Faculty Profiles: Advocating for Immigrants
Shirley del Valle, CUNY John Jay, May 16, 2019
500 Migrant Kids Have Been Reunited With Their Parents. More than 1,000 Are Still Caught in the System
Jen Kirby, Interviewed, Vox, June 23, 2018
“Immigrant Youths in New York City,” Mexico City, End of DACA could mean loss of $8.6 billion in US Taxes
Pedro Rendon, Coverage of Talk March 7, 2018
“Immigrant Youths in New York City,” Mexico City, End of DACA could mean loss of $8.6 billion in US taxes,
La Prensa, Coverage of Talk, March 7, 2018
Back and Forth on DACA leaves Young Immigrants Just Dangling
Liz Robbins, The New York Times, September 22, 2017
Colleges React to the End of DACA
Sarah Gonzalez, Interviewed, WNYC, September 5, 2017
Dreams and Difficulties: Being Undocumented at John Jay
Sam Anderson, John Jay JUSTICE MATTERS Magazine, June 19, 2017
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Top of the Class: Helping Others Inspires an Academic Turnaround
Lenina Mortimer, CUNY's Salute to Scholars, Winter 2016
What Universities Are Doing to Protect their Undocumented Students
Jos Kenworthy, Interviewed, Christian Science Monitor, November 26, 2016
Don’t Forget: Art Collective Calls Attention to Mexico Missing Students
Arturo Conde, Interviewed, NBC News, February 26, 2016
How an East Harlem Bookstore is Getting 1,500 Books to Migrant Kids
Aura Bogado, Colorlines, September 19 2015
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By the time 2014 comes to an end, some 90,000 unaccompanied child migrants--mostly from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras--are expected to make their way into the United States. If they're detained at the border, they'll be placed in temporary detention facilities. Then those who aren't deported will be scattered into detention facilities or into homes with family members or foster parents.
A lot of attention around these children has largely focused on federal immigration and refugee policy, but there have also been efforts to provide them with basic necessities, many of which are rooted near the U.S.-Mexico border. For instance, groups such as Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, based in Texas, have been collecting direct donations and gifts in kind, such as shoes, clothing and blankets. Other faith groups such as the Southern Baptist Convention are also focusing relief efforts on what they call the Border Crisis. And, for those people who have the time and other resources to make a more dedicated commitment, the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service organization provides people with information on how to foster migrant children. |
Professor Isabel Martínez goes through boxes of donated books at La Casa Azul in Harlem.
Photo: Aura Bogado/Colorlines
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East Harlem Bookstore Launches Book Drive to Aid Unaccompanied Child Immigrants
Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal, July 24 2014
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As President Obama, Latin American leaders, and political pundits debate what do with the influx of 50,000 unaccompanied minors crossing into the United States from Mexico and Central America since October 1, a bookseller, a professor, and members of the El Barrio community in Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood have begun a project to serve the educational and emotional needs of the detained children.
East Harlem’s La Casa Azul Bookstore, in collaboration with Unaccompanied Latin American Minor Project (U-LAMP) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice/Safe Passage Project, has spearheaded a book drive and a series of programs to collect Spanish-language and kid-appropriate books for young immigrants in the New York City region, and to raise awareness about their current situation. |
Donations to La Casa Azul’s book drive for unaccompanied child immigrants. Photo courtesy of La Casa Azul Bookstore.
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Book Drive Seeks to Give Immigrant Kids Chance to 'Daydream'
Monica Olivera, NBC News, July 10 2014
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Professor Isabel Martinez, whose work has focused on undocumented immigrant kids migrating to New York City, has found a novel way to help the children and teenagers flowing across the border: novels, literally.
Martinez teamed up several organizations with a renowned Latino bookstore to create a book drive to provide bilingual or Spanish books to thousands of detained unaccompanied immigrant children. Many of the children await court cases which include possible deportation, and some are waiting to be reunited with a family member. “I wanted to bring attention to the issue in a way that could directly benefit the children and teenagers, and would not be directly tied to the scary experiences that they were having with the court system,” said Martínez, Assistant Professor in the Department of Latin American and Latina/o Studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. |
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Book Drive for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Kicks off July 10
Carolyn Kellog, LA Times, June 30 2014
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New York bookstore is launching a book drive for unaccompanied immigrant children on July 10. The shop, La Casa Azul Bookstore, asks that the books be new or gently used, for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, culturally appropriate and in Spanish.
About 50,000 unaccompanied minors from Mexico and Central America have arrived at U.S. facilities on the border of Mexico since Oct. 1. The underequipped immigration facilities are not prepared to handle that volume of children crossing the border alone. Some of these unaccompanied minors are being moved to other parts of the country. It's those who are being transferred to New York for deportation proceedings that La Casa Azul book drive will benefit. La Casa Azul is collaborating with the Unaccompanied Latin American Minor Project (U-LAMP) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice/Safe Passage Project to make sure the books reach the children facing deportation. |
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Unaccompanied Latin American Minor Fund
Aurora Anaya- Cerda, Indiegogo, Summer 2014
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Amazing donors!
We are still giddy over the sheer bigheartedness that so many friends AND strangers from across the country demonstrated. Thank you for contributions to the 'Unaccompanied Latin American Minor Project' Fund! Due to your generosity, we collected over 700 books and EXCEEDED our goal of raising $2500 to purchase more books and supplies. We couldn’t have done this without you! Thanks to you, we anticipate that over 1,000 boys and girls in the New York City-area will be able to take one book home with them! |
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