Dream to Belong music video: in support of the DREAM Act and CIR: Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Free song download at  http://www.facebook.com/ImmigrationReformVideos
Dream to Belong -Music and lyrics by Andres Useche A video in support of the DREAM Act & Comprehensive Immigration reform; filmed and photographed with hundreds of DREAMers and immigration reform activists across the country. Dedicated to all the Dreamers and in memory of Dreamer Joaquin Luna and our ally Shaun Chapa. (scroll down for full performer + video credits after this):



This country was built on a DREAM: A dream of freedom, of opportunity, the belief that if you put in the hard work you could become anything you wanted to be, that you could achieve anything. It was that dream that inspired waves of migration and brought so many to build railroads and work the fields, that drove so many to join the beautiful diversity that helps make the United States the country that it is today. It was that dream of opportunity that led parents to bring their small children into the US, seeking to give them a better life. These children grew up here, undocumented: we call them Dreamers. It is that same Dream that fuels our struggle for the DREAM Act & immigration reform today. Dreamers too have had to seek the land of opportunity where they already live, where their fulfillment has been denied for too long. Dreamers have inspired me as they have inspired so many because they embody the struggle to belong, to grow, to achieve and to give back as much as they possibly can. Through their relentless pursuit of education and their desire to work, Dreamers not only better themselves but the country they grew up in, the land they love. When this nation opens its arms to Dreamers, it's getting closer to a more complete fulfillment of its fundamental promise. It is this embrace that brings us closer to a more perfect union, a nation with an arc bending towards justice. 

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was a giant leap and a testament to the hard work of DREAMers themselves who have organized for what is right. We are grateful to the Obama administration for this temporary measure but as the President himself has said, this is only the beginning. Dreamers and allies will not stop until the solution is permanent and includes the hardworking families who made such a tremendous effort to give their children, the DREAMers, a brighter future. Join our efforts. Together, Si, Se Puede!!! -Andres Useche

Our DREAM Act song (full) + Obama on Immigration (FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT)

Dream to Belong  -The complete song in support of the DREAM Act, dedicated to all the Dreamers and in memory of Dreamer Joaquin Luna. Full credits here

Let's keep putting pressure on the ground, organizing, demonstrating, talking to people online and in person and reminding everyone that this country, founded on the ideal of equality and opportunity, can only benefit from each Dreamer's desire to educate themselves and contribute openly to this nation. Any society can only benefit from its struggle to overcome prejudice, selfishness and xenophobia, and every person can only grow from attempting to become more inclusive and compassionate.
--
Univision's blog post on "Dream to Belong" can be found HERE and includes lyrics.
--
Scroll down to skip this intro and go directly to the TRANSCRIPT of Obama's interview...
--
On Feb 6 2012 Interview I gave an interview to Tim Paynter of Denver's 1150am radio. The first part of that interview was about our new song and the Dreamers and you can find it in my last post. In the second part I addressed questions about Obama and immigration reform and for those who don't speak Spanish, here is the gist of what I said:
While volunteering in support of the DREAM Act, I've come across some supporters of immigration reform who are understandably frustrated that the law hasn't been passed yet but who are unjustly blaming President Obama. Let's not forget the facts. While Obama, Reid, Durbin and most of the Democrats continue to push for the DREAM Act, (98% of Dems voted to pass it), Republicans as a whole have blocked it in congress, and their candidates oppose it as well, with Romney explicitly declaring he'd veto it.  Through the "Morton Memo" the administration has tried to shift ICE's focus to deporting high-risk individuals and actual criminals instead of DREAMers, (resulting in a drop in deportations according to this story by the LA Times) sparing many who were in line for deportation and whose cases have been dropped, including several who I've volunteered for and with. I've seen this progress first hand and think it is important that DREAMers know they can appeal to ICE's  Prosecutorial Discretion as laid out by the administration and John Morton. However any president's constitutional limitations require support in congress to pass a federal law that would offer the DREAMERs a lasting path to citizenship. We need our allies in government to make the DREAM Act a reality and we need to keep acting marching and demonstrating peacefully, creating awareness and putting pressure on senators to vote for the DREAM Act. We have to pay attention to who is promoting anti-immigrant laws like HB 56 in Alabama and  SB 1070 in Arizona (Which Obama opposed). There are too many Republican politicians constantly taking anti-immigrant positions in every state, and we can stand with those who oppose them. By making sure we are doing all we can to strengthen the campaigns of senators who represent our ideals and trying to help them get elected we will also increase the number of votes in favor of immigration reform and will help those trying to  get it passed when it comes to the floor of the congress again. Here's the audio in Spanish:

so that was Feb 6.

On Feb 21, President Obama gave an interview to Piolin of Univision radio in which he tackled questions about his immigration reform promises (in similar terms to those I  used in my Feb 6 interview).  : http://univisionnews.tumblr.com/post/18103030750/obama-i-didnt-break-my-promise-on-immigration-reform

OBAMA wins: A personal look back at the primaries plus Barack speaks about the road ahead

This is the end of a journey and the beginning of an even greater and transcendent struggle. All of us Democrats, independents and disgruntled Republicans must make our stand against McCain's policy of war and economic inequality.
It's our time to turn hope into action and dream into reality.

Here' are some personal flashbacks from the primaries:
(with cameos in the video or photos by Kerry Washington, , Hill Harper , Tatyana Ali , Jasmine Guy ,
and Eric Byler ,
Ken Leung,
Kal Penn
Kelly Hu
Annabel Park, State Senator Gil Cedillo, Wendy Carrillo, Ted Kennedy, Michelle Obama and Barack Obama
and many, many others):

































Above: In a more intimate setting Barack addresses HQ staff and volunteers about the path we've traveled, and the road ahead.

Hillary Clinton concedes:


I for one am grateful for Hillary Clinton's gracious speech and welcome the Clinton supporters into the fold. We stand united against the war and against inequality. We stand together against the Bush-McCain domestic and foreign policies that have proved so disastrous. We seek, along with many independents and disgruntled Republicans, to turn the page and embrace a new era, when it is the majority of people of this nation, and this world that are the main beneficiaries of their and our collective efforts and not just the wealthiest.

VIDEO: Barack Obama becomes the Democratic nominee for President of the United States:





Something that might help bring those Latinos still making up their minds is Hillary's full endorsement and support of Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Here they are on their first joint appearance of the general elections:


click here for the second part, Barack's speech



Si, Se Puede!

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BARACK and BARACKY, Hillarious, and sometimes, somewhat TRUE!

The Empire Strikes Barack


And baRACKY

40 years later: Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy today

It was early evening, April 4, 1968 when a shot rang out in Memphis and the world lost a true champion of justice and equality. Martin Luther King Jr. was only 39 years old when he was assassinated, but his unwavering struggle against racism and segregation had already transformed America, changing the lives of millions and forging the path for future generations of leaders. Once an ally of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, Dr. King would also be accused of unpatriotic tendencies for his strong opposition to the Vietnam war, a stance that, largely vindicated, remains increasingly relevant today.

Though we have along way to go, it is fortunate that it's hard to imagine this country without Dr. King's influence. Before the sacrifices of his Civil Rights movement, scores of people were being discriminated, marginalized by their own government because of the color of their skin. And Dr. King achieved lasting changes through non-violence, through marches, demonstrations and the moral courage and truth behind his words.

Following Gandhi's footsteps, Dr.King waged a peaceful battle against prejudice. Unlike Bush or McCain, who would have us believe that one spreads peace through violence, and democracy through preemptive, illegal and unilateral war, Dr. King knew that our ways must reflect our true goals. For us to have any credibility, our actions must be consistent with our words.

Republican presidential candidate Johhn McCain was booed today after he recalled his vote against the creation of a holiday honoring King in 1983. McCain also voted oppose a state MLK holiday in 1987 (which he later supported) and a federal holiday in 1989. As recently as 1994 McCain voted to cut funding for the commission that promoted King's holiday. It is a very telling track record and McCain's push for war clashes decidedly with Dr. King's ideals.

I think what Dr. King would have thought of this war in Iraq is very clear when we listen to him speak about the war in Viet Nam:





Michael Eric Dyson, a Georgetown University sociology professor, Baptist minister and author says of Dr. King on Newsweek:
"He gave us a language to express our aspirations. He reimagined a new America of black and white and brown and red, together. His death radically altered white America's perception of his life and convinced many to make a real commitment to racial justice. There would be no Barack Obama without King. There would be no Kenneth Chenault without King. There would be no Michael Eric Dyson without King. The fact that I went to Princeton and got a Ph.D. and have taught at such wonderful universities as Georgetown, none of that would have happened without Martin Luther King Jr."

Barack Obama's candidacy brings us closer to the fulfillment of Dr. Kings dream.
One of my favorite of Obama's speeches so far is this one from Martin Luther King Jr's church on Dr. King's birthday. In it Obama holds the mirror up to the community listening directly and to us all when he denounces discrimination of all kinds, even amongst minorities:



here's Barack speaking today about MLK's legacy


And Barack's historic speech on race, in a way an assessment of how far we've come and how far we've yet to go in making Dr. King's dream a reality:

VIDEO: In the Memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. John Legend sings U2

I'm currently working on a short Martin Luther King biography which I hope to share with you soon. This man's non-violent struggle for justice and equality impacted the lives of millions of people and paved the way for possibilities that now seem within grasp. His stance against racism and the Vietnam war, his heartfelt, eloquent words will always be relevant.
The talented John Legend, a Barack Obama supporter who collaborated on the Yes We Can video, has recorded a beautiful new rendition of "In the Name of Love", U2's moving tribute to Dr. King from their 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire.

John Legend performs PRIDE (In The Name of Love)
Uploaded by ElectricArtists

In the Name of Love
Lyrics by U2

One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One man come, he to justify
One man to overthrow

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

One man caught on a barbed wire fence
One man he resist
One man washed on an empty beach.
One man betrayed with a kiss

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

(nobody like you...)

Early evening, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love...