Daily Telegraph: "26 Odd Things About Australia"

While those of us in the northeast United States were preparing for the somewhat lackluster winter storm Juno (at least in New York City—sorry New England), the land down under (including Protima, who is there on vacation) was celebrating Australia Day with parades, trips to the beach, barbecues, and other Australian-y type things. In honor of this day, The Daily Telegraph listed some interesting facts about this fascinating country:

  • In 1832, the world's first “flash mob” occurred at a Tasmanian prison when three hundred women convicts bared their buttocks at the visiting Governor during an assembly. "The convicts at the Cascades Female Factory collectively spun around, lifted their skirts and slapped their bottoms at the Governor, Sir John Franklin, his wife and the reverend William Bedford 'making a not very musical noise.'"
  • The adorable-looking platypus has venom strong enough to kill a small dog. The venom is delivered via small spurs on their back legs, so you probably shouldn't pick one up and try to pet them.
  • For a short period Melbourne was called Batmania after John Batman, who explored the area and negotiated a purchase of 2400 sq km from Wurundjeri elders.  The city was then renamed Melbourne after the British Prime Minister, William Lamb, Second Viscount Melbourne.
  • Lake Hillier on Middle Island is pink. Really pink. Although no one knows why, scientists speculate that the color comes from a dye created by bacteria that lives in the salt crusts.

As with Columbus Day in the Americas, many understandably reject Australia Day celebrations (often with protests). One is Chelsea Bond, whose mother is a fifth-generation Australian of English and Irish heritage and father a Munanjahli and an Australian-born South Sea Islander. She writes:

The disconnect I feel on the [sic] January 26 is not a rejection of my mother’s history. Rather, it is a rejection of the privileging of one version of history at the expense of another. I simply cannot be part of the collective amnesia that sweeps the nation on January 26 each year. This amnesia is evidenced in our current prime minister choosing the arrival of the First Fleet as the 'defining moment' of our national identity.

She encourages those celebrating the day to "take just a moment to consider the significance of that place you meet on, and not just since the arrival of the First Fleet."

Calling it Invasion Day, The Vine notes that civilization in Australia began some 40,000-60,000 years ago, and that many see Australia Day as a day celebrating devastation: "When a nation of custodians were plunged into violence, sickness, hunted into a cultural and physical near extinction with devastating systemic discrimination that continues to this day."

To that end, The Daily Life says: "Australia Day will always be a day of mourning for the First Peoples of this country, but it is possible to work towards a positive and more inclusive future."

Australia Day

"Although separated by a great ocean, the United States and Australia are bound together by our robust alliance, shared values, and common culture. And despite the geographic distance between our countries, I always feel at home in Australia...As you celebrate Australia Day, know that the United States stands right beside you as a stalwart ally, partner, and friend."

- John Kerry
Secretary of State

My Immigration Story

A series of posts by Daryanani & Bland staff sharing their own “immigration” stories—how they (or their families) came to America and/or how they came to work in the immigration law field.

My immigration story begins when I discovered my grandfather had an accent. As a child, I never recognized his Irish “brogue” (the word supposedly comes from the idea that the Irish sounded as if they spoke with a shoe in their mouths—“bróg” is the word for shoe in Irish), distinctive after more than fifty years of life in the US. I heard no difference at all in how he spoke compared to how my parents or grandmother (native “noo yawkahs”) spoke.

My grandfather was born in the Lanes of Limerick, Ireland in 1912. These same Lanes were made famous in Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, and there has long been speculation in my family that the hearse driver mentioned in the book was my own great-grandfather. Who knows—people love a good yarn! Certainly Summer Street in Limerick—where my grandfather grew up—is a short walk from the home described in McCourt’s book. My grandfather had a 6th grade education but was among the most intellectual and well-read people I ever met. As a child during the Irish Civil War, he ran across enemy lines to deliver messages to the Irish Republican Army fighting the Provisional Government over the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Following the war—as before it—he and his family struggled to survive in the urban slums, and it was no surprise that he would follow in the footsteps of millions of his countrymen and women and take the boat to America. He arrived in New York City at age sixteen in 1928. His name was Jack Bray.

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IDNYC

Last Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio introduced the city identification program, the largest program of its kind in the country, which will grant government-issued IDs regardless of immigration status. This free card, one of de Blasio's campaign pledges, promises to bring "peace of mind and access to City services that come from having recognized identification. IDNYC benefits every city resident, including the most vulnerable communities—the homeless, youth, the elderly, undocumented immigrants, the formerly incarcerated and others who may have difficulty obtaining other government-issued ID." The mayor said that the ID is just a "'piece of plastic, but it's going to open so many doors for our fellow New Yorkers.'"  

While the ID card is ideal for those who do not have government-issued ID, the administration also hopes to entice those who do by providing numerous benefits, including allowing the IDNYC card to serve as a library card in all five boroughs (anyone who has tried to sign up or has moved frequently around the boroughs knows how beneficial this could be), a one-year free membership to thirty-three of New York City's many leading museums, zoos, concert halls, and botanical gardens, as well as discounts for prescription drugs, gym memberships, and entertainment.

To qualify for the IDNYC card, applicants must be fourteen years or older and a NYC resident. Applicants must first make an appointment (the earliest available appointments for many of the interview sites were several months in advance), fill out an application confirming New York City residency, and then attend an in-person appointment with documents proving identity and NYC residence (for those who are not homeless). There have been many reports of long lines and delays. We tried out the system ourselves and received numerous error messages after several attempts to schedule an appointment, so the site still appears in need of improvement. The mayor denied there were any similarities with IDNYC to the ill-prepared HealthCare.gov rollout. Others have expressed privacy concerns over how the city would release and use the data obtained from those signing up for the program.

One of the first recipients of the IDNYC card was Esther Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant and mother of three from Mexico, who was invited to speak beside the mayor at the news conference, and who said: “This ID card is the key to having a more fulfilling life[.]” 

An Inescapable Network of Mutuality

"...I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial 'outside agitator' idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Letter from Birmingham City Jail

Liz Brettschneider Has Been Made Partner!

Native Connecticutter, Girl Scout cookie-selling contest winner, captain of her college soccer team, four-time marathon runner, and volcano climber, Liz Brettschneider can now add another achievement to her life and career as a lawyer: partner at Daryanani Law Group. This achievement was the result of her many years of work as an immigration attorney here in New York City (and also helpful was her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School Of Law).

Liz wore her "partner sash" on her recent trip toChile because she wanted everyone to know her good news!

Liz wore her "partner sash" on her recent trip to
Chile because she wanted everyone to know her good news!

"No one cares about her clients more or fights harder for her clients than Lizzie B," Protima said. "She's incredibly smart, a tremendously dedicated and hard worker, and I'm thrilled that she's now my partner. I'm still going to call her Lizzie B, which I know she loves secretly."

Liz's practice as an immigration attorney has focused primarily on business immigration and she has enjoyed working with corporate clients including many top fashion retailers, theaters, and film production companies in New York City and across the country. She also has extensive experience working with different human resources departments on worksite enforcement matters, including LCA compliance and H-1B site visits, and has handled a range of family-based immigration matters. Liz is also an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and is a former Chair of the New York City Chapter's Executive Committee.

What does the new partner think?

"I've known Protima for a number of years and I couldn't be happier with this team," Liz said. "I've enjoyed working with everyone at D&B and I feel lucky to have a job that I love going to every morning. And as partner I'm now planning on making incredibly diva-like requests, so they better watch out!"

Congratulations, Liz!

The Beacon: "USCIS and Law Enforcement Unite to Fight Human Trafficking"

President Obama has declared January 2015 to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) is consequently highlighting their role "in protecting victims of human trafficking, who are often vulnerable people tricked into modern-day slavery by false promises of jobs."

In conjunction with the US Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign—which provides public awareness of human trafficking as well as educational support and training to law enforcement and government agencies—USCIS and Homeland Security are striving to bring a "victim-centered approach" to end human trafficking by placing "equal value on identifying and stabilizing victims and on investigating and prosecuting traffickers."

Since many traffickers use the immigration status of their victims to threaten and keep them in submission and slavery, and further since victims are often crucial to the successful prosecution of traffickers, USCIS has visa options for victims of trafficking and serious crimes: the U or T visa. T visas (5000 per year) are available for trafficking victims and certain family members; U visas (10,000 per year) are available to victims (and certain family members) of trafficking, domestic violence, and other qualifying serious crimes that violate US law. If all 10,000 of the U visas are issued in the year (and they have been since 2010), those on the waiting list can remain in the US and apply for work authorization.

In addition to T and U visas, trafficking victims may be able to obtain temporary legal status called Continued Presence (CP) from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allowing victims to remain in the US to act as witness in an investigation into the trafficking-related crimes committed against them.

Despite the best intentions of the T and U visas, immigration advocates note the visa requirements can be burdensome or difficult to meet, government agencies are sometimes uncooperative in assisting victims or even treat the victims as criminals, and requiring that the victims agree to testify against their traffickers can result in threats and retaliation to the victim's family members in their home country.

The Twinkling Lights of America

"I’m on deck the dawn we sail into New York. I’m sure I’m in a film, that it will end and lights will come up in the Lyric Cinema. The priest wants to point out things but he doesn't have to. I can pick out the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Brooklyn Bridge. There are thousands of cars speeding along the roads and the sun turns everything gold. Rich Americans in top hats white ties and tails must be going home to bed with the gorgeous women with white teeth. The rest are going to work in warm comfortable offices and no one has a care in the world. . .I stand on the deck with the Wireless Officer looking at the lights of America twinkling. He says, 'My God, that was a lovely night, Frank. Isn't this a great country altogether?' 'Tis.'"

- Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes