For the last six weeks of change.org’s Ideas for Change competition, I’ve been consistently impressed by the advocates for Pass the DREAM Act – Support Higher Education for All Students.
The network of activists promoting the idea are giving the rest of us lessons in how to do it effectively.*Â And they and their supporters seem to really get the strategic importance of a potential partnership with change.org, MySpace, and a raft of excellent non-profits.
With the complex political situation around the DREAM Act, social network activism could be a wild card that helps tip the balance and gets Congress to prioritize the DREAM Act — and puts them over 60 votes in the Senate. Of all of the ideas in the competition, it seems to me it’s got one of the best chances of having an impact. I voted for it (please consider doing the same) and have been trying to help promote it as well as others.
So when I was talking when I was talking with David Herbert of the National Journal on Monday, as well as discussing my idea, I brought the DREAM Act as an example. It worked very effectively from the promotional side (David’s article Move over, change.gov discussed and linked to their idea as well as mine) but I certainly wish I had said things differently:
Web strategist Jon Pincus, whose idea “Get FISA Right, repeal the PATRIOT Act, and restore our civil liberties” is currently ranked No. 2, argued that combining grassroots politics with the power of a social networking site like MySpace could prove a potent combination, even for issues that have already been debated ad nauseam.
The online vote could also help push legislation with some congressional support — like the DREAM Act, which would give undocumented high school graduates a path to citizenship — over the finish line. The only obstacle to the DREAM Act, Pincus said, is that it lacks vocal advocates.
“Who’s going to prioritize undocumented minors?” he said. “Nobody.”
Clunk.
In fact, there are huge obstacles to the passage of the DREAM Act — and plenty of vocal advocates and people who prioritize it, too, starting with the activists who I’ve been so impressed with. Without any context, what I said is incredibly disrespectful to them, denying their voice and agency, and for that I apologize very deeply. Apologies as well to all the non-profit organizations, politicians, and Congressional staffers who have worked on its behalf.
The point I was trying (and failing) to make was that DREAM Act advocates is badly marginalized in traditional activism approaches:
- Strategically, it is very rare that any organization (other than a youth- or family-focused one) will prioritize issues where the burden falls primarily on minors.
- Most politicians and executive directors of non-profits are 30 or over — sometimes substantially so.
- In terms of online activism, the dominant email- and blog-centric approaches marginalize Millennials, who as a group spend much more of their time on social network sites.
- On top of that, immigrant rights advocates in general are the target of racist and nativist sentiments; and a lot of DREAM activists are undocumented and thus face many additional challenges.
So opportunities like Ideas for America are particularly valuable.
Unfortunately, that’s not what I said.
Once again, my apologies.
jon
* For example the detailed instructions in How to vote for the DREAM Act on DreamActivist.
Marisol | 09-Jan-09 at 10:19 am | Permalink
Well, I am glad Jon that you stepped back and fleshed out your earlier comment that nobody spoke for undocumented students. Apology accepted.
In reality, undocumented students are leading their own specific immigrant youth organizing movement through active on the ground organizing and rampant online activism through blogging, twittering etc..
What else can we expect from viral undocumented students and children of immigrants-mostly all millenials and younger-who with no funding and very little institutional support are rising out of the shadows and speaking for themselves.
In the next few month Jon, expect to hear more from them soon 🙂
jon | 09-Jan-09 at 1:08 pm | Permalink
Thanks, Marisol.
There’s a general pattern of people underestimating the incredible amount of online organizing being done by millenials and younger. Even after Obama’s victory and Join the Impact, I think that youth’s and social networks’ influence still hasn’t fully sunk in to most people tracking online activism. On top of that, there have historically been major gaps between the pro-migrant blogosphere and the most natural channel to coverage, the progressive blogosphere. So as you say with so few other options in terms of funding and support, you have to be the most creative — necessity giving more incentive for invention. Change comes from the margins …
And I’m looking forward to hearing much much more!
DREAM Act Campaign Weekly Round-Up | DreamActivist | 09-Jan-09 at 7:22 pm | Permalink
[…] Liminal States […]
Verve | 09-Jan-09 at 11:23 pm | Permalink
Jon, i think online activism will be growing rapidly. Necessity breeds creativity and we are hungry for change. Thanks for correcting yourself though, I wish more people were as considerate as you.
Marsel | 10-Jan-09 at 12:50 am | Permalink
Thank you Jon, for me personaly, once a person has learned and become a better person; thats all that matters. I am not of Hispanic descent, but I too am a Dream Act student. Thank you for your kind words, in a way to know that theres understanding people out there, it makes me smile 🙂
Liminal states » Neocons’ worst nightmare: net movements intersecting in Ideas for Change in America | 13-Jan-09 at 6:35 pm | Permalink
[…] into something that’s been happening under the radar. As Marisol said in a comment on my Apologies to DREAM Act advocates everywhere: In reality, undocumented students are leading their own specific immigrant youth organizing […]
DreamActivist Endorsements at Change.org | DreamActivist | 14-Jan-09 at 12:54 pm | Permalink
[…] Right, repeal the PATRIOT Act, and restore our civil liberties – Read this great post by Jon at Liminal States — Since 9-11, besides Arab Americans, it is immigrants and especially non-citizens who have […]
jon | 16-Jan-09 at 11:00 am | Permalink
Prerna’s Undocumented Students Raise Voices Online for DREAM Act at New American Media is a great view into how the DREAM Activists organized for Ideas for Change, where they wound up finishing in the top 10. For example:
Indeed.
Diego Graglia has some overall context on Feet in two worlds. It’s an excellent article, although one place I’d differ is his description of the victory in Ideas for Chnage as “largely symbolic”. I think he’ll be in for a surprise 🙂 A lot of people seem to be underestimating the value of the MySpace partnership and the great list of non-profits involved. We shall see …
Liminal states :: Constitution Day 2010: We’re all talking to each other | 17-Sep-10 at 9:17 am | Permalink
[…] written before about the DREAM Activists and since then undocumented students’ creativity and courage with […]