Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
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Members of the Media: Requests for facts, statements, resources, and appearances are always welcome

Contact Frank Soults for more information at fsoults@miracoalition.org

Press Releases

PRESS STATEMENT: As New Decade Dawns, Census Drive Begins

1/ 5/2010 - January 4, 2010, BOSTON —At barely 8:00 a.m. today, the first Monday of a new decade, the U.S. Census Bureau ceremonially launched its regular ten-year mission to count everyone living in the United States, as mandated by the first article of the Constitution. Fittingly, the launch in Boston took place in front of the U.S.S. Constitution docked in Charlestown, with the commander of “Old Ironsides” and the 1812 Marines colonial drum and fife core on hand, besides numerous government officials and area Census partners.

PRESS STATEMENT: Massachusetts Backs Illinois Rep.’s Immigration Reform Bill

1/ 5/2010 - December 15, 2009, BOSTON —Reflecting the diversity of our immigrant nation, a broad Massachusetts coalition of faith, labor and community leaders voiced their support for the immigration reform bill that Illinois Representative Luis Gutierrez introduces in the U.S. House of Representatives at noon today. The bill marks the first major legislative action honoring President Obama’s promise to fix our broken immigration system, and it achieves the goal of starting the process within the president’s first year in office.

PRESS STATEMENT: Governor Patrick Unveils Immigrant-Integration Report

1/ 5/2010 - November 17, 2009, BOSTON —Standing in the Great Hall at the State House before a packed audience this morning. Governor Deval Patrick spoke about the importance of the New Americans Agenda, a set of policy recommendations on integrating the commonwealth’s immigrants and refugees more fully into the civic and economic life of Massachusetts. The report is the product of a yearlong study by the Governor’s Advisory Council on Refugees and Immigrants (GAC), produced in collaboration with the state’s Office of Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) and the non-profit Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). The fourth such study to be released in the nation, the NAA report is the product of the most extensive research yet undertaken, with input from 1200 members of the general public and almost 200 policy experts, state-agency staff and community workers.

PRESS STATEMENT: State Launches $1.4 Million Workplace Education Fund

1/ 5/2010 - November 4, 2009, WORCESTER- In a rare joint presentation, the secretaries of labor and education appeared at the UMass Medical School yesterday announce an even rarer accomplishment in these bleak economic times: the creation of a new education fund. In response to state budget cuts of nearly ten percent in adult education and almost 6o percent in workforce training, Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education Paul Reville and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Suzanne Bump worked together to create a new dedicated fund for workplace classes in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Thanks to money from the Obama administration stimulus package, the two departments were able to combine $1 million from the Executive Office of Workforce and Labor Development (EWOLD) and an additional $400,000 from Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) in the new “Learn at Work” program, which will distribute the $1.4 million in grants through the Commonwealth Corporation (RFPs will be available through their website, http://www.commcorp.org.

PRESS STATEMENT: Immigrant Detainee Dies at Mass. Hospital

10/26/2009 - October 21, 2009, BOSTON -- On Monday, October 19, Pedro Juan Tavarez, a 49-year-old native of the Dominican Republic in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, died at Women and Bringham's Hospital in Boston. ICE was holding Tavarez on immigration violations at The Suffolk County House of Corrections, which transferred him to Brigham and Women's after the correction facility's medical staff suggested possible pneumonia. The hospital was treating Tavarez for heart and respiratory conditions when he died, but the official cause of death has not yet been determined by the medical examiner.

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Writing a Letter to the Editor

Letters to the Editor (LTEs) are the most widely-read section of most newspapers. Getting your opinion out there can help educate the public as well as influence Legislators. You can download the LTE Template below to get started and for training purposes.

Additional tips for getting your letter to the editor published:

Keep it focused on one main point.
150 words or less (local newspaper often allow longer pieces—check the paper or website for unique guidelines.)
Be conscious of the language you use and how it inherently frames the debate—use words that reflect well on your issue rather than using the opposition’s terminology.
Begin with something catchy: a strong opinion, a quote, etc.
Include at least one new and interesting fact in the body.
Close with a zinger.
Submit your letter within 24hours if possible.
Stay away from personal attacks. Insults may entertain, but good arguments persuade.
Recruit your friends and colleagues to send in letters as well--the more letters submitted on a topic, the better the chance of one of you getting published.

All things being equal, you have the best chances of getting published if you respond to an official editorial of the paper or an Op-Ed, second best chance by responding to another letter to the editor, third best if responding to an article or news piece, and least chance if you are just sending in a random opinion.

After you get published:

Congratulations!Make copies and send them to your Representative and/or Senator.
Recruit family, friends and colleagues to respond to your letter in order to keep the conversation alive and in the public eye.
Share your success with MIRA at sohno@miracoalition.org. Good Luck!

LTE-Template.doc

Writing an Op-Ed

Getting an Op-Ed published is a big deal. Op-Eds are typically considered the second most influential items in a newspaper (after the official editorials). Each newspaper generally has its own policy for submission and publication. Be sure to examine the individual website before you get started.

A few general guidelines:

700 words is the most common length.
Make your peice timely so you can "hook" the interest of both editors and the general public.
Write well and double check for grammatical errors.
Explore getting an influential person to co-sign with you.
Submit with one or two weeks lead--Editors are very busy with huge volumes of submissions.
Make follow-up call(s) to check if the editor has seen your peice and to pitch it a second or third time.
If you are published, be sure to send one or more thank you notes!

Remember, persistence pays! Also, be sure to share your success with MIRA; contact Shuya Ohno at sohno@miracoalition.org
Good Luck!

MIRA in the News

Immigration bill's backers see hope (copy)

6/11/2007 - WASHINGTON -- Senators who negotiated a sweeping immigration package said yesterday that they are hopeful the measure will be approved, despite votes by an angry and resentful Senate derailing the historic legislation.

General News

Disturbing Amnesty International Report Released

3/26/2009 - Still Bushed: Amnesty International released a disturbing report about U.S. Immigration Detention Centers, which holds foreigners -- and in some cases even Americans -- for not having naturalization papers.

Editorial: A Catastrophic Silence

11/26/2008 - The killing of Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorean immigrant, on Long Island this month brought with it a cruel blessing. From a shocking crime — an assault by a gang of boys accused of making a hobby of hunting Latinos — came a chance for a stricken, divided community to bind old wounds and to bury anger.

U.S. Raids 6 Meat Plants in ID Case

12/13/2006 - In simultaneous dawn raids, federal immigration agents swept into six Swift & Company meatpacking plants in six states yesterday, rounding up hundreds of immigrant workers in what the agents described as a vast criminal investigation of identity theft.