Dear friends,
This doesn't get any easier. As a proud man of 44 I wish that I did not have to resort to doing this, but here we are. Being undocumented and Black has taught me the value of interdependence and asking for help. For the third time in a few years I am relying on you all to get me through. My bank account is close to empty, once again.
For those who don't know me, my name is Aly Wane. I am an undocumented activist originally from Senegal. I was brought here legally in 1985 at the age of 9 by my single mother on a diplomatic visa. I lost my legal status in 1996 when my student visa ran out. My mother ended up dying, a victim of domestic violence in 1999, and I was left here without a legal status and with no "home" to come back to since I lived most of my life in this country. I am now 44 years old and I am still trying to regularize my status. This is one of the many reasons I decided to "come out" as an undocumented person to the media as an organizer and an activist. Most people assume that "becoming legal" is a simple and easy path. A lot of US citizens do not understand that the legalization process is a labyrinthine maze that is very hard to navigate and that involves luck and money.
Most of my life I have been an antiwar, economic justice and racial justice activist (BLM). I have only been able to do so because of the financial support of folks whom I have been lucky enough to meet and who have held me up every step of the way. It is literally not hyperbole to say that my work would not be possible if it weren't for that support.
The Trump years were hard. I was afraid that my activism as an undocumented person would result in my deportation. Thankfully, I survived them while continuing to be visible and active. I continued to speak out publicly at a number of institutions and communities about the plight of undocumented people in the age of Trump, while pointing out that his administration was merely a logical extension of a brutal immigration system that continues to separate families to this day.
I set the goal of this Gofundme at 7,500 dollars because that is the minimum amount of money I would need to make bail if I were incarcerated for my activism while being undocumented. Having worked on a lot of anti-deportation cases, I am comfortable in making that estimate. As cruel as it is, this is the minimum required for undocumented folks to make bail.
I would like to confidently say that I am not ashamed to be poor because I know that the main reason I am is that I have so few avenues for work since being undocumented means that you cannot legally work (a Kafkaesque cath-22). But I won't lie, I wish that my life were easier and that I didn't have to resort to this.
If you are even willing to share this Gofundme, I am deeply grateful. I hope that the work I have done and the work I continue to do justifies your kindness.
One of the slogans of the immigrants' rights movement, a slogan I have often used, is "Undocumented and Unafraid." I love it, but I do have to say that I have been afraid over the years. It hasn't stopped me from organizing, writing and speaking despite the fear. To those of you who know me and have already supported me in the past: a thousand blessings. I am so grateful for you. To those who don't, thank you for considering supporting me.
From the Kikuyu tribe in Kenya, my favorite proverb: "I am only well if you are well."
May the Ancestors bless you all.
This doesn't get any easier. As a proud man of 44 I wish that I did not have to resort to doing this, but here we are. Being undocumented and Black has taught me the value of interdependence and asking for help. For the third time in a few years I am relying on you all to get me through. My bank account is close to empty, once again.
For those who don't know me, my name is Aly Wane. I am an undocumented activist originally from Senegal. I was brought here legally in 1985 at the age of 9 by my single mother on a diplomatic visa. I lost my legal status in 1996 when my student visa ran out. My mother ended up dying, a victim of domestic violence in 1999, and I was left here without a legal status and with no "home" to come back to since I lived most of my life in this country. I am now 44 years old and I am still trying to regularize my status. This is one of the many reasons I decided to "come out" as an undocumented person to the media as an organizer and an activist. Most people assume that "becoming legal" is a simple and easy path. A lot of US citizens do not understand that the legalization process is a labyrinthine maze that is very hard to navigate and that involves luck and money.
Most of my life I have been an antiwar, economic justice and racial justice activist (BLM). I have only been able to do so because of the financial support of folks whom I have been lucky enough to meet and who have held me up every step of the way. It is literally not hyperbole to say that my work would not be possible if it weren't for that support.
The Trump years were hard. I was afraid that my activism as an undocumented person would result in my deportation. Thankfully, I survived them while continuing to be visible and active. I continued to speak out publicly at a number of institutions and communities about the plight of undocumented people in the age of Trump, while pointing out that his administration was merely a logical extension of a brutal immigration system that continues to separate families to this day.
I set the goal of this Gofundme at 7,500 dollars because that is the minimum amount of money I would need to make bail if I were incarcerated for my activism while being undocumented. Having worked on a lot of anti-deportation cases, I am comfortable in making that estimate. As cruel as it is, this is the minimum required for undocumented folks to make bail.
I would like to confidently say that I am not ashamed to be poor because I know that the main reason I am is that I have so few avenues for work since being undocumented means that you cannot legally work (a Kafkaesque cath-22). But I won't lie, I wish that my life were easier and that I didn't have to resort to this.
If you are even willing to share this Gofundme, I am deeply grateful. I hope that the work I have done and the work I continue to do justifies your kindness.
One of the slogans of the immigrants' rights movement, a slogan I have often used, is "Undocumented and Unafraid." I love it, but I do have to say that I have been afraid over the years. It hasn't stopped me from organizing, writing and speaking despite the fear. To those of you who know me and have already supported me in the past: a thousand blessings. I am so grateful for you. To those who don't, thank you for considering supporting me.
From the Kikuyu tribe in Kenya, my favorite proverb: "I am only well if you are well."
May the Ancestors bless you all.