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Volume 71, No. 14

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A female UTPA student who wishes to remain anonymous has been waiting along with her family for permanent residential status in the United States for more than 15 years. In 1999, her parents applied for the status that would result in permanent, legal residence. The family has yet to hear back on their status and the visas they acquired to get into the country expired a few years ago. But she has hope for the future and said she and her family appreciate the efforts by President Barack Obama to carry out his Immigrant Accountability Executive Action, announced Nov.20. The action would allow approximately five million immigrants to apply for temporary residence in the U.S. without risk of deportation. Obama and his administration have been working on this reform of the immigration system for almost

two years in order to effectively deal with the mass deportations of families. “With us really trying to do things the ‘right way,’ we did not complain that we had to wait a decade or more, as long as it was assured that at the end of that period our application process would be complete,” the female student said. “A decade is a ridiculous amount of time nonetheless. People from other countries are desperate to leave fast and sometimes pleading a case as a refugee is not an option.” According to the U.S. Immigration website, the wait to become an American citizen can take “one to several years.” The first step in the process is becoming a legal permanent resident, sometimes called a ‘green card holder,’ which individuals can achieve through sponsorship from family or work. Immigrants seeking green cards through family can wait anywhere from two to 12 years. Individuals trying

for work-related green cards can wait for two, four or more years. Refugees seeking asylum may also receive one. Finally, there is a ‘Green Card Lottery’ where 50,000 out of 8 million people get lucky enough to receive a legal permanent resident status. All options for receiving a green card are long waits, from two to more than 10 years. Immigrants must then live in the U.S. with legal permanent residential status for at least five years before being eligible for naturalization, meaning they will become a legal U.S. citizen. This process can be as short as six months to more than three years. The estimated 4.5 million people in the ‘immigration line’ can wait as long as 25 years for green cards or visas. During the six months prior to April 2014, the U.S. Border Patrol reported that 90,700 migrants were found and seized in the Rio Grande Valley, which is a 69 percent

increase over the last year. The agency has no way of knowing how many immigrants were successful in crossing the border and may be living in the country. According to the Pew Research Center, four million undocumented immigrant adults live with U.S.born children, with about 3.7 million having no protection from deportation. In order to qualify for the deportation relief this action will bring, individuals must be a parent of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident - a legalized immigrant - regardless of the child’s age as of Nov. 20, 2014. They must also have been in the U.S. since Jan. 1, 2010. Finally, they must not be an enforcement priority, meaning the individual has no criminal record. An executive action is an executive power that usually carries no legal weight and is used as an informal proposal

by the president. After much criticism and demand for action from American Latinos, Obama is attempting to reform the immigration system’s deferred action policies to allow temporary deportation relief for individuals who meet the criteria. This new reform could benefit as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants who meet strict requirements. The president’s executive action also includes expanding the eligibility qualifications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, including young people who came to the country before the age of 16 and have been present as of Jan. 1, 2010. DACA is an immigration policy passed in 2012 by the Obama administration allowing undocumented immigrants that entered the country and before June 2007 to receive exemption from deportation

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opinion

December 3, 2014

The Pan American

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Editors-in-Chief:

Susan Gonzalez Andrew Vera

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Growing up, moving on and starting over Susan Gonzalez

Co-Editor-in-Chief

I came to The Pan American in 2011 after taking a semester off, less than a year after an attempted suicide and a diagnosis of a major depressive disorder. I had just left what I believed to be my dream college, The University of Notre Dame, and had no intention of being happy here at UTPA. Determined to find fault in everything associated with this campus, I didn’t want to make friends or be active in any organizations. Then, remembering my love of newspaper in high school, I joined The Pan American as a way to pass the time. Now time has certainly passed and I failed in my mission - I have found what it means to be happy and embraced by a group of friends. Many students come to UTPA with no hopes of finding anything great. Like

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passion for journalism. I found something some people spend their whole lives looking for and never discover - happiness. Counselors and psychiatrists told me time and time again “there is a chance you will relapse” and “don’t expect to magically be happy.” And in a way they were right: not every day is easy for me. But in a much bigger way, they were wrong. Because like magic, the newspaper and the people in it came into my life and gave me hope when I needed it the most. Now it’s time for me to move

The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. We cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send all letters to:

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Vol. 71, No. 14

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Fernando Gracia/ The Pan American on and to leave this newsroom. paper, and that I gave UTPA And if there is anything I have left a chance. This place and these to say, it is this: don’t give up so friends have passed through me soon. Whether you’re at UTPA like a thread through the eye by default, struggling with being of a needle, and as I prepare to an adult or just dealing with life leave, everything I do will be in general...don’t be afraid to keep stitched with their color. Even going. Because the fact is, no one though I will be starting over is ever ready. We’re never ready for with a new job and in a new life’s curveballs, we’re never ready place, they will always be part to fail or to encounter tragedy. of my life’s tapestry. You’re never ready, but neither is So move on, grow up. You anyone else. won’t be ready, but that’s OK. I’m glad I didn’t give up. I’m Find your own threads and stitch thankful that I didn’t die, that I a new life for yourself. didn’t shy away from the newsBegin again.

Letters to the editor

Cesar Gonzalez The Pan American is the official student newspaper of The University of Texas-Pan American. Views presented are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the paper or university.

my former self, they perceive this to be a subpar university, when in reality, it is anything but that. Sure, some of my classes were a little too easy and some students rubbed me the wrong way, but that would be true of any college. When people think of growing up they think of getting jobs, earning money and moving out of their parent’s house. But there is an internal component that far exceeds any of those things. Part of becoming an adult also involves letting go of your arrogance, judgments and preconceived notions of people and places. For me, and many others, growing up meant realizing not everything goes according to plan, but that doesn’t mean the backup option is somehow less special and less significant. No, UTPA wasn’t my first choice or even my tenth. But I have found a home here. I found my mentor, my friends and my

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December 3, 2014

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and a renewable two-year work permit. Alejandra Tiburcio, an accounting major and officer for Soñar Despierto, looks forward to the Immigration Accountability Executive Action. She said people will benefit from it including a member of her family. Tiburcio’s uncle made it into the U.S. about 30 years ago and never returned to Mexico because of his fear of not being able to return to the states. “One year ago he passed away without having seen his family for a really long time,” the 20-year-old said. “It was very sad because he was never able to go back to Mexico.” According to reports from Congress, in 2013 Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported more than 72,000 parents who said they had U.S.-born children. Tiburcio, a junior, has high hopes that the new system will prevent families from being separated but plans to continue to help those who are in that situation. “Those children that come from immigrant and low-income families need to know

that somebody is looking after them,” she said. “That way they’ll know they have the strength and will to study and to keep going.” Soñar Despierto was founded in 1998 in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico by a group of young people. The organization is funded by

quest temporary deportation relief and must pass a criminal and national security background check such as primary and alias name inspecttions in the Department of Homeland Security’s databases and must also pay a fine, of which the amount has not been revealed yet. They will then be eligible

Is executive action the solution? I don’t know, but it’s definitely a start. I have prayed for a change since I was little and I’m finding the timing to be just right.

- Anonymous UTPA student

‘godparents’ which are companies that sponsor the group dedicated to helping children around the world. UTPA’s chapter focuses on working to support young people living in homeless shelters or foster care. The UTPA Soñar Despierto group had a Magical Winter Event for children in Alton Nov. 22. If eligible, immigrants will have the opportunity to re-

for work authorization and must pay the same amount of taxes as the average American. During the televised announcement of his executive action plan Nov. 20, Obama said he is hopeful the new reform will prioritize the deportation of undocumented immigrants with felonies or that are a danger to the country and will help keep families together. In his live statement

to the public, he explained his reason for the executive action. “For more than 200 years our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations,” the president said. “It has shaped our character as a people with limitless possibilities.” He also made it clear who will not benefit from the reform, forestalling inevitable criticism from right-wing politicians about another amnesty. “This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently, it does not apply to anyone who might come to America illegally in the future,” the president said in the live broadcast. “It does not grant citizenship or the right to stay here permanently.” The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will be responsible for initiating and carrying out the new policy created by the Immigration Accountability Executive Action. The USCIS is preparing for these changes and will not be accepting applications until early-to-mid 2015. The USCIS recommend that individuals who think

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they may be eligible for de“Is executive action the soportation relief gather the lution? I don’t know, but it’s documents needed for the definitely a start,” she said. “I application. Required docu- have prayed for a change since ments should establish iden- I was little and I’m finding tity, relationships to a U.S. the timing to be just right.” citizen or a lawful permanent resident and show continuous residency in the country for at least five years. The anonymous female In ord student said e she has faith depo r to quali fy r t while she deals with indiv ation relie for i f, duals her current situamust tion. She also said be: A par e the DACA has lawfu nt of a U.S . citiz l perm en assured her a regar dless anent resi or dent of the as of place in colNov. 2 , c 0, 20 hild s age lege and 14. They safety from m the U ust also h deporta.S. sin a ce Jan ve been in tion as she . 1, 20 They 10. waits for m ment ust not b legalizae p indiv riority, m an enforce tion. eanin idual g the is not natio n a safety al security danger to o crimi and must r public n nal o ffens ot have p es. ast

UTPA students protest against Ferguson verdict By Mariana Ranzahuer The Pan American About 20 students gathered at UTPA’s Chapel Lawn at noon Nov. 26 to protest after a state grand jury declined to indict Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson for charges related to the death of 18-yearold African-American Michael Brown, who died Aug. 9. Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson left Ferguson Market and Liquor, a local convenience store, after stealing a box of cigarettes. Wilson was notified about the robbery within five minutes and drove down Canfield Drive when he saw Brown and Johnson. Wilson asked the pair to move to the sidewalk but an altercation between the officer and Brown occurred. Witness accounts vary on whether Brown attempted to attack or surrender to Wilson’s orders,

who ended up shooting the unarmed man seven times. After the grand jury’s decision to not indict Wilson for Brown’s death, people in U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Washington and Chicago demonstrated solidarity with the Brown family through protests that have blocked traffic on freeways and major roads. Holding posters and signs that read #BlackLivesMatter, UTPA students protested to show solidarity with the Ferguson community and agreed with their repudiation of the controversial announcement by St. Louis prosecutor Robert McCulloch Nov. 24, stating the jury would not indict Wilson. Brittany Villarreal, an English major, organized the protest and reached out to students and members of the community through social media after real-

izing that, to her knowledge, no one in the Rio Grande Valley had taken any action about the case. “It was the fact that I couldn’t find any Fergusonrelated solidarity events that encouraged me to bring out all these people together as a way to protest for this unjust decision,” 19-year-old Villarreal said. “Sometimes the RGV seems like it is trapped in this bubble that doesn’t recognize this is a real problem, but I know we can bring light to the region.” Stephanie Luna, a social work major, said the RGV should become more invested in the situation due to the multiculturalism of the area. “We say that #BlackLivesMatter because black people are the ones who experience the most racial discrimination,” the

junior said. “But we as Hispanics living in a multicultural area must join together to show that we care.” Eric Gamino, a criminal justice professor at UTPA, said the Valley doesn’t experience discrimination from police departments because the departments effectively represent the racial community, unlike in Ferguson. According to the Huffington Post, while 67 percent of Ferguson’s residents are black, 50 out of the city’s 53 police officers are white. “These protests bring awareness to the professional policing, which is predominantly a white profession,” said Gamino, who served as a police officer for nine years. “People who are discontent with Ferguson is mostly because the Police Department doesn’t represent ethnically its community.”

A public surveillance video was released of a police officer in Cleveland who fatally shot black 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was carrying a pellet gun in a playground and waving it around. Police officers reported having arrived to the playground where Rice was sitting alone and after he allegedly refused to put his hands down, Rice reached to his waistband, which led the police officers to open fire, killing the child. Incidents like these caused Brown’s family to send a petition to the White House Aug. 13 urging Ferguson police officers to wear video cameras on their person like other cities do such as Miami, San Diego and Washington D.C. Texas also implemented body cameras in the cities of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas/Forth Worth and recently San Juan, March 18. The

petition claims officers should wear body cameras to provide trustworthy material if an incident were to occur and would need to be taken to trial. Gamino said body cameras would easily expose the actions of citizens to the police. “(The cameras would) definitely bring transparency and it’s beneficial for both sides of the story,” he said. “It is beneficial since it can give an illustration for what occurs on a daily officer’s service and gives a standpoint to the citizens.” Villarreal, along with the group who organized the protest, is also planning what she called a “peaceful march,” which will have individuals walk from the Bronc statue in front of the Visitors Center to the Hidalgo County Courthouse to show support Dec. 4 at 4 p.m.

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December 3, 2014

THE PAN AMERICAN

December 3, 2014

THE PAN AMERICAN

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Retail employees spend the holidays on the job By Nerio Celaya The Pan American

Since 2010 more stores have been staying open for the holidays increasing the popularity of Black Friday, when retailers promote drastically low shopping sales that happen the day after Thanksgiving. Rather than traditional celebrations, more and more people have been spending the day at stores like JCPenny, Kohl’s and Sears with at least 725,000 retail workers on the job as well. One of those employees is Laura Rodriguez, a 20-yearold who has been working at the Wal-mart on University Drive for the past three months and was scheduled to work both Thanksgiving and Black Friday. “Honestly I’m bummed, since I’m used to spending Thanksgiving with friends and family and it being a huge dinner. It kind of sucks having to spend it working and with some rude customers who don’t even care that you’re missing out with our families.” the biology major said. “Yet we’re still expected to have a smile on our face and pretend like everything is OK, and that we don’t mind spending our Thanksgiving tolerating their attitude.” There was a 27 percent increase in people shopping on Thursday this year than in 2013. A flat out $12.3 billion was spent at retail stores alone on Thanksgiving and Black Friday with $9.1 billion on the latter, according to CNN. Over-

all weekend sales totaled $59.1 billion. Online sales were up 14 percent from last year, $1.33 billion on Thursday and $2.4 billion on Friday, creating a recordbreaking $3.73 billion after being combined. In the Rio Grande Valley, people were seen camping outside stores like the Best Buy in McAllen weeks before according to a November 2014 article from The Monitor. Blackfriday.com reported the event started in 1924 the Friday after Thanksgiving, which was unofficially known as the start of the holiday shopping season. With it came the transition from red ink to black by retail accountants. In the past, when bookkeeping was written by hand, red ink meant a loss in profit and black ink meant a gain in profit, which was at 52 billion in 2011 and continues to rise. Retail companies have evolved and so has the start of Christmas shopping. Not only has Black Friday

spurred new ways of buying with events such as “Cyber Monday,” the Monday after Thanksgiving when online sales are the focus. It has crept up earlier in the year impeding on Thanksgiving Day which is now starting to become “Grey Thursday,” when retail workers tend to their jobs on the actual holiday instead of taking the it off according to Policy.mic. Before 2006 major corporations would open their doors by 5 or 6 a.m., but recently stores such as Walmart and K-Mart have been extending their operating hours earlier each year. In 2011 K-Mart broke the Thanksgiving boundary by letting crowds in at midnight. Wal-mart and several other retailers followed their example the next year. Admittedly, the deals don’t come without danger. There have been a total of eight deaths and 96 injuries since the first documented trauma in 2006, according to BlackFridayDeathCount.com. Ar-

mando Anzaldua, a 20-yearold that is also a cashier at the Wal-mart on Shary Road in Mission, has yet to see any such acts of chaos. Although he worked on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday, he said the hassle comes with its perks. “There are some benefits

Canada in September 1992 as “a day for society to examine the issue of overconsumption.” In North America, Buy Nothing Day is held on Black Friday to make a symbolic point. Some corporations have also boycotted sales on Thanksgiving according

Thanksgiving no longer seems like a day to just be at home with loved ones and giving thanks for being together, it’s about low prices and camping out at stores. - Laura Rodriguez UTPA biology major

to working (Thanksgiving and Black Friday), which is holiday pay, where you just get paid double your hourly wage which I don’t think is really worth it,” the accounting major said. ‘There is also another benefit. Because I work at Wal-Mart, employees who work on one of these two days get a 25 percent discount, but it also is not worth it because we could use the discount the week after and everything is already back at regular price.” Despite the rising popularity of these shopping events, some are taking a stand to end this practice where shopping events are moving into the holidays through protests such as “Buy Nothing Day,” a Facebook campaign that originated in

to USA Today, which published a list of 12 stores that closed their doors for their workers Nov. 17, including Costco, Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble and Gamestop. Home Depot posted the news on their Twitter two weeks prior to the American holiday. “Our stores will be closed on Thanksgiving. Take time to enjoy food, family and friends, and we’ll see you early Friday morning!” - The Home Depot (@HomeDepot) posted at Nov. 12. That Friday morning was dealt by retail workers from corporations participating in Grey Thursday, some of whom were surprised by the behavior of shoppers. “It’s pretty disturbing,” Rodriguez said. “You see people going crazy just to

get the best deal on some TV. Thanksgiving no longer seems like a day to just be at home with loved ones and giving thanks for being together, it’s about low prices and camping out at stores.”

Black Friday is a staple for the U.S. and its consumers, but buyers play a pivotal role in how the “black” of the sales evolves. The progressing of those deals is proof to those changes , according to a November 2014 article by

Reuters. “I particularly do not think it is wrong that people get ready early for these days. If they want to miss out on being with their families that’s their problem,” Anzaldua said. “Black Friday and all

the stories you hear about people fighting and other horrible crazy things happenand fight while other ing says something countries fight for things bad about us. I say that’s why other countries that actually matter.” hate us, because people get