I was especially struck by the words of Miguel Costep since as a Yearly Meeting, we no longer are making public statements about matters of social justice:
It is true, as Friends, we have fought a lot to achieve that inner light, but are we taking the additional step to radiate that light, to share it with others and illuminate our world? Am really I doing what is needed, what the Spirit needs me to do in order to illuminate this darkness, this painful darkness that is being put onto many that come here with the only purpose of looking for a better life?
Given the extent of this crisis, how can we remain silent? How can we not take action? I am grateful that many monthly meetings are making public statements and seeking ways to take action to address this address. This is our responsibility as Friends and as human beings. Let us take to heart these powerful words by Donna Smith:
Our callings are many and varied and there is beauty to that. Whatever the calling that you pursue, we are asking that at this time and place for you participate in some action on behalf of immigrants and refugee seekers from Latin America. It can be writing a letter or 10 letters. You are hearing about asylum can be requested at “points of entry”. Not true 8 US Code 1158 of asylum law states that “Any alien who is physically present in the United States…may apply for asylum.” That deserves its own letter. It can be joining a demonstration. Raising money for Dreamer scholarships. Making a donation to an agency involved in this work. Offering sanctuary or sponsorship to a refugee OR assisting others that are providing sanctuary or sponsorship. Be a witness in immigration court. Join a Rapid Response Network. There are many meaningful ways to participate. This is a time when we may be most effective in bringing about meaningful change. Now before this concern fades from public attention. Many of you are already deeply engaged. Thank you.
Presentation
of the Latin American Concerns Committee
PYM
Plenary Session July 17, 2017
CURRENT
IMMIGRATION CRISIS
Root
Causes of Migration
When I was a child and went to the field to work, my
father used to take a fist of earth in his hands and repeated: "Ala 'ja re' ri qa k'aslem, ja re 'ri
nu ya' ri qa q'utun, ri qa wäy Manta ri loq'oläj ulew roj man yoj k'aseta. Ru
ma 'ri' ma yoj tikirta nqa ya kan la q'a ulew "- Son, this is our
life, this is what gives us the food, our tortillas. If it were not for the
sacred earth, we would not live. That's why we should not separate from her.
In the Mayan worldview, man needs the earth, not only
as a possession but as an integral part of his very being. For that reason, the
separation of our people from their land, from their family, from their roots
is something that causes tremendous pain in individuals, families and entire
communities. Understanding this is sometimes difficult for other cultures but
is a tremendous truth for us.
A few weeks ago, the Vice President of the United
States visited Guatemala as part of a tour to several Latin American countries.
The presidents of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras were present at this
meeting. The main message that our presidents heard was a threat not to come to
the United States or to face the consequences:
"This
exodus must end," "Tell your people that coming to the United States
illegally will only result in a hard journey and a harder life."
I believe that the authorities of this country have
made a great effort to stop and criminalize the arrival of more migrants to
this country. Millions of dollars are invested for this purpose, but I wonder how much money and effort is invested to
know the roots and reasons of the migratory problem? The vice president of
the US also said in his statement:
"Just as we
respect your borders and sovereignty, we insist that you respect ours,"
Pence said. "Our nation needs your nations to do more."
Then, he demanded that our governments fight
corruption, violence and drug trafficking to reduce inequalities in our
countries.
However, has the US government forgotten that they
themselves have a great responsibility in what is happening now in the
countries of Latin America? Has it been forgotten that the US government has
carried out a progressive and methodical intervention in these countries since
the beginning of the 19th century with the installation of large companies that
have taken advantage of the resources of Guatemalans.
Has it been forgotten that large areas of land were
taken from entire communities to be granted to North American industries for
the production of bananas, coffee, sugar and other products? He forgot that
when our people wanted to raise their voices and claim these rights, we were
called communists and lots of money, weapons and military training (to not say
murder training) were sent to our countries to "save us from communism"
We are now accused of doing very little to control
drug trafficking in our countries and that we must do more. But how much is
done here to avoid the use of drugs, those same drugs that in their way to the
Us leave so much pain and death in our countries?
How to talk about providing equality and opportunities
for development when this capitalist and imperialist system has promoted that a
small group in Latin America have lots of privileges and has accumulated
enormous wealth, leaving the vast majority without what is necessary to live.
How to talk about development if, in most cases, the first world societies do
not share with us the access to technologies and knowledge that is developed
here and, on the contrary, we are only given small crumbs to silence our
voices.
I know that what has happened in all this time has not
been the responsibility of all the residents of this wonderful country and
that, as happens in our country, a few have created great fortunes of all this
inequality and have caused many to suffer in other parts of the world. However,
it is also true that we all have a collective responsibility for what happens
in our world. The Religious Society of Friends puts a lot of emphasis and
reflection on the internal light that should guide our steps and act correctly.
That is wonderful and I must say, Quakerism is one of the most authentic
Christian spiritualities I have experienced, but is it enough? During these
days we have been questioned about our leaving our comfort zone and witnessing
into a troubled world. After a deep
discernment these words of Jesus come strong to my spirit:
14 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven "Mathew 7
It is true, as friends, we have fought a lot to
achieve that inner light, but are we taking the additional step to radiate that
light, to share it with others and illuminate our world? Am really I doing what is needed, what the
Spirit needs me to do in order to illuminate this darkness, this painful
darkness that is being put onto many that come here with the only purpose of
looking for a better life?
Miguel Ángel Costop, Director Progresa (Guatemala
Friends Scholarship Program)
CHARLA SOBRE MIGRACIÓN --- ESPAÑOL
Cuando
era pequeño e íbamos al campo a trabajar, mi padre solía tomar un puño de
tierra en sus manos y repetía: “Ala’ ja re’ ri qa k’aslem, ja re’ ri nu ya’
ri qa q’utun, ri qa wäy. Manta ri
loq’oläj ulew roj man yoj k’aseta. Ru
ma’ ri’ manaq modo nqa ya ta kan la q’a chulew” - Hijo,
esta es nuestra vida, esto es lo que nos da el alimento, la tortilla. Si no fuera por la sagrada tierra, no
viviríamos. Por eso no podemos
separarnos de ella, de nuestra tierra.
En
la cosmovisión maya, el hombre necesita de la tierra, no solo como una posesión
sino como parte integral de su mismo ser.
Por esa razón, la separación de nuestra gente de su tierra, de su
familia, de sus raíces es algo que causa un tremendo dolor en las personas
individuales, las familias y comunidades enteras.
Hace
unas semanas, el vicepresidente de los Estados Unidos visitó Guatemala como
parte de una gira a varios países de Latinoamérica. En esta reunión estuvieron presentes los
presidentes de Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras. El mensaje principal que nuestros presidentes
escucharon fue una amenaza para no venir a los Estados Unidos o atenerse a las
consecuencias:
“This exodus must
end,” “Tell your people that coming to the United States illegally will
only result in a hard journey and a harder life.”
Creo que las autoridades de este país han hecho
un gran esfuerzo en parar y criminalizar la llegada de más migrantes a este
país. Se invierten millones de dólares
para este propósito, pero yo me pregunto ¿Cuánto dinero y esfuerzo se invierte
para conocer las raíces y razones del problema migratorio? El vicepresidente de US dijo además en su declaración:
“Just as we respect your
borders and your sovereignty, we insist that you respect ours,” Pence said. “Our
nation needs your nations to do more.”
Luego, él exigió a los gobiernos combatir la
corrupción, la violencia y el narcotráfico para reducir las desigualdades en
estos países.
Sin embargo, ha olvidado el gobierno de los US
que ellos mismos tienen una gran responsabilidad en lo que pasa ahora en los
países de Latinoamérica? Se ha olvidado acaso que el gobierno norteamericano ha
realizado un progresivo y metódico intervencionismo en estos países desde
inicios del siglo 19 con la instalación de grandes empresas que se han
aprovechado de los recursos de los guatemaltecos.
Ha quedado en el olvido que se quitó grandes
extensiones de tierra a comunidades enteras para concederlas a industrias
norteamericanas para la producción de banano, café, azúcar y otros
productos? Se olvidó ya que cuando
nuestros pueblos quisieron alzar la voz y reclamar tales derechos se nos llamó
comunistas y se envió dinero, armas y se entrenó a militares en nuestros países
para “salvarnos del comunismo”?
Se nos acusa ahora de que hacemos poco por
controlar el tráfico de drogas en nuestros países y que debemos hacer más. Pero cuánto se hace aquí por evitar el
consumo de drogas, esas mismas drogas que a su paso dejan tanto dolor y muerte
en su camino hasta acá?
Cómo hablar de proporcionar igualdad y
oportunidades de desarrollo cuando este sistema capitalista e imperialista ha
promovido que algunos pocos en Latinoamérica tengan grandes beneficios y
acumulen la riqueza y dejen a la gran mayoría sin lo necesario para vivir. Cómo hablar de desarrollo si en la mayoría de
los casos no se comparte con nosotros el acceso a tecnologías y conocimiento
que aquí se desarrolla y por el contrario solo se nos dan pequeñas migajas para
callar en algo nuestras voces.
Yo
se que lo que ha sucedido en todo este tiempo no ha sido responsabilidad de
todos los residents de este maravilloso país y que al igual que sucede en
nuestro país, unos pocos han creado grandes fortunas de toda esta desigualdad y
han hecho que muchos sufran en otras partes del mundo. Sin embargo, también es cierto que todos tenemos
una responsabilidad colectiva por lo que pasa en nuestra sociedad. Como sociedad religiosa de los amigos se hace
mucha reflexión sobre la luz interna que debe guiar nuestros pasos y actuar
correctamente. Al pensar en esto
recuerdo aquello que Jesús dijo en el evangelio de Mateo:
14 “ustedes
son la luz del mundo. Una ciudad construida sobre una colina no puede ser
escondida. Tampoco se enciende una lámpara para esconderla debajo de una
olla. Más bien se coloca en un candelero
para que ilumine a todos en la casa. Del
mismo modo piensan que su luz brille ante otros para que al ver sus obras
glorifiquen a su Padre que está eran los cielos.” Mateo 7, 14-16
Es cierto, como amigos hemos
luchado mucho por lograr conseguir esa luz interior, pero ¿estamos
dando el paso adicional para irradiar esa luz, para compartirla con otros e
iluminar nuestro mundo? ¿estoy haciendo realmente lo que se necesita, lo que el Espíritu
necesita que yo haga para iluminar esta oscuridad, está dolorosa oscuridad que
se posado sobre tantos que han venido aquí con el único propósito de tener una
mejor forma de vida?
Miguel Ángel Costop, director Progresa
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patricia Portillo
Latin American Concerns Committee
In charge of the Undocumented Student
Scholarship Project
Sacramento Friends Meeting
On Sunday morning I spoke about my
experience being left behind in El Salvador, as a 12-year-old during the
war. One year of family separation at such a pivotal time in my life
left irreversible damage in me. The reason that I am OK today is that I was
reunited and cared for by my parents and my siblings.
At age 13, I was smuggled in the trunk of
a car. There wasn’t any hope of political asylum or refugee status. Men, women,
and children were fleeing war as well as extreme poverty.
In the 80’s and 90’s due to the US
government’s financial and political support of the war in El Salvador and
Guatemala, the US denied refugee status to people coming from those
countries.
Without appropriate resources, some
of these immigrants, young boys in particular, finding themselves in a strange
country and looking for a place to fit in, joined gangs as a way of forming
community, which turned violent within a system that did not recognize their
basic needs.
After we left El Salvador there was a
tremendous sense of loss for the many places where I walked on a daily basis,
for the rain, the smell of ripe mangoes and for jocotes, for teachers, friends,
and for my cousins. In the next five years I would often wake up
from a horrifying often-times recurring nightmare, which I would do my best to
forget once I got up to go to school. I couldn’t bear to watch the news at
night because they took me back, back to the time and places where I heard
shootings, bombings, smelled bodies decomposing and where twice my cousins and
I had to leave the house and go hide in the wilderness in the dark so that the
armed men at the door would not see us and be tempted to rape us.
I have visited El Salvador since I left. A
couple of things come to mind regarding the injustices that I saw. When I look
around, it is easy to distinguish the children who have relatives in the US and
the ones who don’t, because being same age, the ones who don’t have relatives
in the US, are much smaller than the one who do.
We went to visit my sister’s friend. Her
brother owned a small warehouse supplying seeds and small tools to nearby
farmers. As she explained to us, her brother had to fire someone recently, and
just a few days later they got a threatening call demanding money or the owner
would be killed. This practice is so common that you if you plan to own any
type of business, no matter how small, you expect that you will have to pay some
(if not a lot) of extortion money, commonly called “rent” to organized gangs,
gangs which will not hesitate to take someone’s life to exert their power.
Everyone is constantly on high alert everywhere. The level of fear is as high
as I remember it as a child.
My friend (who by the way earns $300 a
month as a teacher) would not allow me to go visit her in her neighborhood out
of fear that something would happen to me.
We were shocked to see how expensive it
was to live there. And, today a gallon of milk costs $4.79 and a dozen eggs
$1.85. An average salary is $415 (if you happen to have a job) and a mortgage
interest rate is 8.3%.
When you look around, you see malls, City
Bank, McDonald’s, and you may get a sense that things have changed, but it doesn’t
take long to realize that things have not changed much. There are many
maquiladoras (sweat shops) and call centers and access to higher education is
hard to come by. This is the environment where violence is a vicious cycle that
ends up hurting women and children the most, because they are the ones with the
least amount of any kind of power.
_________________________________________________________
From Pacific Yearly Meeting, Faith and Practice
How do we attend to the suffering of others in our community,
in our state and nation, and in the world community?
Community is a place where the connections felt in the
heart make themselves known in bonds between people, and where tuggings and
pullings of those bonds keep opening up our hearts.
Parker Palmer
I volunteered for 15 years in a free clinic in Los
Angeles for Central American refugee children.
As the immunization nurse, I diligently asked for their vaccination
records, as I wanted to avoid unnecessary vaccinations. A woman and child from El Salvador came
without any records. I asked if they
might have just left the records at home.
She responded, Yes, in El Salvador.
We fled from our home in the middle of the night with only what we were
wearing. There was much in the news
about similar stories, but this was different.
This was witness to the violence right there in front of me and it has
not left me.
My career was in Child Welfare otherwise known as
Child Protective Service. My office in Los Angeles covered a major Central
American community and I was supervisor of a bilingual unit of social
workers.
You have heard from Patricia a moving account of the
pain and scars from being left behind has her mother and sisters sought safety
in the US. Thankfully, their reunion was
successful. There are thousands of these
stories of child/parent separation. A
parent travels to the US in hopes of providing a better future for the family
and with the best of intentions, leaves their child with a grandparent or aunt,
what can go wrong. A lot. Eventually those children leave their
relatives and are reunited with their parents in the US. The years of separation take a toll on the
parent-child bond. The family is broken. Many, too many end up in the CPS system with
the child yet again separated from parent for their safety. A plan is made between CPS and the family
with the goal of safe reunification. And
while counseling and other services usually are successful, some families
tragically are never able to overcome the damage that has been done. And the family remains broken.
I imagine you heard the recent news story about the
Guatemalan boy who went into foster care as an infant and at age 5 was adopted
by his foster parents over the objection of his mother.
After moving to Sonoma County, I worked as a Juvenile
Court Investigator. It is common for
immigrants with limited resources to rent houses together with a different
family living in each room. I received
the case of a one year old that was placed in foster care. Her mother had been sent to jail when the
police raided her home and arrested everyone.
Someone in the home was involved in criminal activity. But this child’s mother wasn’t involved. She was merely working and trying to support
her child. No charges were ever filed
against this mother. But at the time Sonoma sheriff was cooperating with ICE
and because she was at the jail, an immigration hold was placed on her and she
was deported leaving her child behind.
This child could have ended up adopted here and never reunited with
family. In Los Angeles, our practice in
such cases was to contact the appropriate consulate and request a social study
be done to assess suitability of placement with relatives. After receiving the social study we then
would ask the court for an order to return the child to family. That hadn’t been done before in Sonoma County
but it did become their practice. If the
exploration of reunification with family in the country of origin were a
regulatory requirement, fewer immigrant children would be permanently severed
from family. By the way, the child I
mentioned remained in placement for almost 2 years, but I was able to reunite
her to her family in Morelia, Mexico.
In 2014, this yearly meeting organized around the
migration of unaccompanied children after their plight was very much in the
headlines. We gathered and sub committee
of Latin American Concerns was formed.
It was active for over a year meeting twice a month. Maryanne Michaels and I accompanied a child
through to asylum status. I learned from
our child of the conditions where she was housed for her first month. Sleeping on a filthy floor with no blanket,
no medical care, freezing temperature—it was called the refrigerator, highly
chlorinated water to drink. She was a
teenager and repeatedly expressed concern for the suffering of young children
and pregnant teenagers imprisoned with her.
They say that children are only in these federal detentions for a couple
days. She was there for over a
month. Those conditions constitute child
abuse. These federal and private prison facilities
need to comply with the usual regulations and standards that are required in
other facilities that house minors.
The current headlines of children being separated from
their parents at our border have caught our attention. We are deeply pained and brought to tears by
the faces of these innocent children and their grieving parents. Loving parents came to the United States with
hopes of protecting their children from violence and/or escaping from the kind
of no hope, no way out poverty that results in malnutrition, stunted growth,
untreated health issues and a life of brutal slave labor. These families came to us out of desperation
and at great expense and risk, only to find their children ripped from their
arms. Where is the humanity?
“When a
stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall
treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall
love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the
Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:33-34
I have been encouraged by the mobilization of efforts
to end this horrendous act of cruelty and blatant violation of human rights
perpetrated by our government. And while
we must take action to end this new policy, the serious trauma to children and
families that has been part and parcel of immigration from Mexico and Central
America has been going on for years.
As we heard from Miguel, The root causes are not being
addressed and threats from our political leaders are not how meaningful change
happens.
As Friends we are called. It was in elementary school that I was called
to Guatemala when my First Day schoolteacher at Montebello Friends Church left
for the mission field in Guatemala. I have been blessed with work in the
Guatemala Friends Scholarship Program. I
see first hand how education works as a successful and powerful implement of
change by addressing root causes of injustice.
Our callings are many and varied and there is beauty
to that. Whatever the calling that you
pursue, we are asking that at this time and place for you participate in some
action on behalf of immigrants and refugee seekers from Latin America. It can be writing a letter or 10
letters. You are hearing about asylum
can be requested at “points of entry”.
Not true 8 US Code 1158 of asylum law states that “Any alien who is
physically present in the United States…may apply for asylum.” That deserves its own
letter. It can be joining a demonstration. Raising money for Dreamer scholarships. Making a donation to an agency involved in
this work. Offering sanctuary or
sponsorship to a refugee OR assisting others that are providing sanctuary or
sponsorship. Be a witness in immigration
court. Join a Rapid Response
Network. There are many meaningful ways
to participate. This is a time when we
may be most effective in bringing about meaningful change. Now before this concern fades from public
attention. Many of you are already
deeply engaged. Thank you.
We will be posting A CALL TO ACTION on the PYM web
site. We will be listing resources and
suggestions. If you are involved in this
work already or know of resources in your area, let me know and we will add to
the list. Please join us.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Matthew 25:35
Can I hear PRESENTE?
Donna Smith, Redwood Forest Meeting, Co-clerk,
Guatemala Scholarship Comm.
Clerk, PYM Latin American Concerns Committee
