After a full day of events with Manassas Assembly, I headed down to Quantico for Quantico-Freedom Assembly’s Masquerade Ball. They had lots of masks that you could choose from for a donation, but I brought my own. There was plenty of food. I saw girls from several other assemblies including Ashburn, Springfield, Manassas, and Fredericksburg. I stayed until the end and helped to clean up. I ended up staying a little later than expected because Abby accidentally locked the keys in Mom Jean’s car while it was on and we didn’t leave until we knew everyone was safe to go home.
In RL&S,
Isabella C.
Why we love to road trip with Rainbow Girls
There are two sayings “It is the journey not the destination” and “The more the merrier” that definitely applies to a road trip with Rainbow girls. During our trips, we, the moms, have not only bonded and learn so much with each other but with the girls. It is fun to watch the girls bond closer and find out new things about each other. The excitement of a girl when she settles into the vehicle and says “The only other state I have visited is Florida,” can not only be seen but also felt. Then as we transverse into a new state, the whole group yells- “We are now in…..” As an adult advisor/chaperone, if you listen, you can hear the things that the girls would not normally express, their fears, joys and crushes. You can hear the other girls support and offer advice to the girl. In the midst of laughter, the bonds of not friendship but sisterhood are formed. Then, a question is asked of the adults that the girls would not ask if they did not feel safe. Finally, the inside jokes that are created during the trip, that later in a moment of stress for the girl, as an adult you can mention it and watch the laughter and joy return. This is why we love to road trip with Rainbow girls. They are the best and make the journey the best part of the trip.
Mom Ange and Mom Jean
Quantico-Freedom #6
Winning the Amanda Award: my story
As some of you know, I won the Amanda’s Award in 2018, which was the first ever Amanda Award, honoring Mom Amanda Giannini and her story and fight with breast cancer. This year, I was honored to present the 2019 award to Vanessa, PWA of Manassas Assembly #13 and newly installed Grand Worthy Associate Advisor. I realized I didn’t really specify much about my story, so I wanted to give a brief overview; to spread more awareness.
My story isn’t one of illness, or stress. It goes even further. I moved to the United States when I was 1 and ½ because my parents wanted me to have a good life. I’m like all others; but one thing that differentiates me from others is that I do not have a Green Card.
There is quite a bit of confusion over Green Cards. If you do not have a Green Card, that simply means you are not allowed to apply for a citizenship yet, but it does NOT mean that you are illegal.
I will give you all a short overview on all this. The USCIS grants 1,000,000 Green Cards per year, 140,000 of which goes to employment-based visas. That number is divided by 5 for 5 subcategories, and 7% of that is given to each country. Every country gets 7%, even countries as small as Vatican City, with a population of only 500, gets about 2,000 – 3,000 families Green Cards per year, and once the year finishes, those Visas expire, unused.
If I was born in a different country, I would have gotten a Green Card faster. If I was born in Nepal, which is only two days of a drive away from the city I was born in, I would have had a Green Card by now.
A misconception that occurs often is that “people with Green Cards steal jobs”, when in reality, the people who come here make jobs, and aid in people getting promoted. My dad is extremely dedicated at his job, and has created so many new positions in his workforce and helped others rise positions.
The problem is getting worse as I get older. I only have 6, about 7 years to go. After I turn 21, there is no certainty in anything.
Some people might think, “Oh, doesn’t DACA sponsor you?” For people like me, it does not. DACA only supports illegal immigrants, which I support, but it is a bit unfair, as us legal kids are left behind. We pay taxes, we have gone to school here since we were little, I don’t even remember life before I moved to Virginia.
There are many groups rallying for this cause, such as the Republican Hindu Coalition and SIIA (Skilled Immigrants of America), and I am a part of SIIA’s H4 Dreamers campaign to speak out for kids just like me, to help the movement to inform Congress about us and to let us not be left behind.
The Virginia Grand Assembly is a proud member of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls – a non-profit youth group that teaches girls what matters most – leadership, confidence, and citizenship.
