"Second-generation, starts to hate immigration; In case the situation, screws up, they' Playstation..."

SUPPORT WENDY MAXWELL'S BID TO STAY IN CANADA!!!

(sent 2 me by my spoken word homie SPIN - spin@pueblounido.org)

TODAY - PLEASE CALL IMMIGRATION: SUPPORT WENDY MAXWELL! SUPPORT WENDY MAXWELL'S BID TO STAY IN CANADA

MONDAY, MARCH 7: PHONE, FAX, EMAIL THE MINISTER OF IMMIGRATION!!!

--Please take 5 minutes on Monday to contact the Minister of Immigration and urge him to allow Wendy Maxwell to remain in Canada-- READ ON!

On Saturday March 5th at the International Women’s Day rally at Jorgenson Hall at Ryerson University, a woman was arrested by 51 Division officers while selling cookies to raise money for CKLN Community Radio. Her crime: living in Canada with out Immigration status.

Wendy Maxwell, also known as Nzinga, is now in jail at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton. She could be deported at any time.

Nzinga is a talented and strong Black Woman who is an active member of our community. Many who have met her either as a colleague, friend, or through her community work admire her tenacity and humility. These are the type of people our community needs. Born in Costa Rica, she is a woman of Jamaican descent who has had to contend with police repression, the violence of organized crime, and now the racism of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

After six productive years in Canada and continuous community involvement, she faces imminent deportation to a dangerous and uncertain future even though she has an application for landed status filed with Immigration Canada that has yet to be adjudicated.

Nzinga faces serious risk if forced back to Costa Rica. She was once picked up by the Costa Rican police, well known for racially profiling Black people, and sexually assaulted by them. She also faces risk as a bisexual woman from the police, whose homophobia is well documented. One Costa Rican research group states that “lesbian
women are exhaustively searched in round-ups at clubs frequented by gays and lesbians and are also subject to aggression, physical abuse and robbery by the police who, in most cases, claim they were looking for drugs”. Added to this, she faces serious risk from a dangerous Costa Rican gang which she has had dealings with in the past. Given the homophobic and racist nature of the police, it is to be expected that she will not be able to obtain protection from them against this gang. Nzinga is still coping with serious Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (documented by Psychologists at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre and other clinics) due to the abuse she experienced in Costa Rica. Sending her back will re-inflame her psychological problems and stop her healing process.

Despite this, Immigration Canada determined that she would not be at risk if deported and ordered her to fly back to Costa Rica on December 1, 2003. She was forced to go “underground” and filed a humanitarian and compassionate leave application for status soon after that (in February of 2004) on the basis of risk and establishment.

Nzinga has worked tirelessly in the community as a volunteer at CKLN 88.1 FM Community Radio. She has also worked with the Latin American Coalition to end Violence Against Women (now called MUJER), the Barbara Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, the Ralph Thornton Community Centre as a network administrator’s assistant, the Global African Congress, and as an outreach worker with the Black Coalition for Aids Prevention (BlackCAP). Her work is also being published in “A New Look at Heterosexism and Homophobia” being put out in collaboration with the McGill University for the Canadian Aids Society. She has been employed through out
her 6 years in Canada.

JOIN THE STRUGGLE TO SUPPORT WENDY MAXWELL: YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED!

MONDAY, MARCH 7th : CALL, FAX, OR EMAIL THE IMMIGRATION MINISTER

The Minister of Immigration, Joe Volpe, has the authority to intervene in any Immigration case. Please contact his office on Monday and urge him to:

* Grant WENDY MAXWELL a Temporary Resident’s Permit so that she can remain in Canada legally until her Humanitarian and Compassionate Leave application for permanent resident’s status is decided upon (the application was filed in February of 2004 and has been in the system for over a year now).

* Release Wendy Maxwell from custody immediately

If you are part of any broader organizations, please encourage them to contact the Minister as an organization in support of Wendy Maxwell.

In Toronto:
(416) 781-5583 (p)
(416) 781-5586 (f)

In Ottawa:
(613) 992-6361 (p)
(613) 992-9791 (f)
Email: Minister@cic.gc.ca

SIGN A PETITION SUPPORTING WENDY:
http://users.resist.ca/~gidget/petition.shtml
_________________
...

Black Krishna Brand

Philosophy - http://blackkrishna.blogspot.com/

Music - http://www.soundclick.com/bands/0/blackkrishna.htm

...

2 many of God's kids, doing life-bids,
why grow up at all, they shoulda had SIDS,
'cause life ain't life, if life, is, in pain,
blind 2 sunshine, blinded by the pouring rain,

and in the fog, vision, is indecision,
bombing for happiness, with surgical precision,
3 surgical strikes, kill a poor community--
with all the hustlers in jail,
how can, there, be unity?

and with impunity, the lying liars lie,
secure they’ spots, while letting brothers die,
and so i cry, at collective inaction,
hope the search 4 a solution,
can start, to get some traction,

blastin' you facts, in slang, or perfect syntax,
grindin' my axe, on money stacks, tryin' to fight back,
so i write back, in answer to the call,
we ain't victims at all, unless we slaves, to the mall...

...

i’m a slave,
to the ball-and-chain,
of pleasure and pain,
highs and lows, got me goin', insane,
now i finna complain, but i ain't, just bitchin',
got love 4 god, but not, superstition,

my minds ammunition, is straight, critical thinking,
my nutz swole up, from a nite of hard drinking,
i finna throw up, from a nite of hard blinking,
pushing back tears, how can i get us all thinking?

can’t we all, be winking, at each other,
with a crooked smile?
'cause the 'hood, and the 'burbs,
already, swapped-styles!

so it don't make sense,
the separation of the nation,
anticipation of change, soon leads, 2 stagnation,
second generation, starts to hate, immigration,
in case the situation, screws up, they' playstation,

then ya social circles shrink,
and ya mind, gets stale,
see the world is hell,
so vote, 2 refuse, kids bail...

(...)