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National Day of Action for Access to Education, Affirmative Action,
and Immigrants' Rights Organizing Packet. Draft of February 11, 1996,
prepared by Jesse Hahnel
[part 1/2. Please send suggestions for revisions and additions
Table of Contents
I. Day of Action Overview
II. Ideas for Working up to the Day of Action
III. March 14th Action Ideas
IV. Prison Spending and Immigrants' Rights: Facts
V. Affirmative Action: Facts
VI. Financial Aid Cuts: Facts
VII. Facts on the Presidential Candidates
VIII. Bibliography
IX. Online Information
X. Helpful Groups and Organizations
XI. Unhelpful Groups and Organizations
XII. Media Contacts
Day of Action Contacts:
West Coast and International Contact:
Hatem Bazian (Diversity in Action)
e-mail: Hats@igc.apc.org
phone: 510-642-2175
Angel Cervantes (Four Winds Student Movement)
e-mail: cervanta@cgs.edu
phone: 213-550-8571
East Coast and Canadian Contact:
Michelle Persard and Jesse Hahnel (Center for Campus Organizing)
e-mail: CCO@igc.apc.org
phone: 617-354-9363
Mid-West Contact:
Jennifer McKeever and J Burger (Minneapolis Progressive Student Org.)
e-mail: PSO@gold.tc.umn.edu
phone: 612-379-5980
South-East Contact
Rod Green and Cleve Parmer (Howard U, Center for Urban Progress)
e-mail: ALAEC06@aol.com
phone: 202-806-9558
I. NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION MARCH 14!
Colleges around the country are now mobilizing for a March 14
National Day of Action to Defend Access to Education, including
Affirmative Action, financial aid, and immigrants' rights. We are
writing to ask your campus to participate.
In March of 1995, more than 180 student groups across the nation took
action against the "Contract with America." We built nationwide
resistance to the cuts and drew national attention to student
organizing. But we have much more to accomplish.
A toxic atmosphere of scapegoating and intimidation still exists,
targeted against students and people of color especially. Cuts to
financial aid and social welfare programs, laws inhibiting
immigrants' rights, the elimination of affirmative action and
increased funding for prisons are still viewed by politicians as ways
to gain support in this election year. In California, such proposals
are going into effect, and students are on the move.
Believing that it will again be important to mobilize nationwide,
student gatherings at Howard University, UNC Chapel Hill, and UC
Berkeley have agreed on a unified date for national action. The
Center for Campus Organizing, in conjunction with other endorsers, is
distributing flyers and an organizing packet for March 14 coalitions.
We ask you to join us and hundreds of organizations to activate your
campus on this date.
Endorsed as of 2/7/96 by: National Rainbow Coalition, Student
Environmental Action Coalition, Canadian Federation of Students, Four
Winds Student Movement, UC Student Association, Diversity in Action
at UC Berkeley, Democratic Socialists of America Youth Section, Speak
Out!, Center for Campus Organizing, and more to come...
RECEIVING MORE INFORMATION
1) To receive a copy of the calls to action, an updated list of
endorsers, a list of human contacts, organizing information, and an
ENDORSEMENT FORM, please send a blank e-mail message to:
march14@pencil.math.missouri.edu
or "surf the web" at:
http://envirolink.org/orgs/cco/march14.html
2) To join the national ACTION96 e-mail discussion, send an email
message to:
canet@pencil.math.missouri.edu
and include only this one line as the body of your message:
sub action96 Yourfirstname Yourlastname
Your subscription will be activated within 24 hours. Once on the
discussion list, we encourage you to share organizing ideas with
others. In the first week of February, 300 people from 135 campuses
joined this discussion!
3) Receive a copy of this information through the mail by
contacting:
Center for Campus Organizing, Box 748, Cambridge, MA 02142
Tel. (617) 354-9363 E-Mail: cco@igc.apc.org
II. DAY OF ACTION IDEAS (WORKING UP TO THE DAY OF ACTION)
STARTING YOUR MARCH 14 ORGANIZING
* Bring the issues to your present group or start an ad hoc
"students for educational access", "students for educational
rights", "students for a democratic society" or "student action
coalition" group. If already involved in a campus group, go to
meetings of other campus groups to explore forming a "Student
Coalition for Social Justice", "Coalition against Xenophobia" or
"Student Coalition for Diversity"
* Plan a big public meeting to get others to join march 14
organizing
* Call the national organizations below to find local contacts and
chapters.
* Ask your college for support/resources to fight financial aid
cuts, education exclusionary policies, racist/sexist cuts in
affirmative action, and misinformation being spread by racist and
sexist organizations.
* Help the faculty get organized on this.
* Do the basics to build awareness: leaflet, hold a petition
drive,
and put up posters (organizing advice, sample posters/petitions
available from CCO)
ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE PART OF A CAMPAIGN
* Stuff people's mailboxes with a information on the state budget,
how much money iss spent on prisons versus schools, how many
people or in prison verses universities,.what fraction of the
faculty are women or people of color
* Get professors to raise the issues in class or to let you make a
presentation.
* Set up "relief stations" on campus to help people who are going
to
be devastated by the financial aid cuts.
* Poster!!!
* Circulate statistics on Welfare vs. Student Aid vs. Prison vs.
Military Spending. Make the facts known about immigration, jobs,
benifits and the taxes they pay.
* i. Do skits/guerrilla theatre about the cuts to student aid --
with a couple of fats cats doing a Beavis and Butthead imitation:
"Hey, why don't we just cut out student aid?" (heh heh, heh heh)
"Yeah, then millions of students won't be able to go to college!"
EXCELLENT! Then we'll be able to keep all the money for ourselves!
(heh heh, heh heh)
* Attend a presidential primary campaign appearance and pass out
flyers questioning anti-immigration or anti-social spending
candidates.
* Set up squat towns with tents, sleeping bags, and campfires in
the
middle of your campus. On the sides of the tents hang signs
explianing immigrants rights, how they contribute to the economy,
the amount of taxes they pay, the amount of benifits they recieve,
the conditions in which they live.
* Challenge a local "reactionary" campus group that favors
abolishing social spending, affirmative action or immigrants'
rights to a debate and see how they react.
* Picket outside Congressperson's office, (notify media, and learn
about how to talk to cops & prevent unnecessary arrests first.
* Have a "budget balancing game" showing how $32 billion in
education or $15 billion in welfare spending can't really make
much of a dent in the budget while cuts in the $260b DOD budget
can.
* Make stickers. Cost: 400 stickers run about $20.
* Hold an "Awareness Week" -- include a tally of what's already
been
eliminated on campus due to budget cuts, how tuition had risen at
the same time median family income has decreased at the same time
prison spending has increased at the same time social spending has
decreased. And of course the military budget remains huge.
* Hold a "free speech day"; get endorsements from faculty and
administration of your right to assembly to protest.
* Build links to community groups and area high schools (invite
speakers from area to speak at your rallies); get donations from
area businesses; get statements of support from them.
* Do a series of "dorm meetings" (and "frat" meetings) on the
situation.
* Ask local alumni to be on an advisory board to your group, for
using their name in press releases.
* Leaflet at any big campus events.
* Post a wall of news clippings of other student protests; divide
into sections: nationally, regionally, locally.
* Send a big press release announcing the formation of your
coalition and it's campaign to all the local media.
III. MARCH 14 ACTION IDEAS
* Outdoor Rally or Vigil (organizing tips available from CCO).
Possible locations: student union steps, main quad, congressional
office, relevant place in the community.
* Hold a Panel/Forum/Symposium/Colloquium on the issue.
* Set up a mass graveyard, with student, R.I.P. tombstones with the
imprint: R.I.P. (students' name): "dropped out", "sold out",
"couldn't pay tuition", "intimidated due to leaving", "denied
services due to immigrant status",.
* Build "Gingrichvilles" and "Dukevilles" (like shantytowns,
hoovervilles) on campus
* Erect mock prisons on campus, with free entry, while putting
fences up to block access to academic buildings or to charge a
large fee.
* Conduct a skit about the presidential candidates (mock candidates
forum, where their ideas are made to look ridiculous); What can we
do about crime? How about a flat tax? What do we do about rising
tuition? Close the borders!
* Conduct a skit about the board of trustees' attitude towards
affirmative action. There could be a 10 chairs exercise, where
nine white men and one white woman, all seated, would represent
tenured professors. Then one person of color upsets the
"balance", and the head of the board of trustees walks up to the
university president and says, "what's wrong here? How come we
only have 8 white men in our 10 faculty? What's happening to
'academic standards'? Boy, things sure were better before that
political correctness stuff started. We have to get some alumni
here to correct this!" [note: there is actually a national group
called the National Alumni Forum, that was formed in 1985 to turn
the clock back on progressive curriculum changes!]
* A "reality tour" of the community near your campus, especially
for
those of you who are sequestered at elite private universities.
* A demonstration outside headquarters of a candidate who is saying
nasty things during the presidential primary season.
* A skit: Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson are walking onto a campus
and see too many liberals, blacks, gays, and females. RL: "We've
got to do something about this." PR: "I know, why don't you say
something on the 700 club" RL: "OK" So they say on TV, "Our
schools are teaching perversion, and they will burn in hell. And
if you send those checks in to the 700 club the Lord will get on
this right away." Rush takes a moneybag to the campus and
approaches a lonely student who has no friends RL: "Hey kid -- I
know why you're all alone. It's because there are too many
liberals on this campus." Kid: "Yeah -- that's it. It has
nothing to do with my personality or anything." RL: "So how about
$30,000 to oppose affirmative action, to get this campus to fly a
bigger American Flag, and to take away the right of students to
have a say in which campus activities get funded" [note: this is
based on a true story; the Young Americas foundation spent $30,000
to support a 'Conservative Union' at Swarthmore.]
* Issue a set of demands to democratize the campus trustees.
* Teach-in on issues of your choice. Those of us on college
campuses are in a perfect position to learn more about the right's
strategy and communicate this with community groups. Although few
individuals or groups may currently have a comprehensive analysis
of this situation, teach-ins provide a way to come together with
others so that we may all understand the full scope of what is
going on. Resources for the teach in can be obtained through CCO.
Here is one teach-in content brainstorming idea:
An alliance between big business and fundamentalist
religious groups is well on its way to taking control of
political power in the United States. The first of many
initiative of this alliance -- the so-called Contract With
America, was nothing more than a first step for these groups.
While we may have stopped many proposals within the Contract,
it is clear that Right-wing forces are extremely well-organized
and are using the defeat to their advantage in this next round
of battle. It is therefore imperative for us to do more than
simply stop the current aid cuts, assaults on affirmative
action, social spending cuts, etc.
Other ideas for teach-ins include:
* Attempts to Divide, Disrupt, and Conquer -- Proposition 187 --
attacks on immigrants and welfare -- the Bell Curve and the
Pioneer Fund -- theories of racial superiority -- Diversity &
Division, attacks on multiculturalism & affirmative action --
attacks on feminism (i.e. "Who Stole Feminism" book); clinic
shootings -- The "Gay Agenda" video.
* The Undemocratic Domestic Electoral Politics in the U.S. --
Christian right mobilization/manipulation of church-going
voters -- big money in politics & the need for campaign finance
reform -- the power of right-wing populism -- Rush Limbagh and
attacks on liberal "elitists".
* The Elimination of National Sovereignty Over Economic Decisions
-- ceding control to corporate-controlled international trade
groups (GATT, NAFTA) -- erosion of women's rights, human
rights, labor & envir. standards -- rise of right-wing
nationalism due to resulting economic crisis -- manipulation of
these issues in support of right-wing nationalism.
* The Neutralization of Academia -- the rise of a business-funded
network of think tank "experts. -- messer-davidow paper on
"Manufacturing the attack on liberalized higher education" --
disruption and undermining of campus activism (CCO critique) --
defunding of student aid programs.
* The Replacement of Public-Funded Dialog with Privately
Controlled Media -- the right's own media networks (Madison
center, NET, etc.) -- private media attack-groups who dominate
the news -- defunding of NEH, corp. for public broadcasting --
privatization of school systems; privatization of the Internet
-- elimination of Office of Technology Assessment.
Speakers would be strongly encouraged to not make the situation
sound hopeless, because it is not; they should offer organizing
ideas, and point out how the Right is vulnerable. Finally,
there would be some time set aside to discuss a grassroots
response, and for the audience to break into smaller groups to
brainstorm. Each campus would be encouraged to compile and
circulate all of these brainstorming ideas through national
discussions such as the action96 electronic mail list.
IV. Prison Spending and Immigrants' Rights: Facts
FACTS ABOUT HR 2202
In the House of Representative bill 2202, family immigration
would be reduced by over 30%, with immigration by adult children and
siblings virtually eliminated, and the immigration of refugees cut by
50%. It restricts immigration of parents of U.S. citizens unless
more than 50% of their children are citizens or legal residents of
the U.S.. An additional catch to this is that if the family-
sponsored immigration does not have sufficient quota allocated in a
particular year, the difference will be subtracted from the number of
professional and skilled workers scheduled to be admitted. This could
further reduce admission in this category by as
much as HALF !
According to the nonpartisan Urban Institute in 1994,
immigrants and refugees pay approximately $28 million a year more in
taxes than they consume in services. Considering that only 8% of the
U.S. population is foreign born, the net surplus of $28 million
contributed by immigrants and refugees assumes great significance.
Not only do immigrants consume very little of welfare funds, they
actually subsidize, as it were, the welfare of others! In addition,
The Council of Economic Advisers similarly found in 1986 that
"immigrants have a favorable effect on the overall standard of
living."
The U.S. is not being overrun with immigrants. Except for the
real Native Americans, we are a nation of immigrants. As of 1990,
foreign-born people only make up 8% of the population. Most of those
who immigrate every year are immediate relatives of U.S. citizens or
are refugees. Contrary to popular belief, most illegal aliens do not
cross the border illegally, but enter legally and overstay their
visitor visas. Only 13% of all immigrants residing in the United
States are undocumented accounting for 1% of the total population.
Immigrants create jobs and do not take jobs from U.S. Citizens.
There is virtually no evidence to support this most wide-spread
misunderstanding about the immigrants. As an example several years
back the state of New York reported immigrants own more than 40,000
companies in New York, contributing $3.5 billion to the state's
economy. One study found that between 1970-1980 Mexican immigration
to Los Angeles County was responsible for 78,000 new jobs. Many
studies demonstrated that there is a positive correlation between
states who admit immigrants and employment. The current wave of
unemployment and insecurity felt by many is a result of corporate
restructuring and movement of multinational companies to overseas.
HR 2202 is attempting to legalize the concept that "Non-citizen
immigrants are not entitled to constitutional rights" and limit
immigrant rights. Although the Constitution literally extends the
fundamental protections in the Bill of Rights to all people (limiting
to citizens only the right to ,vote and run for office) the federal
government acts as if this were not the case. In a case last
December, the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of appeal ruled that non-
citizens have equal First Amendment rights. This ruling relates to
government use of so called "anti-terrorist clause of 1990
Immigration Act." The same clause has been strengthened in the HR
2202 . This clause may be used to deny non-citizen immigrants first
amendment rights. The courts have recently struck down several
provisions of proposition 187 which attempts to deny education and
medical needs to the undocumented immigrants.
In seeking to halt legal immigration, advocates of this bill
have revealed that they have not distinguished between the legal
process of immigration and undocumented immigrants. The FACT is that
legal immigration
brings to the U.S. a wealth of skilled, experienced workers who can
and do contribute to the success of the U.S. in both global and
national markets. Does immigration have an impact on life in the
U.S.? Yes! In the most
comprehensive study to date, the U.S. Department of Labor has
concluded that immigrants keep U.S. industries competitive, increase
employment through higher rates of self-employment, and increase
wages and mobility opportunities for many groups of U.S. workers. The
immense contribution of immigrants, who come here with the desire to
work and live has helped the U.S. to remain a leader on the cutting
edge of technology.
The H.R. 2202 is subtitled an immigration bill "in the national
interest", yet it ironically disserves our national economic
interests by eliminating many employers' ability to promptly
immigrate individuals with recognized expertise. In the software
development industry this will result in many projects for U.S.
companies not being completed on a timely basis resulting in reduced
competitiveness for those companies. Increasing U.S.
competitiveness, not decreasing, is absolutely essential in today's
global economy.
The bill on immigration reform is known as the "Immigration in
the National Interest Act of 1995" (H.R. 2202). This bill,
introduced by Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), has already been passed by
the House Committee on Immigration and is now on its way to Congress.
While current U.S. immigration policy is directly and effectively
designed to benefit the U.S. economy, this bill is not. Instead, it
would virtually destroy the huge
technological strides the nation has made thus far by attracting
talent from all parts of the globe.
Employment-based immigration would be reduced drastically.
Employment-based visa categories would have new experience
requirements added that would make it impossible for U.S. companies
to get the skills they need when they are needed. In addition,
companies who let go of local workers would be forced to pay 110% of
that workers salary to the new H-1B employee.
A specific provision of the bill that will be harmful to many
small businesses is Section 806 relating to H-1B non immigrants. This
provision was added because proponents in favor of cutting legal
immigration think that these workers are taking over local job
markets and receiving free welfare benefits.
Actually, in the U.S. information technology industry there are
only 12,000 workers on an H-1B visa out of a total work force of
6,000,000. The number is clearly insignificant in relation to the
entire work force yet the H-1B workers are vital to the successful
completion of many projects.
It's Time To Stop HR 2202 and its Similar Bills like HR 1915.
In the Senate the Simpson Bill S. 1394 is has almost all the
negative features of HR 2202 except it restricts legal immigration by
higher percentage. S. 1394 has passed through Immigration
subcommittee and is in Justice Committee.
PETITION TO STOP HR 2202, HR 1915, S. 1394 AND S. 269
To Honorable Representatives & Senators
:
We are a group of concerned citizens in your district. We
feel the current bills on immigration reform HR 2202 and HR 1915 in
the house are flawed because:
*In the House of Representative bill 2202, family immigration would
be reduced by over 30%, with immigration by adult children and
siblings virtually eliminated, and the immigration of refugees are
cut by 50%.
*In the Senate bill 1394, family immigration would be drastically
reduced, with immigration by adult children and siblings virtually
eliminated, and the immigration of refugees cut by 50%. It disserves
our national economic interests by eliminating many employers'
ability to promptly immigrate individuals with recognized expertise.
S 1394 also attempts to legalize the concept that "Non-citizen
immigrants are not entitled to constitutional rights". Although the
Constitution literally extends the fundamental protections in the
Bill of Rights to all people (limiting to citizens only the right to
vote and run for office), the S. 1394 is attempting to limit
constitutional rights of non-citizen immigrants. We urge you to vote
NO on S.1394 and S.269 immigration bills.
*The Smith bill H.R. 2202 is subtitled an immigration bill "in the
national interest", yet it ironically disserves our national economic
interests by eliminating many employers' ability to promptly
immigrate individuals with recognized expertise. The HR 2202 also
attempts to legalize the concept that "Non-citizen immigrants are not
entitled to constitutional rights". Although the Constitution
literally extends the fundamental protections in the Bill of Rights
to all people (limiting to citizens only the right to vote and run
for office), the HR. 2202 is attempting to limit constitutional
rights of non-citizen immigrants. We urge you to vote NO on 2202
and HR 1915 and similar immigration bills.
According to the nonpartisan Urban Institute in 1994, immigrants
and refugees pay approximately $28 million a year more in taxes than
they consume in services. It is imperative that you recognize the
United States is not being overrun with immigrants. Except for the
real Native Americans, we are a nation of immigrants. As of 1990,
foreign-born people only make up 8% of the population. Most of those
who immigrate every year are immediate relatives of the US citizens
or are refugees.
Immigrants Create jobs and do not take jobs from U.S. Citizens.
There is virtually no evidence to support this most wide-spread
misunderstanding about the immigrants. As an example , a couple of
years ago the state of New York reported that immigrants own more
than 40,000 companies in New York, which provide thousands of jobs
and contribute $3.5 billion to the state's economy.
Name Signature Address
[End of Part 1/2]