The Devil’s Breath: Border Crossers Caught in San Diego’s Wildfires

It has been 9 months, but a documentary has recently been released.
It is an in-depth look at how the October 2007 wildfires in San Diego affected the lives of three groups of migrants heading north from Mexico. It is very sad how the officials were notified of Juan Carlos's location and did not search for him.

Immigration Stories

From the Immigration Stories site:

"A long-time resident of the U.S. Midwest, Cuban-born Raul Ramos y Sanchez is a founding partner of B/R/C Marketing, established in 1992 with offices in Ohio and California. Besides developing a documentary for public television, Two Americas: The Legacy of our Hemisphere, he is host of MyIimmigrationStory.com — an online forum for the U.S. immigrant community.

Statistics do not tell the story of immigration. People do. Since its inception, this nation has been continually infused with the energy of newcomers. Yet their assimilation has seldom been smooth. The challenges we face today are not new. Only the stories are."

Visit the site and learn more here.

Under The Same Moon, Film Trailer

Nine-year-old Carlos aka Carlitos is one of the countless children left behind by parents who come to the U.S. seeking a way to provide for their families. His mother, Rosario, has worked illegally as a domestic in Los Angeles for four years, sending money home to her son and mother to give them a chance at a better life. When the death of his grandmother leaves young Carlitos alone, he takes his fate into his own hands and heads north across the border to find his mother. As he journeys from his rural Mexican village to the L.A. barrio, Carlitos faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles with a steely determination and unfettered optimism that earn him the grudging respect and affection of a reluctant protector, a middle-aged migrant worker named Enrique. The unlikely pair finds its way from Tucson to East L.A., but the only clue Carlitos has to his mothers whereabouts is her description of the street corner from which she has called him each Sunday for the last four years. Unaware that Rosario is only hours away from returning to Mexico to be with her son, Carlitos and Enrique desperately comb the vast unfamiliar city for a place he has seen only in his imagination.

Border Crossings - Cruzando Fronteras

Border Crossings/Cruzando Fronteras touches on crucial issues that surround the increased militarization of the U.S./Mexico border. The United States Border Patrol, now part of the new formed Department of Homeland Security, has a history of abusing its power. Examples of this abuse range from sexual assault to unnecessary use of deadly force. It is also a widely ignored fact that the U.S./Mexico Border divides many indigenous nations such as the Tohono O'odham, Yaqui, and Navajo. This prevents many people from performing and attending traditional ceremonies and activities. Border Crossings exposes the U.S./Mexico border as the true alienator, dividing two nations that have thousands of years of migration history.

American Immigration Lawyers Association Video

A video from the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

From Crackle: 26537 American Immigration Lawyers Association...

Immigration woes for gay couples

Rita Boyadjian wishes she were in a better mood to celebrate the weddings of fellow gay friends after California began legally marrying same-sex couples last month. But her partner of six years is a German woman whose student visa runs out soon.

Even if they were to legally marry in California, Margot (not her real name) could not stay in the United States because the federal government does not recognize same sex marriage for immigration purposes. Boyadjian spoke to Reuters about her decision to move to Germany so the couple and their nine-month-old baby can stay together. Gay rights activists estimate that 40,000 bi-national gay and lesbian couples in the United States are caught in the same legal limbo.