AILA Presents Mycuéntame.org with the 2013 Advocacy Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 27, 2013
| CONTACTS: | |
|---|---|
| George Tzamaras 202-507-7649 gtzamaras@aila.org |
Belle Woods 202-507-7675 bwoods@aila.org |
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) will award Mycuéntame.org with the 2013 Advocacy Award for outstanding efforts in support of AILA's legislative agenda. A representative from the organization will accept the award today during AILA's Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA.
Mycuéntame.org is a place for Latinos and the public in general to share their personal stories. The official page of the ¡Latino Instigators!, mycuéntame, seeks to educate the public through short video, docu-series, and interviews from their studio and the streets. The messages are submitted by the public to unite voices and create a powerful community.
The website has become an important voice in tackling unjust immigration laws. It was started by Axel Caballero, an activist for over 10 years on diverse issues ranging from nuclear disarmament, environmental protection, immigration to human rights and Latin American affairs.
Mr. Caballero says efforts to pass an immigration reform bill in recent years have stalled as a result of the anti-immigrant rhetoric and the negative perceptions of undocumented immigrants. He believes that instead of moving forward with a sensible solution to fix the nation's broken immigration system, there's been a recent wave of harsh enforcement tactics. These tactics, he said, have led to a record number of deportations, the separation of families, the exploitation of undocumented workers and the unjust treatment of unauthorized immigrants.
"We're sick and tired of the anti-immigrant rhetoric," he said recently. "It's loud, it's noisy and it's really not helping anyone." Mycuéntame.org offers a place for immigrants' stories to be shared and the public to learn about what impact immigration law and policies have on real people.
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The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.