NYSYLC Don't Just Dream, Act!

A Secret Weapon in The Immigration Debate

The first 100 days of Obama's administration are close to completion. Although President Obama declared during his campaign that he would move on immigration reform within his first year of administration, there has been quite some political action in Washington, DC. With the introduction of the DREAM Act in late March and the announcement by Sen. Schumer to start CIR hearings, all parties involved in the immigration debate are getting once again ready. One of those important parties and secret weapon is the ethnic media.

Radio hosts, newspapers editors, and TV channels are the connection that keeps first- and sometimes second-generation immigrants in touch with developments in the immigration debate. Besides keeping the immigrant community informed, most importantly, ethnic media shows the audiences what they can do to push for immigration reform. For example, last year the Latino and immigrant vote was a decisive segment of the electorate that helped Mr. Obama win the election. In fact, the entire electoral map radically changed: the Latino vote swung the results in CO, NM, FL and AZ. Coupled with a civic engagement campaign launched by pro-immigrant organizations, ethnic media aided in the impressive increase of citizenship applications and voter turnout last November. For instance, Univision and its "Ya Es Ahora" ("Now it’s the time") campaign contributed to make the slogan chanted on the streets of major cities in 2007 come true: "Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote."

Another important action that demonstrates the importance of ethnic media was the coverage of the nomination of Kirsten Gillibrand. Gillibrand was nominated by NY Governor Paterson to take the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton earlier this year. Gillibrand was representative for NY District 20th, and while she occupied her seat in the House, her stance on immigration was mostly supportive of an enforcement-only approach. Immediately, after learning about this nomination, El Diario, an important Latino newspaper serving mainly NY, launched a campaign against this nomination, to the extent of calling this "A Disappointing Choice" After meeting with several NY officials, including Nydia Velasquez and Jose Serrano, Sen. Gillibrand understood that she represents a wider and more diverse constituency and expressed that she will fight for a humane and comprehensive immigration reform, which will involve family reunification and a path to legalization. Now El Diario is keeping abreast on her actions in order to hold her accountable for her promises. The prompt response of the newspaper’s editors illustrates the fundamental role that ethnic media can have when an issue that deeply affects the immigrant community rises.

Ethnic media is and should remain an active player in the immigration debate. For example, a recent editorial by El Diario states that it is time to pass the DREAM Act. El Diario states that "the potential of undocumented students is a microcosm of overall immigrant potential. For the future of this nation, it behooves Congress to pass the DREAM Act and lay a path towards successful immigration reform."

I encourage ethnic media to continue supporting a humane immigration reform, to keep our communities informed about developments in the immigration debate, and to encourage immigrants to get active! This struggle is not over yet, and before the final battle, we will need to unite all our forces. La union hace la fuerza!