cross-racial alliance building for racial justice & immigrant rights

8/3/2019 Cross-racial Alliance Building for Racial Justice & Immigrant Rights

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Crossing Boundaries +

ConnectingCommunitiesAlliance Building for Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice



Cross Racial FrameworkEstablishing a cross-racial alliance-building framework as central to the organization and to the understanding

of staff is key.

This framework cannot just focus on the commonalities, but must honestly

address the differences as well.

Cross-racial alliance building demands precise language to talk about howeconomic exploitation, racism, migration and displacement, impact differentgroups of people in different ways.



Communication

Translation and interpretation

are important factors for

successful alliance building.

Note: This is not only a technical practice, butalso cultural.

Consider the following comments: “We are

not criminals” … “New Civil Rights

movement” …. “we do the work that no

one will do…”



Relationships

It is important to take time to develop relationships and build trust across different racial lines, not just

among staff, but among members and allies.

- It takes time to share personal

stories and histories and toappreciate cultural and religiousdifferences

- Some examples: share music,drama, dance art, potlucks,

cooking contests, organizerexchanges, etc.



Political Education

Political education is important to

establishing a shared racial and

economic justice analysis.



Some ideas…

Key topics & themes that helped to foster cross racial alliance buildingwork, especially between African-Americans and Latino immigrants include:

o Analysis of shifting U.S. economy (de-industrialization, labor history,changing nature of jobs, impact of free trade on immigration and job

loss in the U.S.)o History of the enslavement of Africans in the Americas andcolonizationo Changing dynamics in international economies, particularly in LatinAmerica, and the Caribbean (impacts of national debt and free tradeon farmers and local economieso History of racism against people of color in the United States andongoing legacieso History of racism in migrants own countries of origino Roots of migration within U.S. and internationally



CampaignsAlliance building and educational work

should be tied to concrete

campaigns.



Activity- Split up into organizational/state by state

- Come up with at least 2 ways your group/organizationcan begin to explore or use these themes inorganizing

- Cross-racial framework

- Communications

- Relationships

- Political Education

- Campaigns



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http://www.blackalliance.org/

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cross-racial alliance building for racial justice & immigrant rights

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