domingo, agosto 08, 2004
再 43420-8419
Saturday was Migrant Appreciation Day in Fremont. As part of the festivities, ABLE / LAWO (my law people) performed a skit relating to Migrant life in Ohio. We did this skit on what to do (more of what not to do, actually) when you [a migrant] get pulled over by the police.
I was responsible for making sure that the audience felt comfortable saying the sentence we all know and love, “I refuse to answer,” or “me niego a contestar.” It is in regards to ignorant police officers asking the driver’s national place of origin after the driver has presented the necessary documents of valid driver’s license, registration, and insurance. Normal police officers simply do not have the authority to enforce immigration laws, but they do have the right to take in people who he suspects to be undocumented. This suspicion, however, must be provoked by something the driver presents to the officer (a foreign identification card, a consular identification card, etc.).
A couple of audience members approached me after the skit and asked if I was a teacher (I got really excited during the presentation). I started to cry right there. I used to be a teacher, I told them (tear). * Snaps for teachers. *
The funniest part of the Migrant Appreciation Day was this 6 or 7 year-old kid who asked the clown to make him a balloon car. The clown said, “I can’t make a car – how about a crown?”
Deeply wanting a car, the kid asked, “Are you legal?”
The clown laughed. “All clowns are legal.” Gosh, what these kids learn . . .
I am looking forward to this last week of work. I am getting ready to engage in my first real negotiation before litigation occurs. This case that I have been working on is unreal, and it exemplifies the struggle of migrants:
The housing deposit for the family of four is $200. Their contract started in May, and the ending date was August 1. (For confidentiality purposes, these facts might be a little a skewed; more of a MSNBC skewness – definitely not of FOXNews level). The housing contract says that if they do not continue working until August 1, for whatever reason, the landlord keeps the deposit . . . so what does the landlord do? Yep, he fires the workers days before August 1, thinking it would entitle him to the $200 deposit.
What kind of sick unethical person would do such a thing?
I plan on leaving Fremont early Saturday to head back to Chicago for the day, and then to Iowa City on Sunday. I’m looking forward to getting back to Iowa City – but with the e-mails that I have gotten in regards to Journal writing preparation, I cannot say I am excited about the week of August 16.
I am wound up about meeting the new first year students. I am a volunteer mentor for the first year class, so I will have a group of 10 or so first years to be my “kids.” Granted, these kids will probably be older and taller than me, but they’ll still be my kids. It will be like middle school in Decatur, Illinois all over again! Hopefully, I will have some students who don’t know English – those are always the fun ones!
I will post again from the huge metropolitan locale of Iowa City, Iowa 52246.
Lastly, I must close with some administrative business. I would like to make clear that I love getting comments. Me da mucho gusto. It gives me much pleasure.
However, recently, someone commented on my blog simply with a first initial. I think I know who this G person was (Italian American, western suburbs, race & science), but I should make it clear for future generations that the initials G, A, D, H, and M have already been taken. The initials L and T are also off limits. Thus, if your first name starts with these letters, I recommend perhaps your first and last initials. If you only have one name like Raven, (from the Disney Channel’s “That’s so Raven”) I would say “Ra” or “Rv” (skipping the vowel) probably works best. (Raven, that’s a hint).
From Mississippi Burning (1988):
Anderson: You know, if I were a Negro, I'd probably think the same way they do.
Ward: If you were a Negro, nobody would give a damn what you thought.
I was responsible for making sure that the audience felt comfortable saying the sentence we all know and love, “I refuse to answer,” or “me niego a contestar.” It is in regards to ignorant police officers asking the driver’s national place of origin after the driver has presented the necessary documents of valid driver’s license, registration, and insurance. Normal police officers simply do not have the authority to enforce immigration laws, but they do have the right to take in people who he suspects to be undocumented. This suspicion, however, must be provoked by something the driver presents to the officer (a foreign identification card, a consular identification card, etc.).
A couple of audience members approached me after the skit and asked if I was a teacher (I got really excited during the presentation). I started to cry right there. I used to be a teacher, I told them (tear). * Snaps for teachers. *
The funniest part of the Migrant Appreciation Day was this 6 or 7 year-old kid who asked the clown to make him a balloon car. The clown said, “I can’t make a car – how about a crown?”
Deeply wanting a car, the kid asked, “Are you legal?”
The clown laughed. “All clowns are legal.” Gosh, what these kids learn . . .
I am looking forward to this last week of work. I am getting ready to engage in my first real negotiation before litigation occurs. This case that I have been working on is unreal, and it exemplifies the struggle of migrants:
The housing deposit for the family of four is $200. Their contract started in May, and the ending date was August 1. (For confidentiality purposes, these facts might be a little a skewed; more of a MSNBC skewness – definitely not of FOXNews level). The housing contract says that if they do not continue working until August 1, for whatever reason, the landlord keeps the deposit . . . so what does the landlord do? Yep, he fires the workers days before August 1, thinking it would entitle him to the $200 deposit.
What kind of sick unethical person would do such a thing?
I plan on leaving Fremont early Saturday to head back to Chicago for the day, and then to Iowa City on Sunday. I’m looking forward to getting back to Iowa City – but with the e-mails that I have gotten in regards to Journal writing preparation, I cannot say I am excited about the week of August 16.
I am wound up about meeting the new first year students. I am a volunteer mentor for the first year class, so I will have a group of 10 or so first years to be my “kids.” Granted, these kids will probably be older and taller than me, but they’ll still be my kids. It will be like middle school in Decatur, Illinois all over again! Hopefully, I will have some students who don’t know English – those are always the fun ones!
I will post again from the huge metropolitan locale of Iowa City, Iowa 52246.
Lastly, I must close with some administrative business. I would like to make clear that I love getting comments. Me da mucho gusto. It gives me much pleasure.
However, recently, someone commented on my blog simply with a first initial. I think I know who this G person was (Italian American, western suburbs, race & science), but I should make it clear for future generations that the initials G, A, D, H, and M have already been taken. The initials L and T are also off limits. Thus, if your first name starts with these letters, I recommend perhaps your first and last initials. If you only have one name like Raven, (from the Disney Channel’s “That’s so Raven”) I would say “Ra” or “Rv” (skipping the vowel) probably works best. (Raven, that’s a hint).
From Mississippi Burning (1988):
Anderson: You know, if I were a Negro, I'd probably think the same way they do.
Ward: If you were a Negro, nobody would give a damn what you thought.
