is not a public benefit, it’s a way for immigrant youth who have been in NJ for most of their lives to pay more affordable college tuition. They will have to have attended three years of high school in NJ.
- Educating our children and young people will be beneficial for the State of NJ and everyone.
It is crucial that we get this bill on Corzine's desk before he leaves office and it is URGENT that the Senators hear from everyone in support. We cannot wait 4 more years! Its up to us to make this happen.... CALL your Senator NOW!
To find who your state Senator is and phone number please follow this link:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp
Here's a list of the state Senators:
Senator Diane B. Allen Republican
District Office: 11 West Broad St., Burlington, NJ 08016 (609) 239-2800
Senator Bill Baroni Republican
District Office: 3691A Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690 (609) 631-9988
Senator Christopher Bateman Republican
District Office: 36 East Main St., Somerville, NJ 08876 (908) 526-3600
Senator James Beach Democrat
District Office: 1916 Route 70 East, Suite 3, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 (856) 489-3442
Senator Jennifer Beck Republican
District Office: 32 Monmouth St., 3rd Floor, Red Bank, NJ 07701 (732) 933-1591
Senator Anthony R. Bucco Republican
District Office: 75 Bloomfield Ave., Suite 302, 3rd Floor, Denville, NJ 07834 (973) 627-9700
Senator Barbara Buono Democrat
District Office: Two Lincoln Highway, Suite 401, Edison, NJ 08820 (732) 205-1372
Senator Gerald Cardinale Republican
District Office: 350 Madison Ave., Cresskill, NJ 07626 (201) 567-2324
Senator Andrew R. Ciesla Republican
District Office: 852 Highway 70, Brick, NJ 08724 (732) 840-9028
Senator Richard J. Codey Democrat
District Office: 449 Mount Pleasant Ave., West Orange, NJ 07052 (973) 731-6770
Senator Christopher J. Connors Republican
District Office: 620 West Lacey Rd., Forked River, NJ 08731 (609) 693-6700
Senator Sandra B. Cunningham Democrat
District Office: 1738 Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07305 (201) 451-5100
Senator Michael J. Doherty Republican
District Office: 127 Belvidere Ave., 2nd Floor, Washington, NJ 07882 (908) 835-0552
Senator Nia H. Gill, Esq. Democrat
District Office: 425 Bloomfield Avenue, 2nd Floor, Montclair, NJ 07042 (973) 509-0388
Senator John A. Girgenti Democrat
District Office: 507 Lafayette Avenue, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (973) 427-1229
Senator Robert M. Gordon Democrat
District Office: 14-25 Plaza Rd., P.O. Box 398, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 (201) 703-9779
Senator Philip E. Haines Republican
District Office: 32A North Main St., Medford, NJ 08055 (609) 654-1498
Senator Sean T. Kean Republican
District Office: 1955 Highway 34, Bldg. 2A, Wall Township, NJ 07719 (732) 974-0400
Senator Thomas H. Kean, Jr. Republican
District Office: 425 North Ave. East, Suite C, Westfield, NJ 07090 (908) 232-3673
District Office: 57 Union Place, Suite 310, Summit, NJ 07901 (908) 918-0414
District Office: 251 North Ave. West, 2nd Floor, Westfield, NJ 07090 (908) 232-2073
Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. Republican
District Office: 1715 Highway 35, Suite 303, Middletown, NJ 07748 (732) 671-3206
Senator Raymond J. Lesniak Democrat
District Office: 985 Stuyvesant Ave., Union, NJ 07083 (908) 624-0880
Senator Fred H. Madden, Jr. Democrat
District Office: 129 Johnson Rd., Suite 1, Turnersville, NJ 08012 (856) 232-6700
District Office: 1405 Chews Landing Rd., Suite 15, Laurel Springs, NJ 08021 (856) 401-3073
Senator Kevin J. O'Toole Republican
District Office: 155 Route 46 West, Suite 108, Wayne, NJ 07470 (973) 237-1360
Senator Steven V. Oroho Republican
District Office: 115 Demarest Rd., Suite 2B, Sparta, NJ 07871 (973) 300-0200
District Office: 227 Route 206, Bldg. 1, 1st Floor, Flanders, NJ 07836 (973) 584-4670
Senator Joseph Pennacchio Republican
District Office: 330 Changebridge Road, Suite 102, Pine Brook, NJ 07058 (973) 227-4012
Senator Dana L. Redd Democrat
District Office: 1 Market St., Suite 1F, Camden, NJ 08102 (856) 225-9068
Senator Ronald L. Rice Democrat
District Office: 1044 South Orange Ave., Newark, NJ 07106 (973) 371-5665
Senator M. Teresa Ruiz Democrat
District Office: 166 Bloomfield Ave., Newark, NJ 07104 (973) 484-1000
Senator Nicholas J. Sacco Democrat
District Office: 9060 Palisade Ave., North Bergen, NJ 07047 (201) 295-0200
Senator Paul A. Sarlo Democrat
District Office: 207 Hackensack St., 2nd Floor, Wood-Ridge, NJ 07075 (201) 804-8118
Senator Nicholas P. Scutari Democrat
District Office: 1514 E. Saint Georges Ave., 2nd Floor, Linden, NJ 07036 (908) 587-0404
Senator Robert W. Singer Republican
District Office: 2110 W. County Line Rd., Jackson, NJ 08527 (732) 901-0702
Senator Bob Smith Democrat
District Office: 216 Stelton Rd., Suite E-5, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (732) 752-0770
Senator Brian P. Stack Democrat
District Office: 5801 Palisade Ave., West New York, NJ 07093 (201) 861-5091
District Office: 301 45th St., 1st Floor, Union City, NJ 07087 (201) 558-7926
Senator Stephen M. Sweeney Democrat
District Office: 935 Kings Highway, Suite 400, West Deptford, NJ 08086 (856) 251-9801
District Office: 14 East Commerce St., 3rd Floor, Bridgeton, NJ 08302 (856) 455-1011
District Office: 199 East Broadway, Suite G, Salem, NJ 08079 (856) 339-0808
Senator Shirley K. Turner Democrat
District Office: 1440 Pennington Rd., Trenton, NJ 08618 (609) 530-3277
Senator Jeff Van Drew Democrat
District Office: 21 North Main St., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 (609) 465-0700
District Office: 1124 North High St., Millville, NJ 08332 (856) 765-0891
District Office: 1028 East Landis Ave., Vineland, NJ 08360 (856) 696-7109
District Office: Additional Phone, Somers Point, NJ (609) 926-3779
Senator Joseph F. Vitale Democrat
District Office: 569 Rahway Ave., Woodbridge, NJ 07095 (732) 855-7441
Senator Loretta Weinberg Democrat
District Office: 545 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (201) 928-0100
Senator Jim Whelan Democrat
District Office: 511 Tilton Rd., Northfield, NJ 08225 (609) 383-1388
New Jersey Students: The fate of in-state tuition depends on you!
Bill S1036, the in-state tuition bill, would allow all New Jersey residents to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher education in New Jersey. Currently, undocumented students who have grown up in NJ are required to pay out of state rates making it nearly impossible for them to attend college.
Please send letters in support of New Jersey in-state tuition to your local legislators and Senate Budget Committee no later than Monday, December 21st to list and vote in favor of Senate bill S1036 on January 4th. For those who would benefit from this bill, it is important that they hear from YOU and that they hear your story. This is the time to come out of the shadows and speak up!
It is crucial that we get this bill on Corzine's desk before he leaves office and it is URGENT that the Senators hear from everyone in support. We cannot wait 4 more years!
Call your legislators NOW!
Please fax or email the letter pasted below with your name and town where you're from.
To find your local legislators please follow this link:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp
for more information please contact Martin at martin@nysylc.org
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Sample letter:
Dear (Legislator's name) ,
We are calling upon you to support the S1036/A990 bill that would allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher education. This will benefit a small but crucial group of students that have graduated with good scores who have attended at least three years of high school in New Jersey.
Currently, these students are required to pay out of state tuition rates which could be up to double the resident state tuition rates. For many the higher rate goes beyond their financial means impeding their ability to attend college. We are seeking college tuition rate parity with fellow New Jersey graduates. This bill would simply allow tuition parity for all New Jersey residents who have attended high school in New Jersey for three years.
This bill affects students who have grown up in New Jersey that have attended and graduated from New Jersey public or non-public school system, who are residents with New Jersey roots who are committed to becoming citizens. Very often these students came to this country because their family was fleeing political or economic instability, a decision made by the parents not the student. Yet, despite the many obstacles they have faced, these students worked hard and succeeded in school. New Jersey should reward them for their hard work, initiative and desire to pursue higher education to become productive members of our communities. When talented students in our communities are prevented from reaching their full potential, we all suffer.
Eleven states (New York, Texas, California, Illinois, Utah, Washington, and Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska and Wisconsin) have already enacted similar legislation. We hope New Jersey will join this list.
Thank you for your support.
Your Name:
Address (Just the town/city is fine):