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On Thursday, September 24th, over a hundred East Tennesseans filled Lawson Auditorium at Maryville College for the national premier of Brave New Foundation’s documentary “Second Battle,” an episode from the series “In Their Boots” (www.intheirboots.com). The screening was the first in the nation and it chronicled the story of two military spouses fighting to stay in the country their husbands proudly served for – and in one case, died for.

One of those stories involves Maryville, TN immigrant Hota Ferschke, widow of the fallen Marine Michael Ferschke, Jr.. Hota is trapped in an unyielding immigration system that won’t allow her to raise her American citizen son in the country for which her husband died. Their legal marriage is not recognized by Immigration Law on the technicality that they did not consummate after marriage. Hota's Visitors’ Visa will expire in January of 2010.  

A private bill has been introduced by Congressman Duncan and Senator Alexander that if passed, will allow Hota to remain in the U.S. However, unless the law is rewritten, more military spouses will fall victim to the same struggle as the Ferschke family.

The other story in the film concerns Jack Barrios, a second generation Guatemalan American from Van Nuys, California, who served honorably in Iraq. Upon returning home, he found himself fighting to keep his family together. His wife, Francis, entered the U.S. as a child without documentation and knew nothing about her lack of papers. As a result, she is currently facing deportation. Jack also suffers from PTSD and works two jobs to provide for his wife and two young children.

TIRRC has created an online petition to send out to Congress and the Department of Homeland Security, urging them to move the private bill forward and address immigration reform for American families. Take action here: http://tnimmigrant.e-actionmax.com/default.asp

 “Second Battle” will be released to a worldwide audience by Brave New Foundation on October 9th. On that date you will be able to watch the film for free online. To watch the trailer today, visit: http://www.intheirboots.com/itb/episodes/season-2/second-battle.html

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On Sunday April 26th, over three thousand Tennesseans joined together to support just and humane immigration reform. The event called attention to the policies that are breaking apart families and destroying Tennessee communities.

For Pastor Jose Rodriguez of Nashville’s Hispanic Church of God, the urgency of this gathering could not have been greater. “The time is now for reform. The family unit is under attack by a failed system of deportations. It is unethical; it is not American; and, it hurts our communities. Our policies must reflect our values.” he said. “Too often I have had to console young men who lost their fathers, or mothers who lost their children. No more.”

The event marked another stop on the “Family Unity Tour,” hosted by Representative Luis Gutierrez (Illinois, 4th district). Spanning over five weeks and 16 U.S. cities, the tour is an effort to document the harm caused to citizens across our nation in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform.

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On Sunday April 19th, a diverse group of Shelbyville citizens hosted a forum about the Somali culture in an effort to educate the community about Shelbyville’s newest Americans. Leaders of the Somali community along with El Centro Latino, SOCM, NPT and Welcoming Tennessee organized this event to address the growing concerns and misunderstandings within the city. Nearly 50 local residents attended the event, which was hosted in the Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce function room.

Salaad Nur, a panelist and participant in the documentary, realized the urgency and importance of hosting an event after the recent wave of negative press towards the Somali community in Shelbyville. “We are Americans just like all other immigrants before us and we contribute to the community in many manners, including taxes.” Salaad added, “Even with some cultural differences we have much in common, and it is important that we educate people about our culture so that there is no fear or misconceptions.”

The event featured a screening of the Nashville Public Television documentary “Somali | Somaali,” (which can be viewed online at http://www.wnpt.org/productions/nextdoorneighbors/somali/index.htm)

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On Wednesday, April 1, TIRRC hosted its third annual New American Day on the Hill. Nearly 100 community leaders took advantage of this important opportunity to interact with their elected officials. Participants from all over Tennessee first met at the Freedom Center, in the heart of downtown Nashville, for a brief training on the legislative process and discussion of current bills with the potential to affect immigrant communities. Next they went to the Legislative Plaza and the Capitol Building, where the legislators' committee rooms and offices are housed.

Participants held over 30 meetings with individual legislators where they discussed important policy proposals, told personal stories that put a human face to the issues, and demonstrated clearly the growing political voice of the immigrant community in Tennessee. In the words of participant Aram Torabian, “Being here at New American Day on the Hill makes you feel like you are a part of the democratic process. It makes you aware of the fact that you can make a change; that your perspective influences your government.”