Undocumented in America

Today: Congress, immigrant experiences, and empathy

Good morning, Jess here.

Call me crazy, but I love the start of a new week because it offers a clean slate to grow in areas I wasn’t so great in the week before. Today, we share three things to bring you fresh perspective that might cause you to go about your week a little differently. ONE is the weekly update on Congress from our legislative expert, Alexis. TWO shares the experiences of a teenager from an immigrant family and the realities they’re facing. THREE presents one teacher’s experiential approach to racism and how her students reacted.

These are topics that affect each of us, so my challenge for you today is to share your unique URL with a friend, coworker, or Facebook group. Plus, if ten people sign up with your link, we’ll send you a FRAY hat: your unique invite link.

Meanwhile, I’m off to brunch with my mom. This teacher’s on Spring Break!

ONE: This week in Congress

Congress adjourned Friday for their two-week break, when they will work with constituents back in their home states. Before they adjourned, the Senate met their self-imposed deadline of confirming the next Supreme Court justice prior to the break and the House took a closer look at North Korea.

Senate
All eyes were on the Senate this week as they confirmed, in a 54–45 vote, the next associate justice of the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch. As we discussed in Friday’s FRAY, the Senate invoked the nuclear option to override the Democrats’ filibuster of Judge Gorsuch. The centuries-old filibuster now may only be used to slow legislation and can no longer prevent nominations of anykind.

House of Representatives
The House split their time between legislation and simple resolutions this week, casting final votes on four apiece. Simple resolutions serve operational goals of the House, such as setting the debate rules prior to consideration of a bill and do not require action by the Senate or President. In addition to rules, this week’s resolutions included a statement condemning North Korea’s missile program. The House otherwise focused on uncontroversial legislation such as requesting a report on North Korea’s ties to terrorism and bills supporting investors and innovators.

A closing reminder to find a town hall or other event to connect with your members of Congress during the next two weeks’ recess. If they have not scheduled one, call their district office and ask for an event or a meeting with you and some friends. Remember — Congress works for you!

TWO: High school senior shares her family’s immigrant experience

As a high school teacher at a low-performing Title I school, I have learned more than I could have imagined when I applied for the job four years ago. My students have taught me about their lived experiences as minorities in America and it’s heightened my awareness tenfold. Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with a former student to talk about what she’s seen and experienced as a member of an immigrant family. I wanted the FRAY community to gain a small piece of what I’ve learned. Her story is just one in a multitude I could have captured, and I’m so grateful she was willing to share it with FRAY readers.
Read Jess’s full interview ►

THREE: Show-and-tell empathy

Everyone learns differently. When confronted with how to teach students about the effects of racism, Jane Elliot takes a unique experiential approach. Instead of describing these effects, she subjects her students to them, dividing the class into those with brown eyes and those with blue, treating the latter in a way usually reserved for people of color. This experience culminates in an explosive confrontation between Ms. Elliot and a student who elects to leave the room — an act that Ms. Elliot is quick to remind her is not an option for people of color subjected to systemic racism. This video shows that knowing something intellectually isn’t the same as feeling it — and the distinction between showing and telling can create true understanding and empathy.
Watch: “Blue Eye / Brown Eye Experiment” by Jane Elliot ►

That’s it for today’s FRAY; we’ll see you next time! Be a part of shifting the way America talks about politics by sharing today’s issue on Facebook, forwarding it to a friend, or sharing your unique referral link. Refer 10 people and we’ll send you a FRAY hat, because we like to share the love.

Make it a great day, friends.

Jess Hall
Deputy Editor