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Dear Friends,

October is the month for one of my favorite Hindu festivals--Navaratri. The festival lasts nine (nava) nights (ratri) and honors the goddess Durga's victory over an evil demon. It's a festival I knew little about during my early childhood in the United States because my parents' observation was quite understated.

It wasn't until I moved to Malaysia for third grade that I experienced the holiday in full. There, Hindu Tamils who had immigrated to the peninsula decades before celebrated the festival in style. They invited everyone to their homes, prepared delicious snacks, and showcased my favorite part of the holiday--the golu, an array of dolls displayed on an odd-number of steps.

As soon as we returned to the United States, I insisted that we start celebrating Navaratri each year. Over the years, we collected hundreds of dolls for our annual display--scenes of Indian weddings, cricket matches, and my own precious bear figurines. We invited our friends and community to join us in celebration, both our fellow first- and second-generation immigrants from South India and new friends with varied histories that had brought their families to the United States.

Once I started a family of my own, I too initiated the golu tradition, but my husband and I made it our own--adopting a book theme for each golu. Our first was a Hogwarts golu made from cardboard. Once we had children, we transitioned to The Hungry Caterpillar and Rosie Revere: Engineer.

This celebration taps into both my and my husband's inner librarians. But what I love most about our golu is how it reflects where I came from and who I am now and how it is shaping who our children will be.

This Navaratri, I'm thrilled to share a small piece of this holiday with all of you. One of the staples of a Tamil Navaratri is sundal, a chick pea snack, and I'm thrilled to share my mother's recipe with all of you. You can grab the ingredients at either the Wedge Lyndale or the Wedge Linden Hills and round up for ILCM where, each day, we support immigrants and refugees who are enriching our communities one tradition at a time.

Best,
Veena


Sundal

Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 dry red chili
- 1 tsp urad dal (can substitute black lentils or azuki beans)
- ½ tsp asafoetida (can substitute onion powder)
- 2 tsp dry coconut flakes (unsweetened)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt to taste

Directions
- Drain and wash the chick peas.
- Heat the vegetable oil.
- Add the mustard seeds and wait until they crackle.
- Brown the urad dal.
- Add the asafoetida and the chili and lightly brown.
- Add the chick peas and salt to taste.
- Cook on low to medium for five minutes.
- Remove from stove and mix in the dry coconut flakes.
- Enjoy your sundal!



Round Up in Support of ILCM

Looking for an easy way to support immigrants and refugees in Minnesota? Look no further than the Wedge Co-Op!

ILCM is proud to announce that we are Twin Cities Co-op Partner's Change Matters recipient for October 2023! Support ILCM and immigrants and refugees in Minnesota by either rounding up at the register or purchasing any products from Nordic Naturals. As ILCM's Product Partner, they will generously donate $1 per unit sold!



YES WE DID!

All Minnesotans regardless of immigration status can now get driver's licenses. The first step is taking the written test.

"To prepare for the new applicants, DPS and several community organizations have been expanding resources for immigrants. DPS is offering informational documents, forms and the written driver's test in various languages.

"Several organizations that campaigned for Drivers Licenses for All shifted to providing resources for prospective drivers in anticipation of the law taking effect. Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL) pushed for the law to pass; recently, they've offered road safety classes and added driver information to their website....

"The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and Unidos are both offering multilingual resources and information about the process, too."

DL4ALL LINK: [link removed]



Defend the Dream

On September 13, 2023, a federal district court judge in Texas decided that the DACA program violates U.S. immigration law. The U.S. Supreme Court will likely agree to hear the case because of its significance. Have questions about Texas Court Decision on DACA?

- Is there a possibility that the court's decision could be overturned?
- I already have DACA. How does this decision affect me?
- I am eligible for DACA, and I submitted my initial application. How does this decision affect me?
- I had DACA, but my DACA expired. How does this decision affect me?
- Where can I find mental health support?

DACA FAQ LINK: [link removed]



TPS Updates

On October 6, the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the extension and redesignation of Cameroon for TPS for 18 months, from December 8, 2023, through June 7, 2025.

In September, TPS for Afghanistan, Venezuela, and South Sudan was also extended and redesignated.

TPS LINK: [link removed]



Thank You for Joining!

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Voices United Gala! What an incredible night of connecting, building community, and honoring life-changing work for immigrants and refugees throughout Minnesota.

We are so grateful for the generosity of your time, support, and dedication to ILCM's mission. Thank you for being an ally and fiercely advocating for more just immigration laws and policies that benefit immigrants, refugees, and the broader community.

GALA LINK: [link removed]




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