So~Bee~Love

Photo by  Fabian Fauth  on  Unsplash Although the novel coronavirus has swept the globe some things are still running normally. In the United States, state governors have been encouraging social distancing and forcing non-essential businesses to close down. Essential businesses like grocery stores, gas stations, and medical facilities. Amid the pandemic immigrant children are still being processed for deportations. Democracy Now! reports that judges show up on TV screens and there are no attorneys present. The New York Times reports that there are concerns with the migrants who are being sent to their home countries. they could be potential carriers of the virus and affect those in theiR home countries who are already suffering greatly from the virus. In the midst of a global pandemic, it seems irresponsible to continue with such proceedings. There is a blatant humanitarian crisis happening, it seems that is a lack of compassion for fellow humans who are expe...

Source New York Times In the United States, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is doubling every four days reports CNN.  The epicenter of the outbreak has been traced back to New York City, where countless of cases have been confirmed. Health care facilities have been overwhelmed with patients and medical protective gear is running low. Health care workers are among some of the most essential people who are on the frontlines of this pandemic, many of whom are also DACA recipients. In 2012, the Obama Administration created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program aimed to grant permissions to undocumented migrants who traveled to the U.S. as a child to live, work and study for a two year period that is subject to renewal. DACA recipients, also known as 'Dreamers', currently make up 27,000 health care workers in the United States. As mentioned before, these are essential people needed to fight this pandemic but with the DACA program han...

Source: Immigration Impact Since March 11th, when the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic , people around the world have been filled with anxiety and dread. Many people returned to their home countries to self-quarantine. Many governments have restricted travel and banned large gatherings. The Immigration Impact reports that on March 27th, President Trump signed that the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). It is estimated that Americans who qualify could receive $1200 or more from the government during this pandemic. Many are glad to be receiving aid from the government but not everyone is eligible for this relief. Among the people who won't receive relief checks are undocumented immigrants. New York Representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, took to Twitter to express her disapproval of the exclusion.    To clarify, $1200 checks are ONLY going to some w/social sec numbers, NOT immigrants w/ tax IDs (ITINs)....

Photo by  Xavier crook  on  Unsplash Bon Appétit recently published a story on a migrant camp on the U.S.-Mexico border that has used cooking as a means for survival, not only for physical nourishment but for spiritual and emotional stability. Connecting Matamoros, Mexico with Brownsville, Texas the migrant camp located on the Mexican side of the border is made up of a group of 2,000 asylum seekers. Now, Bon Appétit is primarily a food and entertainment magazine and doesn't really take political stances. With a story focused around food it brings attention to what is currently happening through something that anyone can relate to regardless of political leaning. "Cooking is caring for families, a means to earn money by selling meals to other migrants, an expression of human dignity to sustain spirits while living through a brutal humanitarian crisis that worsens by the day." Throughout this piece, they introduce characters to the readers that humanize the story...

Photo by  Element5 Digital  on  Unsplash A  recent Pew Research study  found that 23 million immigrants in the United States will be eligible to vote in the upcoming 2020 presidential election. That means roughly, 1 in 10 voters is an immigrant. Over the last 20 years, the United States has seen a steady increase in eligible voters within the immigrant population. I personally find this very interesting considering the current rhetoric around immigration in the United States as a whole. Although large parts of the conversations being had pertain to, undocumented immigrants, as a whole this is an issue that concerns many different people. Within the U.S. society, I think there is a widespread misconception on the immigration process. It is painted to be a very simple and straightforward process; apply, take a test and become a citizen. But it is much more complicated and layered. Before you can even apply to be a citizen you need to apply for a green...

American Dirt is a novel written by Jeanine Cummins. Earlier this year the book was released and immediately sparked controversy on social media. The novel is about a Mexican woman and her son and their journey across the border. There have been many thoughts on the book criticizing the content, the characters, and the intentions. Jeanine Cummin - Author One of the first things people scrutinized was not the book, but the author. With such a complex subject matter many people feel that someone with a personal connection would be better suited to write about the immigrant experience. Many people are calling it cultural appropriation since Cummins identifies as mostly white . But while criticism of her ethnic background was being questioned she acknowledged that she has a Puerto Rican grandmother. This was her way of legitimizing her closeness to the subject matter although being Puerto Rican and Mexican are two very different things. Our next book club selectio...

Importance of Independent Media Book Launch In the Fall of 2019, I was enrolled in journalism selected topics course where we learned about the history of independent media and its impact in the journalism sphere. Through this class, I was able to learn about a plethora of independent outlets that are doing amazing reporting on important stories that mainstream media won't cover or won't take the time to do the proper reporting. A large part of this course compared how mainstream media and independent news outlets report on hot button issues like climate change, police brutality, and even immigration. Class sessions were spaces where we critically critiqued mainstream media and the power they have to sway and influence public opinion. Author & Journalist Todd Miller During my time in the course I was exposed to a variety of guest speakers; authors and journalists who were experts in their fields. One of whom was Todd Miller, author of Empire of Border...