Why I Do This Work

Update

It's been more than a few months since I've written anything.  Part of this is that I've been busy and another part is that I haven't fully given myself time to process a lot of what has happened in the past year, let alone the past few months.  But I know that these experiences are just a part of the journey of life.  And, my journey has surely been interesting!

Catie, Emily, and me at one of our retreats.

Since I last posted, Emily and Catie (my roomies from last year) have moved on to New York City and Memphis with the end of our YAV year, I've led more than a handful of delegations, visited Mexico City and Queretero to see my uncle and my friend Anna, and moved into an apartment with my partner, Mike.  And I've stayed on at BorderLinks as a program organizer while also in charge of the website, facebook page, and various other tasks.  And those are just the basics! 

Even though my year as a YAV is over, I still intend to use this blog to share my thoughts and experiences in the borderlands.  There is something so unique and special about this place.  I thought a good place to start was this piece that I wrote for an upcoming BorderLinks newsletter:

Why I Do This Work 

One look at the wall, from Palominas, Arizona.

I came to Tucson during an interesting time, a time of increased deaths in the desert from dehydration, the economic crisis, immigration-focused legislation, a heightened focus on drug cartels and violence in Mexico, a rancher found dead near the border, the swine flu, Arizona boycotts, ICE raids in predominantly Latino communities, increased border militarization, protests and rallies. Fresh out of college, I was, in many ways, unprepared for the intensity, divisiveness, and complexities of living and working in the border region.

Participants at Grupo Beta, talking with migrants.

It was a shock to my system the first time that I sat in the wooden benches at Operation Streamline and watched as 70 men and women were processed through the court in a matter of hours, as I listened to the stories of deported men at Grupo Beta who were separated from their families, as I walked through the desert and picked up the hundreds of belongings left behind.  There are often no words to describe those encounters, no way to fully convey the experience.

There are some days that I wish I could go back to my time before Tucson, to a time when I wasn’t aware of the amount of money spent on the militarization of the border, to a time when hearing about a shooting in Nogales does not cause me to worry about friends and coworkers there, to a time when the interdependence of the world does not stare me straight in the face everyday.  I’d like to run away from this because I’ve learned that there is some degree of pain involved in giving up old ways of knowing and being.  There is pain in learning about and experiencing how embedded we are in the systems, institutions, and relationships of this world.  It is painful because it reveals my role in what is happening on the border and throughout the world.

Some of the kids at HEPAC, the community center in Nogales.

But I wouldn’t give up this experience.  Each day I am challenged anew to open my eyes, my ears, my mind, and my heart to the complexities and beauty of living on the border.  I’ve stood arm in arm with Isabel Garcia, an immigrant rights activist, at a protest against Arizona’s legislation.  I’ve shared laughter, tears, and stories over homemade tamales.  I’ve listened to the haunting beauty of a migrant’s flute at a shelter.  I’ve sung out prayers and hopes at vigils to honor those we’ve lost in the desert.  I’ve worn myself out pushing kids on the merry-go-round, just to be commanded to jump on so that they can push me.

I’ve learned the power of a hug, a laugh, a handshake, a smile.  I’ve learned about global political economics, sustainable food, and the roots of migration.  I’ve learned that some of the deepest wisdom can come from some of the most unexpected sources.  I’ve learned how to use my voice, and maybe more importantly, how to deeply listen.

And it is because of all of that and more that I work at BorderLinks. Now, more than ever, there is a need to empower and support an education of the head and the heart, to create a society that is capable of critical thinking as well as critical feeling--from the side of inclusiveness and love. BorderLinks programs are important for the power that they have to remind us of our common humanity and our common responsibilities to each other; to remind us that we still have a lot to learn in and from this world.

Busy...I'm So Busy...My Head is Spinnin'

Like a Whirlpool, It Never Ends

Per usual, it is time for my monthly update.  This past month has contained a whirlwind of activity and adventures.  I spent a wonderful week in Pittsburgh, visiting with family and friends and sharing stories about my time down here in Tucson.  In addition to speaking at Duquesne Presbyterian Church, I led a Waverly on Tap Discussion about SB1070, a workshop about the YAV program and BorderLinks at my church retreat, and an Adult Sunday School at John McMillan Presbyterian Church that focused on my work as a YAV at BorderLinks and about SB1070.  It felt good to be able to share my knowledge and passion with people all the way over on the other side of the country.  As well, there is similar legislation to SB1070 looking to be passed throughout the country, so I benefited from the conversations with people involved in this opposition.

When I returned to Tucson, I jumped right back into my delegation with a group from the University of Michigan GIEU (Global Intercultural Experiences for Undergraduates) Program.  This was a wonderful group of students who were down here for a month and who took part in our educational programs as well as service opportunities in the local Tucson community.  They wrote a wonderful blog about their journey with us and created a site that documents their time with students at Cesar Chavez High School in South Tucson.

We also celebrated Pentecost Sunday, my favorite day of the year.  There is just something about the Holy Spirit that speaks to me.  I had the opportunity to be the liturgist and to give a brief sermon at St. John on the Desert Presbyterian Church in Tucson.  I spoke about the power of the Holy Spirit when it came to the disciples long ago.  The Spirit enabled them to speak in tongues, to communicate and talk with people who were different than them.  My hope was (and is) that the Spirit can come to us in these turbulent times and allow us the grace and wisdom to speak openly and honestly with people that think differently than us, with those who might disagree with us, whether about immigration, health care, war, or politics.

I also led a wonderful delegation from Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio.  I was so impressed by the enthusiasm, energy, and questions that the group brought with them throughout the delegation.  While we were not able to make it into Mexico, we still had a jam-packed schedule full of a visit to Operation Streamline, a desert walk, impromptu discussions with Border Patrol agents, a homestay, and discussions about immigration history, SB1070, and organizing in their own community.

Read Between the Bars, the books to prisoners collective that Mike and I are a part of had a wonderful fundraiser and celebration, raising over $1,200 which is enough money to send packages of 3 books to over 433 prisoners in Arizona.  Our organization and the event were featured in the local Tucson Weekly paper. This past weekend we had our last book packing party of the summer and had many new wonderful volunteers!

Emily and Catie are doing well.  Emily was accepted into a Master's Program at NYU for Food Studies.  It is perfect for her and I am glad to see her following her heart.  Catie has also decided to go back to school at the University of Memphis where she is from.  And me...well, I am applying for a few things here in Tucson.  But I am going to keep them secret for now, until I find out if I've been accepted or not.

I was going to write more, but this seems to be enough of an update for now.  I'll comment on stuff in greater detail soon!  Oh! I also wanted to share this photo album with everyone. It documents some of my time here on the border.  Enjoy!

Isabel and Mother's Day

Update

While in Pittsburgh, in addition to seeing my family, taking some time off, and enjoying the cool weather, I am visiting with churches and other organizations to share stories about my time on the border.  Yesterday, I went to First Presbyterian Church in Duquesne, located in a town right outside of Pittsburgh.  They are helping to sponsor my year as a YAV.  Duquesne Presbyterian Church, located in the third poorest town in Pennsylvania, has a small but vibrant and diverse community.  

When my family arrived, a group of teenagers were practicing a miming that they are planning to present at a local church next week.  One of the most beautiful and humbling things that I witnessed was a small mission program that the teenagers have set up, called Angel Treats.  They were sitting in youth group one day complaining that they didn't have any money, so someone told them to get a job. When they replied that there weren't any jobs, they came up with the idea to start a chocolate business.  They received a $30,000 Self-Development of People grant to start a business, and it has taken off from there.  

The reason that I call it humbling is this: people so often think of mission as something that you do for other people in other places--we go on mission trips to build houses in Mexico, we go to teach English in another country, we go to spread the word of God, often forgetting about our own local communities and the needs that are close to home.  These wonderful people recognized their own need and a need in their community and ran with it.  

When I applied to do the YAV program, I was originally thinking of going overseas, but then I realized that there was so much need in our own country, that I decided to stay in the United States.  And once I started thinking along those lines, I started wondering if I shouldn't try to find something in Pittsburgh or in Beloit, my local communities.  I ended up deciding to follow my passions to Tucson, and I am glad that I did, but hearing about Angel Treats was a good reminder for me about not forgetting our local needs and the creativity that can be inspired through community.

While at Duquesne, I shared a story in the Minute for Mission time, that I will repost here now:

Isabel and Mother's Day

As yesterday was Mother's Day, there is one related story in particular that i would like to share.In Tucson, the federal government runs a program called Operation Streamline, a zero-tolerance border enforcement proceeding. Every weekday at the federal courthouse, 70 to 80 migrants are tried for entering the U.S. without documents at a place and time not designated by the government. Instead of everyone having an individual case, up to 80 people are tried in the course of 1-3 hours. It is meant as a deterrence program, to keep people from crossing through the desert and although most of the people in the courtroom are first time crossers, there are many people with prior records.

The case takes place in a tiny courtroom, with Border Patrol and U.S. marshals patrolling the aisles.  The migrants sit on the left hand side, scrunched in 9 to a row on uncomfortable wooden benches.  Their hands and feet are shackled, shoe laces and hair bands removed.  Most wear the same clothes that they were found in while in the desert.

There is a row of benches in the courtroom that are reserved for the public, but they usually sit empty. This day, however, a group of  women sits silently, watching the proceedings. They don't speak, or really even move, except to bring a little girl that is with them to the bathroom.

As the proceedings near the end, a woman named Isabel is called to the front.  She wears a bright pink shirt with a pocket on the right breast.  Her arms and feet are shackled, her shoelaces removed, her hair shows the indentation of an absent pony-tail holder. The judge gives her 35 days in detention, and the previously silent women start chatting amongst themselves. As Isabel is led out, she waves at the women, trying to keep a smile on her face. The little girl that is with them looks on.

"Say hi to your mommy" one of the women says in Spanish to the little girl.

"Hi mommy" she says and waves with a smile.

Isabel is ushered into a hallway that leads to her holding cell.  She will be in detention for another month before being deported to Mexico.

Her daughter, who is likely a U.S. citizen, will be without her.

What we talk about as "immigration issues" are peoples lives, peoples stories.  These "issues" have faces.

So, on this Mother's Day, I bring you this story, as a representation of countless mothers who are torn apart from their children, of countless families that are destroyed by failed immigration and foreign economic policies.

As human beings, and especially as people of faith, we are tied up together in a web of humanity, which is so often forgotten and tossed aside, as in the case of Isabel.  So, on this Mothers Day, let us remember Isabel and her family and let us give thanks for our mothers and the women in our lives.

Pure Update

Update

I've been busy in Tucson as of late, so it is nice to be back in Pittsburgh for a week to get some chill time, to see my family, and to share a bit about my time on the border. I've been devoting a lot of time to protests and rallies, as has a lot of the Tucson community.  

There were rallies the whole week before Brewer signed SB1070 into law, attended in large number by self-mobilized youth.  The May Day rally in Tucson drew over 7,000 people in support of various causes: legalization for all, saving public education and ethnic studies, stopping deportation and militarization, stopping border deaths, supporting labor, and most importantly, opposing SB1070.  Tucson religious leaders held a press conference at Southside Presbyterian Church, denouncing the new law as racist, unconstitutional, mean-spirited, and unethical.  

Many are calling for resistance and noncompliance with the law when it comes into effect in (now less than) 90 days.  There have been a few lawsuits brought against this, and the number is growing.  The city councils of Tucson and Flagstaff are planning to sue, a Tucson police officer has filed a case, and a class action law suit has been filed by the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders.  


And the thing is, SB1070 is just the beginning.  For example, HB2281 attacks ethnic and raza studies, stating that "any course, class, instruction, or material may not be primarily designed for pupils of a particular ethnic group...State aid will be withheld from any school district or charter school that does not comply."  Coming from an area where there is a high latino population, denying the education and importance of latino and ethnic studies seems ludicrous.  One of my friends recently shared a quote with me from John Berger, which seems fitting: "A people or a class which is cut off from its own past is far less free to choose and to act as a people or class than one that has been able to situate itself in history."

In all of this, I was able to take a wonderful one-day camping trip up to Mount Lemmon.  It was amazing to see the shift in climate and plant-life as we drove higher and higher into the mountains.  Spring also brings more gardening.  At BorderLinks, we have all been volunteering out in the garden: weeding, seeding, and having a bunch of fun.  I am sad to say, however, that Nick has left BorderLinks.  It is the right decision for him, but we will miss him dearly!

I am in Pittsburgh during the middle of the University of Michigan delegation that I am helping to lead.  I'm sad to be missing out on sharing experiences with them, but have been able to keep up with everyone using their awesome blog.  They are a part of a wonderful program sponsored through their school called GIEU.

"Breathing While Undocumented"

I just got back from Puerto Penasco in Sonora, Mexico for a YAV retreat.  While it was wonderful and relaxing, I felt a bit bad about leaving just as the opposition to SB1070 is getting strong.  I came back to over 70 unopened emails, half of those about the Senate Bill, opposition, and action steps that we can take.  Looking through articles today, I came across an opinion piece entitled "Breathing While Undocumented."  I'd like to invite everyone to read this article and to do your own research about the Bill and upcoming bills as well.  This is something that can't stand!

SB1070

Update

Yesterday afternoon, I got back from the Crossing Borders: Encountering God conference up in Phoenix.  It was a time filled with talking about our responses to immigration from a faith-based perspective and how we can "encounter God" in all of the complexities of the issues.  People from all over the nation were present at the conference, which added a lot more perspective to the conference.  I feel that so often I get caught up with what is going on only in Tucson and Arizona that I forget that there is a much wider world out there where similar immigration challenges and global politics are taking place.  I was lucky enough to attend workshops on the DREAM Act and the PC(USA) and Immigration.

When we arrived on Thursday we were informed of ICE raids that had taken place in southern Arizona, especially in Tucson.  The raids supposedly targeted shuttle services, but of course also affected everyday people on the street.  What hurt even more about this was that it came on the tail of the new Arizona Senate Bill 1070.

SB1070

Last Tuesday, Arizona lawmakers approved one of the toughest measures in the country against illegal immigrants, which will direct local police to determine whether people are in the country legally.  Senate Bill 1070 makes it a misdemeanor to be in the state of Arizona without proper immigration paperwork, and also requires police to determine immigration status if they have a "reasonable suspicion" that someone is in the state illegally.  What this amounts to is that anyone that looks Hispanic can be pulled over and questioned as to their status.  If someone has an accent and accidently left their wallet at home (which has happened to us all), they could easily be caught up in this law. Sounds like racial profiling, doesn't it?

Many groups have created petitions to send out to representatives and to Gov. Jan Brewer, urging them to veto the bill and to act for real immigration reform.

And this is where it really gets to me.  Where is the national and local discussion about immigration reform? It seems like so many people think that creating stronger enforcement is the way to "fix" the "immigration problem."  But a broken system cannot be fixed by enforcing that broken system!  There needs to be real change, done in a realistic manner.  And there are ideas out there for this.  The DREAM Act, for instance.  Introduced in March of 2009, it would grant temporary legal status for high school graduates who were brought to the United States as undocumented children and who now have a good record in school and the community.  It would allow them 6 years to complete two years of college or two years in the military and after this is complete, to obtain permanent legal residency.  These are people who have grown up in the United States, gone to our schools, played on our sports teams, gone to our churches.  These are people who, for all intents and purposes, are as active and involved "citizens" as you and I.  Yet, they cannot receive loans or public scholarships to attend college, where they can become even more productive members and leaders of our society.

Or what about reviewing and reforming our foreign policy laws, especially those involved with free trade (NAFTA)?  We should be taking into account the affects of subsidies on our own system and especially on Mexico's economy.  Why were they made to take away their subsidies while those in the U.S. increased?

Or think about the history if migration in the Americas.  Contrary to popular belief, American history doesn't start in 1492 when "Columbus sailed the ocean blue."  People in the Americas migrated through the land to visit family, to work crops, to hunt, to celebrate.  And even up to 100 years ago, families were able to cross the border line to visit each other without problems.

For me, SB1070 highlights the inadaquacies of our current immigration legislation and the need to take a realistic and healthy look at how to reform it.  I hope that steps will be taken soon so that Arizona and the rest of the nation can show to the rest of the world our care for other human beings; basically, that we still have some humanity in us.

If you are interested in adding your voice to the thousands who have already spoken up about SB1070, check out these sites:  Tell AZ Governor to Veto Racial Profiling Bill at presente.org, Stop the Madness in Arizona! at action.nclr.org, and Tell Governor Brewer to Stand up for Arizona and Veto SB 1070 at change.org.  Also, write to your legislators about the need for immigration reform and about the importance of the DREAM Act.

Crossing

Update

Let me just say that I am very glad that March is over and that it is April.  I led three delegations of varying lengths and was sick with a bacterial infection for a whole week.  So, I was either on the run or sick in bed for the whole month with no in-between states.  And Grampity, who is a member of Waverly and a very influential man in my life, passed away.  He was one of my conversation partners when I was contemplating participation in the YAV program and we had some lovely talks about alternative ideas of mission.  He will be sorely missed, but his memory lives on in every one of us.  I also found out that my mom is having back surgery in early May.  All of this to say that it was an overwhelming and emotional month!

But April has so far been rejuvenating.  Mike and I have now been together for over a year and are still going strong.  He is enjoying his program called "YAMS": Young Activist Media Squad, filming and editing videos as well as talking about activist opportunities in Tucson.  It is great to see him involved in something that he is passionate about.  There is a new educator at BorderLinks named Rachel, who I've been hanging out with a lot.  She has a wonderful energy and knowledge about issues of sustainability and justice.  We went on two of the March delegations together.  Paul, one of Mike and my good friends from Beloit, visited us for two weeks.  It was wonderful to spend some quality time with him!  We went out into the desert one night and sat under the stars together.  I've decided that it is something that I want to do more often.  The weather is starting to get hot, but still has a nice spring breeze to it.  I miss the midwest in spring, but Tucson has its own nice touch to the season as well.

I had a wonderful celebration of Easter with great people this year.  Emily, Catie, Mike, and I attended Southside Presbyterian Church for the Easter service and then went to brunch with some wonderful women from the church.  One of them was 92 and the coordinator of the Democratic Party in her area as well as a strong member of the League of Women Voters.  I would love to be like her someday (meaning right now).  Then we headed over to a potluck with some wonderful friends, new and old.  The potluck reminded me of the potlucks that we always had at Beloit.  Such wonderful and yummy food!

Sister Lil Mattingly, a Maryknoll sister who has been at BorderLinks for the past for years, leaves tomorrow for New York.  We've been celebrating her time here for the past month or so, but it is so hard to realize that she is actually leaving us.  She has been such an inspiration to me with her stories of work in Bolivia, of her protest of the School of the Americas, of her time on the border.  I can only hope to emulate her energy, enthusiasm, and passion for justice and respect in the world, and her warm and welcoming soul.

Thankfully, April is a slow month, but May will pick up again.  I'm taking this month to catch up on letters, to work on May delegations, to take some time off, and to attend a conference in Phoenix called Crossing Borders: Encountering God.  It should be interesting!

Crossing

A few weeks ago, I stood on U.S. soil next to the border wall dividing Douglas, Arizona from Agua Prieta Sonora.  If I would have been able to move a foot or two forward, I would have been in Mexico. But the wall, made of metal pieces slapped together, kept me on "my" side and "the Mexicans" on their side.  The closest that I was able to get to Mexico was to peek through tiny holes in the metal.  I peered through a few of the openings, noticing the same light brown dirt and dust, plastic trash, and many houses just yards away from the wall.  Without this metal obstacle and the dusty roads on either side of it, it would have been impossible to determine where Mexico ends and the United States begins.  It felt unnatural to be so forcefully divided.

I was down in Mexico leading a delegation from a
University in California.  The wall was the closest that we could get to Mexico because of the University's insurance concerns about going to Agua Prieta and Nogales with the "growing violence" in Mexico, specifically in Ciudad Juarez.  (Which to me is like telling someone in Ohio that they shouldn't go to Illinois because Chicago is dangerous...but don't get me started on that).  But this inability to cross into Mexico brought up some interesting food for thought.  Usually, I would have an easy time crossing into Mexico, but this was not the case.  Is this what it feels like for those people trying to get into the United States, but who can't: annoyance? frustration? anger? resentment?  It was weird to be stuck on one side of this wall that divided this geography that appeared exactly the same.  As I watched people crossing back and forth between Mexico and the United States, my experience was transformed into a fuller understanding of the unnatural and arbitrary divisions that we create.

This was further complicated during one of our dinamicas called the Legal Immigration Simulation, when one of the participants shared that 10 years before, she and her family had crossed through the Douglas/ Agua Prieta area without documents.  She had crossed through the same area in which we were standing, maybe even the same place that I stood as I peered through the border wall.  How strange that she couldn't step foot into the country in which she was born.  How strange that she was now stuck on this U.S. side of the border.  How strange that the closest that she could get was to peek through the openings of the metal barrier, only to see the same dirt, the same dust, the same trees, the same trash.

Little experiences like that hit me everyday.  How strange it is to be down here!