Centennial Speaker Seeks “Just and Humane” Solutions for Immigration Policy

Originally written for published by UTEP News Service February 2014

(All links are dead.)

Allison Brownell Tirres, J.D., Ph.D. assistant professor of law at DePaul University College of Law, conducted dissertation research in the archives of The University of Texas at El Paso’s University Library C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department. Combining her interest and training in history and law, Tirres explained how the history of immigration law and reform could influence “just and humane solutions” for immigration today.

Tirres received a bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University in 1996. After graduation, she spent a year in Mexico City at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. She earned a J.D. (2004) from Harvard Law School and a Ph.D. (2008) from Harvard University. 

Her work has appeared in the American Journal of Legal History as well as in various edited editions. In 2011, she served as an expert speaker on issues of immigration law, policy and history in Greece at the invitation of the U.S. State Department.

Opening her talk with three stories of persons facing automatic removal from the U.S., Tirres explained the law’s starring role in the increase of deportations in the country since 1975.

The two guiding ideas behind the talk were to understand how the U.S. came to its current set of policies and how to move beyond those policies. Tirres used the past to answer both.

Immigration cases in the nineteenth century gave plenary power — a legal term for complete authority or absolute control — regarding immigration to Congress. As a result, the judiciary branch has a relatively minor role with immigration law. 

Currently, deportation is not considered a punishment, and thus, there is little judicial oversight on legal matters such as retroactive application of the law. Tirres highlighted the problems of retroactively applying the law, using an example of an immigrant who forged a check for less than $20 several decades ago. Although check forging was not a deportable offense at the time the misdemeanor took place, the woman now faces immediate deportation and being barred from reentering the U.S. for the rest of her life. In other areas of the law, Tirres pointed out, it is illegal to apply new laws to old crimes.

Moving forward, Tirres recommended turning to past policies for a more humane approach to the issue of immigration. For instance, in the 1920s, statutes of limitations applied to immigration, even for those who entered the U.S. without permission. Tirres argued the U.S. should return to having statutes of limitations on immigration in conjunction with giving judges more leeway in granting relief from removal — permitting a person to stay in the U.S. — based on factors such as the hardship on the detainee returning to the country, hardship for the detainee’s family or the hardship to the U.S. economy for losing a productive member of society.

Tirres explained in the past, the attitude towards immigrants was not always focused on punishment. For example, in the 1930s and 1940s, Congress granted citizenship to certain groups in order to align the laws with the reality of the immigration situation. She hoped by turning to the past to understand the history and context of immigration, the U.S. would decide on a “more humane treatment of those within our borders.”

By exploring the history and complexities related to immigration law and policy, Tirres combines her fields of study. Tirres admits the answer to the immigration debate is complex. Nevertheless, her conclusions about current policy and future solutions are grounded in research.

Afterwards, Stephanie Muñoz, a multimedia journalism major, commented “I realized there was more to learn about immigration and more to learn about different perspectives on immigration laws. It all goes way back.”

Tirres’ talk was sponsored by UTEP President Diana Natalicio, The Law School Preparation Institute (LSPI) and The Center for Law and Human Behavior. As part of UTEP’s commitment to access and excellence, the award-winning LSPI helps UTEP students understand the legal profession and gain entrance to law school. Since its inception in 1998, the LSPI has seen 33 percent of its students attend law schools ranked in the top 15 by U.S. News & World Report. The LSPI is currently accepting applications and registrations from UTEP students for the 2014 college summer program and from high school students for the regional Citizen Bee competition, moot court tournament and law camp. 

UTEP was recently ranked seventh by Washington Monthly based on the University’s commitment to recruiting and graduating low-income students, producing cutting-edge research and Ph.D.s, and encouraging students to give back to their community and country. Programs such as the LSPI are part of every UTEP student’s full college experience.

The Centennial Lecture Series invites noteworthy speakers to the UTEP campus to share their perspectives on a broad range of contemporary issues that are likely to impact our society, culture and lives in the years ahead. The next Centennial Lecture will be given by Mauro Vieira, ambassador of Brazil to the United States, on February 26.

For more information on the Centennial Lecture Series, please visit http://centennial.utep.edu/lectures.html.

Prize-Winning Knitting! - Clackamas County Fair 2016

Almost a year later, I've sat down and written up the post to accompany my county fair prize-winning knits from 2016!

I took home second place in the dishcloth lot for my Almost-Lost Dishcloth. The only reason I entered it was my grammy had it and said, "It was too pretty to use." The judges agreed and this simple short-row dishcloth helped me take home two whole dollars. I'm tickled pink.

The other prize-winning knit from 2016 was the Honey Cowl I knit for my grammy. I took third place in the scarves lot for it. I'm really proud of the even tension I achieved with the slipped stitches and the finishing. I pocked that single dollar for the placement.

I guess I get to add "prize-winning knitter" to my list of achievements. (Hopefully no one checks out my claim too closely!)

New Year, New Beginnings - 2017 Edition

I took quite the hiatus while I finished up my MFA. I needed to focus on what my next steps were. The good news is I took the plunge and started my own business - Exceptional Editorial, LLC. I haven't double-checked my receipts and expenses against the revenue for 2016, but tentatively I think I made a small profit!

Looking back at my resolutions for 2016, I know I didn't accomplish many of them. The priorities in my life started to shift dramatically as I finished up my MFA - I wanted to focus on publication and working to find a way to better have the time and energy to write and create.

Let's look at what I said last year (2016), re: goals.

1. Knit (or finish) at least two projects from kits or Craftsy classes. I'm working on Drachenfels and should finish it shortly after the New Year. I have other projects like Lunaris, Tunisian Crochet Multi-Garment, Tree of Life Afghan, Beyond Basic Broomstick Lace (class), My First Raglan Cardigan (class, plus I bought the kit), Shawlscapes by Stephen West (class), and Choose Your Own Sweater Adventure (class), among others.
   
   Nope. Didn't even finish Drachenfels. It's at like 280+ stitches per row and living in a project bag/time out because it doesn't bring me joy. I did, however, go the entire year without buying any yarn. Complete cold sheep success. The only yarn that came in was a free sample I got with my book order from Knitpicks and a skein that was a gift from my sister. Otherwise, I worked on knitting down the stash.
   
2. I want to finish my MFA thesis by the end of next year. I have sent in my thesis proposal and I'm waiting to see if it was approved or not. I'm hoping to finish by August, but I'm giving myself an extra semester in case my proposal is not accepted in January.
   
   I finished and defended two weeks before my grandfather died. I've been sending the finalized project off to publishers for consideration. If I don't get any bites by May or June, I'll spend some time this summer revising.
   
3. Unread Books Project. Moving twice in less than two months, I realized I have a lot of books, many of which I have dragged state to state, all unread. So, to remedy this, the Unread Books Project is me picking at least one book per week to read for fun and/or pleasure from the stack of books that have sat and sat and sat in my home. To achieve this goal, I will read 45 to 52 books over the course of the year and do a biweekly or monthly report on what I've read. I also want to recall when and where I bought the book (or was gifted the book) when writing up which book or books I've finished.
   
   I put the blog on hiatus and with it, the unread books project. I'm still pretty burned out from reading after the PhD and MFA programs. I've been gifted several books I'm genuinely excited to read, so I'm hoping to get back in the saddle as far as reading in 2017.

I didn't really accomplish as much as I wanted. It's OK. I made a lateral move at work to a position that is far less stressful and, so far, has been very rewarding. I'm still shocked I managed to land two clients within a month of putting up my shingle. I'm grateful.

I also joined Instagram. I post knitting pictures, because knitting really brings me joy. I finished a very sweet sweater that was a free pattern from Lion Brand. I borrowed my mom's Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmermann to make a baby surprise jacket. I cast on today and hope I can follow the older-style instructions.

I don't know what goals I want to set for myself this year. I've got a lot of energy going into a lot of places. I find that very few of my goals get accomplished because my priorities dramatically shift. I'm going to focus on a few attainable touchstones rather than goals for 2017:

1. Continue working on decluttering my new house. I've got limited space and too much stuff to fit comfortably in it. I'll continue to cold sheep - no new yarn unless I have a specific project I will start right away. It's the seduction of potential - these papers/markers/yarn could all become something. The siren song of making and doing is difficult to ignore.
2. Keep working on Exceptional Editorial. I would love to make a profit three out of five years for tax purposes.

Here's to 2017.

On Hiatus Until May 2016

Between full-time work and full-time school, I'm having trouble finding the time to sit down and do a weekly blog.

I'm updating my MFA thesis blog three times a week, but it's really hard to keep up with both.

So, boredgnat.blogspot.com is on hiatus until at least May 2016.

Thanks!

Sunday, again?

Between full-time work and full-time school, it's getting a bit much to keep this blog updated.

I'm still committed to the projects for the year. I finished Never Let Me Go this week - the first non-thesis/non-school book I've read this year. I have a lot more books to go to meet my Unfinished Book project, but ... it's a start.

Super Bowl!

I watched half of the Super Bowl at my parents' house, then headed home to do homework. (Which I'm still working on.) I know I skipped last week's blog; I've been swamped at work and school is really cutting in to my free time.

I'm working on some knitting, but I don't think I'll finish the Rose City Mystery Knit-Along in time for the March 3 yarn crawl.

It'll be a busy several weeks and I'm still working on balancing work and life and school.

On Not Taking the Job

The Modern Language Association (MLA) issues recommendations for the profession of teaching languages (English and foreign). One of those recommendations is a minimum per-course compensation based on credit hours.

For those who don't want to click on the link, the recommended compensation for 2015-2016 for a three-credit course is $4,900 for a quarter-length class or $7,350 for a semester-length course; MLA recommends $5,320 for a quarter-length course and $8,020 for a semester-length course if compensation were to be more on-par with the recommended annual (and entry-level) salary of $48,180.

Thanks to these recommendations, I've decided to not even waste my time on applying for a job at the community college down the street. While the job seems to be generous at first ($50-60/hour), the truth is that compensation is only for time spent physically inside the classroom. It does not count the large (and often invisible) part of the job - course planning and grading.

Also thanks to the adjunct project, I was better able to pin down how that hourly rate translated to a final salary and frankly it was a mere third of the MLA-recommended salary.

While I sincerely and deeply miss teaching and would love to add a class or two to my life, the compensation isn't worth the loss of my free time. This is part of fighting back against the bottoming-out salaries in the profession; refusing to take work that does not meet minimum, professional association-recommended salaries means that I value my labor and its financial value rather than the "joy" or "satisfaction" of the profession.

I miss teaching and would love to be in a classroom, but I won't do it for less than my professional association says is fair recompense.

New year, new cold

Missed Sunday's deadline because I've been battling a viral cold for most of a week and really out of things because of it. I'm finally feeling better, but not 100 percent there.

Podcasting is harder than it looks

About a year ago, my knitting buddy mentioned she wanted to start a podcast. We finally made it happen today. It's going to be called "Knit Two Together" (k2tog). It took a few takes and I'm letting her take the lead on preparing the file for uploading, but I think it was fun.

Work keeps me busy and school is about to restart, so I could only commit to doing something once a month, although Deb is going to probably record at least once a month on her own.

I haven't started on the unread books projects yet, although I dragged two books around with me all weekend and never cracked open their spines.

I finished two washcloths and all I have left to do is finishing on them.

Sorry this isn't my best post, but I'm running and/or have run out of steam.

It's Snowing!

I made an impromptu trip up to Tacoma/Seattle area to visit some friends. Unfortunately, it snowed so much and the traffic and roads were so bad that it took me 4.5 hours instead of 3 to get back home.

I had wanted to see the Landscape Paintings exhibit at the Portland Art Museum, but today was the last day to see it. I guess I'll have to hope I can catch it in Seattle or something.

I have late start at work tomorrow; I'm off to bed.

2015 New Year's Resolutions - A Review and Prep for 2016 New Year's Resolutions

As I started this blog last year, I set out three categories for my 2015 New Year's resolutions: personal, professional, and academic.

In the personal realm, I had six goals: knit at least two patterns from books I already own using yarn I've already purchased; lose weight and maintain that weight at 159 pounds or less by next year; exercise at least two days per week; decide whether or not to pursue a technical writing certificate concurrently with my MFA; submit to least three literary journals by the end of the spring semester; and plan a trip around the world.

Of the six personal goals, I accomplished four.

I did knit at least two patterns from books I already own with yarn I've already purchased. Those patterns were the $5 in Paris, Baby Cozy, and the Firefly Dishcloth.

I did not lose weight, but considering my engagement ended and life was thrown into complete chaos, I'm happy I maintained my current weight of 180 pounds and didn't go up much further.

I'm not exercising two days a week, but I am walking to and from work at least three days a week. I'm also consistently getting at least 10,000 steps per day.

I decided to pursue the technical writing certificate and I should finish by May or June 2016.

I submitted to several literary journals, resulting in three publications (two in the same week)!

I did not plan a trip around the world, but I will revisit it once my two year commitment to my current job expires.

My five professional goals were to continue improving my editing skills and knowledge of AP Style; improve workflow processes; find more opportunities for professional development; be the best mentor I can be; and to figure out how to keep my job while taking a trip around the world.

I think the professional goals were the least completed, as I decided the best way to improve workflow processes and find more opportunities for professional development was to pursue a new opportunity closer to my family.

I'm really happy in my new position. I do some editing, but it's more office management and organization. Again, it's a better fit; the job moves faster and I am trusted to do my job, which is what made my last job a poor fit. I'm not looking at doing a world trip for a few more years since I've decided to come back home.

With the academic goals, I set four. I only accomplished one. My four goals were to apply for graduate school scholarships in January; apply for the staff scholarship in August; maintain a 3.5 GPA; and figure out how to maintain my staff tuition discounts while traveling the world.

I did not apply for scholarships - school or staff. I didn't feel I had a connection with any of the professors at that time, and I didn't feel I could trust any of the professors to write and turn in a letter of recommendation on time. I didn't apply for the staff scholarship in August because I knew I was resigning from my position. Since I no longer work where I worked, the staff discount is moot.

I did, however, maintain my GPA as a 4.0, which made me really happy considering I was working full time and really busy moving at the beginning of the fall semester.

Looking back at the goals I set and met and set and missed, I am certain the problem is there were too many goals in too many categories. The goals that became priorities were the goals that had the most importance to me.

For that reason, instead of three categories, I'm going to go with three goals for the year. It's easier to keep track of and it's easier to envision the final result.

My New Year's Resolutions for 2016 are as follows:

1. Knit (or finish) at least two projects from kits or Craftsy classes. I'm working on Drachenfels and should finish it shortly after the New Year. I have other projects like Lunaris, Tunisian Crochet Multi-Garment, Tree of Life Afghan, Beyond Basic Broomstick Lace (class), My First Raglan Cardigan (class, plus I bought the kit), Shawlscapes by Stephen West (class), and Choose Your Own Sweater Adventure (class), among others.
2. I want to finish my MFA thesis by the end of next year. I have sent in my thesis proposal and I'm waiting to see if it was approved or not. I'm hoping to finish by August, but I'm giving myself an extra semester in case my proposal is not accepted in January.
3. Unread Books Project. Moving twice in less than two months, I realized I have a lot of books, many of which I have dragged state to state, all unread. So, to remedy this, the Unread Books Project is me picking at least one book per week to read for fun and/or pleasure from the stack of books that have sat and sat and sat in my home. To achieve this goal, I will read 45 to 52 books over the course of the year and do a biweekly or monthly report on what I've read. I also want to recall when and where I bought the book (or was gifted the book) when writing up which book or books I've finished.

Let's see how 2016 goes.

Eep! Missed Sunday - Knitting Updates

I don't know where my weekend went, and I didn't mean to miss Sunday's deadline.

I finished blocking the Honeycomb Cowl and I am cruising along on Drachenfels. I'm off on the stitch count. I give up.

Echoes of Bullying: More Than 20 Years Later

Bullying has gotten a lot of media attention recently. The fact that there is an active movement to push back against what was once thought of as "kids being kids" is amazing. However, for me, it's too late.

My family moved around a lot when I was kid. Every time I went to a new school, I hoped against hope that maybe here, maybe this time, I'd make friends. That maybe for once I wouldn't be the target of everyone's hatred.

It never worked that way. I was always the odd duckling. I didn't watch the TV shows they did. I read a lot. I stood up for others.

I remember when we moved to Washington. I was riding high on that "new kid in school" glow. At recess, this group of popular girls ordered me to push this fat, unpopular boy in the mud during recess. It would cement my place with them. I would have friends. I would be popular.

I knew all this and I refused. It's funny how we look back on those moments and all the echoes that come after them. I could have been popular. Maybe for another week. Another day. I didn't pick that.

The echoes of the bullying and tormenting I experienced have marked who I am as a person. I don't trust people. I don't look back at my K-12 education with much happiness. I made a few friends here and there, but I was so lonely. I was so alone. I had some outlets - drama, music, reading, writing - but I was alone. I felt like such an outsider.

I threw myself into school. I could be praised for my grades. So I chased those for many, many years. I didn't do much with social things. I can count on one hand the number of sleepovers I went to.

It wasn't until college I felt I really belonged.

It wasn't until graduate school that I got anti-anxiety medication and was able to be around new groups of people and not feel like panicking. I talk a lot and part of it is a defense mechanism - if I control the conversation, the other person can't make fun of me to my face.

I'm 30 now and while I understand and have let go of a lot of what happened to me, I have to say "kids being kids" isn't okay. My entire life has been marked by desperately wanting to have and make and keep friends. As a result, I have stayed in the wrong relationships for far too long because I didn't want to be alone, because they knew that about me, and they used it to say no one else would ever want or love me. Because my peer group had been so awful to me, I believed it. Sometimes, I still believe it.

It's not just being made fun of for what you're wearing. It's the constant tormenting because you're a girl. Because you like to read. Because you speak up. Because you won't let anyone else take someone else down. Because you remember what it's like to be on the other side. Because you got breasts in seventh grade. Because you're odd. Because you're you.

This Halloween, it was great to see girls dressing up as Darth Vader. I saw at least three. When I did it almost twenty years ago, that kind of costuming choice made me weird. Made me a nerd. Made me a target.

Let's work on making the world a kinder and more welcoming place. One human being we interact with at a time.

Finals week!

I missed my regular Sunday posting because I was finishing up finals for two class. I have two more classes to go and it's been a crazy week at work.

I've had to prioritize and make decisions about what I have time to work on.

It doesn't help that I thought December 11 was a Saturday. It's a Friday, so I'm scrambling a bit to finish one of my final papers.

It'll all be better this weekend.

Also - news! I'm going to start podcasting about knitting with my friend from El Paso! It's going to be the Knit Two Together Podcast and we'll be starting either in late December or early January. Stay tuned!

Finals Week is Coming

Starting this next week, I'll have a final or final project due for each of my classes until December 11.

Ughhh....

Back to sleep. Hoping I can get enough done this week to stay sane.

Adventures in Pear Butter

I've been invited to Thanksgiving at a new partner's house with is extended family. I made pear butter. I wanted to make plum butter, but I could not find plums anywhere. I swear three weeks ago everywhere was lousy with plums, but when you specifically go looking for them ...

I got lucky and found pears, an orange, and orange juice at Grocery Outlet.

Pear Butter Recipe

Six pounds of pears - peeled and cored
Zest from most of a large orange
A good bit of freshly grated nutmeg
Cinnamon to toss and cover the pears
One cup of sugar
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup of agave syrup

I started the pear butter out on in the slow cooker, but eight hours on low left it pretty soupy. I tried taking off the lid and turning the slow cooker to high. No love.

So, I switched over to using the stovetop and a large pot. Stirring continuously over medium heat for about fifteen minutes, I cooked until most of the pear chunks were gone. Then I used a stick blender to make it lovely and smooth.

It tasted good! I hope it goes over well at Thanksgiving and I don't forget it at home.

Knitting Project Out of Timeout

I had a New Year's Resolution to knit at least two patterns from books, patterns, and yarn I already owned. When I started unpacking at my current one-bedroom mother-in-law suite, I realized how hard it is to downsize from a three-bedroom house into a one-bedroom space.

The truth is I get seduced by the potential for things and the possibility of things rather than the practical use for something. So, I have a lot of yarn because I think of all the possibilities for that yarn and how much money I'm saving on that yarn right this very minute, rather than thinking about what pattern or how much yarn it would actually take to make something I would want to own or gift.

The result is bins upon plastic bins of yarn. Realistically, I own more yarn right now than I could try and knit up in a year or two. A lot of the yarn is acrylic, which is very common for beginning knitters to accumulate.

I'm still knitting the pink monstrosity of a baby blanket. The baby's been born, but at this rate, I'll never get it done in time and I'm just wanting to get it done and over with so I never have to see it in a project bag again.

About three or four weeks ago, I had a major setback with my Drachenfels. I skipped a line in the pattern and after I had finished the entire stripped section, I counted my stitches and was so far off that I could really understand what had happened. Even missing the increase in every row would not have left me as off as the stitch count was. It turns out I missed an entire solid section increase in Part A.

I had to rip back 30 rows. The project has been in timeout ever since, mostly because it was so stressful to tink back so far. It needed some time off.

I'm trying to finish up the Drachenfels so I can start on the Honey Cowl for my grandmother for Christmas. I did promise her a few months ago. I've picked out a lovely, dark blue yarn for the project. I think the Honey Cowl should be a quick knit, but I also don't want tons of unfinished projects laying about the house.

I wound one skein of the yarn for the Honey Cowl. I debated doing the second, but I also don't want to set myself up for disappointment. I think I'll get together all the stuff for the Honey Cowl and start casting on tonight. I doubt I'll finish an entire skein of yarn in this pattern tonight. If I do, I'll switch over to my Drachenfels.

In my personal life, my parents met my main lover today. It went well. I went on a date yesterday to the zoo and went with my main lover to the zoo today. Met a lot of his friends. It went well. It's his birthday tomorrow, so I'll be popping my head in to wish him well on his 21st. Yes, I'm aware of the age difference. Hush now.

Taking my finger back

I had a whole, elaborate blog post in my mind, but I'm about to take off for a grownup sleepover, so I'm going to make this quick:

I bought my own damn ring for my own damn hand with my own damn money.

That's right. No more engagement ring. I bought my own Tiffany ring for my right hand middle finger. It's to remind myself I don't need the fairy tale marriage to make myself happy. To make myself "fit" into this world.

I'm done wearing a mask to do what is right, to do what society expects.

I'm wearing a ring on my middle finger to remind myself that I gave him the wrong one and that I let society tell me that chasing and hoping for marriage was something I should want.

Knitted Chainmail - Review Time

I knit chainmail for my Halloween costume (Lagertha from the TV show Vikings). I used sock-weight yarn, which was nice and soft, but didn't hold up to being worn all day. Unfortunately, it got snagged in a few places and I ended up with some holes.

I think the folks on Ravelry who knit their chainmail with worsted weight, acrylic yarn had the right idea. I think the nylon/acrylic blend of the sock yarn wasn't enough to stand up to the rigors of being worn around the office all day.

That being said, it looked really good and authentic. I'll write up the pattern later this month and put it up on Ravelry.

Same song, second verse, little bit louder ...

I know my posts have been short. I've been occupied - dating again! Really, really happy! It's surprising how fast the weekend goes when you're out with people the whole time.

I'm barely keeping up on my online MFA classes, and I have a new class starting tomorrow. I've got about six more weeks of classes and I really, really have to finish my thesis proposal (which is now two weeks late/behind ... goodie).

Work keeps me insanely busy. I don't have much time to do anything else.

Took the boss to the airport today. Fell asleep afterward until 2 p.m. That's mostly because we went to a Florence and the Machine concert last night.

I'm smitten kitten.

Also, first publication online is happening tomorrow. Dirty Chai Magazine "Lit with a Kick" is publishing me in their eighth issue!!! Tomorrow!!!