The Importance of Advocacy
On Friday, the Supreme Court put 160 years of civil rights in jeopardy by allowing President Trump to challenge the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. This federal law established the right to birthright citizenship which entitles everyone born in this country to be a US citizen. In New Jersey, about 16% of our residents live in a mixed-immigration status household, and nearly one million noncitizens call our state home. These are our students and their families.
How can we manage such horrible news, which comes at us every day it seems? By doing what we can to fight back. We can advocate for our students, their families, and our schools by writing. We can write to our representatives in Washington DC, in Trenton, and at the NJ Department of Education. You may think, how can one person make a difference, but we are not alone. When you respond to a request from NJTESOL/NJBE, you are one of over 1500 members. Imagine if half of us wrote a letter or just filled out our name in an Action Alert. You can share these letter writing campaigns with your colleagues and friends to make a greater impact. Please take the time to send a few emails today and the next time we ask for your help.
