Announcements » New York State Youth Leadership Council

Category Archive: Announcements

Take Action for #Undocumented Youth and @NYDreamAct

Categories:

Announcements

March 5, 2013

by

Today, 200+ people are in Albany taking action for the New York Dream Act. If you were not able to make it upstate, you can still take some actions supporting the passage of New York State financial aid for undocumented youth from home!

1.

Take a picture with a poster saying any of the following: “I support the NY Dream Act” or “I support state financial aid for ALL.”
Tag us on facebook, tweet it @NYSYLC and share it with your social networks. If you post it on twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag #IloveNYDA.

I support NYDA(1)

2.

Get your “I support the NY Dream Act” or “Undocumented, Unafraid, Unapologetic” shirt, buy it online here or email us to stop by at the office. If you already have one, wear it!!! and take a picture with it and tag us on facebook, tweet it @NYSYLC and use #IloveNYDA, #undocumented.

I love NYDA

3.

Get ready to call your state representative in their Albany office saying: “Hello, my name is —-. I am calling to ask for your support to pass state financial aid for all New York youth. Undocumented youth deserve a chance to continue their higher education dreams. TAP into the future. Thanks.” Do you know your representative’s Albany phone number?
Enter your zip code and find your New York State Senator HERE
Enter your zip code and find your New York State Assembly representative HERE.

Did YOU take action for the New York Dream Act today? Let us know how!

Leave comment

UndocuMic Series at La Casa Azul

Categories:

Announcements

March 4, 2013

by

openmic20Growing up my dad and mom always took me to the library on 125th and 145th street in Harlem. They saw the importance of books; the knowledge that can be shared from the words beautiful put together in one single page that made up a chapter, made up a book, and made up of some of my best childhood memories. My parents always found a way to buy me books and even now they continue to push book reading on my younger siblings. I am always thankful to my parents for building that relationship towards books.

My relationship with books has grown in the past couple of years. Books played an important part of my life. Like a best friend I found them supporting me, they were there when I was confused about life and my identity. In HS my global studies teacher Mr. Murphy gave me the book “Down These Means Streets” by Piri Thomas which changed my life in many ways. Soon after I found myself reading Nelson Mandela’s biography, revisiting House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, eating away every page of the biography of Che Guevara, and crying as I read Assata by Assata Shakur. These books were there for me contextualizing my life in America, holding me when I thought I was alone and had no one to speak to about my undocumented status.  Thus, I was so thrilled to read about the opening of La Casa Azul Bookstore on Colorlines in 2012.  La Casa Azul Bookstore is “dedicated to providing cultural and educational programs via literature and art in East Harlem. It is [their] vision to foster public awareness and appreciation of the arts by being a focal point where people come to find unique gifts and participate in culturally-based workshops that celebrate Latino traditions”, as it is stated on their website. I believe it is more than that, it  is a mecca for Latino authors and I think a very critical space for young people like me that are searching for home , for identity, and for voice.

The NYSYLC’s UndocuMic came out of the Dreaming in Ink creative writing workshops where many undocumented youth worked on written pieces about their experiences and needed a space to read it out loud and share it with the world. UndocuMic’s are open mic’s for undocumented immigrant people that offers a creative safe space to reclaim their voice and story by literally sharing their poetry, spoken word pieces, music, monologues, and Coming Out stories.  NYSYLC has had numerous UndocuMic’s since 2011 in their tiny conference room.

Last Summer in 2012, Aurora Anaya-Cerda (founder of the bookstore) offered us a Sunday afternoon at the bookstore to host an UndocuMic . To us this was an amazing opportunity to bring undocumented people in a beautiful space like La Casa Azul Bookstore. Over 40 people (even from California) came out on a Sunday in July to participate and to enjoy the performances at the UndocuMic. Since then La Casa Azul Bookstore has continued to be a great supporter and ally in the movement. It is with great honor and joy to inform you that La Casa Azul Bookstore and NYSYLC will be partnering off to bring you an UndocuMic series starting this March 2013.  We hope to see you all there as we kick off the UndocuMic series on March 24. Come share your poetry, music, Coming Out Story, or just come and enjoy!!! -Sonia Guinansaca

with Aurora , founder of La Casa Azul

with Aurora , founder of La Casa Azul Bookstore

293083_10151175093035569_20298837_n

July 2012 Undocumic @ La Casa Azul Bookstore

Visit: www.lacasaazulbookstore.com 

You can also RSVP  on facebook

Leave comment

Updates About Deferred Action Applications

Categories:

Announcements

February 4, 2013

by

Still waiting to hear back about your Deferred Action application? Are you stressing out and frustrated that it’s taking too long to hear back and you have no idea what stage your application is in?

No worries! There is this really neat page where one can check their case status. Here are the basic steps.

1.

Go to the USCIS homepage. Make sure it is .gov and not any other site.

2.

Enter your receipt number in the box on the left corner. Make sure that you check the LIN# for both applications I-821D and I-765.
image 1

3.

You will be taken to a page that looks like this where you will see where your Deferred Action is. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll be able to sign-up for text message and email notifications.
image 2

4.

As your application progresses, if accepted, the blue circles will move across the screen with dates about when you should be expecting something in the mail.
image 3

5.

Once accepted, you’ll also receive notice about the production of your card.
image 4

The wait time for Deferred Action is not too long compared to other programs. Just be patient and don’t panic! The USCIS website is reliable. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If you’re in New York and are interested in receiving more information about what happens after Deferred Action, consider joining our Post DACA, finances, taxes and more workshop.

good luck!

Leave comment

NYS Youth Leadership Council Response to Bi-Partisan Senate Immigration Reform Framework

Categories:

Announcements

January 29, 2013

by


NYS Youth Leadership Council Response to Bi-Partisan Senate Immigration Reform Framework

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Contact:
Razeen Zaman, 347-323-4521, razeen@nysylc.org
Sonia Guinansaca, 347-260-5844, Sonia@nysylc.org
Angy Rivera, 347-481-0642, angy@nysylc.org

New York, NY. The New York State Youth Leadership Council, the first and only undocumented youth-led nonprofit organization in the state, is interested in learning more about the “Gang of Eight’s” proposal for potential immigration reform. We certainly welcome attempts to break away from xenophobic propaganda that has hijacked any common sense discussion on much needed humane immigration reform that would create an expedited pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States. However, we are confused about why today’s framework outlining a potential immigration reform looks similar to proposals drafted more than six years ago that have failed continuously. We expect our elected officials to be more creative than repackaging old and obsolete discussions and ideas in the name of a new bipartisan framework, especially in a year when both Republicans and Democrats alike have witnessed the power of the immigrant vote.

As undocumented individuals who would most likely be affected by any future “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” bill, we are pleased to see the “Gang of Eight” recognize a pathway to citizenship as a core principle to immigration reform. However, we look forward to learning more about how long this pathway to citizenship would take, as long periods of waiting time are equivalent to a weak reform that does not respect the hardships and uncertainties that undocumented individuals encounter on a daily basis. While we understand that talk of “border enforcement” is a time-tested trick to bolster the pervasive fantasy of undocumented immigrants flooding into and through the borders, we question the need to perpetuate this myth in a year where more immigrants are leaving the country than entering it. We are also deeply skeptical of the call for employers to use E-verify, an electronic employment-verification system, that can be used to discriminate against anyone who happens to look “foreign.”

We are interested in real, humane relief for our communities. As our Congress’ track record on immigration reform leaves much to be desired, we will remain wary until we see a more promising plan that does not exclude those who have been charged or convicted of minor crimes or past removal orders. We are asking that Congress be more creative and sensible when coming up with a solution to address the plight of undocumented immigrants, one of the country’s most egregious human rights issues today. We look forward to working with anyone who wants to move forward and come up with practical and concrete solutions, which are unobstructed by hefty penalties and fees.

###

The NYSYLC is the first undocumented youth led, membership led, organization that empowers immigrant youth to drop the fear and challenge the broken immigration system through leadership development, grassroots organizing, educational advancement, and a safe space for self-expression.

339 Lafayette St., Suite 304 * NY, NY 10012 * 646.484.8537 * info@nysylc.org * @NYSYLC * LIKE OUR PAGE

Leave comment

Older posts «