Songs about immigration

You all know I am a Spanish nerd, but I am also a music nerd too. Before I taught full time (and back when print media was still a thing,)  I wrote for music magazines in St. Louis and Illinois.

Every week I listen to two podcasts created by NPR, All Songs Considered and Alt Latino.

Over April break Alt Latino had an episode about songs about immigration. You can listen to the 24 min. episode here, (you can also scroll down and just listen to a song or two).

Listen then answer the Hot Tamale Activities below (email your response to bordner@cityhigh.org)

• Pick a song and describe it in detail. What is the story? Where is the artist from? What instruments do you hear? You can also fill our this document.
• Summarize one or more of the songs/stories. Why did the immigrant select that song?
• Is there a song or person you could relate to? Did one of the songs/people remind you of someone you know? Who? Why?
• Which of the stories of immigration did you find most powerful? Why? (For me, it was the musician in the band who cannot travel with his band because he does not have documentation.)
• If you had to pick a song to tell your story, what song would you select? Why?
• How has listening to the songs/stories changed how/what you think about immigration? 

There are also more songs and videos about immigration here. You can watch and summarize the the videos, find the lyrics on the internet. The 2nd and 3rd songs are hip hop songs about immigration.

New Immigration Reform - Other Perspectives

I just posted about President Obama's plan to reform immigration, now I want to share different perspectives on the proposed plans.

Click here to read about Bruno, (picture above) a young undocumented immigrant who has qualified and will be applying for the Deferred Action program.

"As far as going to the hospital and enrolling in school, I use a fake name at hospitals and school never really questioned, unless it's college."

I also read a blog post by a respected Chicago teacher who talked about the speech with his students. Below are a few quotes from his students. 

“I believe Obama’s executive order is a good thing.  It gives immigrants a chance to work with a permit and travel.  In addition, the immigrants won’t get deported with a valid permit.  Furthermore, immigrants must have been in the U.S. for at least 5 years.  On the other hand, I don’t agree with people not being included because they do not have children.  It also does not legalize immigrants or give them a green card.  I also don’t like the fact that parents of DREAMers don’t qualify because they try their best to support their kids.”          --Julie

“Immigration has always been a topic to talk about or have an argument about.  I agree that, for decades, we haven’t done much about it because it just creates more conflict.  Obama called on illegal immigrants to “come out of the shadows” and “to get right with the law.”  However, how do we know if immigrants will be treated fairly or be exploited?  He says we welcome immigrants, but do we really?  Over the years, there’s been a large amount of immigrants deported and treated unfairly.  The executive order provides a 2-year permit but it does not benefit people without children.”          --Jazmine

“It was great to hear Obama finally talk about our broken immigration system. As he said in his speech, he had committed to fix the broken immigration system and he finally came to an executive order. It was time to fix the lives of many immigrants who live in fear and want to embrace the same American responsibilities. We all agree that immigrants should pay fines for the laws that were broken. We also want special resources for the border. Although after years of living here, only people with U.S born children can benefit from this. How about single responsible immigrants?   In addition after two years, what happens when Obama leaves the White House?”           --Lisseth 

Finally, here is a story broadcast on NPR with thoughts of immigrants in Texas.

"I think it's a great thing because it's an improvement on your immigration laws, says Juan Orozco. He's a 28-year-old, unmarried construction worker from Mexico who says he's been in Texas for eight years. But it doesn't go far enough, he adds, because there are many people in my situation, who have a good record - nothing criminal - but who don't have kids."

Hot Tamale Activities - Complete one or more of these activities as a advanced/Hot Tamale blog post. Title your post the title of this blog post.

• Respond to one of these perspectives that you disagree with. Explain why you disagree.
• What questions would you ask these youth? Write a letter to them.
• Select another quote from Bruno or the Chicago students, include it in your blog post as an indented quote, and explain why you agree or disagree with their statement

Current Immigration Articles 2019

Youth at the largest children detention center in the U.S.
source

I've been posting about Immigration since I started this blog nine years ago. The issues around this topic evolve and change often, so here is a collection of recent articles (with audio provided for many of them) related to what is currently happening around different aspects of the topic.

Many of the articles focus on what happens to youth who come to the border.

• Inside the largest migrant shelter for kids in the US
• Migrant Youth Go From A Children's Shelter To Adult Shelter On Their 18th Birthday
• Children of TPS join marchers in Washington
• TPS = Temporary Protected Status - people had permission to come to the U.S. and stay here (many for more than 10 years) but now the government is thinking about telling them they have to go back to their home country.
• A boy travels the migrant caravan to join his mother in the US
• The real border crisis - US immigration system isn't build for families

Here is a interactive website where you can learn about the U.S. and Mexican border.

source

Create a new blog post in your Spanish Blog Portfolio (or send an email to your Spanish teacher), title it the same as this blog post, and answer one of the following questions in complete sentences based on these images.

• Pick one of the articles and listen to it/read it. Summarize what you learning in 3-4 sentences.
• Check out the Border Interactive and pick 3 places to describe in your own words. 
• Listen to the audio for The real border crisis - US immigration system isn't build for families and summarize 3 issues the person who is being interviewed said we need to improve.
• Listen to or read Children of TPS join marchers in Washington and explain what you were do if your family lost TPS (Temporary Protected Status).

Immigration Infographics

I have many many many posts on this blog about immigration (so many many many)!

Below are info-graphics (visual representations of data) that highlight different pieces of information about immigration in the United States.

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Economic Impact of Immigrants from Paragon Design Group on Vimeo.

Hot Tamale Activities

Create a new blog post in your Spanish blog portfolio, title it the same as this blog post, and complete one of tasks

• Chose one of the info-graphics/videos and embed it into your own blog. Describe in detail what information this info-graphic is sharing. 
• After looking at all the info-graphic, what new information do you now know that you didn't know before? What questions do you still have?
• Find other info-graphics about immigration on the internet and embed them into your blog.

New Immigration Reform - The President's Plan

Recently President Obama announced plans to reform immigration laws. According to the Washington Post's transcript of the speech, the three big changes he wants to make are

• to give more resources on the border to catch people who cross the border illegally and return them to their home country quicker.
• to make it easier and faster for immigrants who are high-skilled, graduates and entrepreneurs to stay in the United States.
• Deal with the many undocumented immigrants who are already in the U.S.
• If an undocumented immigrant matches the following criteria, they can apply to stay temporarily without fear of deportation.
• has been in the country more than 5 years.
• has children who are U.S. citizens or illegal residents.
• register, pass a criminal background, and promise to pay taxes
• It's important to recognize this does not mean they will become U.S. citizens.

Read more about this flowchart here.

Hot Tamale Activities - Complete one or more of these activities as a advanced/Hot Tamale blog post. Title your post the title of this blog post.

• Do you think this is a step in the right direction for immigration reform? Explain your answer. 
• Select a quote from Obama's speech, copy it in an indented quote format on your blog, and explain why you agree or disagree with his statement.

Winning the United States Immigration Lottery

When we talk about immigration in class, sometimes we talk about how hard it is for just "anyone" to be able to come live in the United States legally.

Abdi

Read or listen to Abdi's story. It's a true story of the fear, sacrifices and struggles some people face trying to become U.S. citizens.

Hot Tamale Activities

After reading/listening to the story answer at least four of the following questions in a blog post on your Spanish Blog Portfolio.

• Summarize Abdi's story in your own words.
• What part grabbed your attention the most?
• After listening/reading this story, what do you think about our immigration system?
• If you were in Abdi's position how might you have done something differently?
• If you could talk to Abdi, what would you ask him? What would you say to him?

Songs About Immigration 2017

Many musicians write songs about the effects of immigration, I posted some here a few years ago, but it's time to share some more recent songs. 

Create a new blog post on your Spanish Blog Portfolio, title it the same as this blog post, and select one of the songs to answer at least 2 of the following questions. 

This song is about a man leaving his family for the United States.

• Describe the video in your own words. What happens in the video?
• Did you like the song? Explain your answer.
• Did you like the video? Explain your answer.
• Write a brief biography in English about the group. 
• Find the lyrics in Spanish, translate and summarize them in English.

This song is about the 11 million immigrants that come to the United States.

• Describe the scenery in the video in your own words. What do you see in the video? What instruments do you see?
• Did you like the song? Explain your answer.
• Did you like the video? Explain your answer.
• Write a brief biography in English about the group. 
• Find the lyrics in Spanish, translate and summarize them in English.

Here is an older song from Kinto Sol, La Bestia, which talks about how many immigrants from Central America travel through Mexico on trains known as La Bestia, or the beast. These trains are known to be very dangerous to navigate. 

This song is about the children of undocumented workers (many of the children are born in the United States).

• Describe the video in your own words. What happens in the video?
• Find the lyrics in Spanish, translate and summarize them in English.
• Explain the social, political or economic effects of immigration based on 2 or 3 statistics that are stated in the video.
• Did you like the song? Explain your answer.
• Did you like the video? Explain your answer.
• Write a brief biography in English about the artists. 

More Stories about Immigration

We have been focusing a lot on immigration. We have watched an undocumented family welcome a minuteman into their home for a month, we have responded to an undocumented student's letter, and we have studied a flowchart and tried to understand the different ways to become a legal American citizen.

Check out this video version of the flowchart to become a legal American citizen.

There are so many stories of people coming to the United States for a chance at a better life for themselves and their family. Below are a few stories from StoryCorps, an organization that goes around the country recording friends and family telling each other their life stories.

Click here to listen to José talk about missing his mother as she worked in New York City and he stayed behind in the Dominican Republic.

Click here for a list of more stories told by people who immigrated to the United States.

Recently I just finished reading Esperanza Rising, a young adult novel about a 14 year-old girl who lost everything in Mexico and had to immigrate to the United States to start over. I learned about what it was like in the 1950s to be a field worker, and how the workers were treated.

Hot Tamale Activities

• Do you know someone who has immigrated to the United States? Maybe an older relative or a neighbor? Interview them. Where did they come from? Why did they come to the U.S.?What was it like for them that first month? What is something they miss from their home country? Would they ever go back? Email a summary. 
• What stories touch you? What story do you sympathize with the most and why?
• Read Esperanza Rising and have a brief, one-on-one discussion about the book with me. 

More about refugees and immigration

In some of our classes we have compared and contrasted the three following issues:

• The Syrian Refugee Crisis
• What people in the United States thought of Jewish refugees on the eve of World War II
• Central American youth trying to cross the border into the United States to escape violence in their home country

Here are a few additional resources to explore these issues a bit more.

• Article Refugees: That Time Everyone Said 'No' And Bolivia Said 'Yes' 
• This article is about how Bolivia, a country in Latin America, was one of the only countries to consistently accept Jewish refugees in the Americas before and during WW2
• Twitter How a refugee gets to America, explained by an actual refugee
• This article is a collection of tweets that show the process of becoming a legal refugee in the United States.
• Video Immigrant or Refugee
• When we discuss immigration reform it's important to recognize there is a difference between these two terms.
• Related article 4,600 Central American Kids Have Applied for Refugee Status. 11 Have Gotten It. Here's Why.
• Audio Report Terrorized by Violence: Mexico's Refugees
• This audio piece provides details about what happens to people who try not to leave the country but survive by becoming refugees in their own country.

Hot Tamale Activities

Create a new blog post in your Spanish Blog Portfolio and complete one of the following tasks.

• Summarize what you read in your own words. What new information have you learned?
• What do you think the process should be to allow become to come to the United States? 
• Explain in your own words what is the difference between being a immigrant/migrant and a refugee. Do you think the explanation of refugees applies to the undocumented youth fleeing Central America? Explain your answer
• Explain in your own words what the chart above shows. What new information have you learned from this chart?

Immigrants in the United States

Sometimes I get the sense that politicians and the media are telling me that the United States are going to be destroyed due to excessive immigration. So I was very surprised and interested in this graph showing that there is a smaller percentage of foreign born residents than 100 years ago. 

What has really changed is where they are coming from

Source - NPR

Hot Tamale Activities - reply in the comments or email me bordner@cityhigh.org

• Does this surprise you? How does this change what you already thought about immigration?
• Why do you think this change occurred?
• What do you think will happen in the next 100 years? Where will the largest percentage of immigrants come from? Why? 

DREAMers

In Spanish class we touch on immigration. There are many different aspects of this issues, and one of them is the youth that are brought over with their parents illegally when they are young, and how that event can effect their future opportunities.

The Dream 9

In 2013 nine people who were young when their parents brought them over decided to challenge the system to hopefully improve their future by not suffering from the affects of being "undocumented". You can listen to their story here or below.

After you listen, you can read about where they are now by clicking here.

Here is another article about how undocumented youth have to live in the United States.

Hot Tamale Activities

Create a new blog post in your Spanish Blog Portfolio and complete 2 of the following tasks.

• Summarize the radio story The Dream 9 in your own words. 
• Read about where the Dream 9 are now by clicking here. Are any of them now considered legal residents of the U.S? What is your reaction to how life is for them now? What questions does this raise for you about the United States immigration system?
• What would you do if your parents moved you to another country when you were very young and then as you become and adult and try to get post-secondary education or a job you find it difficult/impossible? Would you return to the country that you haven't been to since you were a little child? Would you try to find a way (wether "legal" or not) to try to stay in the country you've been in most your life? Explain your answer.
• Read Living the DREAM article and make a list of things people who are labeled as undocumented cannot due that others can. 

Elections, Latino Americans, and Infographics

This week elections were held all over the country to elect the President, other officials, and make a decision for many other things. (Maryland voted to allow illegal immigrants to be able to attend state universities and pay in-state tuition.)

Some of our classes have really been delving into various issues regarding illegal immigration. But it's important to remember that there are many legal immigrants, or American-born citizens who are Latinos and they can vote in elections. This group has been identified as the fastest growing group of our country.

Hot Tamale Activity - Create an info-graphic based on Latino Perspective on Government Policies. Here's how.

1 - What is an infographic?

2 - What is the Latino Perspective on Government Policies? 

Click on the link above to find out.

3 - How do you make an infographic?

Here is one website that helps you. 

Here is another website. 

Check both of them out, then use the one that is easiest for you.

4- Email your work to bordner@cityhigh.org

Can you pass a U.S. Citizen test?

When we talk about immigration issues that the United States are currently facing we discuss how hard it is to become a legal U. S. citizen. Part of the process is to pass a test about U.S. history. Below is an idea of what kinds of questions would be on the test.

As a Hot Tamale Activity, take the test. (Click here to go to the website. If that link does not work, here is a similar test.)

• If you get a passing score, email a screen shot of the score to bordner@cityhigh.org
• Do you think all citizens should know this information? Explain your answer.

Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors are Coming to Pittsburgh

A few weeks ago we learned about immigration in class. We specifically focused on youth from Latin American countries (especially Central American countries) crossing the border without adults.

Watch this newsclip to learn about how some of the "unaccompanied minors" are coming to Pittsburgh.




Answer the following questions in an email to bordner@cityhigh.org or an additional blog post.

• What are some concerns that people in Pittsburgh have about the youth coming to Pittsburgh?
• What is your reaction to their concerns?
• What was it like for Bartolo to come to the United States? 

Immigration is not just about the "American Dream"

It's a common narrative that people from Latin America who are trying to move to the United States are seeking a better life for themselves. Many students often wonder why the quality of life in other countries is different than how many of us live in the United States.

Click here to read a post that details 19 different ways the United States government has affected the lives of Latin Americans in their own countries.

Hot Tamale Activities

Read the article then create a new blog post in your Spanish Blog Portfolio and complete the following activities

• Select 3 of the 19 reasons and summarize in your own words. You may need to research a bit more.
• What do you think about the United States's history of actions in Latin America? Do you think it was justified? Explain your answer.
• How do you think the United States should respond if another country attempted to do one of these 19 actions in the United States?

Undocumented Youth in the United States

As we've been learning about immigration, we've been focusing on what should happen to the teenagers who are living in the United States but are not legal U. S. Citizens.

Click here to listen to a radio piece about students in a high school in El Paso, Texas. They go to school in the United States, but some of them are believed to be undocumented. (You do not have to prove citizenship to be educated in the United States.)

Email your responses to the Hot Tamale Activities below to bordner@cityhigh.org

• Describe the family situation of one of the students (Alonso, Junior, or Zuarmitzi) in the story.
• Pick one of the students and explain what you would do if you were in their situation.