Fearless Artist
Follow the journey of Nico as he brings awareness to the topics of deportation and DACA in his community with art and activism.
Nicolás' road to activism with wood carvings
Nicolás González-Medina describes himself as an artist and an activist in his community. González-Medina came to america at a very young age and experienced many defining factors that lead him to become the artists that he is now. González-Medina has used his wood carvings and prints to expressed his activism.
Unauthorized Immigrant Population 2000-2014
There is not an accurate size of how many unauthorized immigrant individuals have entered the country. Yet, the Department of Homeland Security has provided estimates of the size of unauthorized immigrants populations residing in the United States. Individuals who entered the United States without inspection or were admitted temporarily and stayed passed the date they were asked to leave become unauthorized residents. Individuals who are beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and/or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or have been authorized to work; are not technically unauthorized but were excluded from the legally resident immigrant population because data are unavailable in sufficient detail to estimate this population according to the Department of Homeland Security .
Nico Goes to Salinas
In solidarity, González-Medina travels to Salinas on Cesar Chavez Day to make live stencil posters prints of his art. The message he carved by hand on wood, saying, "Comida No Migra," and "Defend DACA." At heart, González-Medina comes from grassroots organizing background. He was raised in Chicago, and now resides in Oakland. He tells us how it's important to be a fearless immigrant.
FREEDOM
Nicolás González-Medina's work entitled, "Freedom," hangs on the wall at Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland.
How To Protect Yourself and Loved Ones
There has been a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. As it recently swept Oakland in early 2018, those that are undocumented sometimes lack the resources to know how handle themselves when ICE confronts them.
Here's an image taken from iamerica.org, informing those on how to protect themselves from ICE.
Pangea Legal Services
Like Nico, Esperanza Cuautle, Operations Manager at Pangea Legal Services, shares her activism through her work. In this interview, Cuautle shares some insight on the work Pangea is known for. Her work at the non-profit organization has led her to a better understanding of ICE arrests as they rapidly start to increase in the United States.
There was a 30% increase in ICE arrests in 2017 from the previous year.
In 2016, Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. In 2017, there was a 30% increase in ICE Arrests from the previous year. This graph details the dramatic increase in ICE arrests starting from 2015 and ending in 2017.
Contact information for those in need of immigration services or support:
Pangea Legal Services: A non-profit organization specializing in immigration services.
Tel: (415) 254-0475
Email: welcome@pangealegal.org
iAmerica: Organization that helps supports American immigrants.
iamerica.org