Join our #ThankYouForBeingHere Social Media Campaign to #DefendDACA!
As shared here, ARTE believes that human rights change requires engagement across all members of our community. We’re reaching out because we need you to act. ARTE proudly and frequently works with young, undocumented folks of color. Many of us on the team have worked with young people who have been directly impacted by DACA. Its repeal, which has been announced this past week, will have dire consequences on their lives, the lives of their families, the lives of people within their communities, and our nation as a whole.
We recognize how difficult this time is for young people impacted by DACA and many undocumented immigrant students. As a way of encouraging compassion and affirming our commitment to these young people, we are asking you to join us in this campaign, #ThankYouForBeingHere. Here are some suggested guidelines for participation:
Who: Right now, we are asking educators who work directly with immigrant students to first participate by writing an anonymous message of encouragement to your students. All educators, from pre-K to college, are welcomed.
What: This message could be words of inspiration for your students, an expression of your gratitude for being here, or something that makes you proud of them. While these messages should be written in mind for the students you directly work with, these should be addressed to a group of students as a whole, and not individuals. As these will be posted on social media, please do not include information that would identify or accidentally put your students in any risk.
How: We are encouraging handwritten notes, but feel free to be as creative as possible. You can include pictures or graphics, make a collaged note, etc. Please make sure your writing is clear. Bilingual / Multilingual messages are strongly encouraged whenever possible. Also note that these will be posted on social media, notes that fit the dimensions of Instagram (1080px by 1080px) are suggested. Please note that submitters are giving ARTE full permission to publicly post and use photos. We will repost images from our own social media accounts whenever possible.
Where: Everywhere! While we are based in New York City, we want and encourage educators from all over the country to participate. Compassion knows no borders.
After: Once you have completed your note, commit to calling the White House in defense of DACA. Call once. Call twice. Call every day.
*Important: Please be sure to use both hashtags: #ThankYouForBeingHere and #DefendDACA and please tag us: @artejustice as well, so we can keep track of the notes. We will be using the platforms of: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Feel free to use all or any of these platforms. Also, be sure to share with your classrooms and your colleagues widely!
