And the Dreamers Dream on

First introduced to Mr. Belafonte, not directly, but by someone who worked for his band. Harry Belafonte is known for his Calypso-inspired music. In the early 1990s, a talented percussionist came into our office to apply for an O-1 visa. After being introduced to a prospective client, I started my research and found a new world of music.

Calypso was not a coincidence for my West African client. Since then, I’ve learned that Calypso was developed by West Africans who brought their traditions to the Caribbean. I was also told that Kaisos are performed by a Griot and chantwell . These local bards tell stories through song, providing social commentary in praise, satire or lament.

My Senegalese client was a trained griot (a hereditary troubadour-historian) who played the kora and the Bougarabou – a West African percussion instrument. He was enthralled by his stories, and couldn’t stop drumming at my desk while he told them in his musical accent. I enjoyed working with him, and we were able to put together an O-1 visa petition that was successful.

As part of my research I learned about Harry Belafonte’s rise from poverty to championing civil rights. This knowledge wasn’t part of the O-1 Visa Petition we filed for the client but it gave me a fascinating insight into the history of the civil rights movement. On August 28, I was reminded about all this as we celebrated the 60 ^th Anniversary of the ” I have a Dream Speech.” Belafonte helped organize the 1963 March on Washington in which Dr. King gave his famous speech.

This all came together when I realized that Deferred action for Childhood Arrivals also turned 11 recently, and far too many immigrants who were brought to the United States as children still have their hopes and dreams a long way off. I wonder if civil rights activists like Harry Belafonte will rise to the top of the immigrant activist ranks and set the stage for an important moment in immigrant policy. The uniqueness of artists and performers is that they can tell compelling stories. It only takes a spark of inspiration to ignite the flame of immigrant advocacy. We need non-violent, responsible action to galvanize the imagination and open hearts and minds towards the plights of other human beings who are stuck in limbo for ever.

The film Las Abogadas, for example, brilliantly captures these stories of immigrants with their trials and tribulations, and ultimately inspires. It is uplifting to know that immigration attorneys risk their lives for what can only described as a noble cause to help our fellow humans. Careen S Shannon says : “0ur goal in releasing this documentary is to raise public awareness about the difficult journey that asylum seekers take to save their own lives or those of their family members, to amplify and promote the work of immigration lawyers, and to encourage people to find out more about migrants’ plight and ways they can help.”

We are immigration professionals who fight for the rights of immigrants. We are on the front lines of this fight, and can make a real difference by sharing our stories and highlighting the power of the stories of our clientele. We attorneys should be able convince anyone, if we can convince the USCIS officer to grant petitions that our cause is worth it and immigrants deserve our respect and appreciation. It is not where they are from that should matter, but what they contribute to our society. They bring a diversity of culture and identity, as well as a sense of togetherness, which makes us proud Americans.