Crossing Borders - Main Page
A Strategy for Multi-racial, Multi-ethnic Alliance Building
Table of Contents:
1) Crossing Borders – An Overview
Outlines the premise and plan for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement's (FIRM) black-brown strategy.
2) Demographic Shifts Among Black and Brown
Highlights three recent demographic trends: (1) increase in foreign born, African American and Hispanic populations; (2) increase in mixed-race communities; and (3) decrease in predominantly white communities. Includes discussion questions for small and large groups.
3) Five Dimensions of the Black-Brown "Tension"
Provides a framework for understanding black-brown "tensions." Argues that it's not enough to say there are "tensions" between black and brown. Instead, one must understand the multiple dimensions of the challenges in order to effectively address them.
4) Immigration, Jobs and the Black-Brown Question
Provides a framework for understanding why the workplace has become a place of tension and opportunity with respect to black-brown issues. Includes a handout that uses the concept and imagery of the "job ladder" to explain how the U.S. labor market is impacting black and brown constituencies.
5) History as a Tool for Multi-racial, Multi-ethnic Alliance Building
Argues that domination (and the desire to be free from it) and the pursuit of work and opportunity are the two themes that explain the mixing and moving across the globe of diverse racial and ethnic groups. Document makes this argument in the form of an historical timeline.
6) Confronting Racial Bias: Truth and Reconciliation Exercise
An experimental and highly provocative exercise that seeks to draw out and treat stories of racial bias and stereotypes from the perspective of victims, perpetrators, and witnesses. Argues that if building power comes from organizing people, then addressing structural racism isn't enough. We have to address biases and stereotypes that prevent the linking up of individual people.
7) 5 Step Process for Moving From Dialogue to Action
Outlines a simple process for moving from the stage of identifying black and brown leaders, bringing them together, then jointly moving into action. This process is being used in Phoenix, Arizona.
8) 10 Rules for Doing One-on-Ones/Relational Meetings
Recognizing the important of one-on-one relationship building to the process of building multi-racial, multi-ethnic alliances, this document rehashes the simple but importance rules for doing relational meetings.
9) Exploring Black and Brown Stereotypes
Racial and ethnic stereotypes are a big part of the real or perceived "tensions" between black and brown communities. This excerpt from the book "Black-Brown Stereotypes" lists the common perceptions that black and brown communities have of each other, including those that they share. Document includes discussion questions for small and large groups.
10) Perspectives on Black and Brown
A compilation of quotations from African American and Latino leaders about the state of relations between the two communities. Document is useful in deepening understanding of the diverse perspectives on the black-brown issue.
11) Reading List on Multi-racial, Multi-ethnic Alliance Building
A "work in progress" reading list on race and building multi-racial, multi-ethnic alliances.
12) What Would Dr. King Do?
An op-ed on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Immigration. The op-ed was published by Black Star News and posted on numerous blogs and websites.
