Call to MD DREAMers & Allies

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:03:25 +0100

MD DREAMers & Allies,

Thank you for all the support you have given to DREAMers in Maryland. I wanted to reach out to you to ask you to step up your efforts but first I want to introduce myself.

My name is Roberto and I have been involved in the fight for immigrant rights since my days in high school. It is something that touches my family and friends personally. I went to the University of Maryland, College Park, was an active student leader on campus, and graduate in May 2007 with a degree in Government & Politics. I have work with many non-profit organizations in Maryland and along the way I have met so many DREAMers who have worked hard to overcome every barrier in their way, yet they cannot reach their full potential without the DREAM Act. I remember speaking to young people, having them tell me they’re scare, they didn’t know what to do, that they wanted to give up. Seeing the hopelessness in their eyes pushed me to do more. Feeling that the organizations I worked with were not doing enough to empower and fight with undocumented youth I decided to leave my job and start the Maryland DREAM Youth Committee (MDYC) with a group of high school and college students from around the state.

It has been difficult to find people who are willing to step up but with a small dedicated group from the MDYC we now have youth organizing in Baltimore, Charles, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Wicomico County. We have coordinated statewide phone jamming parties, have gotten the support from school SGAs, County Council Members, County School Boards, collected over 500 signatures in key swing districts, and done legislative visits with groups of over 20 people in the State Capitol, all this to push for the passage of the MD DREAM Act. We worked hard on getting the Bill passed in the Senate and we are now facing a tough fight in the house.

I want to ask you to join us in these last few weeks. The MD Generally assembly is set to adjourn on April 11th, which means we only have two weeks to pass the MD DREAM Act. The MDYC is coordinating three statewide actions

1) Statewide petition drive – we are asking people to go out into your community and collect signatures in support of the MD DREAM Act

2) “Phone Jamming Party” before the vote – a few days before the vote we are asking people to host a gathering in their home, school, or community where we will jam up the voicemails of key delegates with messages of support.

3) DREAMer take over the State Capitol – we are asking people to come down to Annapolis where DREAMers from across the state will meet and visit their MD elected officials and push them to support the bill

*If you have any ideas you feel may be effective please let us know

If you want to take the lead or support any of these efforts in your school, church, or community please contact me. We are looking towards you to step up and fight for your dreams and the dreams of young people across the state. Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Roberto Juarez

Maryland DREAM Youth Committee

Phone: 301-693-5357

E-mail: mdyc10@gmail.com

Website: www.maryland-dyc.org

DON’T JUST DREAM, ACT

Maryland DREAMers are Owning It!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:03:39 +0100

First of all, big thank you to all the advocates and advocacy organizations that have been fighting for years to get the MD In-State Tuition Bill passed (CASA de Maryland, Industrial Areas Foundation Affiliates in Maryland, Faith Leaders from across the state, School Administrators, Teachers, State & County Political Leaders, and many more) and to Sen. Victor Ramirez for taking the lead, working so hard, and helping create a voice for DREAMers in our state.

Once again, it was great to be surrounded by DREAMers outside of a Senate Gallery. Memories of all the great work done during the Lame Duck Session came rushing back. It was somewhat different though, something was missing. When I asked “HOW WE FEELING!” the answer was “good I guess”. The DREAMers I know most defiantly have an answer to that question.

We are working on getting some “MOTIVATED, DEDICATED, DOWN RIGHT EDUCATED” MD DREAMers taking the lead in our state! We are at the beginning stages but you can already see DREAM Movement taking root in our State.

MD DREAMers took the initiative to step up and take on leadership for the MD In-State Tuition Bill. A few weeks back, we went to the State Capitol to meet with the Senate Leadership and began to develop our own intelligence on the political situation. We came up with a strategy to target the swing votes. We coordinated efforts like a state wide “phone jamming party”. In one weekend a group of 4 DREAMers were able to go out their community and gather 200 signatures in a key swing district! A group of 8 DREAMers got 5 days and came back with over 300 signatures, letters from their principals, letters from former members of the county council, and the support of their county board education, and drove 3 hours to hold a meeting with the State Senator with over 20 Dreamers in attendance! Just imagine what DREAMers in MD will be doing in a few months!

We need more young people in our state to become DREAMers. To become leaders and have their voice heard, to fight for our own future, the future of our families, and the future of our state. Maryland is looking towards the great work done around the country by DREAMers and we’re ready to join the movement.

Maryland DREAMers are beginning to “own it”! Now it’s on the getting the Maryland DREAM Act passed in the House of Delegates and signed by the Governor!

Roberto Juarez

Maryland DREAM Youth Committee

You can check us out – on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/ezvOX

Originally posted on unitedwedream.org

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Call to MD DREAMers & Allies

Maryland DREAMers are Owning It!