Nine Young Activists Who Challenged Immigration Law Spark Admiration and Criticism – Nine young activists, who had left the country and challenged United States immigration law by coming back across the border and applying for humanitarian visas and asylum, have sparked criticism and admiration. The youth, known as the Dream 9, were detained and sent to a detention center in Arizona. Now they are free and await their day in court to ask for asylum in the U.S. Some have compared the action to the civil disobedience of Rosa Parks during the civil rights movement, while others criticize it as counterproductive. What will the impact of this direct action be on the wider debate about immigration reform? Valeria Fernández has this story from Arizona.
Indigenous People of California and New Zealand Share Dance, Song and Food – Two indigenous cultures separated by an entire ocean met in the San Francisco Bay Area to celebrate and share the spirit of dance and music. When the Altamira Maori Contemporary Dance Company of New Zealand came to visit, Maori dancers from California came together with Ohlone indigenous people, who gave the visitors a welcome to their motherland and shared their songs. Silvia Parra brings us a profile of this celebration in which culture, dance, song, and food were shared. This feature story is part of the Raíces Series: Stories About Grassroots Artists.
