I posted my first diary article one month ago, and I am so glad that it got people talking:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
I'm still fighting, but so are so many other people. People have risen up all over the country. After so much frustration over so long a time, seeing people join together to fight for families has been amazing. For me, I am not exaggerating when I say this has been an almost spiritual journey. We have sacrificed and we have fought, day and night, but we have made a difference. And it's just everyday people like you and me. Everyday people just coming together.
Over 100 cities will rally tomorrow. I expect the turnout around the country to be in the millions. I hope you can join us.
To find what's going on near you, check out http://www.april10.org
To everybody who read my last entry, I wanted to give you an update on our case and on our neighbor John's case.
We filed suit against Michael Chertoff on March 10th, 2006, one day after my original diary entry. I've been at this ever since. I lobbied Washington with the American Immigration Lawyers Association and I've gotten involved locally in Philadelphia with the Day Without an Immigrant Coalition organizing for tomorrow:
http://www.daywithoutanimmigrant.com
It took hundreds of thousands in the streets and I'm sure many DailyKos readers helping to get the word out, but we're out there now.
The one thing that has been bothering me up to this point is the continued coverage of the story as "rallies for illegal immigrants". To have crooked congressmen who sopped up bribes from Jack Abramoff try to talk about the rule of law is preposterous, especially when you are dealing with an agency that, as our case illustrates, is unable to comply with the law.
But by standing up and speaking out, we're working to change this. Tonight my wife were on CBS news in Philadelphia and it was the first time that a major TV station talked about how terrible the current immigration system is.
John's case, too, is starting to get some attention. John's wife is back with him now, and because of the support of the good people of Philadelphia, politicians have stepped in to put the pressure on for her to stay for another few months. Just today, John's wife's case was highlighted in the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Both John and I will be speaking in Philadelphia tomorrow to tell our stories. We will stand united with the families of immigrants across the country. I hope you can join us. Tomorrow will be a proud day for America.
I hope you can get involved in supporting John's family, too. Here's more information on how you can help:
JUSTICE FOR JIANG ZHENXING CAMPAIGN
c/o Philadelphia Hoyu Chinese American Association
1225 Vine Street, Suite #404 * Philadelphia * PA * 19107
Dear Friends,
We are asking for your support for the Justice for Jiang Zhenxing Campaign.
The Justice for Jiang Zhenxing Campaign believes that every human being is entitled to human rights and that current Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices have shown utter disregard for those rights. We demand full accountability from ICE regarding the Jiang case. We support immigration reforms that help families' efforts to reunite and stay together, and we oppose the anti-immigrant legislation now being considered in Congress.
On behalf of the Justice for Jiang Zhenxing Campaign,
Jimmy Chang, Philadelphia Hoyu Chinese American Association
Ellen Somekawa, Asian Americans United
There are several ways you can support the Justice for Jiang Zhenxing Campaign:
[ ] My organization endorses the attached call for Justice for Jiang Zhenxing and you may use this organizational endorsement in distributed materials.
[ ] I endorse the attached call for Justice for Jiang Zhenxing and you may use my organizational affiliation in distributed materials.
[ ] I endorse the attached call for Justice for Jiang Zhenxing and you may not use my organizational affiliation in distributed materials.
[ ] I would like to circulate petitions or offer assistance in other forms. Please contact me.
Name:___________________
Position:__________________
Organization/Institution:______________
Address:__________________
City:_________State____Zip:____
Email:_________ Phone:_________
Please return to:
Justice for Jiang Zhenxing Campaign (address above)
or email to: ellens@aaunited.org