News for Amigos de Casa San José: new location!

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News for Amigos de Casa San José: January 26, 2018

Dear Casa San José Amigos,

Welcome back to our email newsletter!  It now has a new location on our website, which we hope you will visit often.

ACTION: 

This Tuesday, Jan. 30, much is happening!  First, please join us and Bend the Arc: Pittsburgh for a protest at noon at the ICE office on the South Side (3000 Sidney St).  And then, that evening at 8 pm at Casa’s Beechview office (2116 Broadway Ave.), we will have a State of the Union Watch/Twitter Party where we will use all of our social media might to speak out together for Dreamers and immigrant rights.

HELP:

Please like us: Jeimy has been working hard on getting our social media presence up to date, and now we can send news and be contacted not only via our website and Facebook, but also Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  Liking and Following us will greatly help us build our community!

NEWS:

Casa San José just won the Coro Pittsburgh's 2018 MLK, Jr. award for organizational leadership!  

For our many transportation needs – from taking children to Kennywood, to bringing supporters to marches, to escorting people to a court date, to moving furniture, donations and food supplies, etc., etc. – we thank the Miller Foundation who generously gave us a grant to get a new Chrysler Pacifica 2017 Van.  It is just fabulous - we are so grateful.

In the event that the recent judge’s injunction against Trump’s DACAcancellation is resolved in the Dreamers favor, Casa held a DACA clinic on Saturday January 20 to offer free renewals and assistance, childcare and refreshments. Young people came from as far as Cleveland, and it was covered in the Post-Gazette and on KDKA.

On Jan 29, we are starting an after-school program on Mondays for K-8 Hispanic kids at Dormont Elementary School, adding to our programs at Beechwood Elementary and Brashear High School.

Another new program is being offered: Puerta Abierta.  Every Wednesday afternoon, a Spanish-speaking counselor from Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh will be onsite to help and advise anyone who is subject to domestic violence.

Sister Janice spoke to students at Carlow University on Jan. 25 about the struggles and issues surrounding immigration and what can be done about them.

ANOTHER STORY:

Last Wednesday, Casa got a call that a teenage immigrant boy, who had just made the perilous journey alone from Guatemala to Texas to Pittsburgh, had been picked up by ICE and being held in custody at their South Side office.  He spoke no English, and was very frightened.  As an unaccompanied child, he would not be subject to immediate deportation, but here was the problem:  it was his 18^th birthday. He needed an advocate.  Sister Janice and Veronica answered the call, convinced ICE that he had an asylum case and could await trial with a relative, found shelter for him overnight at Family Links, and contacted his brother who lives in Massachusetts to come and get him.  He asked these things:  was he safe now, could he let his Mom know he was OK, and could someone find his lost notebook that he kept to learn English. Veronica answered yes to at least the first two, and saw him off with his brother at 6 a.m. the next day. She said “I was fortunate enough to witness the reunification of the brothers. It was very emotional to witness the joy of seeing that he was no longer in danger.”

(Earlier messages can be found here.)

News for Amigos de Casa San José: January 10, 2018

Dear Casa San José Amigos,

Welcome back to our email newsletter! We hope you had a peaceful and joyful holiday.

ACTION:  

• Thursday, Jan. 11th, is DREAM Act Call-In Day.  Right now is a critical moment for Congress to pass a clean DREAM Act protecting undocumented youth. There is some negotiating power with a budget that must be passed by Jan. 19th.  Also, Mayor Peduto has just issued a press release urging Pittsburghers to speak out to defend immigrants.  (If you can't call on that day, just call later - every call helps.)
•  Here’s how to participate: 
• 1. Dial 1-888-778-6856 and wait for the “welcome” message. 
• 2. When prompted, enter your zip code 
• 3. Wait for your call to be connected to your Representative or Senator and tell them to pass a clean Dream Act now. 
• Suggested Script :
• Hello, my name is __________ and I live in __________ (city and state). As your constituent, I am calling to urge you to pass a clean Dream Act. Every day that Congress fails to act, 122 community members lose their DACA status and are at risk of being deported. Please pass a clean Dream Act. Thank you for your time. 
• There is recent good news that a CA federal judge issued an injunction to maintain DACA. But this is a temporary fix. We need still a clean DREAM Act, an end to the mass deportations, and legislation that provides permanent protections.

• Casa would like to form a group of legal observers to document ICE activities. If you are interested, please sign up a free legal observer (LO) training by the ACLU on Saturday, February 3 at 10 am for a 1-2 hour session in downtown Pittsburgh. Contact Jane Louik at janelouik@comcast.net by Jan. 22 if you can do this.  See attached letter for more information.

• Join Casa San Jose at the January 20 Annual Summit Against Racism, held at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary,  616 N. Highland Ave.  Casa will be presenting at these panels:  Fighting Everyday Forms of Racism in our Neighborhoods and Beyond, and Building Power: Addressing Racism and Trauma in Pittsburgh’s Immigrant Communities.  Registration and more information here.

HELP:

• We have a great Facebook page - so please like/follow it and invite your own friends to like it too!

NEWS:

• 200,000 immigrants from El Salvador who are here legally, some for decades, under Temporary Protected Status, will be deported by the cancellation of this program by the Trump administration.  "A sense of dread gripped Salvadorans and their employers in California, Virginia, Texas and elsewhere."
• Wage theft protested:  Monica represented Casa San José on a freezing Saturday at a protest by a coalition of human rights advocates at the Robinson Marriott over unpaid wages to local immigrants in the renovation of that hotel.  Wage theft is a widespread problem that hits immigrants hard in the US, especially in the construction industry, because subcontractors often operate "under the radar."
• But some good news too:  The Three Kings Day festival on Sunday at St. Catherine's church was a huge success, with over 200 adults and children having fun, watching the play, and savoring the delicious Rosca de Reyes. 

SUGGESTED if you'd like to read or hear more: 

• "In Pittsburgh, immigration advocates lament new Trump policy toward Salvadorans," Peter Smith, Post-Gazette, Jan. 8.
• "Trump's decision that would deport Salvadorans makes little sense, Pittsburgh area immigration experts say," Bob Bauder, Triblive, Jan. 8 

(Earlier messages can be found here.)

News for Amigos de Casa San José: Dec. 22, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,

Welcome back to our email newsletter! 

HELP:

• The Andraca and Hernandez families in Cecil Township were victims of a devastating house fire, around 2:45 AM, December 14th. The families, including 3 children aged 3, 7 and 8, survivied, but they lost everything that was in the house, including the house itself. A GoFundMe account has been created for donations to help them.

ACTION:  

• Every single day hundreds of young people lose their protection against deportation - over 11,000 so far, and about 800,000 await. And yet Congress just voted to again postpone considering the Dream Act. Please keep the Dreamers in mind during the holidays, and whenever you can, keep emailing your Congresspersons (use this link or just dial 202-224-3121) to urge them to pass it ASAP.

NEWS:

• A great Holiday Party held with our kids from the Jóvenes con Próposito program took place on Wednesday!
  

• Please join our community at the Three Kings Day festival on Sunday, January 7 at 1:30 pm at St. Catherine's Church, 1901 Broadway, for children's activities, ethnic food, music and much more!

• On Monday, January 15, 8 pm, at Alphabet City on the North Side, José Angel N. will discuss his much praised 2014 book, Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant.  

SUGGESTED if you'd like to read or hear more: 

• Illegal:  Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant.  José Angel N., Univ. of Illinois Press, 2014.  (Available at the link for download.)  Also an interview on NPR.
• "Will Congress save Dreamers before Trump's DACA deadline?" Jonathan Blitzer,
  The New Yorker, Dec. 22.

We wish everyone a joyous and peaceful Christmas and holiday season, and thank you all for your kind interest and generous support.  We will be back in January with more news about our community. ¡Felices fiestas y Próspero Año Nuevo! 

(Earlier messages can be found here.)

News for Amigos de Casa San José: December 15, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,

Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:

HELP:

• We are working with the foster care services at Pressley Ridge. They are in great need of Hispanic or bilingual families that have room in their home and in their hearts to foster a Hispanic youth.  If you can do this, please call or email:  Gigi D'Amico, Pressley Ridge Treatment Foster Care - Hispanic Campaign - ldamico@pressleyridge.org - 412.583.2195. (More info. in letter attachment.) 

• Volunteers needed!  On Sunday Jan. 7, the Feast of the Three Kings celebration will happen at St. Catherine's Church.  Bakers will work through the night to create the traditional Rosca de Reyes cakes for the event and we need help cleaning up before noon. If you can do this, please email Sister Valerie at srvalerie@casasanjose.org.  

ACTION:  

• This is happening right now:  since Trump terminated DACA on Sept. 5, every day hundreds of young people - the Dreamers - lose their protection against deportation - over 11,000 so far, and about 800,000 await. Their only hope is for Congress to pass a clean Dream Act (defined here.) There is an opportunity now for Democratic legislators to insist on passing the Dream Act as part of the final December spending bill (the "continuing resolution") by Dec. 22. Please call your Members of Congress and tell them: Do not go home for the holidays before passing the Dream Act! Here's a quick easy way to do it from the ACLU.  Here's another from United We Dream, NILC, and others.

NEWS:  

• On Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 6:30 a.m. we filled a bus with 90 demonstrators to be in the March on Washington for DACA and TPS.  We joined many, many others at the US Capitol Building to demand protection for Dreamers and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status.  Plus we had the most amazing signs (see above.)  A big thank you to the Fair Immigration Reform Movement for donating the bus!

• Generous friends at St. Thomas More Church have donated over 100 individually selected gifts for the young people in our 3 youth programs:  Beechwood Elementary, Bridges to the Future, and Brashear High School.  They arrived beautifully wrapped!

SUGGESTED if you'd like to see or hear more: 

• Indivisible: Love Knows No Borders - award-winning documentary about a trio of Dreamers fighting to bring their families - and all immigrant families - back together.
• The Butterfly Story Collective Podcast - stories told by immigrants, many of them Dreamers, about the immigrant experience today in the United States. See also their videos, poems, art, music, etc. on their Facebook page.  Produced by the National Immigration Law Center.

(Earlier messages can be found here.)

News for Amigos de Casa San José: December 1, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,

Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:

Come visit us at our new office at our Open House this Sunday!

• Where: 2116 Broadway Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15216
• When: Sunday, December 3, 2017
• Time: 1:30 – 3:30 pm

ACTION:

• Come to the March on Washington for DACA and TPS on Wednesday, Dec. 6.  We are going to join others from around the country from 12 - 4 at the US Capitol Building to demand protection for those who have DACA and TPS (see below).  (Unfortunately our bus was filled before this notice went out.)

• DHS has begun its cancellation of TPS, or Temporary Protected Status, a humanitarian program. It protects foreign nationals from designated countries, who are already in the US, from being sent back to home countries that have become unsafe due to natural disasters, armed conflict, etc.  The vast majority of recipients are from El Salvador (195,000), Honduras (57,000), and Haiti (50,000).  The administration has just ordered all the Nicaraguans and Haitians sent back. Some have been here for over 20 years. The other countries await. It will help to: join the march (above) if you can, contact the White House and your congressional representatives, and share this information with others. 

NEWS:

• Our new afterschool program at the Beechwood School is up and running!  See photos below of the children, with our interns Katie Campagna and Rachel Almeida, and our executive director, Julian Asenjo. 
• Pittsburgh’s Multicultural Liaison Unit launched Wednesday to help bridge the cultural and communication gap between the Department of Public Safety and immigrant and refugee communities.
• Monica will speak at a Discussion on Social Action and Policy Practice, Dec 7, 2017, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, Bellefield Presbyterian Church, Fifth and Thackeray, Oakland. 
• Sister Janice was profiled in the latest issue of Steel This Magazine.

SUGGESTED if you'd like to see more:  Here's something positively enjoyable:  Coco the film, a beautiful story of a Mexican family, music, adventure, and love as they celebrate Día de Muertos.   

Thank you for joining us!

(Earlier messages can be found here.)

News for Amigos de Casa San José: November 18, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,

Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:

First, a special invitation: please come to our Casa San José Open House! Come get to know our new home, meet other members of our community, and share some refreshments.

• And another invitation:  please come to the 41st East End Interfaith Thanksgiving Service and hear Sister Janice as the guest speaker, and the East End Interfaith Clergy choir. Congregation Beth Shalom, this Tuesday, Nov. 21, 7:30 pm, 5915 Beacon Street, Pittsburgh, 15217.

HELP:

• Give Big Pittsburgh happens on Tuesday, Nov. 28 (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving) from midnight to 11:59 pm.  It's the online giving day hosted by the Pittsburgh Magazine in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Foundation.  It's a great way to donate to Casa San José!  Please consider us for your year-end contributions, and especially, share the link -https://www.givebigpittsburgh.com/organizations/casa-san-jose with friends and social media and anyone else that would like to support our immigrants and our work.

• Volunteers needed!  On Sunday Jan. 7, the Feast of the Three Kings celebration will happen at St. Catherine's Church after mass ends at 1:30 pm.  If you can help, please email Sister Valerie at srvalerie@casasanjose.org.  

• The 8th Annual Friends Benefit Concert, which benefits Casa San José and Pittsburghers for Public Transit, is happening Friday, December 1, 7:30 – 10:00 at the Quaker Meeting House, 4836 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh 15213. Featuring Smokestack Lightning, Penny Anderson, Chie Togami, and Sarah Bowen-Salio with Chuck Bowen, and the evergreen Raging Grannies.  Donation: $15 at the door ($6 for students/unemployed).  Help make a joyful noise and enjoy homemade baked goods!

ACTION:  

• A time to thank instead of ask:  in the spirit of Thanksgiving, let's directly thank our legislators who have been strong supporters of immigrant rights.  Many have stood up, often passionately, for those who have been persecuted and denounced, and have demanded their just treatment. You may already know where your representative stands, but if not, here is a neat way to see what your Congressional reps from PA are saying about immigration policy.  Here's another, for tweets  (try searching the keyword DACA and state PA.) And here's how to contact them.

OUR STORY: Last weekend, Casa San José and the Thomas Merton Center (with generous help from our Amigos!) sent 32 people of all ages to the SOA Watch Border Encuentro on the US/Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona.  They joined many others in calling for an end to violence against our communities, and learned much about history, migration, injustice, and activism.  More details to follow!  

NEWS:  

• Monica and Jeimy will speak at Supporting students of immigrant communities: a panel on the role of educators and allies.  Monday, Nov. 20, 4:30 - 6:30 pm.  University of Pittsburgh Center for Urban Education, Wesley Posvar Hall, Rm. 4303.  

SUGGESTED if you'd like to read or hear more:  

• Valeria Luiselli, a writer who was an interpreter for child migrants in the US, tells of the heartrending experiences they revealed to her and to the courts.  This is an audio review on NPR of her book, 'Tell Me How It Ends' Offers A Moving, Humane Portrait Of Child Migrants."  

A Thanksgiving Message:  

Casa San José would like to give thanks for all the kindness that exists in our world, and particularly that of our Amigos.

Casa San José está agradecida por toda la bondad que existe en nuestro mundo, y particularmente la de nuestros Amigos.  

(Earlier messages can be found here.)