Dreamers Stories for Our Time
Announcing a New Free Online Workshop in Partnership with Long Island Wins
Meeting Every Wednesday, 11 am to 1 pm
Starting Wednesday, June 17th
(Credit painting by Gwynne Duncan)
Dreams are not limited to a single race, gender nor country of origin. Yet children and young adults who have made the U.S. their new homes are being forced to prove that they too can have their own dreams and the rights to pursue them in the midst of hostility from others in an unforgiving political climate. Each day is a new day in the tough fight for Dreamers, young immigrants and refugees from all nations as they join their families and communities in the fight for rights to pursue their dreams.
Luckily, we are raised to be fighters and through our storytelling, inspired by generations of fight of our family members and our own life experiences, we have stories to share with the world to show how dedicated we are to fight for our dreams. Our struggles and sacrifices have allowed us to form bonds with one another and our communities. These communities are not the crime ridden areas the media portrays and are instead towns filled with love, opportunity and ambition. With our stories and experiences we can raise our voices to grab the attention of those who need to hear us most.
The workshop will be facilitated by Catalina Benavides, a Herstory co facilitator who is using her love for language and storytelling to empower all voices, and Marcela Contreras Ortiz, a Herstory co facilitator, who through our program in her high school was able to find her voice to speak out, and hopes to help other students do the same.
Marcela writes: “After years of being afraid and voiceless, Herstory helped me find a way to be what the very movement of Dreamers encompasses: Unafraid and Unashamed. I write to give voice to those who are often overlooked and silenced in hopes to give some insight to the life of the Immigrant and maybe one day, make change.”
Catalina writes: “As a first generation Latina, I write to share the realities of a community that is quickly forgotten but it is really a community that is part of the backbone of this country. All of us, especially dreamers, are here to make change for ourselves and our communities through the powerful stories we have the potential to write.”
This group is open to DACA recipients/students from all nations, along with young immigrants, or children of immigrants, and refugees who identify with this struggle. This is part of a larger online “Students Writing for Our Time” project, hosted by a consortium of 7 Long Island Universities and Colleges. http://www.herstorywriters.org/online-workshops-for-our-time
If you are interested in participating, please send a short email to Marcela Contreras Ortiz at mp14contort@gmail.com and Catalina Benavides at catbenavides@gmail.com.
*Students from high schools, colleges and universities are welcome to join, as we work with our college and school partners to roll out options to help you meet your community service and community engagement requirements.
To read a story by Marcela, click here. https://longislandwins.com/news/national/i-was-a-dreamer-by-marcela-contreras/
To read a story by Catalina, click here. https://longislandwins.com/news/long-island/stories-for-liberation-they-take-them-away/
