Film Series May 28: Altered Lives: An Immigration Film Series

America's Family Prison showing at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum!  Learn more about the history of border crossing in Texas beyond and including family detention.  It's only 5 bucks!

In conjunction with the special exhibit, Forgotten Gateway, the Museum

continues its "Altered Lives: An Immigration Film Series" this

Thursday evening with a series of short films presented by Austin Film

Festival. Thursday at 7pm; Museum members FREE; non-members $5.

Altered Lives: An Immigration Film Series

February – June 2009 7-9 PM

Spirit Theater

Film Organizations Members and Museum Members FREE

Non-Members, $5

The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is located at 1800 N.

Congress Avenue at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

in downtown Austin, Texas. With close proximity to Interstate Highway

35 and MoPAC Expressway (Loop 1), the Museum is easy to access.

To help tell the story illustrated in the special exhibition,

Forgotten Gateway: Coming to America Through Galveston Island, the

Museum is hosting a film series that will run from February through

June.

May 28, 2009:

Austin Film Festival presents Stories of Borders: Short Films about

Immigration.  Join us for an evening of film and an appearance by

local filmmakers Matthew Gossage (Director of America's Family Prison)

and Angela Torres Camarena (Director of Exiled in America).  The short

film lineup includes:

Wet Foot/Dry Foot – Finding themselves stranded on a deserted island,

two Cuban refugees must struggle against nature and each other to

stand a chance at freedom. Get caught in the water, and they send you

home, but touch dry land and you’re allowed to stay. (USA, 17 min.)

Directed by: Carlos Gutierrez

Muertas – A young American journalist attempts to piece together the

fractured memories of a love lost amidst the ongoing Juarez, Mexico

murders. (USA, 9 min.) Directed by: Ryan Piers Williams

Victoria Para Chino – In May 2003 a refrigerated truck carrying more

than 80 undocumented immigrants from the Mexican border drove into the

Heartland of Texas. This is a story of that journey. (USA, 13 min.)

Directed by: Cary Fukunaga

America’s Family Prison – A determined people stand in solidarity with

imprisoned, non-criminal immigrant families to close the for-profit

“residential facility” which holds them. (USA, 18 min.) Directed by:

Matthew Gossage

Exiled in America – A group of siblings cope with the deportation of

their mother, a legal U.S. citizen, while calling into question the

legality and morality of the nation’s zero tolerance laws. (USA,

10min.) Directed by Angela Torres Camarena

T. Don Hutto featured on The Sanctuary blog

Award-winning blog, The Sanctuary, posted on the patterns of abuse in immigrant detention centers here in the US, beginning with T. Don Hutto.  While the case of sexual abuse at Hutto is a couple years old, issues like the shackling of women giving birth and medical care continue to plague the immigration detention system.   Regardless of the fact that the CCA staff person involved in Hutto sexual abuse case claimed it was a consensual relationship, as one of the largest corrections companies in the US, CCA should have been well aware of the rules prohibiting sexual relationships between guards and staff.  In a context where the staff stands between mundane items like blankets and toys and essential services like medical care, there can never be an equal and consensual relationship between a male guard and detained female.  

Check out the Sanctuary's other posts, too- a great resources for US immigration news. 

American Progress Interviews Least of These Directors

The Least of These has been showing to sold-out audiences around the country, provoking much-needed discussions about family detention at a national level.  If you haven't seen the film yet, you can watch it online at Snag Films.

The Center for American Progress  interviewed with the film's director, Clark Lyda, and Michelle Brané, of the Women's Refugee Commission.  Please think about scheduling a screening in your town, community, or home!  With immigration reform on the horizon, let's get people talking about an end to family detention now!

Rally for Immigrant Rights!

It's May 1, otherwise known as May Day, so get out and celebrate the 8 hour work day, brought to you by years of working class struggle. 

Around the country immigrant rights advocates are organizing marches, rallies, vigils, speakers, shout outs, and hooplas.  Texans United for Families will be marching in Austin's rally, calling for an end to family detention.  If you're in Central Texas, please join us!

For the rest of the world, please join a rally near you.  If you're unable, take a few minutes to contact your representatives and senators and call for an end to family detention and to reform the immigration system to restore American values of family and freedom. 

¡MARCHA POR REFORMA MIGRATORIA JUSTA Y HUMANA!

 

MARCH FOR JUST AND HUMANE IMMIGRATION REFORM!

6 p.m. Junte en las Escaleras del Sur del Capitolio del Estado de Texas

(Meet at Texas Capitol South Steps)

7 p.m. Marcha al Concilio de la Ciudad empieza

(March to City Hall begins)

En el Día Internaciónal de los Trabajadores, apoye reforma migratoria que incluye:

    * legalización

    * derechos laborales

    * aceso a la educación, salud y vivienda

    * una parada a las redadas y separación de familias

On International Workers Day come out to support immigration reform that includes:

    * a pathway to legalization

    * worker rights

    * access to education, healthcare and housing

    * an end to raids and family separation

Para más información (For more information):

caroline@austinirc.org, 512.524.2012

**Textea "Justicia" a 69866 para recibir noticias y alertas de accion de la lucha por los derechos migratorios.**

**Text "Justice" to 69866 to get updates and ways to take action on immigration reform**

Patrocinadores (Sponsors): Austin Immigrants Rights Coalition  ·  Grassroots Leadership  ·  PODER ·   Mamas of Color Rising  ·  Workers Defense Project  ·  Cristo Rey  ·  NICA

Austin Center for Peace & Justice  · American Friends Service Committee              

Paul Parsons, P.C., Immigration Attorney  ·   Inmigrantes Latinos en Accion         

MEChA  ·  ALLGO  ·   Alma de Mujer  ·  Resistencia  ·   Austin Voices  ·   ISO

Monkeywrench  ·   Fair Food Austin ·  El Shaddai Church ·  Palestine Solidarity Committee ·  Pax Christi Austin