Rasgos de las fiestas de los inmigrantes latinos en Carolina del Norte
El mes pasado les compartí sobre cómo fue que llegué a Carolina del Norte y sobre el contexto con el que me encontré, específicamente por las dificultades que los inmigrantes sufren ante lo politizado que está el tema de la inmigración ilegal… Les ofrecí algunas de las formas concretas de cómo la policía local está atribuyéndose funciones propias de de Migra (ICE), las cuales quieren oficializarlas a través de la 287g. Pues bien, mientras estas propuestas y otras iniciativas de ley más restrictivas siguen avanzando, el pueblo trabajador inmigrante también hace lo propio para resistir los embates que enfrentan.
Entre las cosas que la comunidad inmigrante hace para protegerse está el portarse bien donde quiera que se encuentren. Ahora se cuidan más de no dar motivos de que los detengan. De por sí, ya desde años atrás las estadísticas indican que los inmigrantes tienen un índice menor en delitos que lo que tienen otros grupos que son de segunda o tercera generación, en medio del ambiente adverso que se ha reforzado, ahora se esfuerzan más en no dar motivos para ser detenidos. Obviamente que nunca falta quien rete todos los consejos de que no tomen si van a manejar, o que comete torpezas que luego les salen muy caras no sólo a nivel personal. Es un hecho que, por culpa de esos cuantos desobedientes, que siendo sorprendidos manejando borrachos, los medios de comunicación se han aprovechado para exaltar el hecho, y más triste cuando hacen generalizaciones que ponen al conjunto de la comunidad inmigrante como malhechora… aunque esas acusaciones no siempre se apegan a la realidad.
Bueno, centrándome en lo que en este mes quiero compartirles, sobre lo que los inmigrantes están haciendo para portarse mejor está su significativo retorno a su religiosidad, puesto de manifiesto en la Fiesta de la Santísima Virgen de Guadalupe.
No hay parroquia de esta Diócesis de Charlotte a donde acuden los hispanos que no esté dando testimonio de lo que fue este año, en comparación con los anteriores, sobre el fervor y pasión con que la gente acudió a cantarle y a rezarle a la Virgen. Su presencia se contaba por los cientos de personas: que si 700, 800, 1200, etc. Incluso a una de las parroquias a donde acudió el Obispo Peter J. Jugis se hablaba de 1500. Ya desde finales de Noviembre en que pasó la Antorcha Guadalupana (proveniente de la Basílica de México con destino a New York) se sentía ese entusiasmo por celebrarle en grande a su Patrona. Además, el componente juvenil dentro de todas estas fiestas que tuvimos fue quizás de las vivencias que más entusiasmo y esperanza han despertado en esta Diócesis de Charlotte.
En mi vicariato de Albermarle tuvimos las siguientes características: en las parroquias más grandes, como son Nuestra Señora de las Américas y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, Biscoe y Monroe, respectivamente, con novenarios y especialmente triduos, que desde el 10 de Diciembre comenzaron a celebrar a la Guadalupana. Danzas aztecas, procesiones, Rosarios, Mañanitas y Misas. En las parroquias más chicas, como San Santiago el Grande y Ntra Sra de la Aununciación, aunque la afluencia no superó las 130 personas, se reconoce que fue muy emotiva esta fiesta, a sabiendas que el pasado nunca se había tenido semejante participación. De las representaciones de las apariciones de Nuestra Señora que se tuvieron, nos sorprendieron los jóvenes de San Santiago el Grande, estuvo buenísima su actuación. No de menor importancia los logros alcanzados en Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación, pues, aparte de haberse llenado la Iglesia con la concurrencia, al concluir la Eucaristía, el coro animó una muy agradable convivencia.
El ambiente en cada parroquia era de gran devoción, pero también se hizo presente la angustia (por lo que la gente ahora atraviesa). Sin embargo, lo que impuso ante todo fue la alegría, no sólo de los de origen mexicano, sino del conjunto de feligreses de los países latinoamericanos que también participaron. A parte de cantarle, orar, rezar, comulgar en la Eucaristía, no podía faltar el compartir los antojitos: pozole, tostadas, tamales, cafecito, buñuelos, ponche, pan dulce, pastel, etc. Todos se sentían en familia.
La grata presencia de algunos americanos (anglos) fue muy importante. Aunque no entienden la lengua castellana, les agrada la típica alegría, las familias numerosas, los cantos, el convivir y hasta las comidas y antojitos… Es providencial que ellos no sólo respetan a los inmigrantes, sino que reconocen su presencia y que son parte de la Iglesia. Es muy esperanzador cuando, se esfuerzan por integrarse con la comunidad inmigrante, mostrando su inequívoco interés por hacerles sentir que son bienvenidos.
Una característica fundamental de todo esto es que sin el empeño, amor, trabajo y la colaboración de gente servicial, quienes trabajan en los preparativos y en la organización, estos eventos simplemente no se harían posibles. Esta gente es clave, pues con su entrega y servicio, inspiran confianza y logran la participación de la asamblea, tanto con su presencia, pero también con sus aportaciones y donativos. Simplemente hacen lo que han aprendido de su rica cultura, precisamente por sus componentes de festividad, de colaboración y de alegre participación, elementos que acompañan toda esta religiosidad popular.
De este tipo de festividades deben apreciarse muchos otros aspectos valores. Los aspectos festivos, de participación, y de servicio para unir y alegrar a toda la comunidad, son esenciales para mostrar y poner en práctica lo que en la fe cristiana se quiere expresar. En buena medida, se hace ya presente lo que se espera de la plenitud en el Reino de Dios: que todos estén incluidos, que la comida alcance para todos, que la música y el compartir nos haga hermanos ya. En las Fiestas Tradicionales de nuestros pueblos latinoamericanos estos son rasgos fundamentales. En la Fiesta de Guadalupe esto está puesto de manifiesto.
Esta es una fiesta en que participa toda la familia. Desde aquí se expresan, anuncian y difunden valores evangélicos que tanto necesita esta sociedad moderna que prevalece en este país. Los componentes de Familia, de Comunidad, de piedad, religiosidad, de fervor y temor de Dios, de alegría y de sueños de justicia, son todos elementos que tanto proclama el Cristianismo. Éste, que se encuentra tan acechado con los anti-valores del materialismo, el hedonismo, el ateísmo, los cuales tanto refuerzan el individualismo, tan típicos en esta sociedad de consumo y de legalismos, que tanto nos privan de practicar la caridad y la hermandad con que anunciemos la nueva sociedad.
Esta no fue otra fiesta más de los inmigrantes latinos, sino que en buena medida también representó para muchos la oportunidad de reforzar la esperanza y sus sueños de una mejor vida. El acontecimiento del Tepeyac, precisamente es más que un mero acto en que la Madre consuela a sus hijos que sufren por un sistema que los oprime, sino que también lanza a la comunidad hacia utopías de dignidad, de libertad, de fraternidad.
Aunque la afluencia fue notablemente mayor a la que en años anteriores, en la práctica, en realidad eran sólo una minoría, respecto de la que vive en la zona de cada parroquia; comparada, por ejemplo con la afluencia que tiene semanalmente La Pulga, o cuando hay un baile con conjunto o con banda tocando… Además de que, por otro lado, muchos otros hispanos se están yendo con las otras Iglesias Cristianas, quienes están haciendo lo suyo para llenar las bancas de sus templos.
En fin, tenemos pues, que en torno a la Fiesta de Guadalupe hay todo un potencial evangelizador, generador de vitalidad y de esperanza, que construye comunidad y anuncia la nueva sociedad: Pero lamentablemente, dado que “la cosecha es abundante y pocos los trabajadores”, se deja sentir la falta de instrucción y de la adecuada evangelización. Tan es así que, quizás esta Fiesta no es tan potente como lo son las cosas materiales: el trabajo, el dinero y el éxito social que esta sociedad les ofrece a los inmigrantes, por lo que aún la Fiesta Guadalupana queda chica ante otros atractivos mundanos con los que el pueblo a veces prefiere irse.
Con todo esto que presencié, me queda la inquietud de desarrollar una labor más misionera. Que en un primer momento logremos llevar la Buena Nueva a las casas de la gente, por ejemplo, a los parqueaderos, a La Pulga, Wal-Mart y esos tantos otros lugares a donde confluye la gente… Que la gente sienta respeto y cálido interés de hermanarnos con ellos. Y que en un segundo momento, habiendo logrado transmitir simpatía, generosidad, solidaridad y compromiso, busquemos la manera de construir comunidad y vivir mejor nuestra fe para cumplir con nuestra misión como Iglesia.
En mi siguiente aporte compartiré cómo nos está yendo en los ministerios que estamos intentando organizar dentro de las parroquias de mi Vicariato de Albemarle.
Hno. Ricardo Greeley, SJ
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Fr. Reiser Writes in from Worcester, MA
An old industrial town in central
My involvement with Hispanic ministry dates from around 1988. I had been teaching theology to undergraduates for ten years, and my world of interests after leaving graduate school was pretty much circumscribed by teaching, pastoral ministry, and keeping up with theology. One Saturday morning, however (I think it might have been in the fall of 1987), I was introduced to the social reality of poor families living within a mile of the College’s front gate. That reality was very Latino. The following summer I went to
Sometime in 1988 the Jesuit Community purchased and renovated a house in
Of the various activities that took place at Casa Maria, the most effective and personally rewarding was running a nine-month course on Un tal Jesús. In fact, I gave the course twice. The course was not unlike an 19th Annotation group retreat (the first Un tal Jesús folks appear in the accompanying picture). Everyone had the two-volume work, which is essentially the transcript of 144 radio programs—a moving and imaginative re-telling of the gospel story for the people of
Hispanic ministry in Worcester is largely parish-based, and as a result I’ve been connected with a parish in the city, going on sixteen years, preaching each week, celebrating sacraments, blessing homes, offering Bible-study courses now and then, teaching occasionally in the permanent diaconate program—things like that. I’ve been involved in a few immigration cases, too: a rewarding experience, but time-consuming. As I reflect on what I’ve seen so far, three challenges emerge. The first is immigration. The pressure, tension, and fear—not to mention the separation from family—take a very heavy toll. The second is cultural dislocation. I was taken by surprise one Sunday when a family said they had decided to return to
In addition to belonging to Our Lady of Fatima parish, I have also had close contact with several Hispanic communities in nearby parishes. Each community has its own personality. In one, prison ministry and weekly charismatic prayer have been an integral part of their history. In another, immigration issues and finding jobs weigh heavily. Watching these communities and sharing some of their history, I’ve noticed two things. First, the communities are vibrant and life-giving. People support and genuinely care for one another, and their faith is strong. Being church really means something to them. Second, those communities have become so much a part of my inner life that I cannot imagine living and praying without them. They have helped me to hear the opening words of Gaudium et spes with an immediacy I had not experienced before: The joys and hopes and the sorrows and anxieties of people today, especially of those who are poor and afflicted—these are also the joys and hopes, sorrows and anxieties of the companions of Jesus.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Un Pensamiento de Javier San Martin, S.J. que trata de "Cosas Curiosas"
Cosas Curiosas
Inmigrantes:
OSOS y HUMANOS
Los Osos Inmigrantes
El periódico “Press Registrer” de Mobile Alabama, con fecha 27 de octubre 2007, publicaba en su primera página, con una gran fotografía a todo color, una noticia que llamó mi atención: “Los osos están llegando al Condado de Baldwin y parece que quieren establecerse en la zona fundando una población de osos. Clem Parnell, Experto Oficial, confirmaba que había visto en un campo de maní una verdadera mamá oso con dos cachorros. “Después de tantas falsas alarmas, por fin llegó el día en que pude verlos. Me dio una gran alegría”.
Parnell y Daniel Powell, coordinador de la Alianza de Osos Negros de Alabama, afirman que la Osa con sus dos cachorros son inmigrantes que provienen del norte y su permanencia en Baldwin depende en gran parte de la gente que allí habita. “Yo espero que la gente comprenda que los osos no son peligrosos. Ellos tienen más miedo de nosotros. Somos nosotros los que nos presentamos ante ellos con una actitud de ataque con rifles y pistolas. Por eso no hemos querido dar publicidad, porque no queríamos que les sucediera algo que los obligara a irse. Ellos están en un lugar seguro en donde no se da la caza, hay comida en abundancia y suficientes espacios libres en donde puedan habitar. No creo que haya problema para que aquí se desarrolle una población de osos”. En síntesis, “¡Bienvenidos los osos inmigrantes!”
Los inmigrantes humanos
Pero mientras los osos inmigrantes son bienvenidos, no siempre ocurre lo mismo con los humanos que inmigran por estas regiones en busca de trabajo y vivienda. Los periódicos constantemente publican noticias que desalientan la presencia de inmigrantes en la región. El Dr. Perry B. Noble, abogado del servicio Legal de inmigración que trabaja en el Ministerio hispano de Mobile, comenta que hay que diferenciar entre inmigrantes legales e ilegales. Los inmigrantes legales son, por lo general, muy bien acogidos, bien aceptados, hay actitudes positivas hacia ellos, se acepta su cultura, y ellos encuentran facilidad para asimilarse a la cultura americana. (Es decir, se sienten como los osos)
Pero cuando los inmigrantes son ilegales, la situación es diferente. Ellos se desempeñan en los más diversos empleos, de construcción, agricultura, restaurantes, servicios de limpieza y otros, pero, por lo general, son mal pagados, no gozan de seguros básicos de salud, educación, familia, etc. Hay empleadores que se aprovechan de su situación para explotarlos. Son poco estimados y estimulados, y no faltan autoridades en las más altas esferas que bloquean cualquier proyecto de ley que pueda beneficiar a estos inmigrantes. No los quieren en el país, por el solo hecho de ser inmigrantes ilegales. (a diferencia de los osos…)
Es bien sabido que los inmigrantes, por lo general, realizan un buen trabajo, apreciado por todos y necesario para la sociedad. Hay muchos trabajos que son realizados por inmigrantes ya que los nativos no quieren asumirlos, como por ejemplo los viveros, la limpieza y tantos otros. El Estado Americano pierde billones de dólares al no percibir los impuestos que los inmigrantes ilegales deberían pagar. Parafraseando a ClemParnell podríamos decir: ojala que la gente comprenda que los inmigrantes, aunque sean ilegales, no son peligrosos. Ellos son una fuerza positiva para la sociedad, laboral y moralmente. Pero a pesar de todo esto, no se les quiere abrir las puertas, sino, al contrario, se les trata como a ciudadanos de segunda categoría, y en muchos casos no se duda en romper sus familias, enviándolos a la cárcel o deportándolos. (Cosa que no ocurre con los osos)
Ante esto ¿Qué hacer?
Ante situaciones como estas, complicadas por lo demás, se pueden presentar soluciones que hasta podrían sonar ridículas. ¿No se podría pensar que la solución podría ser que los Inmigrantes Humanos se disfracen de Osos Inmigrantes?
Con un abrazo muy cordial
Javier San Martín S.J.
jsanmartin@shc.edu
Inmigrantes:
OSOS y HUMANOS
Los Osos Inmigrantes
El periódico “Press Registrer” de Mobile Alabama, con fecha 27 de octubre 2007, publicaba en su primera página, con una gran fotografía a todo color, una noticia que llamó mi atención: “Los osos están llegando al Condado de Baldwin y parece que quieren establecerse en la zona fundando una población de osos. Clem Parnell, Experto Oficial, confirmaba que había visto en un campo de maní una verdadera mamá oso con dos cachorros. “Después de tantas falsas alarmas, por fin llegó el día en que pude verlos. Me dio una gran alegría”.
Parnell y Daniel Powell, coordinador de la Alianza de Osos Negros de Alabama, afirman que la Osa con sus dos cachorros son inmigrantes que provienen del norte y su permanencia en Baldwin depende en gran parte de la gente que allí habita. “Yo espero que la gente comprenda que los osos no son peligrosos. Ellos tienen más miedo de nosotros. Somos nosotros los que nos presentamos ante ellos con una actitud de ataque con rifles y pistolas. Por eso no hemos querido dar publicidad, porque no queríamos que les sucediera algo que los obligara a irse. Ellos están en un lugar seguro en donde no se da la caza, hay comida en abundancia y suficientes espacios libres en donde puedan habitar. No creo que haya problema para que aquí se desarrolle una población de osos”. En síntesis, “¡Bienvenidos los osos inmigrantes!”
Los inmigrantes humanos
Pero mientras los osos inmigrantes son bienvenidos, no siempre ocurre lo mismo con los humanos que inmigran por estas regiones en busca de trabajo y vivienda. Los periódicos constantemente publican noticias que desalientan la presencia de inmigrantes en la región. El Dr. Perry B. Noble, abogado del servicio Legal de inmigración que trabaja en el Ministerio hispano de Mobile, comenta que hay que diferenciar entre inmigrantes legales e ilegales. Los inmigrantes legales son, por lo general, muy bien acogidos, bien aceptados, hay actitudes positivas hacia ellos, se acepta su cultura, y ellos encuentran facilidad para asimilarse a la cultura americana. (Es decir, se sienten como los osos)
Pero cuando los inmigrantes son ilegales, la situación es diferente. Ellos se desempeñan en los más diversos empleos, de construcción, agricultura, restaurantes, servicios de limpieza y otros, pero, por lo general, son mal pagados, no gozan de seguros básicos de salud, educación, familia, etc. Hay empleadores que se aprovechan de su situación para explotarlos. Son poco estimados y estimulados, y no faltan autoridades en las más altas esferas que bloquean cualquier proyecto de ley que pueda beneficiar a estos inmigrantes. No los quieren en el país, por el solo hecho de ser inmigrantes ilegales. (a diferencia de los osos…)
Es bien sabido que los inmigrantes, por lo general, realizan un buen trabajo, apreciado por todos y necesario para la sociedad. Hay muchos trabajos que son realizados por inmigrantes ya que los nativos no quieren asumirlos, como por ejemplo los viveros, la limpieza y tantos otros. El Estado Americano pierde billones de dólares al no percibir los impuestos que los inmigrantes ilegales deberían pagar. Parafraseando a ClemParnell podríamos decir: ojala que la gente comprenda que los inmigrantes, aunque sean ilegales, no son peligrosos. Ellos son una fuerza positiva para la sociedad, laboral y moralmente. Pero a pesar de todo esto, no se les quiere abrir las puertas, sino, al contrario, se les trata como a ciudadanos de segunda categoría, y en muchos casos no se duda en romper sus familias, enviándolos a la cárcel o deportándolos. (Cosa que no ocurre con los osos)
Ante esto ¿Qué hacer?
Ante situaciones como estas, complicadas por lo demás, se pueden presentar soluciones que hasta podrían sonar ridículas. ¿No se podría pensar que la solución podría ser que los Inmigrantes Humanos se disfracen de Osos Inmigrantes?
Con un abrazo muy cordial
Javier San Martín S.J.
jsanmartin@shc.edu
Immigrants: Bears and Humans
Curious Situations
IMMIGRANTS:
BEARS AND HUMANS
The Immigrant Bears
The newspaper "The Press Register" of Mobile Alabama, 10,27,2007, published in its first page, with a full color picture, a news that got my attention: "The bears are arriving to the County of Baldwin and it seems that they want to settle down in the area founding a population of bears”. Clem Parnell, Official Expert, confirmed that he had seen in a peanut field a true bear mom with two small cubs. "After so many false alarms, the day I could see them finally arrived. I was very happy to see them"
Parnell and Daniel Powell, coordinator of the Alabama Black Bear Alliance, agreed that the female and the two cubs are immigrants that come from the north and their permanency in Baldwin depends in a large part of people that there inhabits. "I hope people understand the bears are not a danger. They are more afraid of us. We are the ones with the attack attitude and the guns. We do not want to take the chance of anything happening to make them move. They are in a safe area where no hunting takes place. There is plenty of food and enough open range for them with the public land where they can inhabit. I don't think we’ll ever have a problem, even as their population, hopefully grow”. (In other words, ¡Welcome the immigrant bears!)
The human immigrants
However, while the immigrant bears are welcome, it does not always occur the same with the human immigrants who came to these regions in search of work and housing. Constantly the newspapers publish news discouraging the immigrant’s presence in the region. Dr. Perry B. Nobleman, attorney at Law who offers Legal immigration services in the Catholic Hispanic Ministry of Mobile, affirms that in this matter it is necessary to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants. The legal immigrants are, in general, welcomed, very well accepted, with positive attitudes toward them and their culture. They find easiness to assimilate into the American culture. (we can say in other words that they feel like the bears)
However, with the illegal immigrants is quite different. They work in a variety of employments, like construction, agriculture, restaurants, cleaning services and others, but, in general, they don’t get a just remuneration; and often the employers take advantage of their situation and exploit them. They do not enjoy the basic insurances like health, education, family, and do not feel dear and stimulated. Some authorities even in the highest spheres block any bill that can benefit those immigrants. They do not want them in the country, for the single fact that they are illegal. (Opposite to the bears’ situation.)
We know very well that the immigrants, in general, carry out a good work, appreciated and necessary for the society. They take many of the works that the natives do not want to assume, like nurseries, cleaning services and so many others. Paraphrasing Clem Parnell, we hope people understand the immigrants are not a danger. Although they are illegal, they represent a positive impulse for the society, from the labor and morality point of view. At the same time, the Government loses billion of dollars, as not perceiving the taxes that the illegal immigrants should pay. But, in spite of all this, the doors of the country remain close to them, and they feel like second-class citizens, and in many cases, they see their families broken when they are send to jail or deported. (Alternative that does not happen with the bears)
What we can do?
Before situations like these, extremely complicated, all the solutions could sound impossible or even ridiculous. Could be possible to think that one of the solutions could be that the Human Immigrants masquerade of Immigrant Bears?
Cordially
Javier San Martin S.J.
jsanmartin@shc.edu
IMMIGRANTS:
BEARS AND HUMANS
The Immigrant Bears
The newspaper "The Press Register" of Mobile Alabama, 10,27,2007, published in its first page, with a full color picture, a news that got my attention: "The bears are arriving to the County of Baldwin and it seems that they want to settle down in the area founding a population of bears”. Clem Parnell, Official Expert, confirmed that he had seen in a peanut field a true bear mom with two small cubs. "After so many false alarms, the day I could see them finally arrived. I was very happy to see them"
Parnell and Daniel Powell, coordinator of the Alabama Black Bear Alliance, agreed that the female and the two cubs are immigrants that come from the north and their permanency in Baldwin depends in a large part of people that there inhabits. "I hope people understand the bears are not a danger. They are more afraid of us. We are the ones with the attack attitude and the guns. We do not want to take the chance of anything happening to make them move. They are in a safe area where no hunting takes place. There is plenty of food and enough open range for them with the public land where they can inhabit. I don't think we’ll ever have a problem, even as their population, hopefully grow”. (In other words, ¡Welcome the immigrant bears!)
The human immigrants
However, while the immigrant bears are welcome, it does not always occur the same with the human immigrants who came to these regions in search of work and housing. Constantly the newspapers publish news discouraging the immigrant’s presence in the region. Dr. Perry B. Nobleman, attorney at Law who offers Legal immigration services in the Catholic Hispanic Ministry of Mobile, affirms that in this matter it is necessary to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants. The legal immigrants are, in general, welcomed, very well accepted, with positive attitudes toward them and their culture. They find easiness to assimilate into the American culture. (we can say in other words that they feel like the bears)
However, with the illegal immigrants is quite different. They work in a variety of employments, like construction, agriculture, restaurants, cleaning services and others, but, in general, they don’t get a just remuneration; and often the employers take advantage of their situation and exploit them. They do not enjoy the basic insurances like health, education, family, and do not feel dear and stimulated. Some authorities even in the highest spheres block any bill that can benefit those immigrants. They do not want them in the country, for the single fact that they are illegal. (Opposite to the bears’ situation.)
We know very well that the immigrants, in general, carry out a good work, appreciated and necessary for the society. They take many of the works that the natives do not want to assume, like nurseries, cleaning services and so many others. Paraphrasing Clem Parnell, we hope people understand the immigrants are not a danger. Although they are illegal, they represent a positive impulse for the society, from the labor and morality point of view. At the same time, the Government loses billion of dollars, as not perceiving the taxes that the illegal immigrants should pay. But, in spite of all this, the doors of the country remain close to them, and they feel like second-class citizens, and in many cases, they see their families broken when they are send to jail or deported. (Alternative that does not happen with the bears)
What we can do?
Before situations like these, extremely complicated, all the solutions could sound impossible or even ridiculous. Could be possible to think that one of the solutions could be that the Human Immigrants masquerade of Immigrant Bears?
Cordially
Javier San Martin S.J.
jsanmartin@shc.edu
Equipo Latino Ignaciano
Somos un grupo de hombres y mujeres que a través de la reflexión sobre nuestros problemas y la puesta en común de nuestras inquietudes, hemos querido usar nuestros propios recursos y la espiritualidad ignaciana para ayudar a los demás.
Este grupo surgió espontáneamente: nos dimos cuenta que las mamás y papás que llevaban sus hijos al catecismo, esperaban en sus carros hasta que terminara la catequesis. Nos preguntamos por qué no invitarlos a reunirse mientras sus hijos estaban con sus catequistas. Algunos aceptaron, y poco a poco, las reuniones que habían comenzado en la sacristía pasaron a cobrar más fuerza y regularidad hasta convertirse en nuestro actual grupo. En las primeras reuniones del grupo sólo teníamos el objetivo de compartir nuestras preocupaciones y problemas. Por ello, al principio, nos pusieron el apodo del grupo de “las quejonas y quejones”. Este grupo de “quejones” se convertiría en el “Equipo Latino Ignaciano” de Boston.
Actualmente nos reunimos cada martes de 6:30 a 8:30 PM en nuestra parroquia de Santa María de los Ángeles en Roxbury, MA. Comenzamos pidiendo la presencia de Dios entre nosotros, luego hablamos de lo que está pasando en nuestras vidas, y procuramos discernirlo según el Evangelio y la espiritualidad ignaciana. Terminamos dando gracias a Dios por las cosas buenas que hemos recibido y le pedimos que nos ilumine en las situaciones que todavía están oscuras y que necesitan más discernimiento.
Como grupo nos ponemos metas sencillas y siempre trabajamos para alcanzarlas. Asistimos a conferencias y retiros como el más reciente que fue un retiro ignaciano en Cohasett. También nos asesoramos constantemente con algunos amigos jesuitas. El hecho de que hayamos crecido espiritualmente y que ello nos ayude a alcanzar nuestras metas, nos da mucho ánimo para seguir adelante, poniéndonos cada vez más objetivos. Ese crecimiento espiritual que experimentamos lo usamos para ayudar, escuchar, orientar y comunicar a los demás que ellos tienen valor para Dios y para la sociedad. Por ejemplo, una de los miembros del grupo es asistente de médico para jovencitas embarazadas. Ella trae sus inquietudes al grupo, todos las discutimos y ella dice que ha aprendido a manejar mejor muchas de esas situaciones, y a no tener miedo de ayudarles a descubrir y a encontrar la presencia de Jesús incluso en esos momentos difíciles. También, en mi caso concreto, y a pesar de mis limitaciones, intento llevar un mensaje de aliento a mis compañeros de trabajo y a los clientes de mi salón de belleza incluso conociendo su diversidad religiosa (judíos, cristianos y musulmanes más raramente).
Muchos de nosotros hemos aprendido a enfrentar la vida de una manera más activa y al mismo tiempo más relajada. Más activa porque ahora sabemos mejor dónde y en qué podemos usar nuestro tiempo. Y más relajada porque podemos escoger prioridades en nuestras vidas. Entendemos que nuestro ministerio como cristianos no es sólo ir a la iglesia cada domingo, oír la misa y volver a casa, sino que también se trata de compartir con los demás, velar por todos y cada uno de nosotros, porque somos parte de un mismo cuerpo y nos debemos los unos a los otros el gran amor que Jesús nos regaló.
No podemos negar que vivimos un sinnúmero de cosas que nos traen grandes preocupaciones. Por ejemplo la violencia de nuestros jóvenes, la incomprensión entre padres e hijos, el problema de la inmigración y la realidad parroquial desafiante porque no logramos conseguir un párroco que sustituya al que tenemos cuando él se jubile. Estas cosas nos llevan a estar en constante y plena comunicación con Dios en y a través de las personas con las que vivimos cada día.
María Chávez
121 Glendower Road
Roslindale, MA 02131
Latino Ignatian Team (English)
We are a group of men and women who through reflection on our problems and our common anxieties, have wanted to use our own resources and Ignatian spirituality to help others.
This group came about spontaneously: we noticed that the parents who took their children to Sunday school waited in their cars until catechism was over. We asked ourselves why not invite them in for a meeting while their children were with their Sunday school teachers. Some accepted the invitation and little by little the meetings that had started in the Sacristy went on to get stronger and more consistent until becoming our current group. In the first meetings our only objective was to share our worries and problems. That is why at first we were nicknamed the “group of complainers”. This group of complainers would soon become the Latino Ignatian Team of
We currently meet every Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in our parish of Saint Mary of the Angels in
As a group we set simple goals and always work towards achieving them. We attend conferences and retreats such as the most recent Ignatian retreat in
Many of us have learned to confront life more actively and at the same time more relaxed. More actively because now we know better where and in what ways we can use our time. And more relaxed because we can choose priorities in our lives. We understand that our ministry as Christians is not just go to church on Sundays, listen to the mass and return home, but also to try to share with others, watch out for each other because we are part of one same body and that we owe each other the great love that Jesus gave us.
We cannot deny that we live in a world of an immeasurable number of things that bring us great worries. For example the violence among our youth, the incomprehension between parents and children, the immigration problem and the challenging reality that we have not found a pastor to replace the one we have when he retires. These things lead us to be in plain and constant communication with God through the people with whom we live every day.
María Chávez
121 Glendower Road
Roslindale, MA 02131
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Novenario continues in North Carolina, an update from Fr. Bavinger, S.J.
Howdy, Y’All!
A reminder that I’m assisting in two parishes in Wilson and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
I wanted to share my experience of the novenario, the novena of rosaries which leads up to the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the 12th. We’re doing it for the first time in the Rocky Mount parish, meeting in different homes each of the nine nights. The picture is from the first evening, of some of the overflow from the living room where most of the people were. (The young people tend to huddle together at such times, eh?) Our second evening, I didn’t take pictures, but a lot more people were present.
A reminder that I’m assisting in two parishes in Wilson and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
I wanted to share my experience of the novenario, the novena of rosaries which leads up to the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the 12th. We’re doing it for the first time in the Rocky Mount parish, meeting in different homes each of the nine nights. The picture is from the first evening, of some of the overflow from the living room where most of the people were. (The young people tend to huddle together at such times, eh?) Our second evening, I didn’t take pictures, but a lot more people were present.
What a great experience this is turning into for those taking part in the prayers, and for me! The host family gets a blessing through the presence of regular active church members and by inviting their own neighbors to take part. The blessing for them also is in providing the gathering place and the hospitality, and by having the large image of the Virgin in their house. The image remains there through the night and through the following day. I had hoped that each host would be “leading” the rosary, litany, and the special added prayers for the evening at their home, but we have an excellent leader from the regular weekly rosary group who does all that very well. So call this a beautiful first step that we are getting into different homes in this way and getting to know some folks who would otherwise just have come to church for Mass and then gone home.
A couple of surprises for me. One is my finding out how many people don’t know the rosary at all. Some don’t seem to have a rosary, and they don’t seem to know where to begin if they want to say it. (This points to a possible leadership training goal for next year!) One joven in one house attended the prayer with two rosaries hanging around his neck, but he went through the rosary with his hands empty, and it seemed it didn’t occur to him to use one of the rosaries he was wearing to do the prayer. Or perhaps it did occur to him, but he had no knowledge of what to do with a rosary in his hands! At the same time, I should mention how I saw that many folks do know the rosary very well, and a good number who don’t say the prayers aloud are prayerfully attending while the rosary is being recited. It speaks to me of a prayer life deeply tied to the community and family, and to the celebration of the feasts of December, and how real that prayer life is, even if not fully appropriated.
The other surprise was my realization of how people are carrying very heavy burdens of spirit as they go through these Advent-Guadalupe-Posada days, and how they really are drawing strength from the promise of the prayer journey, and from the encouragement they experience in these evening gatherings. One woman’s son attempted suicide a year ago, and she has shaped much of her life around his recovery—but her son is going nowhere fast in this. She is making all nine evenings of the novenario and will host one of them. Another woman received a seventeen-year-old into her home, and he is in jail now after running her car into another car and causing $5,000 in damages. She already bailed him out once, but can’t afford another bail. She and her husband will be hosting the rosary in a couple of days.
Virgilio Elizondo, the Mexican-American theologian, has noted how the Guadalupe events can be called an “exodus,” the point of the divide in history that Christians often speak of only in reference to Christ. But for Mexicans and many other Hispanics, though Christ is central in their faith, the experience of la Virgencita seems to carry the Christ-event, the re-creation and new birth of a people, and the words come to mind from Peter’s first letter, “Ustedes antes ni siquiera eran pueblo, pero ahora son pueblo de Dios.” (1 Pedro 2, 10) A Mexican liturgical team has written that Advent is a time of waiting on the Lord’s coming, but is also a spent in contemplating Mary, the symbol of expectancy of the coming Christ. My time with the novenario is turning into a discovery of how the Hispanics hold together both of those activities in a way that gives much-needed confidence and hope.
Tonight I will miss the rosary in order to see a Hispanic teenager who has recently told his parents he is gay. After spending some time with him, his parents will join us. The parents came to me first at his suggestion, appearing very shaken by what their son had told them. They were looking for support and help. Thanks to Paul Brant and Bill Ameche for some ideas on how to handle it. I have a Columbian lady, a psychologist, who is willing to help them, but I’ll have to see if they’re interested. Fr. Pat Keane, our Vicar for Hispanics in the Raleigh Diocese, sees ministry to gay people and their families as a need, but says we have nothing in place for such ministry, either for Anglos or Hispanics. And there don’t seem to be support groups for Hispanic parents of gay children around. If anyone has additional suggestions, please let me know.
Be well and blessed in these wonderful days!
A couple of surprises for me. One is my finding out how many people don’t know the rosary at all. Some don’t seem to have a rosary, and they don’t seem to know where to begin if they want to say it. (This points to a possible leadership training goal for next year!) One joven in one house attended the prayer with two rosaries hanging around his neck, but he went through the rosary with his hands empty, and it seemed it didn’t occur to him to use one of the rosaries he was wearing to do the prayer. Or perhaps it did occur to him, but he had no knowledge of what to do with a rosary in his hands! At the same time, I should mention how I saw that many folks do know the rosary very well, and a good number who don’t say the prayers aloud are prayerfully attending while the rosary is being recited. It speaks to me of a prayer life deeply tied to the community and family, and to the celebration of the feasts of December, and how real that prayer life is, even if not fully appropriated.
The other surprise was my realization of how people are carrying very heavy burdens of spirit as they go through these Advent-Guadalupe-Posada days, and how they really are drawing strength from the promise of the prayer journey, and from the encouragement they experience in these evening gatherings. One woman’s son attempted suicide a year ago, and she has shaped much of her life around his recovery—but her son is going nowhere fast in this. She is making all nine evenings of the novenario and will host one of them. Another woman received a seventeen-year-old into her home, and he is in jail now after running her car into another car and causing $5,000 in damages. She already bailed him out once, but can’t afford another bail. She and her husband will be hosting the rosary in a couple of days.
Virgilio Elizondo, the Mexican-American theologian, has noted how the Guadalupe events can be called an “exodus,” the point of the divide in history that Christians often speak of only in reference to Christ. But for Mexicans and many other Hispanics, though Christ is central in their faith, the experience of la Virgencita seems to carry the Christ-event, the re-creation and new birth of a people, and the words come to mind from Peter’s first letter, “Ustedes antes ni siquiera eran pueblo, pero ahora son pueblo de Dios.” (1 Pedro 2, 10) A Mexican liturgical team has written that Advent is a time of waiting on the Lord’s coming, but is also a spent in contemplating Mary, the symbol of expectancy of the coming Christ. My time with the novenario is turning into a discovery of how the Hispanics hold together both of those activities in a way that gives much-needed confidence and hope.
Tonight I will miss the rosary in order to see a Hispanic teenager who has recently told his parents he is gay. After spending some time with him, his parents will join us. The parents came to me first at his suggestion, appearing very shaken by what their son had told them. They were looking for support and help. Thanks to Paul Brant and Bill Ameche for some ideas on how to handle it. I have a Columbian lady, a psychologist, who is willing to help them, but I’ll have to see if they’re interested. Fr. Pat Keane, our Vicar for Hispanics in the Raleigh Diocese, sees ministry to gay people and their families as a need, but says we have nothing in place for such ministry, either for Anglos or Hispanics. And there don’t seem to be support groups for Hispanic parents of gay children around. If anyone has additional suggestions, please let me know.
Be well and blessed in these wonderful days!
Monday, December 10, 2007
On Assignment: Amanda Cataneo Reports from Baltimore, Maryland
Hello all!
How exciting to be writing my first blog entry for the Institute! My name is Amanda Cataneo. I am a senior at Loyola College in Maryland and an intern at the Institute on Migration, Culture, and Ministry. On Saturday, November 10th I attended a dinner and discussion on immigration issues out in Ellicott City. I went on behalf of the Institute and to do some research for my senior thesis: Latino Migration in Baltimore.
The dinner was sponsored by Howard County Friends of Latin America. Speakers came representing Witness for Peace, the Ecumenical Program on Central America & the Caribbean, Mexicanos sin Fronteras, and Casa de Maryland. The speakers were, respectively, Miguel Ángel Vázquez de la Rosa, Rev Philip Wheaton, Arnoldo Borja, and Hector Pop Chun.
First up was Miguel Ángel Vázquez de la Rosa. He is a leader and founding member of EDUCA (popular education organization in Oaxaca, Mexico) and was on a Witness for Peace-sponsored US education tour. Mr. Vázquez spoke primarily about the conditions in Oaxaca and the roots of migration. He started off with some basic facts: The United States and Mexico share a border that is 3,200 km long, the US is the destination of millions of Mexican migrants that come here to live and work, a modest statistic is that 12 million Mexicans live and work in the US, and the relationship between the United States and Mexico has been uncomfortable and distant. In the words of Porfirio Diaz, a Mexican president a century ago, “Poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to the United States.” The government of Mexico has tried to change the relationship from distant to strategic partners, with bad results for Mexico. Following the criteria put forth by the IMF, Mexican began a policy of structural change 25 years ago, and reduced many social programs like combating poverty. Because of these changes, of Mexico’s 106 million strong population 46 million of them are poor. Then, 13 years ago, the North American Free Trade Agreement passed, and the situation became even more serious. NAFTA was implemented in 1994. According to Mr. Vázquez, it was signed under false pretenses. The Mexican president stated at the time that Mexico had entered the First World. NAFTA was going to reduce problems of unemployment, increase exports, and reduce poverty. However, the results are opposite. NAFTA failed to resolve unemployment. Instead, 60 out of 100 young people that enter the job market cannot find employment. There has also been a horrible outcome in agriculture as the country has turned to proletarization: turning the small farmer into an industrial worker.
Mr. Vázquez then began talking in more detail about his home state, Oaxaca. According to a UN Study, Oaxaca is the second poorest state in Mexico, after Chiapas. Additionally, a World Bank study revealed that 76 out of every 100 Oaxacans live in poverty or extreme poverty. The average worker earns $5 after an 8 hour shift, compared to migrant workers in the U.S. that earn $6, 8, 10 per HOUR. For this reason among others, small farmers and people migrate to the U.S. According to the Oaxacan state government, 150,000 Oaxacan citizens migrate to the North of Mexico or to the U.S. There has also been a crisis in Oaxaca, pertaining to the production of corn. Corn production is a source of Mexican pride, and Oaxaca dominates in that particular area of agriculture. However, the state cannot produce enough to meet local demand (due to the aforementioned proletarization). They have resorted to importing corn from the United States, which is also 30% cheaper.
Oaxacan society is one of the most politicized societies in Mexico. There is no real state policy to resolve conflicts with dialogue, resulting in many unfortunate agrarian conflicts regarding land limits.
At the end of his monologue, Mr. Vázquez highly emphasized that it is important to recognize that migration is FORCED due to political and economic crises and social instability. We must look at it with a sense of solidarity.
After Mr. Vazquez spoke, the Reverend Philip Wheaton of the Episcopal Church took the microphone and described how the United States has historically exploited Latin America. He began by talking about U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s policy to use cheap labor and go into Third World countries and exploit cheap resources. Then, he discussed the Tri-Lateral Comission, which existed before the World Trade Organization, and the thought process that drove this commission, which is an ideology that has lasted to today. The thought process was defined as Power, Purpose (to safeguard capital interests in the highly industrialized countries), and Choice.
He then discussed the 30 years of war during the decades of the 60s, 70s, and 80s and how the U.S. bombed Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The Pentagon was directing massacres and genocidal wars, forcing people to flee. For example, during the Sandinista-Contra war in Nicaragua, after the Sandinistas had re-claimed power, the Contras reinvaded. They lost, but they targeted Christian-based communities. Because the Contras were backed by the United States, the U.S. was essentially killing Christians and U.S. citizens in order to make the operation successful.
Rev. Wheaton also referred to the NAFTA agreement and stated that the Mexican president at the time of NAFTA had been fraudulently elected and had been a tool of the United States government in order to get NAFTA passed.
In his conclusion, Rev. Wheaton summed up migration as politically forced in the 1980s and economically forced in the 1990s, particularly after NAFTA. He declared that the American people do not understand the power forces behind immigration and therefore quite wrongly blame the victim.
After Rev. Wheaton stepped down, Mr. Arnoldo Borja took the podium. I found Mr. Borja’s story to be the most touching. He delivered a powerful message in a very humble manner. He just told his story.
In Mexico, Mr. Borja was trained as an agricultural engineer. He emigrated to the United States California, Phoenix, Houston, and Florida where he worked odd jobs in the agricultural sphere. When he reached Florida, his supervisor found out that he could drive a tractor. He thought, well, of course I can drive a tractor! After that was established, they started him on the job of applying pesticides to the plants. Because he was trained in this job, he knew what to do, so he asked them for protective equipment. They fired him.
He then moved up to North Carolina, where he picked tobacco for awhile, and then he moved again to the Shenandoah Valley. Again, he shared with us an interesting story from his work experience. He got a job checking chickens for health with a USDA inspector. The USDA inspector was checking for something specific in the chickens, and Mr. Borja, having done this in Mexico, knew what he was looking for. So when the inspector fell asleep, he went right on checking the chickens! His supervisor came over and said, “What are you doing?” And he said, “I’m checking the chickens for tumors.” His supervisor asked, “Why isn’t the USDA inspector doing it?” Mr. Borja replied, “Well he fell asleep!” So, the supervisor fired Mr. Borja. From there, Mr. Borja moved to Washington D.C. and began to work for Mexicanos Sin Fronteras.
At one point, a non-Latina woman asked Mr. Borja, “If you don’t like this country, why don’t you go back to yours?” I’m sure many Latinos, in fact many immigrants, are not unfamiliar with this phrase. Then Mr. Borja remembers why he did come to the United States. A corporation came to his town and poisoned his land, his river, and his people. What else could he do? The implied statement is that if the U.S. doesn’t people to emigrate to the country, then it should stop forcing them out of their home countries.
Memory is important.
Immigration is not a casualty and it’s not a phenomenon.
The U.S. is trying to negotiate with Mexico, but at the same time it’s building a wall. What kind of negotiation is that?
According to Mr. Borja, “A los perros flacos se despegan las pulgas.” Or, the skinny dog gets the flea. He is referring to the immigrants. Already being forced from their homes to a new place in order to better their lives, they must suffer even more. They endure the long, grueling and often dangerous trip over to the U.S., only to be met with contempt, animosity, misunderstanding, and discrimination.
As an immigrant, you cannot put your back to your family.
After Mr. Borja stepped down, Mr. Hector Pop Chun of Casa de Maryland took the stand. He is from Guatemala and works down in Silver Spring. He began by telling us some of the challenges that immigrants face when they come to America.
First, there is the language obstacle (with the exceptions of California and Florida). A worker can be fired for misunderstanding. Plus, they are limited to jobs such as housekeeping and dry cleaning. Also, as an immigrant, sometimes they are the (innocent) target of things that are happening in the U.S.
Casa de Maryland attempts to help with some of these obstacles. It provides assistance in the areas of English as a Second Language, citizenship, workers’ rights, immigrants’ rights, professional training, leadership, and it helps communities and people to discern which issues are winnable and which are not. For example, in 1985 the government passed a Sanctuary Law that said that once an immigrant is here, he/she is safe. The police cannot interact with the immigration. Several weeks ago, in Takoma Park, the local government decided to change that law. Casa de Maryland started to mobilize with the people in the community, it went to election, and the community voted not to change the law. On that day, Casa de Maryland was successful in its campaign to help immigrants.
All of the speakers contributed something special to this discussion. They eloquently shared their history, their experiences, and their current mission in the fight for immigrant rights. Each one of them contributed to the powerful message that immigrants are victims of forces much more powerful than them and they are FORCED to move.
How exciting to be writing my first blog entry for the Institute! My name is Amanda Cataneo. I am a senior at Loyola College in Maryland and an intern at the Institute on Migration, Culture, and Ministry. On Saturday, November 10th I attended a dinner and discussion on immigration issues out in Ellicott City. I went on behalf of the Institute and to do some research for my senior thesis: Latino Migration in Baltimore.
The dinner was sponsored by Howard County Friends of Latin America. Speakers came representing Witness for Peace, the Ecumenical Program on Central America & the Caribbean, Mexicanos sin Fronteras, and Casa de Maryland. The speakers were, respectively, Miguel Ángel Vázquez de la Rosa, Rev Philip Wheaton, Arnoldo Borja, and Hector Pop Chun.
First up was Miguel Ángel Vázquez de la Rosa. He is a leader and founding member of EDUCA (popular education organization in Oaxaca, Mexico) and was on a Witness for Peace-sponsored US education tour. Mr. Vázquez spoke primarily about the conditions in Oaxaca and the roots of migration. He started off with some basic facts: The United States and Mexico share a border that is 3,200 km long, the US is the destination of millions of Mexican migrants that come here to live and work, a modest statistic is that 12 million Mexicans live and work in the US, and the relationship between the United States and Mexico has been uncomfortable and distant. In the words of Porfirio Diaz, a Mexican president a century ago, “Poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to the United States.” The government of Mexico has tried to change the relationship from distant to strategic partners, with bad results for Mexico. Following the criteria put forth by the IMF, Mexican began a policy of structural change 25 years ago, and reduced many social programs like combating poverty. Because of these changes, of Mexico’s 106 million strong population 46 million of them are poor. Then, 13 years ago, the North American Free Trade Agreement passed, and the situation became even more serious. NAFTA was implemented in 1994. According to Mr. Vázquez, it was signed under false pretenses. The Mexican president stated at the time that Mexico had entered the First World. NAFTA was going to reduce problems of unemployment, increase exports, and reduce poverty. However, the results are opposite. NAFTA failed to resolve unemployment. Instead, 60 out of 100 young people that enter the job market cannot find employment. There has also been a horrible outcome in agriculture as the country has turned to proletarization: turning the small farmer into an industrial worker.
Mr. Vázquez then began talking in more detail about his home state, Oaxaca. According to a UN Study, Oaxaca is the second poorest state in Mexico, after Chiapas. Additionally, a World Bank study revealed that 76 out of every 100 Oaxacans live in poverty or extreme poverty. The average worker earns $5 after an 8 hour shift, compared to migrant workers in the U.S. that earn $6, 8, 10 per HOUR. For this reason among others, small farmers and people migrate to the U.S. According to the Oaxacan state government, 150,000 Oaxacan citizens migrate to the North of Mexico or to the U.S. There has also been a crisis in Oaxaca, pertaining to the production of corn. Corn production is a source of Mexican pride, and Oaxaca dominates in that particular area of agriculture. However, the state cannot produce enough to meet local demand (due to the aforementioned proletarization). They have resorted to importing corn from the United States, which is also 30% cheaper.
Oaxacan society is one of the most politicized societies in Mexico. There is no real state policy to resolve conflicts with dialogue, resulting in many unfortunate agrarian conflicts regarding land limits.
At the end of his monologue, Mr. Vázquez highly emphasized that it is important to recognize that migration is FORCED due to political and economic crises and social instability. We must look at it with a sense of solidarity.
After Mr. Vazquez spoke, the Reverend Philip Wheaton of the Episcopal Church took the microphone and described how the United States has historically exploited Latin America. He began by talking about U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s policy to use cheap labor and go into Third World countries and exploit cheap resources. Then, he discussed the Tri-Lateral Comission, which existed before the World Trade Organization, and the thought process that drove this commission, which is an ideology that has lasted to today. The thought process was defined as Power, Purpose (to safeguard capital interests in the highly industrialized countries), and Choice.
He then discussed the 30 years of war during the decades of the 60s, 70s, and 80s and how the U.S. bombed Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The Pentagon was directing massacres and genocidal wars, forcing people to flee. For example, during the Sandinista-Contra war in Nicaragua, after the Sandinistas had re-claimed power, the Contras reinvaded. They lost, but they targeted Christian-based communities. Because the Contras were backed by the United States, the U.S. was essentially killing Christians and U.S. citizens in order to make the operation successful.
Rev. Wheaton also referred to the NAFTA agreement and stated that the Mexican president at the time of NAFTA had been fraudulently elected and had been a tool of the United States government in order to get NAFTA passed.
In his conclusion, Rev. Wheaton summed up migration as politically forced in the 1980s and economically forced in the 1990s, particularly after NAFTA. He declared that the American people do not understand the power forces behind immigration and therefore quite wrongly blame the victim.
After Rev. Wheaton stepped down, Mr. Arnoldo Borja took the podium. I found Mr. Borja’s story to be the most touching. He delivered a powerful message in a very humble manner. He just told his story.
In Mexico, Mr. Borja was trained as an agricultural engineer. He emigrated to the United States California, Phoenix, Houston, and Florida where he worked odd jobs in the agricultural sphere. When he reached Florida, his supervisor found out that he could drive a tractor. He thought, well, of course I can drive a tractor! After that was established, they started him on the job of applying pesticides to the plants. Because he was trained in this job, he knew what to do, so he asked them for protective equipment. They fired him.
He then moved up to North Carolina, where he picked tobacco for awhile, and then he moved again to the Shenandoah Valley. Again, he shared with us an interesting story from his work experience. He got a job checking chickens for health with a USDA inspector. The USDA inspector was checking for something specific in the chickens, and Mr. Borja, having done this in Mexico, knew what he was looking for. So when the inspector fell asleep, he went right on checking the chickens! His supervisor came over and said, “What are you doing?” And he said, “I’m checking the chickens for tumors.” His supervisor asked, “Why isn’t the USDA inspector doing it?” Mr. Borja replied, “Well he fell asleep!” So, the supervisor fired Mr. Borja. From there, Mr. Borja moved to Washington D.C. and began to work for Mexicanos Sin Fronteras.
At one point, a non-Latina woman asked Mr. Borja, “If you don’t like this country, why don’t you go back to yours?” I’m sure many Latinos, in fact many immigrants, are not unfamiliar with this phrase. Then Mr. Borja remembers why he did come to the United States. A corporation came to his town and poisoned his land, his river, and his people. What else could he do? The implied statement is that if the U.S. doesn’t people to emigrate to the country, then it should stop forcing them out of their home countries.
Memory is important.
Immigration is not a casualty and it’s not a phenomenon.
The U.S. is trying to negotiate with Mexico, but at the same time it’s building a wall. What kind of negotiation is that?
According to Mr. Borja, “A los perros flacos se despegan las pulgas.” Or, the skinny dog gets the flea. He is referring to the immigrants. Already being forced from their homes to a new place in order to better their lives, they must suffer even more. They endure the long, grueling and often dangerous trip over to the U.S., only to be met with contempt, animosity, misunderstanding, and discrimination.
As an immigrant, you cannot put your back to your family.
After Mr. Borja stepped down, Mr. Hector Pop Chun of Casa de Maryland took the stand. He is from Guatemala and works down in Silver Spring. He began by telling us some of the challenges that immigrants face when they come to America.
First, there is the language obstacle (with the exceptions of California and Florida). A worker can be fired for misunderstanding. Plus, they are limited to jobs such as housekeeping and dry cleaning. Also, as an immigrant, sometimes they are the (innocent) target of things that are happening in the U.S.
Casa de Maryland attempts to help with some of these obstacles. It provides assistance in the areas of English as a Second Language, citizenship, workers’ rights, immigrants’ rights, professional training, leadership, and it helps communities and people to discern which issues are winnable and which are not. For example, in 1985 the government passed a Sanctuary Law that said that once an immigrant is here, he/she is safe. The police cannot interact with the immigration. Several weeks ago, in Takoma Park, the local government decided to change that law. Casa de Maryland started to mobilize with the people in the community, it went to election, and the community voted not to change the law. On that day, Casa de Maryland was successful in its campaign to help immigrants.
All of the speakers contributed something special to this discussion. They eloquently shared their history, their experiences, and their current mission in the fight for immigrant rights. Each one of them contributed to the powerful message that immigrants are victims of forces much more powerful than them and they are FORCED to move.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
An Update from Fr. Ameche in North Carolina
Hi again! I would like to update you on some of the things that were happening last month.
The Hispanic community at St. Barnabas Parish in Arden is beginning a new stage. During November I had a meeting with the pastor and his staff for faith formation. They had a fear that if we started a Spanish faith formation program, that we would be dividing the parish in the long run. Right now they have nothing for the Hispanics. We openly talked and shared. At the end, we came to a great conclusion: Let the Hispanics begin with the Bi-lingual catechism (the one that I had written, and which is being used in other parishes), and together we would work during these coming two years in trying to integrate the two communities. There isn't anything in the diocese to guide us, so we will be "pioneers" in a way. What I liked best was that we can work together towards a greater goal: how to build one parish community with two or more languages and cultures. Once we get started with the Bi-lingual catechism, it will be very important for me to work with the English speaking side of the parish. They are treading "unknown waters" as they open up to the Hispanics, and I am so proud to see them go forward in their openness.
Later in the month I had asked for people to become catechists. The response was great: 10 men and women, and most of them are young. I am now beginning to train them.
The Hispanic community of St. Joan of Arc in Candler is continuing to grow. Never has the parish had so many Hispanics at Mass. The pastor is extremely happy as I am too. But what most moves me is to see the enthusiasm of the parishioners. Practically all of them are new, and they have a great desire to form a community. We are now preparing for the first Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at this parish. This will be a great moment to welcome new members and to consolidate what they are doing.
Many of the adults are not going to Communion. So, this coming week we are having a meeting so that they can talk to me about this. I know something good is going to come out of this because so many of them expressed a lot of interest to assist and to talk about it.
Last month one of the saddest moments was the meeting with the sheriff on the issue of him working with I.C.E as an immigration agent in the county. But, we have learned that he had been quite moved by what the Hispanics had to say at last month's meeting at St. Eugene Parish, and he is open to work together with the Hispanic leaders to find a practical solution to this problem. He seems to be a good and compassionate man. May God guide us together on this issue.
Antonio is meeting with the leaders of the Hispanic organizations of the area to prepare this meeting and also to prepare a January meeting with all the clergy of all the churches and synagogues of the area to support the Hispanics. This will be a key moment in our church and society.
As regards to giving the Spiritual Exercices to the core members of Campus Ministry at UNC-A, they have finished the "pre-Exercices" work and they will begin the Exercices around the middle of January. They have asked to form a "buddy-system" to support one another better during this spiritual journey. Please rememberr them in your prayers. They are a great group of young men and women.
Now for the new activities:
The biggest event was the Cursillo that Paul Brant and his team gave in the Asheville Vicariate. It was great to have Paul, as another member of IMCM, to come and help out.
I would like to share some reflections on this: First, Paul is a great Jesuit and he works in a team with others. He has trained an excellent group of men to help him give these Cursillos. It was good for me to see how they all worked as one team, and how those who had been more time in Cursillos empowered those who had not been in them that long. It was good to see that it wasn't Paul's work, but the Team's work, and Paul was definitely a part of this team. This seems to be our way as Jesuits of working wherever we are. One of the laymen, Gerardo, alias "El Pelon", is one great animator. Secondly, the Cursillos themselves are an adaptation of the First Week of the Spiritual Exercices. The themes were good, logical, and in progressive order. They were put within the context of 'We are all the Church' and the spirit behind them was to make new evangelizers of the men who lived the Cursillo for the first time. The 15 new participants from the Asheville Vicariate were moved and motivated to continue.
Thirdly, the Cursillos have a way to continue through weekly support groups with an easy format (Piety, Study and Action). The men, as they leave the Cursillo, are encouraged to participate under their pastor in the ministries of their parish; and they become "yeast" in the parish.
November was a good month to get together with Jesuits. Ricardo Greeley came up to visit me and we spent all one day driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway seeing the beauty of the Fall and sharing our life stories. Here are some photos of that day. The next week I met up with Ricardo and together we went to visit Paul and Bruce Bavinger (we are the 4 Jesuits of IMCM in North Carolina). We had lunch and talked especially about the Cursillos. It was good to get together.
Other activities: The bishop came and the Hispanic youth that I was preparing received the Sacrament of Confirmation. I was not so happy about all the process of their formation (I wanted more of a team, but it didn't happen that well), but at the end I was so happy to see them integrated in youth groups and in parish ministries. It was good to see the sacrament continue in their lives.
After the Mass for the Gay and Lesbian Retreat at Maggie Valley, I was invited again to give a day of Recollection for the Gays and Lesbians of Asheville. Again, it was a very moving experience.
As I told you last month I am writing a small book (booklet?). I am one of 4 people. We meet at our Jesuit parish in Charlotte once a month. Each one of us is adapting the Spiritual Exercises to real needs of the people according to our own experiences and talents. One woman is a hospital chaplain and she is writing on finding God in the "Experience of Loss", based on 3 stories of disabled people; it is a moving book. Another woman is writing on how to adapt the First Week of the Exercises to youth. She has an uncanny way of introducing them into contemplation. A man is writing on how Gays and Lesbians can find God in their lives... and in their Church.
I am a catechist. So I am writing one for parents, grandparents and older brothers and sisters so that they can share their faith and spirituality with the child in their family. It is csompletely based on the Spiritual Exercises and has fun (and profound at the same time) activities for each month. It is a very practical guide for the older person and the child to enter into their own spiritual journey, where -surprisingly- they both begin to mentor each other on their way. I will give more details on this next time. Until then, God bless.
The Hispanic community at St. Barnabas Parish in Arden is beginning a new stage. During November I had a meeting with the pastor and his staff for faith formation. They had a fear that if we started a Spanish faith formation program, that we would be dividing the parish in the long run. Right now they have nothing for the Hispanics. We openly talked and shared. At the end, we came to a great conclusion: Let the Hispanics begin with the Bi-lingual catechism (the one that I had written, and which is being used in other parishes), and together we would work during these coming two years in trying to integrate the two communities. There isn't anything in the diocese to guide us, so we will be "pioneers" in a way. What I liked best was that we can work together towards a greater goal: how to build one parish community with two or more languages and cultures. Once we get started with the Bi-lingual catechism, it will be very important for me to work with the English speaking side of the parish. They are treading "unknown waters" as they open up to the Hispanics, and I am so proud to see them go forward in their openness.
Later in the month I had asked for people to become catechists. The response was great: 10 men and women, and most of them are young. I am now beginning to train them.
The Hispanic community of St. Joan of Arc in Candler is continuing to grow. Never has the parish had so many Hispanics at Mass. The pastor is extremely happy as I am too. But what most moves me is to see the enthusiasm of the parishioners. Practically all of them are new, and they have a great desire to form a community. We are now preparing for the first Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at this parish. This will be a great moment to welcome new members and to consolidate what they are doing.
Many of the adults are not going to Communion. So, this coming week we are having a meeting so that they can talk to me about this. I know something good is going to come out of this because so many of them expressed a lot of interest to assist and to talk about it.
Last month one of the saddest moments was the meeting with the sheriff on the issue of him working with I.C.E as an immigration agent in the county. But, we have learned that he had been quite moved by what the Hispanics had to say at last month's meeting at St. Eugene Parish, and he is open to work together with the Hispanic leaders to find a practical solution to this problem. He seems to be a good and compassionate man. May God guide us together on this issue.
Antonio is meeting with the leaders of the Hispanic organizations of the area to prepare this meeting and also to prepare a January meeting with all the clergy of all the churches and synagogues of the area to support the Hispanics. This will be a key moment in our church and society.
As regards to giving the Spiritual Exercices to the core members of Campus Ministry at UNC-A, they have finished the "pre-Exercices" work and they will begin the Exercices around the middle of January. They have asked to form a "buddy-system" to support one another better during this spiritual journey. Please rememberr them in your prayers. They are a great group of young men and women.
Now for the new activities:
The biggest event was the Cursillo that Paul Brant and his team gave in the Asheville Vicariate. It was great to have Paul, as another member of IMCM, to come and help out.
I would like to share some reflections on this: First, Paul is a great Jesuit and he works in a team with others. He has trained an excellent group of men to help him give these Cursillos. It was good for me to see how they all worked as one team, and how those who had been more time in Cursillos empowered those who had not been in them that long. It was good to see that it wasn't Paul's work, but the Team's work, and Paul was definitely a part of this team. This seems to be our way as Jesuits of working wherever we are. One of the laymen, Gerardo, alias "El Pelon", is one great animator. Secondly, the Cursillos themselves are an adaptation of the First Week of the Spiritual Exercices. The themes were good, logical, and in progressive order. They were put within the context of 'We are all the Church' and the spirit behind them was to make new evangelizers of the men who lived the Cursillo for the first time. The 15 new participants from the Asheville Vicariate were moved and motivated to continue.
Thirdly, the Cursillos have a way to continue through weekly support groups with an easy format (Piety, Study and Action). The men, as they leave the Cursillo, are encouraged to participate under their pastor in the ministries of their parish; and they become "yeast" in the parish.
November was a good month to get together with Jesuits. Ricardo Greeley came up to visit me and we spent all one day driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway seeing the beauty of the Fall and sharing our life stories. Here are some photos of that day. The next week I met up with Ricardo and together we went to visit Paul and Bruce Bavinger (we are the 4 Jesuits of IMCM in North Carolina). We had lunch and talked especially about the Cursillos. It was good to get together.
Other activities: The bishop came and the Hispanic youth that I was preparing received the Sacrament of Confirmation. I was not so happy about all the process of their formation (I wanted more of a team, but it didn't happen that well), but at the end I was so happy to see them integrated in youth groups and in parish ministries. It was good to see the sacrament continue in their lives.
After the Mass for the Gay and Lesbian Retreat at Maggie Valley, I was invited again to give a day of Recollection for the Gays and Lesbians of Asheville. Again, it was a very moving experience.
As I told you last month I am writing a small book (booklet?). I am one of 4 people. We meet at our Jesuit parish in Charlotte once a month. Each one of us is adapting the Spiritual Exercises to real needs of the people according to our own experiences and talents. One woman is a hospital chaplain and she is writing on finding God in the "Experience of Loss", based on 3 stories of disabled people; it is a moving book. Another woman is writing on how to adapt the First Week of the Exercises to youth. She has an uncanny way of introducing them into contemplation. A man is writing on how Gays and Lesbians can find God in their lives... and in their Church.
I am a catechist. So I am writing one for parents, grandparents and older brothers and sisters so that they can share their faith and spirituality with the child in their family. It is csompletely based on the Spiritual Exercises and has fun (and profound at the same time) activities for each month. It is a very practical guide for the older person and the child to enter into their own spiritual journey, where -surprisingly- they both begin to mentor each other on their way. I will give more details on this next time. Until then, God bless.
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