Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:31:15 -0400From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Pro-Immigrant Media Campaigns Pro-Immigrant Media Campaigns PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE, EMAIL ALL RESPONSES TO [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pro-Immigrant Media Campaigns The majority of Americans do not hold extreme anti-immigrant views, but it is difficult for those of us who don't live and breathe immigration policy to discern what is true and what isn't when we are constantly being bombarded with inflammatory and inaccurate information. Negative portrayals of immigration and immigrants have often dominated mainstream media, including print, TV, radio, and Web 2.0. These portrayals are often based on twisted information and statistics supplied by groups with an anti-immigrant agenda and a record of playing fast and loose with the facts. Media outlets, even well-established ones, often present these anti-immigrant groups as reliable sources of information and take their claims at face value, without any independent verification. To tackle this media distortion, some of the local, state, and national organizations that NILC works with have increased their efforts to hold the media more accountable and are coordinating their efforts to correct the record and thereby help change the debate. We strongly support such projects and wanted to make you aware of a few of them, in case you are not already. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~America's Voice (www.americasvoiceonline.org)Here's how this new organization describes itself:'America's Voice is the newly-founded communications campaign working to win common-sense immigration reform. America's Voice conducts cutting edge public opinion research, undertakes public education and provides comprehensive media analysis on the current state of the immigration debate. The goal is to build the public support and political power necessary to enact comprehensive immigration reform that restores the rule of law and includes earned citizenship for the estimated 12 million immigrants working and living in the U.S. without proper legal status. 'America's Voice is part of a four-pronged strategy being organized by immigrant advocates in 2008. Overall, the campaign will combine: • an unprecedented voter mobilization campaign targeting immigrant voters; • enhanced policy advocacy and research; • grassroots mobilization; • a campaign-style communications and rapid-response war room.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Center for New Community (www.newcomm.org)Center for New Community (CNC) is working on a variety of campaigns, including Campaign for a United America (http://www.campaignforaunitedamerica.org) and Turn It Down (http://turnitdown.newcomm.org), a campaign against white power music. CNC's Nativism Watch project is a helpful resource on exposing the facts of the anti-immigrant voices often featured in the media. For a list of helpful publications on anti-immigrant groups, see http://buildingdemocracy.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=610&Itemid=95~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Immigration Policy Center (www.immigrationpolicy.org) '…providing factual information about immigration in America.''The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research arm of the American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF). IPC was established in 2003 with the mission to provide policymakers, academics, the media, and the general public with access to accurate information about the effects of immigration on the U.S. economy and society. The IPC attracts nationally recognized scholars as research fellows and guest authors, and publishes timely reports on the role of immigrants and immigration policy. Together, the IPC director, fellows, and staff have been a major voice in the national debate on immigration. They have testified before Congress and regularly serve as experts on immigration law and policy issues for members of the media.'IPC provides timely fact sheets to provide media which are available by joining their mailing list or available at: http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/index.php?content=randp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wave of Hope Campaign - Take the Hate Out of the Immigration Debate (www.wecanstopthehate.org)National Council of La Raza'The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) launched the Wave of Hope campaign to stem the surge of hate and violence that has surrounded the immigration debate. The segment of the American population that, in the past, has occupied the 'fringe' of American political debate is no longer being relegated to the fringe. The rhetoric of hate groups, nativists, and vigilantes has taken over public debate. Their policy positions frame the country's political discourse, and their members have penetrated the mainstream media. In short, extremists are defining the debate on immigration-and the portrayal of Hispanic Americans-at every level. 'NCLR believes strongly in the values of this nation, in pluralism, and in the ability of every American to share in the rights and responsibilities of this great country. We believe that hate and other extremist organizations are un-American and undermine the strength and integrity of our country. For this reason, the Wave of Hope campaign calls on candidates for public office and news media networks to divorce themselves from known hate and vigilante groups and to refrain from rhetoric that demonizes immigrants and Hispanic Americans.'The time has come to take hate out of the debate. Immigration is a serious issue requiring a reasoned and thoughtful debate.'NCLR is calling on candidates for public office and elected officials at the national, state, and local levels to:• Denounce hate associated with the immigration debate and the Latino population• Reject code words that demonize immigrants and Hispanics• Renounce endorsements from those affiliated with hate groups, nativist-extremist groups, and vigilantes'NCLR is also challenging the nation's media to:• Re-evaluate giving airtime to 'expert commentators' and 'anti-immigrant spokespeople' known to be affiliated with hate groups, nativist-extremist groups, and vigilantes• Ensure that if such spokespeople are given airtime, that their affiliations are made clear to viewers and that opposing points of view are given equal time• Better screen hate from their websites and blogs• Commit to fairness, accuracy, balance, and diversity when covering immigration and other issues of concern to the Latino community'The website, originally launched in January 2008, has been redesigned to make it easier for visitors and users to find information, obtain the latest updates, and learn how to get involved. Its features include an extensive library of videos on the links between anti-immigrant and extremist organizations throughout the country; fact sheets on, among other topics, the code words of hate used in the debate and the most prominent media spokespeople from these anti-immigrant and extremist groups; and frequently updated posts, called 'The Latest,' on incidents of hate in the media, from policymakers and others.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Truth in Immigration (www.truthinimmigration.org)Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)'Truth in Immigration's mission is to rebut legal and factual inaccuracies about immigrants and/or Latinos. 'Anti-immigrant and anti-Latino stereotypes currently abound in the public arena. Political pundits, candidates for elected office, media networks, anti-immigrant organizations, and hate groups consistently disseminate negative myths about immigrants that poison the atmosphere for immigrants and all Americans. Dehumanizing anti-immigrant stereotypes generate increased bigotry and violence that threatens the safety and well-being of everyone in the United States. Moreover, this hateful dialogue threatens to drown out reasonable and thoughtful perspectives on immigration reform and other key policy issues. 'Therefore, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), has created Truth in Immigration (TII) to serve as a watchdog for communications about immigrants and to research, collect, and rebut legal and factual inaccuracies about immigrants that are disseminated and promoted in the media, the public messaging of anti-immigration organizations, and political campaigns.'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MarylandCASA de Maryland' s 'CASA Media Watch'http://www.casademaryland.org/CASA de Maryland recently launched a rapid response effort to respond to inaccurate, biased reports of immigrants in the media. Below is a description of their project.'Many of us are saddened by the manner in which immigration and immigrants are portrayed in the media. Too often, short-term political gain, ratings, and hateful contributors dominate the pages of our local newspapers. People that are thoughtful about immigration are not heard and policymakers are left with the impression that the general public is significantly more anti-immigrant than the reality. We are seeking your help to change this status quo!'We are launching a new project - CASA Media Watch - that seeks to advance the voices of everyday people that are pro-immigrant. We know you are probably often offended by many of the perspectives that you read in the paper. Together with other volunteers, you can make a world of difference in turning around the debate.'The goal is that CASA de Maryland will have a group of individuals who have volunteered to be part of this project. When a response is needed, such as a letter to the Editor, Casa de Maryland will notify the rapid response network requesting they send in a response. Casa de Maryland may also provide the network talking points or a draft letter to make it easier to respond.To get involved in CASA Media Watch, contact Mario E. Quiroz-Servellón at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[If you'd like to share with NILC information about pro-immigrant media campaigns your organization is working on, please email Mai P. Lam Huynh at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home | About NILC | Publications | Community Education MaterialsImmigrants & Employment | Immigrants & Public Benefits | Immigration Law & PolicyTrainings | LinksCalifornia Immigrant Policy Center _________________________________________________________________ Got Game? Win Prizes in the Windows Live Hotmail Mobile Summer Games Trivia Contest http://www.gowindowslive.com/summergames?ocid=TXT_TAGHM --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Internet group address: http://groups.google.com/group/ChicagoMayDay To send e-mail: [email protected] To unsuscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
