Thoughts on "The Fence" - Documentary

By Norman Cervantes 

Write up for The Fence

I really liked the movie, The Fence, because it informs the viewer about the fence running along the US and Mexican border and how it has impacted life in the surrounding area and. One of the very first things I noticed about the fence is that it is very ineffective, costly, and poorly thought out. According to the movie, the flow of drugs and undocumented individuals into the states has not decreased at all. Moreover, the poorly thought out fence is very expensive as it costs about $1.8 million per mile and the lack of consistency in its’ construction is a jarring sore to one’s eyes with its many gaps and varying heights along the border. In my honest opinion, the wall is such a waste of taxpayer’s money and is the farthest thing from being an effective means of winning the war against “drugs”, “terrorists”, “illegals”, etc. However, the fence also has other effects that are not related necessarily to “national security”.

The environment and the lives of migrants have been affected as well. Since 1995, the rate of deaths for migrants trying to cross the border has risen sharply resulting with the death of about 300 migrants yearly. Moreover, the Minutemen that patrol the border often lack feelings of humanity towards the migrants as they often “hunt” them down with the aid of Border Patrol. If this wasn’t enough loss of life, animals are affected by it as well. Certain parts of the fence have cut through national animal refuges which disturb the natural environment of animals cutting access to food and water. Other environmental issues include inundations along border towns and access to clean water.

Overall, the construction of the fence has only added permanence to the unfounded hatred towards immigrants which has only fueled construction of the fence in the first place. Only time will tell if our future president will decide to revitalize the Border Fence Act of 2006.

[It's the Intern] Meet Nathalie Levine

It is time to meet our AMAZING Intern!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Interns are here and "It's the Intern" series goes in-depth about who is working behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South!

By Nathalie Levine

·    Hello! Tell us little about yourself

Hello! My name is Nathalie and I'm a recent college graduate who just moved to Atlanta. I love singing, playing instruments, riding my bike, making zines, knitting, cooking, my family, my friends, and girls rock camp. I spent last year studying Chinese on a fellowship in the wonderful cities of Harbin, China and Taipei, Taiwan. 

·    What made you decide to apply for this internship?

I've been studying Mandarin since high school, and I wanted to use my language skills not to become a businessman but to do social justice work in the United States. My family is all from New York and I always expected I would end up there after college. I planned to work with immigrants and longtime residents in Chinatown. 

When I moved to Atlanta instead, I realized that interning for Advancing Justice - Atlanta would be a great way to learn about the political landscape outside of the tri-state area and would help me get connected to people who care about the same things I do. 

·    What is your expectation and what would you like to get out of the internship experience?

I am hoping to learn about the diversity of Asian-American communities in Atlanta and the Southeast, and about the roles coalition building and community organizing can play in policy campaigns. I am also curious about what it's like to be a lawyer for the good guys. 

·    Tell us your personal narrative on being Asian in America

I am mixed-race Chinese-American, and for a long time I did not feel that I could claim Asian-American identity because I didn't have a recognizably Asian name or face or accent. Studying Chinese and spending time in China were the first steps I took toward reclaiming my identity as Chinese-American. Studying Asian-American history in college and learning about my own family's place in that history cemented for me that my experiences, while perhaps not typical, are Asian-American experiences, and that I can proudly call myself an Asian-American. 

·    What role would you like to play in Asian American Community in the future?

I plan to keep improving my Mandarin (and my Taiwanese and Toisan!), studying Chinese history and anthropology, and learning (and making zines!) about the inspiring history of my Asian-Americans and especially Asian-American women. I hope to remain involved in the work of mobilizing Asian-Americans to raise their voices against injustice.

·    What is your song of the year?

My song of the year is the Hamilton soundtrack! 

·    Any Last words???

This is a difficult but hopeful time to be working on behalf of people of color in the United States, and I'm so excited to be part of the work of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta.

[It's the Interns] Meet Norman Cervantes

It is time to meet our AMAZING Interns!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Interns are here and "It's the Interns" series goes in-depth about who is working behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South!

By Norman Cervantes

·    Hello! Tell us little about yourself

Hello everyone! My name is Norman Cervantes a senior at Clayton State University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. A couple of things that you should know about me is that I am a very hard-working and ambitious individual who likes to take on challenges no matter how daunting they may be. Other than this, I like to keep myself busy by volunteering or taking up leadership positions in other organizations or by running in my universities’ Cross Country and Track athletic programs. Lastly, I am a pretty big fan of hard rock and alternative metal. Well, that’s pretty much it! 

·    What made you decide to apply for this internship?

I applied to this internship because at my core I am very passionate about helping out minorities in any way possible, especially through political leverage or civil rights. After all, I am a minority myself, so I thought it would be a no-brainer to help out another minority group in need. Nowadays, minorities are fighting each other trying to outdo each other to see who comes out on top. Instead of fighting, we should unite together because we are all going through similar struggles like relegation to inferior positions in society. Since I am heavily involved in the civil rights movement via an executive position (Co-chair of PR) with my school’s NAACP chapter, I thought this would be a good opportunity to complement what I am already doing.

·    What is your expectation and what would you like to get out of the internship experience?

From this internship I expect to become knowledgeable about the Asian Community’s struggles, strengths and weaknesses, and areas of improvement. I also expect to come in contact with various ethnic groups, see significant improvements with my multicultural and communication skills, become an educated individual in regards to the workings of our complex political system and policy making, etc. Overall, I would like to gain memorable experiences and knowledge from this internship.

·    Tell us your personal narrative on being Asian in America

This question is not applicable to me, but since I do look Asian, I guess I might be able to address it in an unorthodox manner. I am Mexican-American but ever since I can remember, my Hispanic friends would call me “Chino/Chinito” (Spanish for a male individual from China) because of my appearance. My pseudo-Asiatic appearance is both a gift and curse; I get mocked and accepted for my appearance. However, over the years I have accepted it as a virtue that makes me unique and memorable. For example, I like to see the expression of awe in people’s faces when I tell them my true nationality. It never ceases to make my day and it’s a great conversation starter too!  I have fully embraced this uniqueness.

·    What role would you like to play in Asian American Community in the future?

I would like to play the role of an advocate for the Asian American Community; a supporter of any and all beneficial endeavors emerging from the Asian Community.

·    What is your song of the year?

 I like the underlying message of this alternative metal song: Breach Birth by Chevelle

·    Any Last words???

” If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” – Desmond Tutu

[It's the Interns] Civic Engagement is a bottom-up assurance that the democratic political system is a well-operated one.

It is always hard to say good bye!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Summer Internship has come to a close. "it's the Interns" series continue with our interns who worked behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South and their thoughts on the Internship.

By Yao Sun

·    What was your most memorable moment from the internship?

My most memorable moment was when I was waiting for a detainee at the Stewart Detention Center and I saw the plastic glass between the visitor’s room and the center inside. On the glass there were words scratched by the detainees and their visitors. 

·    What was an eye-opening, unexpected experience, challenges, or knowledge gained from the internship?

I learnt the skills of making professional phone calls from phone banking and making informational conversations with strangers from door-to-door canvassing. Those are the skills important to my future career and I could only gain those skills from hands-on experience.

·    Why do you believe it is important to be involved in Civic Engagement?

I think it is important to be involved in Civic Engagement because it is an effective way to participate in politics. Also, Civic Engagement is a bottom-up assurance that the democratic political system is a well-operated one. 

·    How do you hope to incorporate what you have learned this summer as you go forward?

I learned a lot this summer about how to work with my coworkers, our business partners and even strangers. I think I will incorporate the communication skills into my future career. 

·    What advice do you have for the future interns?

Try to talk to the people around you, either the staff members or other interns. You will find they are insightful and amazing persons and you will learn a great deal from your relationships with them. 

·    What unique skill set did you developed from the internship?

I developed the skills to cooperate with others and communicate with people from different walks of life.  

· What was the best Asian dish you had throughout the internship?

Indian food for sure! And the buttery Naan we had at the community banquet!

·    Why are you proud to work with the immigrant community?

It elevates my awareness of the legal and social status quo of immigrant. And I think their hardship and struggling in life is obscure to the public. 

[It's the Interns] To ignore the rights of the immigrant community is to ignore the identity of this country

It is always hard to say good bye!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Summer Internship has come to a close. "it's the Interns" series continue with our interns who worked behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South and their thoughts on the Internship.

By Leslie Wang

·    What was your most memorable moment from the internship?

It was when the interns were visiting the Center for Civil and Human Rights, I put my hands on a counter and put on headphones. Through the headphones was a mimic of the situations that could happen at a demonstration, where policemen could be shouting and protesters arguing and crying. Never been to a protest before, I realized for the first time how hard it could be for a peaceful demonstration to take place and the training that were needed by the protesters.

·    What was an eye-opening, unexpected experience, challenges, or knowledge gained from the internship?

After gained more insightful knowledge about the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s and heard detailed stories about the freedom riders, it was an amazing experience to meet the Dream Riders of 2015 at the Georgia capitol. Seeing young adults at my age who grew up in the United States but were unfairly treated because they were undocumented, I admired their courage to talk about their stories and their determination to fight for what the rights that were belonged to them.

·    Why do you believe it is important to be involved in Civic Engagement?

As an international student, I always voted at my college, no matter how small the elections were. Because I knew the international student body was not trivial, it was important to incorporate our voices and needs into the policy making process at our school. If I did not say anything, I did not believe anyone else would speak for me. The same logic applied to being citizens, which involves more serious and down-to-earth issues. If a citizen did not engage, no other person would fight for the rights for him or her. Therefore, it was important for citizens to be civically engaged.

·    How do you hope to incorporate what you have learned this summer as you go forward?

I could be a quiet person if I were at a new place. It was fine when I was attending new classes at school. However, I learned that at workplace, it was very important for co-workers to speak up their opinion and to communicate with each other, so that unnecessary misunderstandings could be avoided. At this work, I always made sure that my partners expressed themselves and I expressed myself fully, instead of making conjectures or pretending that I knew what they needed.

·    What advice do you have for the future interns?

It was an important experience for me to use the things I learned from our staffs and our work to understand the lives and conditions of people with whom I met in my life. I noticed that there were so many situations and possibilities of lives of which I was not aware, and I learned to respect and to listen to that differences. I hope if the future interns could get the same experiences we had, you could bring the knowledge into your life and use it.

·    What unique skill set did you developed from the internship?

As a native Chinese speaker, I did not thought of translating my first language as a challenge, but the reality contradicted me. It took me a long time to translate flyers, menus or posters from English to Chinese. Besides the literary meaning, I had to take into the consideration that their lives were to a very large extent different from their lives in China, and made the translation more applicable to the situations here.

· What was the best Asian dish you had throughout the internship?

No doubt it were the naans we had at Clarkston Municipal Dinner at Kathmandu Kitchen and Grill.

·    Why are you proud to work with the immigrant community?

Because the United States is an immigrant country where the majority of citizens either had immigrant heritage or were immigrant themselves, to ignore the rights of immigrant community is to ignore a part of the identity of this country, of which every member in this society should be proud of.

[It's the Interns] How to be a responsible voice for the people.

It is always hard to say good bye!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Summer Internship has come to a close. "it's the Interns" series continue with our interns who worked behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South and their thoughts on the Internship.

By Saisha Mediratta

·    What was your most memorable moment from the internship?

I think my most memorable moment was going to the Dream Riders conference. It was a chance to meet students around our age fighting so passionately for a cause we believe in. I think the Dream Riders represented unity and solidarity even with so many different nationalities. Talking to them and listening to their stories was an eye-opening experience, and I not only was able to witness a great movement, but also make some new friends.  

·    What was an eye-opening, unexpected experience, challenges, or knowledge gained from the internship?

I think what was “eye-opening” was how organic the whole process was. If someone felt passionate about an issue relating to civic engagement or the Asian-American community, she could do something about it. It could be in the form of an article, a blog post, an infographic, further research or building upon an older initiative. I realized there is always something you can do even if it as basic as raising awareness. 

·    Why do you believe it is important to be involved in Civic Engagement?

I think it is very easy to shift the blame to politicians and people who have a more public mouth piece to voice their opinions. However ultimately it is the people who make the decision of who they are going to give those privileges to. The only way to ensure that our leaders are representative of what the majority of his/her constituents stand for is to voice what we stand for, and that could be something as basic as voting.  

·    How do you hope to incorporate what you have learned this summer as you go forward?

I have learned a lot from Advancing Justice on how to be a responsible voice for the people. I hope to continue working on increasing civic engagement, and most importantly inform others of the problems facing our community. We often get undermined because of the model minority myth even though our struggle as immigrants is much more complex than that. 

·    What advice do you have for the future interns?

Make the most of your internship. Take every opportunity to help with something or do work because there is no replacement for experience. Because of all the responsibility placed on us as interns, we get an opportunity to be a part of the larger cause and picture in a big way. There are so many facets to the work we do that it is almost impossible not to learn something new every day. 

·    What unique skill set did you developed from the internship?

I think I have developed patience in a lot of different ways. A large majority of the material we work on is part of a more long term goal. One canvass may not make a difference, but multiple over the next three months will achieve larger results. Additionally with the civic engagement work, being patient with people especially when we are interacting with over 30 in one canvass and many more in a phone banking session. 

· What was the best Asian dish you had throughout the internship?

Without intending to offend any of my Korean brothers and sisters, I am not a big fan of Korean food, and the only other Asian food I had was Indian. So my final answer is: I loved Global Mall’s chicken 65 and The Palace’s Makhni Chicken. 

·    Why are you proud to work with the immigrant community?

I am proud to work with the immigrant community because it really represents a group of hardworking people striving to provide a better life for their families. I think there is a unique passion among the immigrant community because we look to America as a privilege and a land of opportunity as cliché as a sounds.

[It's the Interns] Our lives can’t be isolated from our obligations

It is always hard to say good bye!

Advancing Justice-Atlanta Summer Internship has come to a close. "it's the Interns" series continue with our interns who worked behind and in front of the scene to Build Power for Good in the South and their thoughts on the Internship.

By Brian Lee

·    What was your most memorable moment from the internship?

The most memorable moment from my internship was when I was given the opportunity to speak at the Pan Asian Action Network Meeting in front of a large group of community leaders about the advantages of receiving citizenship. While getting caught up in the moment and thinking of the upcoming election, I accidentally suggested that one could run for president if they were a citizen (which only applies if one is natural born). It served as a lesson in humility to prove that no matter how much experience I may have from debate or mock trial, I can still make obvious mistakes. (I also happened to be embarrassed.) 

·    What was an eye-opening, unexpected experience, challenges, or knowledge gained from the internship?

As a person who tends to micromanage, I learned more about social dynamics within a nonprofit setting and teamwork in general. Being able to observe and work with everyone from Helen to other talented interns allowed me to better understand how trusting associates delegate and execute various tasks allows for a more efficient system of collaboration. Though fundamental, I think that my firsthand experience gave me a unique perspective into the process that I would not have been able to see had I chosen to work in larger corporate setting. 

·    Why do you believe it is important to be involved in Civic Engagement?

I believe it is important to be involved in civic engagement because our lives can’t be isolated from our obligations. Almost everything that we do, from throwing our trash in the appropriate disposal container to posting about our thoughts on social media, are basic expressions of our political position. To guarantee the right to do these things requires that our positions are recognized by the people living around us, thus highlighting the significance of engagement.
Even when the issues don’t affect how we live our daily lives, we still have the altruistic obligation to help those that are marginalized or oppressed. It is unacceptable to allow transgressions to occur while we stand by

·    How do you hope to incorporate what you have learned this summer as you go forward?

 Because I intend on pursuing a career in law and politics, much of the information that I learned will be applicable in my life; however, in the near future I feel that the practical skills utilized around the office will help me organize my schedule and workspace. Furthermore, I plan on staying involved in civic engagement campaigns with Advancing Justice going forward, so I hope to be of further service to the community with my newly developed skills.

·    What advice do you have for the future interns?

 My advice for future interns is to keep an open mind and try not to let personal biases shape the learning experience that is provided by the internship. As an individual with strong stances on particular issues, I felt that this might have limited me from grasping all of the opportunities provided, but I think that knowing this going forward will guarantee a great experience for new interns.

·    What unique skill set did you developed from the internship?

Over the past three years, I’ve learned the entire process of canvassing starting from the door to data input in the Voter Activation Network, administrative skills involving Microsoft Office and event organization, as well as citizenship and voter registration procedures. Though it may not be a singular unique skill, I believe that these tasks helped me to develop my versatility, allowing me to redirect a few of my capabilities into a wider range of assignments. 

· What was the best Asian dish you had throughout the internship?

It was a bit sweet, but I really enjoyed eating pad thai.

·    Why are you proud to work with the immigrant community?

The immigrant community is made up of the most hard-working, diligent, and entrepreneurial individuals who risk everything for family and a brighter future. I couldn’t be more proud to work with these people who value improving society over their own immediate needs and desires, and it is my honor to be a part of this group.