The American Dream Hustle

It took me a long time to write this blog. First of all, I am lazy. Second, there are too many good themes to write a blog about to let this go. Yet, today arrived the best so far.

So, there I was trying to sell the Dream Act to Mr. Anonymous. Then, he proceed to sell me CIR and made me compromise on a big effort. It was a stroke of genius that took him about 25 minutes. At the end of the conversation, I was incredible happy. He is such a nice guy. He is a hustler, a devil’s advocate who sells his ideas to recruit innocent young idealist, like me.

If anyone thinks it is appalling, it is the wrong view. Mr. Anonymous did not use fear, like some unscrupulous activists. He was logical and reasonable on his ideas. Every member of every organization that deals with every issue is a seller. Every advocate hustles his/her concept to the world.

There are many issues in this world, cancer, environment, Aids, hunger, among others. What makes your issue bigger than the others? Why should anyone spend their valuable time and effort in the Dream Act? Why should anyone spend more time on the Dream Act than stopping the raids?

If you are hustling love ones or estrangers to be part of your efforts, you must thank them and remind them constantly why their efforts matters. Rather than asking them why this is so important to you, inform them why this is so important to them. It should always be important to them that the Dream Act passes. Otherwise, they will move on to greener pastures in the future. Sometimes you do not need to inform them why it matters to them. Sometimes it is about asking them why it matters.

If you are a Dream Act student, you don’t have to disclose your legal status. Talk to ten individuals from your community. You can choose your mom, dad, cousins, teachers and friends. Tell them that you are following this crazy blog and those who do the best job, will receive a gift. Advice, if world hunger is the main issue for someone, no matter how good is your argument, you will never convince this person to forget world hunger and focus on dream. Remember, your priorities are not their priorities. You must find people whose priorities are similar to yours.
Ask them something from their background, how long have you been living in this community? Listen to their responses carefully, and then ask if they like their community and why? Ask them about the origins of their families; finally ask them if they think immigration is important and why. If they start with the close the border rhetoric and illegal is illegal, do not fight. Keep listening and politely end the conversation and say goodbye –hopefully, forever.

If they do say pro-immigrant points, give them an array of issues related to immigration. For example, talk about the Dream Act, how many citizenship applicants have to wait for years to know if they qualify, talk about the raids. Ask this person which of those issues seems to be the most important. Finally, ask this person what they have done to fix this problem. Usually, this comes with shock or anger. Some people will say that is impossible to do anything or some people will say that they cannot do anything about it. Some will respond that they never thought it was possible to do anything. Remember; let the person tell you why immigration reform is important to them. If you try to sell the idea, you will look like Apu from The Simpsons, always trying to screw the customer. If the person is enthusiastic about doing something…congratulations! You have become a professional issue hustler.

Now, if only you had something to do with your volunteer….

Do I Have what It Takes?

Are you a leader? Well, some people will say yes and most people will say no. Why? Why you cannot be a leader? It is often a response that requires a long meditation. Usually, we associate leadership with powerful people. Since very few of us have the same resume than Martin Luther King or Cesar Chavez, we tend to believe that we are not leaders.


My all time favorite sequence is from Children of Men. For all those unlucky folks who have yet to see the movie. Let me tell you, this blog contains major spoilers. Okay, in the near future women are sterile and the world is slowly dying. Theo, a pathetic and apathetic, man is enlisted to take a miraculous pregnant woman to safety. Both the malevolent government and the malevolent uprising want the baby for their own sick political agendas. Theo realizes that the safety he is searching might not even exist. In the outstanding climax, the uprising steals the baby. Theo, wearing flip-flops and with a broken ankle, rescues the mother and baby. For a second, both the uprising and the army cease fire, immerse in the miracle that is the baby. As soon as the baby leaves their sigh, the battle continues.


There is no question that Theo was a great man that lost faith in the world. He becomes this middle class loser out of despair while horrible things happen to people around him. The baby becomes hope and what is important becomes clear. He does not become a hero because he has the physical, mental or moral capacity. Rather, he becomes a hero because he must. Everybody in the movie is unable to see beyond their noses. The masses are only capable to see what is important momentarily. In this epic process, Theo stands for what was right and found redemption.


We all see the world around us and we do not like what we see. The majority will remain stagnant. A few will move. Those people are leaders; it does not matter if the change is big or small. It might sound corny but by reading this blog and searching for solutions to the Dream Act issue, you’re showing leadership and commitment to what you believe in. There is a political battle outside and interest groups are using Dream Act students as tools to show that even sympathetic youngsters are evil, filthy illegals. You are here, looking at what is important to you.
Rather than being a lecture blog to teach others to be good political advocates for the Dream Act. I wish for this blog to be a fluid place where people exchange tips and anecdotes about effective political action. Let’s face it, no one knows everything but someone knows something. If we all gather and share information, we all gain something.


Finally, Change.org is having its second round on ideas. For those unaware of the concept, they are allowing their members to nominate/post and vote on issues. The winners will be presented to president elect Obama. Pass the Dream Act was the number one issue related to immigration. Thanks to all the people who register and voted. Your vote counts. It will not only show that the Dream Act is currently the most important immigration issue. It will also be a moral victory showing our friends and allies that we can win. Thus, walk, walk and keep walking.
Official Endorsments
Pass the Dream Act Now!
Equal Immigration Rigths for Same Sex Binational Couples
Provide Relief for Families of Immigrants