Invisible Women of the Immigrant Rights Movement
In far too many pivotal movements throughout history, the advocates and activists that are launched into the spotlight are men. We hear men speaking, we read about important decisions made by men, and we are told that men are the leaders. In this narrative, we do not hear about the communities and other leaders who made these movements possible. Often, these people are women.
This has reigned true within the Immigrant Rights Movement, as many influential and outspoken women championing this cause have been ignored. Below you will find the names of four of the women who have been relegated to the background of this movement, despite their influential actions.
This is part four of a blog series that will cover accomplishments of just a few of the women who have been rendered invisible but integral throughout the Immigrant Rights Movement.
Immigrant Rights Movement
Immigrant rights have long been a topic of political conversation and legislation. Since the late 1970’s and 1980’s, the country has seen a number of legislation regarding immigration passed including the Refugee Act of 1980 and The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Beginning in the 1990’s, the immigrant rights movement focuses on immigrant policy reform and the prevention of excessive enforcement of immigration laws. With over 41 million immigrants in the United States today, creating a process that respects those who are coming to our country with just and humane policies is essential.
Valarie Kaur
“We need a shift in consciousness and culture. A revolution of the heart. A new way of being and seeing that leaves no one outside our circle of care.”
Valarie Kaur is an activist for many important causes in American society, including immigration. To advance her outspoken advocacy, she holds a plethora of important roles including author, filmmaker, Sikh faith leader, and lawyer. Her debut book, See No Stranger, aims to examine the ways in which the adoption of radical love can reduce the tendency to resort to bigotry. As a Sikh American, she shares valuable insight into the experiences she and her family have had, and how these occurrences could possibly be prevented in the future. She applies her lived experiences and her philosophies to advocate for immigrant rights and policies that protect those who are seeking a better life.
Arundhati Roy
“Our strategy should be not only to confront empire, but to lay siege to it. To deprive it of oxygen. To shame it. To mock it. With our art, our music, our literature, our stubbornness, our joy, our brilliance, our sheer relentlessness – and our ability to tell our own stories.”
Arundhati Roy has played an immensely influential role in this movement. Roy is an Indian author and filmmaker who uses her creative talent to advocate for immigrant rights and to celebrate the contributions of historically oppressed groups all over the world. Her most well-known novel, The God of Small Things, addresses the impact that legislative action has on every single member of society. Roy’s advocacy for immigrant rights manifests in her artistic work as she advocates for a less exclusive world.
Cristina Jiménez Moreta
“We must resist the attacks on the most vulnerable among us—and the organizations that protect them—in order to truly live up to the promise of America.”
Cristina Jiménez Moreta co-founded the organization United We Dream and has been an active advocate for immigrant rights throughout her life. As an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador, Jiménez Moreta is continuously fighting for the continuation and implementation of the DACA program. In 2018, she was named as one of TIME’s 100 most influential people of the year.
Caitlin Dickerson
“America never wanted the tired, poor, huddled masses. The U.S. is a diverse nation of immigrants – but it was not intended to be, and its historical biases continue to haunt the present.”
Caitlin Dickerson is an accomplished American journalist who has devoted much of her career towards contributing to the immigrant rights movement. Dickerson has worked with many well-known publications such as NPR, the New York Times, and CNN. Currently, she works as a reporter for The Atlantic with a specific concentration on immigration. She has used her various platforms to staunchly defend immigration to the U.S. and advocate against deportation policies.