Epistle for FCNL’s Annual Spring Lobby Weekend in Washington, DC

Epistle for FCNL’s Annual Spring Lobby Weekend in Washington, DC

This past weekend (March 17–20, 2018), a small group of young adult friends from NY, NJ, CT, and MN, made our way to Washington, DC, for Friends Committee on National Legislation’s Spring Lobby Weekend. We were joined by three young adult Friends from New England Yearly Meeting to participate in preparations at the National Press Club over the weekend, and eventually to lobby on Capitol Hill on Monday and Tuesday, many of us for our first time.

The early part of the program included small group discussions and activities led by appointed Delegation Leaders, as well as panels, speeches, and workshops all weekend long in preparation for lobbying on Monday and Tuesday. Our group was a small portion of the nearly 500 other young adults who gathered from all over (mostly the USA) to be present for this year’s Spring Lobby Weekend, focusing on the issue of our broken immigration system, and demanding a pathway to citizenship for dreamers (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals eligible people) that does not pose further threat to their families and communities.

Over the weekend, we feel that we were able to learn more about immigrant experiences from hearing first-hand stories, as well as from the materials that FCNL provided for us. We were reminded of the power of being intentional with our language—for example, choosing to use the word “undocumented” instead of “illegal.” We leave feeling more deeply connected to the issues we discussed and with an increased awareness of the inner workings of our political system, and where we can make our voices heard.

For most of us, it was our first visit to our nation’s capital, and also a change in pace, as none of us identify as city folk. This gave us an opportunity to flex our navigational muscles and push ourselves to get around on our own, as well as an exercise in budgeting for ourselves. We enjoyed some very tasty dinners—among our favorites were Venezuelan sandwiches, Salvadoran pupusas, and “Indian Chipotle.” We increased our practical skills! We learned about Washington, DC, and about the process of legislating by hearing first-hand from representatives and senators, and by hearing the stories of those who spend much of their time lobbying on Capitol Hill.

It is a very empowering feeling to be reminded of our influence as young documented citizens (new and future voters), and to learn how our political system is accessible. We leave with a stronger understanding of the ways that we can demand the attention of our representatives and participate in making change in our communities both local and global. It is both informative and inspiring to be surrounded by a large group of like-minded people from all over; to get a sense of the broadness of an issue. We were joined by people from over 40 states, all bringing their voices and experiences, all recognizing the importance of creating legal space—including and welcoming the voices—particularly for those among us who arrived to our country as children and have yet to be legally recognized as fully participating members of our society. We are excited to come again next year for FCNL’s Spring Lobby Weekend programming, to bring new friends with us. We are excited to share what we’ve learned with our friends and family at home, and to remind and encourage all of our people to stay informed about the activity in your home states and counties, to write and call your representatives, and for those of us who have the legal ability to do so, to make sure you’re registered, and GO VOTE!