2011 FLIC Congress Concludes: Revitalized for the Future

What a weekend. Whoa, I'm tired. After a long, extenuating bus-drive back from Gainesville, Florida, I am finally back in the comfort of my home. Three days, two nights with my FLIC family is exactly what I needed and I would not have had it any other way. I wanted to go on this trip because I felt as if I was in debt with my immigrant youth community. From the beginning of this Fall 2011 semester, I had been busy as heck. Basically, working as a full-time tennis coach, five days a week, three hours a day, going to class, and balancing schoolwork, left me with little time to focus on S.W.E.R. and the Florida Immigrant Youth Network. This left me with a bitter taste in my mouth since I originally wanted my last semester at St. Thomas University to be fully engulfed in raising awareness for the immigrant youth movement in Florida with many innovative ideas and plans in my head. But, with the changing circumstances, I felt forced to step down and responsibly give my place to someone who would spearhead the immigration stance better than I would be able to at STU. Jose Salcedo, a great friend of mine, was the person for the job, but I jumped at the opportunity at being able to attend the annual FLIC Congress once Jose asked me to join him.

So, these last couple of days were truly amazing and inspiring. Being in the presence of great leaders of the immigrant community of our Sunshine State and discussing past, present, and future plans and projects is exactly what I needed to feel grounded again. To hear Maria Rodriguez's resoundingly positive voice reverberate strength for the future of Florida in my ear or to carefully and attentively listen to a central Florida farm worker retell his vivid story of being caught in a deportation raid, was what captured my heart and soul at last year's FLIC Congress. This time around it was not any different.
I needed this dose of reality once again in my life. It was as if the bucket of ice water that's labeled, "immigrant," "undocumented," "alien," "different," that is splashed time and time again in my face did not make me stagger as I sometimes have staggered in the past. Instead, when I am around my FLIC, S.W.E.R., and immigrant family, I feel as if I am not standing alone in front of that water bucket, but courageously defying it. All of us, standing side by side, ready to take the brunt of prejudice, xenophobia, and injustice with our heads held high.

2011 FLIC Congress Begins: Trip Down Memory Lane

It has been exactly one year since I fully emerged myself in the immigrant rights' struggle of this country. Exactly one year since I decided to become part of something bigger and better. Exactly one year since I decided to make a change in my life and actually become involved in the issues that affect my community and I. Thus, the event that catapulted this push for a new facet in my life was the 2010 FLIC Congress. It was one of the most empowering events that I have ever attended and I am forever grateful for being a part of it! Last year, I learned how loving and uplifting the Florida Immigrant Coalition and all of its constituents really are and I was ready to feel that revitalization again this year.

So, as I wait for this year's FLIC Congress to commence in just twenty-four more hours, I am ready to contribute again. I am ready to rejoice in the triumph of the We Are Florida! campaign against those nasty, anti-immigrant bills that were proposed earlier this year, but also anxious and wary as to what might be proposed next year in the 2012 Florida legislature session. However, I know that whatever obstacle the Florida immigrant rights' community is faced with, we will scratch, claw, and fight against it because we are a united and powerful movement that is prepared for the worse of the worst.

CCA Go Away!

This Saturday, November 5th, 2011, was a historic day for immigrant activists of South Florida. Why you might ask? Let me explain. For the last six months, south Florida immigration advocates have been tussling back and forth, fighting off attempts of constructing one of the largest immigrant detention centers in America. This initiative of building the largest detention center in the nation began earlier this year, in June, where the Corrections Corporation of America held private meetings with political leaders and officials of different south Florida cities such as Homestead, Florida City, and Southwest Ranches to find the most optimum location for this new immigrant detention center. They agreed to begin construction in Southwest Ranches, a rural area of Broward county, where CCA and the town officials decided to hide details of this new detention center as best as possible and to keep the Broward residents at bay with the activities that were going on.
But, that is where the Florida Immigrant Coalition stepped in. Kathy Bird, lead organizer of this fight against CCA and the construction of this detention center, immediately began contacting the residents of Southwest Ranches to inform them of what exactly was going on in their backyards. Several town hall meetings were scheduled by the residents themselves, at their respective homes resulting in the filtration of what Southwest Ranches officials and CCA were plotting behind the residents' backs.
So, why was Saturday, November 5th, such an important date? Well, because of the pressure placed on CCA, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and the Southwest Ranches officials by Florida immigrant advocate groups, the leading players of this battle decided to hear what the residents had to say. This was an unprecedented townhall meeting where these large corporations were actually going to be present to listen to the voice of the people. And, they were not ready for what they were up against! About 300 + residents from all over south Florida packed the Southwest Regional Library in Pembroke Pines to voice their opposition at the building of this immigrant detention center in their backyard. They showed up in masses, chanting and yelling, "CCA Go Away!" waving posters and pinning stickers to their clothing demonstrating their opposition to the detention center.

This positive demonstration by south Florida immigrant advocate groups attending this important meeting was a great step in the right direction to the halting of this immigrant detention center erection. It is a steep battle to fight, especially since the leading anti-immigrant groups of the nation are spearheading this construction, but it is not over. Pro-immigrant activists in south Florida will not go down without a fight!