I've copied this from the Cape Breton music list. I can't vouch for the veracity of the story. According to the talk, the fiddler in question didn't have all her paperwork in order. (There is, of course, a school of thought according to which anyone who doesn't have their paperwork in order deserves whatever they get ... ) I'll add a clicky.


PLEASE SIGN A PETITION to ease visa regulations that are choking off cultural exchanges:

Recently, a Cape Breton fiddler was interrogated at the Maine border for 4 hours and then banned for life from visiting the US; all her events were cancelled. Same with her driving companion, who was banned for "attempting to smuggle an illegal alien" into the US. The guards had searched her laptop computer to find contacts with people about workshops and small performances -- she had no contracts, just an expectation of earning something for sharing her expertise here. She was told she could apply for a waiver but Homeland Security informed her they only give waivers to convicted criminals.

This is not a new situation, and things have gone too far: festivals such as Boston College's Gaelic Roots Festival have died due to increased difficulty in obtaining visas. Cultural exchange is being choked--Irish, Hispanic, Asian, African-- because visa regulations focus entirely on commerce--no one is permitted to earn a penny including pocket money or accommodations without a work visa. Musicians are treated like major security risks. The problem is that cultural exchange is not about commerce; it's about demonstrating and teaching cultural traditions across borders. It's often prohibitive to pay visa fees, provide a firm itinerary with no permission to change it more than 95 days in advance of visa approval, or pay $1000 rush fee if approval is needed sooner than 95 days. This is not a problem for big bands doing tours, but impossible for short visits by experts to schools, house concerts, music camps, community dances, and small venues.

You can help--sign the petition for CEFTA, the Cultural Exchange Free Trade Agreement, which I have written in consultation with people on both sides of the border and plan to present to Sen Snowe and others. The more signatures, the more seriously they will take this.

You can read info and sign the petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cefta -- Thanks and please pass the word!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cefta