The Immigrant - 2005 - Regional (US) Articles Page 18

Shah Peerally is more than a just a renowned lawyer. He is a humanitarian and an expert in United States immigration. Being himself an immigrant, he understands the hardship faced by new immigrants aka arriving aliens. At an early stage Shah realized that most new immigrants aren't fully aware of their legal rights which render them vulnerable to abuses. As a result, Shah spent much of the beginning of his career speaking about 'Know Your Rights' in mosques, churches and temples. After working for two prestigious law firms, in 2005, he opened the Law Offices of Shah Peerally which will ultimately become the Shah Peerally Law Group PC. In 2010, Shah started a radio show on AM radio KLOK 1170 AM and an online radio at www.AttorneyOnAir.com. His radio shows are a praised for helping thousands understand the law and making a good decision on their cases. In the same spirit of helping the community, in 2011 Shah started a small production company (Shah Peerally Productions Inc). The company gained momentum by releasing three movies including one full feature film and two short dramas, two of which were selected for the movie festivals. All the movies tackle immigration law problems and other socially sensitive issues such as domestic violence, INA 221g Administrative Processing and Immigration Fraud. Today Shah is considered one of the most respected attorneys of his time. He has been featured as an expert on major TV networks such as NDTV, Times now and his work published several major newspapers. He has been rated by Avvo.com as a Superb attorney with a perfect 10/10 score, and in 2013 was selected as a Rising Star by Superlawyers.com. With his social activism, Shah hopes to better the lives of the immigrants through education and advocacy. Recently Shah has been focusing on writing books as a means to educate the community. Shah's new book, "The Immigration Lawyer Asylum," seems to have all the ingredients to keep the reader captivated including how a US immigration court functions. Being an attorney author, he wants to use his book to assist the average US citizen and immigrants to understand the realities of being a new immigrant. In this book, he covers immigration law, hate crimes and other sensitive issues and their implication on society. Reading this book will fascinate you, especially because it has realistic law notions embedded into a fiction novel. "The Immigration Lawyer Asylum" was written from the attorney author's perspective, and all the US immigration issues found between the lines have been experienced by Shah Peerally. From his immigration and visa lawyer experience, he managed to create an amazing work of fiction which will guide many who plan to go to America. The American dream is not the same for everybody, and the land of opportunities comes with its difficulties and can sometimes be an American nightmare. The situation is worse when there is nobody to explain the law and most of the things one should know about the United States of America. This book is recommended to all the American natives who are unaware of the struggle of the immigrants. It also gives an overview of the operations of agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security including its subdivisions such as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) and the Custom Border Patrol (CBP). Immigration lawyer Shah Peerally is definitely a person with substantial experience. In his eagerness to educate the public, he wrote the book which is both entertaining and useful. Inspired by his real experiences, he created an amazing educational work of fiction which is not only captivating but illustrates the process of present US immigration system. The main character in the book is Sarah, a corporate lawyer turning into an immigration lawyer. She is married to a Caucasian Muslim immigrant from Bosnia. Not happy with the corporate world, she decides to become an immigration lawyer and decides to fight for immigrants' equal rights to justice. As a result, she joins SPLG, an immigration law firm in California and ultimately ends up with the case of Ahmad. Ahmad is a visitor from Iraq, who despite having a valid entry visa is apprehended at that San Francisco airport on pretext of immigration violations. In fact, the actual motive of his arrest was that he was suspected of being a terrorist. While Ahmad's tale is not the usual situation of most immigrants, it is still a reflection of the misfortune of many Muslims and Middle Easterners trying to enter the US post September 11, 2001. The book not only shows the hardship of these individuals and their lawyers but also the challenges faced by American Muslims or people who look like Muslims. On a positive note the book praises the triumph of the American legal system and the US Constitution over arbitrary and capricious abuses of power. So one might think that Shah Peerally is trying to put all his hopes and dreams about a better world into a work of fiction. But in fact, through this he is actually trying to depict an a lesser known unique facet of the post 9/11 US immigration system including its strength and its flaws. The editorial reviews of the book say it all: Simon Barett From Blogger News review: "...I will however make some general observations. The author clearly understands the subject, and that makes this a great, if too short read. What I enjoyed are some of the nuances, the minor asides. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the life of being a refugee is not an easy one. Ahmad is lucky, he has people to help him, even better, people from other cultures that join for the common good..." ; and Jack Magnus from Readers' Favorites gives it a 5 Stars: "...I am so impressed by The Immigration Lawyer. This legal thriller by Shah Peerally is entertaining and highly inspirational and not only for young adults. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to make a difference, especially law students and young lawyers who aren't quite sure about their career plans. Peerally sets out the procedural steps by which Sarah helps Ahmad simply and eloquently, and he makes accessible what has always seemed to me to be a very complicated branch of law. 'The Immigration Lawyer' also explores the all-too-real plight of immigrants in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks who have been the victims of hate-crimes, and it does all this in an entertaining graphic novel format. The Immigration Lawyer is remarkable and a definite must-read." For those who want to curl up with a good book, "The Immigration Lawyer Asylum" has something for everyone including romance, suspense, and drama while keeping its educational nature. This makes "The Immigration Lawyer Asylum" a book which is a "definite must-read" or it can be listened to on audio. Series: The Immigration Lawyer Paperback: 72 pages Kindle Version: 74 pages Publisher: Shah Peerally Productions Inc.; 1 edition (February 7, 2014) Language: English ISBN-10: 0615783783 ISBN-13: 978-0615783789 Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches "The Immigration Lawyer: Asylum" is available in print priced just $9.99 from http://www.amazon.com/The-Immigration-Lawyer-Asylum-Volume/dp/0615783783/ and is also available as a Kindle download priced $3.07 (Free on KDP Select on specific days) An audio version will soon be available on www.audible.com.

New York Live Arts presents the U.S. premiere of Ana Vujanovi and Sa'a Asenti's On Trial Together, today, February 20 - 22 at 7:30pm in the New York Live Arts Theater. Called 'deeply intelligent' by the Exberliner, the work is a hybrid performance of theater, choreography and social experiment, creating a unique experience exclusive to each evening.

New York Live Arts has announced an array of winter and spring events for the Suitcase Fund, Live Arts' signature international artist and cultural exchange program. Events include Research Presentations by Serbian artists Saša Asenti?& Ana Vujanovi?, as well as Marijana Cvetkovi? Markovi? and Miki Braniste; and a two week research residency by South African choreographers Thabiso Pule & Thami Hector Manekhla, in partnership with Movement Research.

The Huntington Theatre Company announces that the 2014 Breaking Ground festival of new plays will be held today, January 30 - February 2 at the Huntington's home for new work, the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA.

New York Live Arts presents the U.S. premiere of Ana Vujanovi and Saša Asenti's On Trial Together, February 20 - 22 at 7:30pm in the New York Live Arts Theater. Called "deeply intelligent" by the Exberliner, the work is a hybrid performance of theater, choreography and social experiment, creating a unique experience exclusive to each evening.

WaterTower Theatre Producing Artistic Director and Loop Executive Producer Terry Martin today announced the line-up for the 2014 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival, March 6-16, 2014 at the Addison Theatre and Conference Centre.

Morgan Freeman will present the SAG 50th Life Achievement Award to Rita Moreno at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

Theater for the New City will present the world premiere of 'Sotto Voce' by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz from February 15 to March 9, directed by the author.

Milagro presents Cuentame Coyote, written and directed by Dañel Malan. Milagro's 2014 Touring Production runs Jan 9-25, 2014, playing Thu at 7:30 pm; Fri - Sat at 8:00 pm; and Sun at 2:00pm at the Milagro Theatre (525 SE Stark St).

The Huntington Theatre Company announces that the 2014 Breaking Ground festival of new plays will be held January 30 - February 2 at the Huntington's home for new work, the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA.

New York, NY – American Composers Orchestra (ACO) announces the release of its fourth digital album, an all music-video release entitled Orchestra Underground: A-V, streaming free of charge on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/channels/orchestraunderground. This new album (the A-V stands for “audio-visual”) is the first of its kind for ACO, and features the orchestra in multimedia works by some of today's leading composers and film artists – Margaret Brouwer with Kasumi inBreakdown (2008); Sebastian Currier with Pawel Wojtasik in Next Atlantis (2009); and Michael Gandolfi with Ean White in As Above (2005).

Stephen Fry, who is making his Broadway acting debut as Malvolio in the critically acclaimed Shakespeare's Globe production of TWELFTH NIGHT, will be a guest on 'The Colbert Report' on Thursday, October 24. 'The Colbert Report' airs at 11:30 PM ET on Comedy Central, 10:30 PM Central.

The producers of ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Theater Album, have just announced casting for the first North American touring company. The tour opens at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI with performances beginning on October 1, 2013.

Minnesota Opera is pleased to announce casting updates for the 2013–2014 season, which boasts three company premieres and five productions new to Minnesota audiences. Based on anticipated demand, the boundary-busting production of The Magic Flutewill receive nine performances. Other season highlights include James Valenti starring in the premiere of a revised The Dream of Valentino by Dominick Argento as part of Minnesota Opera's New Works Initiative; Kelly Kaduce in an opulent production of Puccini's soulful Manon Lescaut; Jacquelyn Wagner, Elizabeth Futral, Brian Jagde and Craig Irvin in a stylish production of Strauss' romantic comedy, Arabella; and Verdi's chilling take on the Shakespearean thriller, Macbeth, starring Brenda Harris and Greer Grimsley. Minnesota Opera is also pleased to announce the roster for the 2013–2014 Resident Artist Program, as well as unveil a new website.

The noted musical director, currently taking on BIG FISH, also takes on the issues of children, poverty, and education with her arts organization, ASTEP

The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today the 35 films that will comprise the main slate of official selections for the 51st New York Film Festival

The bases are loaded with musical theatre magic as TriArts Sharon Playhouse, under the leadership of Alice Bem and Executive Director and John Simpkins Artistic Director, presents the Tony Award-winning musical Damn Yankees from August 14-25 on the TriArts Mainstage (49 Amenia Road, Sharon).

The Shades of Gray will present the world premiere of Rayka Kobiella's Vestiges, tonight, August 1 - August 4 at The Secret Theatre (4402 23rd St, Long Island City).

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation and Culture Project's Women Center Stage 2013 Festival present 'Generating Your Own Work', a panel with Rachel Alderman, Leigh Fondakowski, and Maija Garcia tonight, July 22, 6:30 - 8:00 PM at the Lynn Redgrave Theatre at Culture Project at 45 Bleecker Street. This event is free. RSVP REQUIRED to Conversations@SDCweb.org.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation and Culture Project's Women Center Stage 2013 Festival present 'Generating Your Own Work', a panel with Rachel Alderman, Leigh Fondakowski, and Maija Garcia on Monday, July 22, 6:30 - 8:00 PM at the Lynn Redgrave Theatre at Culture Project at 45 Bleecker Street. This event is free.

Below is a transcript of Sunday's broadcast courtesy of NBC News' “Meet the Press.”

San Diego REPertory Theatre (San Diego REP) in partnership with the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) will present "In the Heights" by Quiara Alegria Hudes as the first production of the company's 38th season. The Tony and Grammy Award-winning production was conceived by and with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the San Diego REP production is directed by Sam Woodhouse and starring Jai Rodriguez.

Sandra Bernhard, Lea DeLaria, & Scott Thompson are set to star in SO OVER THE RAINBOW, for one night only tonight, June 29th at 8:00PM, at Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street.

The Shades of Gray will present the world premiere of Rayka Kobiella's Vestiges, August 1 - August 4 at The Secret Theatre (4402 23rd St, Long Island City).

St. Ann's Warehouse will present a colossal celebration of tiny art, Great Small Works' Tenth International Toy Theater Festival, today, June 14-23.