tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69621023164760909752024-03-14T10:38:13.894-05:00KEMS TravelsKathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-88950962843152883572014-07-31T17:18:00.000-05:002014-07-31T17:24:44.008-05:00Loteria, Piñatas, y Abrazos<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi friends,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I've posted. Sometimes inspiration comes in waves! Don't worry, another post with a YAV Year in Photos, 2014 Edition is coming your way soon. It's pretty crazy looking back at the <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013_12_29_archive.html" target="_blank">YAV Year in Review (The 2013 Portion!)</a> as I sit here in my house sweating on my final week in Tucson... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is my final blog post with BorderLinks. Other than organizing and leading delegations, I have done a lot of the behind-the-scenes work (like we all do), and o</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ne of my responsibilities has been managing our BorderLinks blog throughout my year as a PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer. And this post is actually about the closing time for a few of us at the BorderLinks HQ: </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maria, Rhonda, and I will be moving on to other things; Alex is also finishing up his term of volunteer service through the Methodist US-2 program, but he will stay connected to BorderLinks as he soon begins graduate school at the University of Arizona; and our Summer Civic Engagement Program is winding down with staggered end dates based on the program schedule they chose.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So with a few of us heading different directions, on Thursday, July 24th, we decided to reflect and celebrate. BorderLinks held a potluck with staff as well as the summer interns and guests they invited from their placements at local organizations. Here are a few pictures from the day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maria, Alex, me, and Rhonda on our despedida (goodbye party) day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We filled our plates with tamales, rice and beans, fruit salad, greens, jicama, and more! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are Barbara and Natalie from Iskashitaa, along with their intern through BorderLinks' summer program, Gina - who is from my home church, St. Luke! It was fun to see Gina in Tucson some this summer too, and I'm glad she had a good experience and learned a lot here in the Borderlands too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the meal, Suzette called out the cards for loteria, similar to Bingo and a good way to practice your Spanish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alicia and Rhonda were the victors of loteria! Alicia chose the maraca, and Rhonda the small Mata Ortiz pot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then we moved outside for a piñata. I get to pose with our Awesomeness Director, Atyana on the left.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Piñata queen?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">I am so grateful for all of the experiences I have had here in my year with BorderLinks. This work has challenged my head and my heart in ways I never imagined. I never thought</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">one job</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">would have me working with groups of teenagers to octogenarians, cooking for 40, driving 15 passenger vans in Mexico, interpreting on the fly, reading endless articles about immigration, making YouTube videos, facilitating tough discussions and reflections, doing ab breaks and running errands</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">and talking in Spanglish with coworkers, having silly dance parties and more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And now, I have to reflect on my year with this incredible organization. Thing is, this is not something I just do, reflect on, and move on from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s not an isolated experience that will sit in photo albums on Facebook or on shelves in my new apartment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It will walk with me in my next steps in life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It will accompany me in memories, connections, inspiration, and knowledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It will infiltrate my career path and further education.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With each BorderLinks delegation, we ask our participants to walk through the circle of praxis: see, think, and act. Reflect upon what you saw, experienced, and felt, and use that reflection to guide you into action based on that experience. Don't let this intense experience and firsthand knowledge of these issues just sit here in the Borderlands, don't compartmentalize it and let it collect dust in your brain.<span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Connect it back to your daily experience, your home community, and work to see how what happens here on the border is not isolated. Immigration issues especially affect this entire country, not just in our citizenry's relationship to the system of immigration policy and enforcement, but in how our communities are changing and are challenged. I tell every delegation that even though I grew up a few hours from the Canadian border (but have never been to Canada...), I see much more the effects of our relationship with our southern border than with our northern border. In Minneapolis/St. Paul, the rings of traditionally whiter and whiter suburbs, and traditionally white small towns and rural Minnesota are seeing growing Latino populations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So my question throughout this year has followed this see, think, and act model for how I will bring this experience with me wherever I go. Now that I know that I will be going back to my college town of Northfield, MN and will be working with students and families in the brand-new position of Community Schools Coordinator, I know that I want to keep exploring education access and different models of education, using what I’ve learned in my own educational career as well as the models of experiential education and popular education here at BorderLinks. Part of my new position will actually be focused on building that bridge from these experiences with Latino communities and communities affected so much by migration, to serving the Latino community in that Minnesota town that has its own migration stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been so fortunate to have met so many incredible people this year that will continue to inspire me. My work with BorderLinks itself is built upon connections to different individuals and organizations with varied perspectives. BorderLinks attempts to build bridges, to get people with diverse opinions into the same room or at least on the same trip schedule, and to draw people from a polarized world of yelling at one another through the media into understanding one another at a human level. The thing about being present in the Borderlands in such a polarized context is you see so many people trying to <i>do something</i>, to do what they can with their time, their talents, and their heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you, BorderLinks. I will miss my coworkers and this community, but don’t worry: you’re all coming with me back to Minnesota.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peace,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kathryn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-44472791372328491332014-06-10T18:48:00.000-05:002014-06-12T17:58:38.388-05:00Sanctuary Success!<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Hello, dearest readers,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, I am overjoyed to update you all that <span style="line-height: 20px;">in big Tucson news, Daniel Neyoy Ruiz, who was </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">given sanctuary by </span>Southside Presbyterian Church<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"> while facing a deportation order, has received word that he has been granted relief from deportation! This husband and father has been granted a stay after much com</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">munity pressure argued that he was a perfect example of an undocumented resident who should never have to worry about being deported. To clarify, his "stay of deportation" is </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">provisional</span><span style="line-height: 20px;"> for one year, so he will have to reapply every year unless a more permanent solution comes with immigration reform or his case is closed. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Thank you to everyone who signed the petition to the government, provided financial support, went to the nightly vigils, stayed with the family at any point during the last 26 days so they would never be in the church alone, helped spread the word, and held this family in your thoughts and prayers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">For background in case you missed my two previous entries about this radical act of hospitality, check them out here: <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2014/05/sanctuary-part-two.html" target="_blank">Sanctuary Part Two</a>; <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2014/05/sanctuary-update.html" target="_blank">Sanctuary Update</a>).</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In those 26 days, the community here was in constant work mobilizing local folks to support in various ways, and mobilizing the wider community to petition the government for Daniel's case to be closed. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">One way Tucsonans stood with the family was attending nightly vigils with the family. Various members of Southside helped put together a reflection and music over this period, so </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Southside YAV</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> Amy Beth took the lead on a couple, as well as former YAV and current housemate Steph, who roped me in as well. Steph asked me to help her with the vigil music on May 28th, so I in turn convinced my co-worker and incredibly talented musician Nancy to help me too. It was a blessing to be with the family, to be with Steph as she poured out her heart in both English and Spanish, and to meditate through music with Nancy. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; text-align: center;">That night we learned through talking with Daniel that because could not work or provide for his family during this time, he was getting stir-crazy cooped up at the church. Thankfully, someone donated painting supplies, so he produced several paintings about culture, family, immigration status, etc. during his time. Here he is with his son Carlos and two of his masterpieces.</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt3HBTw7L-i7BvfQuJ4gtdMVTO30Vpr74Ge233np2e7fAj6Uul2eu2RrQbyrt2gwSoZUUlSFwH3SN8o2s-Pp6g3JPycAzis6paHpOSA_gEa2uuhZEVswoitQdclLK74I1x-M4kgIepew/s1600/la+foto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt3HBTw7L-i7BvfQuJ4gtdMVTO30Vpr74Ge233np2e7fAj6Uul2eu2RrQbyrt2gwSoZUUlSFwH3SN8o2s-Pp6g3JPycAzis6paHpOSA_gEa2uuhZEVswoitQdclLK74I1x-M4kgIepew/s1600/la+foto.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="userContent">Then on June 1st, Amy Beth and I got up at 7am on a Sunday to watch this amazing woman, Pastor Alison (AKA Amy Beth's supervisor) rock an interview with Melissa Harris Perry on MSNBC about <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=100001591717617" href="https://www.facebook.com/southside.p.church">Southside Presbyterian Church</a>'s action to take an undocumented father into sanctuary again<span class="text_exposed_show">st
federal deportation orders. Yep, she was one of those cool,
knowledgeable people that was Skyped in to the news for her expertise!
Check out this clip: </span></span><a href="http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/church-gives-sanctuary-to-undocumented-man-271640643715" target="_blank">Pastor Alison on MSNBC with Melissa Harris Perry</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">It's been amazing how the word has spread locally and nationally. <span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Here is just one article about the closing of Daniel's case, and there are many more circulating. </span><a href="http://m.azstarnet.com/news/local/border/article_b6fcbf5c-f023-11e3-aaca-0019bb2963f4.html" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;" target="_blank">Feds grant stay to immigrant living in Tucson church</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Speaking of press, it was beautiful to see this month of sanctuary come to a close with a press conference at Southside. My co-workers Nancy and Rhonda joined me at noon on June 10th, and I'm thankful I brought my good camera this time! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Here is the family being interviewed before the official press conference.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUr9ZmBd2xhyX8wm_0Ih74KpFitP3O_dvKx1SHTlr6g8TrKnW7GaU9WNlJRjm5GkReMIxDsva5TtQZlYaXiDpKVCj1XosaJkyee5SONtBrbzeS2TfVb3OyqymUWjwgTVOyr4t01TKhw0/s1600/IMG_4517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUr9ZmBd2xhyX8wm_0Ih74KpFitP3O_dvKx1SHTlr6g8TrKnW7GaU9WNlJRjm5GkReMIxDsva5TtQZlYaXiDpKVCj1XosaJkyee5SONtBrbzeS2TfVb3OyqymUWjwgTVOyr4t01TKhw0/s1600/IMG_4517.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">My housemate Steph and Pastor Alison preparing the blessing in Spanish.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The family after being clapped in, as they were when Daniel entered into sanctuary.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqRF0W9yw596RhCzIzuljOkDox8WYAt9M7fDHVjLdAjjdI6mH5TtaakjlzgnvQjtR1Efse70AnZr_hinyEhjtiAaismx_ss2-s-N4y4xhGff-6MgrAbYWk58CyLDytRKqk_oQfWbGDtU/s1600/IMG_4534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqRF0W9yw596RhCzIzuljOkDox8WYAt9M7fDHVjLdAjjdI6mH5TtaakjlzgnvQjtR1Efse70AnZr_hinyEhjtiAaismx_ss2-s-N4y4xhGff-6MgrAbYWk58CyLDytRKqk_oQfWbGDtU/s1600/IMG_4534.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">The service included a beautiful balance of legal updates and spiritual components led by Pastor Alison and organizations such as Keep Tucson Together and SEIU Arizona. Sarah from Keep Tucson Together (a free legal clinic that operates out of Southside) praised the sacrifice of this family, turning their lives upside down, Daniel not being able to provide for his family... "But they did it because the alternative was worse: young Carlos growing up without his father... It should never have gotten to this point - his case should have been considered as low priority and closed long ago... His case highlights the importance of communities to prevent more deportations like he was facing."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Here Daniel delivers his thanks and a powerful message, interpreted by Steph. "Everything here was an experience of love... To others out there like me, you are not alone. There is a community supporting you. I'm just one voice... Others are afraid to come into the light, and I'm here to tell you to not be afraid to come out and fight for your families." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">As they had done for one of Southside's services, Daniel and his aunt (who happens to be the choir director at their church) played a couple of worship songs in both English and Spanish. So beautiful.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">Daniel's pastor led a prayer as well, saying "la oracion puede mover montañas," "Prayer can move mountains." He thanked God for grace, for God's hand, for strength and mercy in this time, and he gave thanks to Southside for continuing to help those in need. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">As the family had been welcomed into sanctuary with a blessing by Pastor Alison, they were shepherded out with a blessing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">After these emotional moments, the press had their time with the family and community. Here's Pastor Alison rocking more interviews.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">The family strides out of the church doors, just for the press :-)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">This is just one case. But it means so much to this family and to the wider family of Tucson. Just check out Daniel's son </span><a href="http://www.groundswell-mvmt.org/faithshare/this-brave-8th-grader-is-fighting-for-his-dad-on-fathers-day/" style="line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Carlos' Letter to the President</a><span style="text-align: start;">. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br style="text-align: start;" /></span></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: black; color: white; display: inline; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Reminder: about 1,100 people are still being deported every day, and thousands are in limbo and being held in detention centers, holding cells, and makeshift warehouses. These are children, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. Hijos. Madres. Padres. Hermanos y hermanas. They belong to someone. They are important to someone, so they should be important to us all. Community support has worked and can work again! Ni una mas deportacion, ni una mas separacion de familias!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">In fact, Rev. Dr. Miguel de la Torre who has been staying at BorderLinks the last few days </span></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">has a challenge for you: </span><a href="http://m.ustream.tv/channel/a-call-to-communities-of-faith-an-ethic-of-sanctuary?fb_action_ids=10152473681787558&fb_action_types=og.comments&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=[799852153367728]&action_type_map=[%22og.comments%22]&action_ref_map=[]" style="line-height: 20px; text-align: left;" target="_blank">A Call to Communities of Faith</a>.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> (He has been staying with us at BorderLinks to film</span> for his upcoming documentary "Trails of Hope and Terror," as well as <span style="font-family: inherit;">leading a couple reflections on the Bible and deconstructing privilege and oppression. Check out his film project here: </span><a href="http://www.trailsofhopeandterrorthemovie.com/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>www.trailsofhopeandterrorth<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>emovie.com/</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">)</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"> He gave this talk at Southside the very day of Daniel's big news, and makes a compelling argument that the actions of sanctuary taken for Daniel's case should be much more widespread. What do you think? Are you ready to provide radical hospitality to our undocumented brothers and sisters?</span></div>
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Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-92192470884789683132014-05-28T12:04:00.001-05:002014-05-28T12:04:40.827-05:00Sanctuary Update: Petition the Obama Administration to Close Daniel's Case!Good morning, friends!<br />
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Today is a high of 106 here in Tucson. 106. Fifty degrees hotter than the high in the Grand Canyon where we YAVs retreated to last weekend - it even sleeted on us for a few minutes. Pictures to come!<br />
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Summer is upon us, and the soundtrack to my thoughts is always this song: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=smooth+rob+thomas+santana+official+video" target="_blank">"Smooth" by Rob Thomas and Santana</a>. Beyond the realization that I now sweat on my six-block walk to work because it's 80-something before 8:30am, it also hit me that schools finish earlier out here. I had to lead my last Zumba warmup at Ochoa Elementary's Monday morning assembly a couple weeks ago already and say goodbye to Ms. Cameron and her fifth-grade class I volunteered with on free Friday mornings, as well as to the amazing Ms. Tina who runs the show in the front office (and rocks the Monday assembly exercises the weeks when I couldn't do Zumba). Yesterday was my first day walking to work past the K-8 school, and the empty schoolgrounds were a pretty different dynamic than elementary and middle-schoolers playing sports and games and sometimes greeting me, complimenting my work attire, or asking me to get their ball that went out into the street.<br />
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The saddest part was missing my favorite adorable 70-something year-old crossing guard and exchanging either "Good morning" or "Buenos dias!" Gracias por sus sonrisas cada mañana, señor, y que tenga un buen verano! (Thank you for your smiles every morning, sir, and have a good summer!)<br />
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We in the cities will find a way to survive, to find swamp coolers or air conditioning or swimming pools. But please keep in mind all those without shelter, as well as all individuals considering migrating through Arizona's Sonoran desert with possibly only two out of the five-plus gallons of water vital to making it to Tucson.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The real reason for this post is that I have an action for you. </span>If you haven't read it yet, <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2014/05/sanctuary-part-two.html" target="_blank">Sanctuary Part Two</a> is the latest news about how the Tucson community is confronting the Obama administration on its record numbers of deportations, especially with regard to non-violent incidents (such as traffic stops) that tear people away from their beloved families and communities. Southside Presbyterian Church responded to one deportation order of a beloved father and took the family in sanctuary, and two weeks later, there is still no word from the government. You can sign this petition to Homeland Security Chief Jeh Johnson that calls for Daniel's case to be closed:<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://action.groundswell-mvmt.org/petitions/tell-the-obama-administration-close-daniel-neyoy-ruiz-s-deportation-case?bucket&source=facebook-share-button&time=1401099502" target="_blank">Tell the Obama Administration Close Daniel Neyoy Ruiz's Deportation Case</a></span>.<br />
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This is just one tangible case we are facing here in Tucson, but 1,100 individuals are deported every day, traumatizing families and communities. If you feel called to support other individuals facing deportation and separation, check out the <a href="http://www.notonemoredeportation.com/portfolio-type/open-cases/" target="_blank">#NotOneMore</a> campaign - you can either look at their <a href="http://www.notonemoredeportation.com/portfolio-type/open-cases/" target="_blank">website</a> or sign up for their email list to stay on top of open cases asking for community support. Community voices and pressure from the people have been shown to work to get their community members released from detention and/or granted relief from deportation, so please add your voice and encourage others to do the same!<br />
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Peace and love,<br />
KathrynKathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-39897960755209451012014-05-14T14:24:00.000-05:002014-06-11T13:23:28.347-05:00Sanctuary, Part Two<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday, I was proud to be a witness to a profound act of faith, conscience, and true family values.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are not currently in Tucson, it was perhaps easy to miss this Tuesday article... <a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/tucson-church-ready-to-offer-immigrant-family-sanctuary-today/article_a44cb6cc-43b9-55ff-b7db-2c5897f3528e.html#.U3KeXIDsAkc.facebook" target="_blank">Tucson church ready to offer immigrant family sanctuary today</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are wondering why I write "Part Two," it is because Southside Presbyterian Church has been there, done that. This "sanctuary" thing. To write an extremely concise history lesson, more than 10,000 Central American migrants seeking refuge from violence and persecution in the 1980's (and due to the US' role in the conflicts were refused refugee status) slept on Southside's floors in just a few years, and after 30 years Southside will once again provide sanctuary to resist the US government's deportation orders. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This time, <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=100001591717617" href="http://www.southsidepresbyterian.org/" target="_blank">Southside Presbyterian Church</a> in Tucson opened its doors to a man facing a forced removal order, as well as his wife and 13-year-old cit<span class="text_exposed_show">izen
son. This family, the Southside congregation, and other
members of the Tucson community argue Daniel Neyoy Ruiz is a perfect example of a
solid community member who should be granted discretionary relief from
deportation. Daniel's "offense" was to cross a border without proper
documentation in order to provide a better life for his wife and future
family, and he was "caught" in 2011 when he was pulled over for smoke coming out
of his car. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Two months ago, he was given a 60-day voluntary departure order, which was set to expire Tuesday at midnight and become an order of removal, meaning Border Patrol could grab him and forcibly deport him anytime after 12:01am. It has become Border Patrol and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) protocol to not go into "sensitive spaces" such as faith-based centers and schools unless an order comes from high up the chain of command, so we are praying that holds true in this case. </span></span>Too many families have been separated by this government's
attempts to enforce immigration law, and the Southside community,
supported by a wider network (including my home church <a href="http://stluke.mn/" target="_blank">St. Luke Presbyterian</a>!), is trying to provide a safe space for this family in the country they consider home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At around 5:30pm on Tuesday, we welcomed Daniel and his family, followed by press, into the kiva, Southside's sanctuary built in a circle in honor of native traditions in this region. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel, his wife, and their 13-year-old son are surrounded by clergy of various religious and faith traditions, as well as members of Southside church and the Tucson community at large. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pastor Alison Harrington of Southside and Pastor Randy Mayer of Good Shepherd UCC (and Borderlinks' board co-president) led the welcome and prayer for the family in English and Spanish. Pastor Alison posted the words on her Facebook this morning, and I copied them at the end of this post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reverends Alison and Randy, as well as other clergy read Bible verses to highlight why we are called as people of faith and conscience to give this family refuge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Attorney and immigration rights activist Margo Cowan called DHS (Department of Homeland Security) last week to close this removal case, but they did not respond... So she specifically brought this case to light and proposed it for sanctuary at Southside because it falls squarely within what the Obama administration has determined a good example a community member who should not be deported just because we can. "Daniel is like so many others we have not had the pleasure of coming to know," she said. "We are going to keep this family until his case is closed... We're here to say to the U.S. government to close his case."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Apologies this iPhone picture is blurry...) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With an interpreter at his side, Daniel took the mike to extend his gratitude and say a few words. "For these last three years I have been filled with fear that I would be separated from my family. I have tried to work for my family... I have seen all the changes in my son since he was little, and now that he is an adolescent, he needs me more than ever... The only thing I ask is to be able to stay with my family."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitcsS-_uV4xB8djBbPlQ8qdnAbxbYQEKiqF56gXg5U1VJdMGe67vSXxfGckHrij_Y7JopyZq1NLP0S0oiNQ9acfzppq1UvtUSQti_MjFM27-acECdDiHNsOWgIjdkyXQzjXzswDQaH_Y/s1600/IMG_3752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitcsS-_uV4xB8djBbPlQ8qdnAbxbYQEKiqF56gXg5U1VJdMGe67vSXxfGckHrij_Y7JopyZq1NLP0S0oiNQ9acfzppq1UvtUSQti_MjFM27-acECdDiHNsOWgIjdkyXQzjXzswDQaH_Y/s1600/IMG_3752.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pastor Alison again returned to the pulpit, proclaiming, "We at Southside are not strangers to Sanctuary; we know the blood sweat and tears of Sanctuary. We know that we don't have another option because our faith calls us to stand against injustice."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can see, Southside is not alone in this. Daniel and his family are in fact not members of Southside, but belong to an evangelical church in the community which is also supporting this act of sanctuary. Pastor Alison also gave a shoutout to St. Luke Presbyterian in Minnetonka, Minnesota (!) as well as Most Holy Trinity Catholic church for stepping up. It was wild for me, a member of St. Luke, to have seen this <a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/tucson-church-ready-to-offer-immigrant-family-sanctuary-today/article_a44cb6cc-43b9-55ff-b7db-2c5897f3528e.html#.U3KeXIDsAkc.facebook" target="_blank">Tucson church ready to offer immigrant family sanctuary today</a> article just Tuesday morning and then see a flurry of emails from my home church regarding this resolution that Pastor Alison highlighted in this press conference:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We ask for your prayers of support:</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">We the Session of the St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka, MN, have voted unanimously to support our sister church, Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, in their decision to provide sanctuary for Daniel Neyoy Ruiz. This action includes asking for a special offering to monetarily support Southside in their ministry to Daniel and his family.</span> </strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Daniel is facing deportation at 12:01am on Wednesday morning. In response, Southside Presbyterian, beginning tonight at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_360911637" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">5:30</span></span>, will be offering sanctuary to Daniel and his family. Despite </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">being an ideal candidate for prosecutorial discretion, Daniel, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">unfortunately, worked with an attorney who never asked the government to </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">administratively close his case. Daniel, like so many others, slipped </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">through the cracks and is now facing permanent separation from his beloved </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">wife and 13-year-old son.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Daniel and his wife Karla have contributed to the Tucson community for 14 </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">years. They are active in their own church; Daniel also plays in the </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Rondalla as part of the music ministry at other local churches. Their son </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Carlos knows no other home. As a student at Challenger Middle School, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Carlos </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">ultimately hopes to one day become an immigration attorney so that he may </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">help other mixed-status families like his to be able to stay together."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Pastor Alison declared, "Sanctuary is not just a family finding refuge in a building, but also finding shelter in a community..." So we showed our community support by the clergy first laying hands on the family's shoulders, followed and surrounded by the rest of the community members gathered. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And what would it be without some singing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following the conference/service, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel and his family interviewed by various members of the press. According to Amy Beth, my YAV-mate serving there under Pastor Alison, apparently today there has been a constant press presence at Southside, and Daniel said he felt a bit like an overnight celebrity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As promised earlier in the post, here are the words Pastor Alison Harrington and Pastor Randy Mayer spoke to commence this act of sanctuary: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Welcome into Sanctuary<br /> leave fear behind<br /> and enter into this place with hope<br /> for God is with you</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Welcome into Sanctuary<br /> leave worry behind<br /> and enter into this place with faith<br />
for we are with you</i></span><br />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></i>
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome into Sanctuary</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> leave anything that burdens you behind<br /> and enter into this place with joy<br /> for the strength of God and the love of the people <br /> will be like mighty wings covering you with protection<br />
until you can return home together to live in peace <br /> until that blessed day, welcome into Sanctuary. Amen.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Bienvenidos a Santuario<br /> Dejen atrás sus temores<br /> y entren a este lugar en paz<br /> porque Dios está con ustedes</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Bienvenidos a Santuario<br /> Dejen atrás sus preocupaciones<br /> Y entren a este lugar con fé<br /> Porque estamos con ustedes</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Bienvenidos a Santuario<br /> Dejen atrás todo lo que los agobie<br /> Y entren en este lugar con alegría<br />
Porque la fortaleza de Dios y el amor de la gente<br /> Serán como poderosas alas que los cubrirán con protección<br /> Hasta que puedan regresar juntos a su casa a vivir en paz<br /> Hasta que llegue ese bendito día, bienvenidos a Santuario.<br />
Amén.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amen. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers as they await an
official ruling on Daniel's case, as well as the millions of other
families who are separated by migration and deportations.</span></div>
Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-72106292683355146162014-05-08T12:41:00.002-05:002014-05-08T12:41:21.850-05:00Border Mural Update!Hi friends,<br />
<br />
Just wanted to update you all about the Nogales border mural restoration I wrote about in <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2014/04/what-is-border-art.html" target="_blank">What is "Border Art"?</a>. Though the artist collective Taller Yonke did not raise as much money as they hoped through their Indiegogo campaign, they were able to get most of the supplies they needed and complete the restoration! <br />
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I was not able to go personally to participate in the repainting, but here are a follow-up article and photos from someone who was: <a href="http://azstarnet.com/gallery/news/state-and-regional/photos-border-wall-mural/collection_79b64ffe-c81f-11e3-be4f-0019bb2963f4.html#0" target="_blank">Photos: Border Wall Mural.</a> Pretty cool!<br />
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Peace,<br />KathrynKathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-48263227107502211552014-05-07T18:23:00.000-05:002014-05-07T18:46:04.765-05:00"Un Granito de Arena" y Un Corazon de Oro"Un granito de arena," a little grain of sand. Something God puts in our hearts to call us to make this world better. This world we live in. We are called to work to bring about God's kingdom <i>here</i>. <br />
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That is what Lupita told us, two BorderLinks participants from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder and me. Lupita was our host mom for less than 24 hours, but she surely made an impression on us.<br />
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With a language barrier, the group's experience with the three Nogales families could have amounted to a warm place to sleep, lots of smiles, and three amazing home-cooked Mexican meals. Which would still be a great experience, especially with this probably non-comprehensive list of dishes we scarfed down...<br />
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<i>gorditas</i> - literally "little fat ones", which resulted in plenty of jokes that our host moms were going to make us little fatsos with their incredible spread, depending on who's making it these are kind of like a thick tortilla stuffed with perhaps meat and/or cheese<br />
<i>sopes </i>- small, thick tortilla topped with ingredients like beans, cheese, and veggies<br />
<i>enchiladas </i>- rolled-up tortillas typically filled with meat and/or cheese, smothered in sauce<br />
<i>taquitos</i> - an abundance of flour and corn tortillas to stuff with ingredients like rice, beans, <i>queso fresco</i> (a soft but crumbly cheese), and the host moms' competing <i>salsas</i><br />
<i>arroz con leche</i> - rice pudding, with or without <i>pasas</i> (raisins)<br />
<i>horchata de coco</i> - a sweetened rice milk drink with cinnamon, this version made with coconut water<br />
<i>sopa de albondigas</i> - meatball soup<br />
<i>calabaza con crema </i>- calabaza is a general term for gourds like pumpkin/squash etc., and in this dish one host mom sliced zucchinis the long way and topped them with cheese, sour cream, and <i>chile verde</i> (green chile) <br />
<i>agua de pepino y limon</i> - cucumber and lime water<br />
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Meet our three host moms: Blanca, Chayito, and Lupita! <i>Photo by participant Will Kropp.</i></div>
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<img height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XGCwahBj2dNek16h8zmUEDO17JCWWVurJ9isilDZRBiyrQ9cidE-Kneez4n3jwQewzsgDBvC4Sp7td2F8tYMUHwDc3cJPI_SzmFyKFRpDJei6pFJ1bV_DgrUSF0AFnr4RP81iffTFpE/s1600/DSC_9396.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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... but with one Spanish speaker placed in each household, everyone could learn more about each other, especially the humanitarian work our host families are doing to serve migrants in their community. Only one of the participants spoke conversational Spanish and felt comfortable when we asked if she would be her house's Spanish representative, and it also helped that we were able to place her and three other participants with a family who spoke some English. In the other two homes, my co-leader Cecilia (an amazing 71-years-young woman from Nogales, Sonora) and I played the resident interpreter role, as per our job.<br />
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The challenge is continuing to function in two languages, only one being your native tongue, for hours upon hours until your brain no longer recognizes one language as distinct from the other. When we sleep in dorms, the leaders can turn off our brains for a while to fully recharge. When we stay with host families, we have the opportunity to join our participants to continue learning from and being inspired by these wonderful new friends and caretakers after the first dinner with all participants and host families. That means when we break off into our own homestays, our interpreter brains are still on. I even half-woke myself up in the middle of the night trying to translate a conversation in my sleep, only conscious enough to realize it but not enough to stop myself. I guess work followed me into my dreams that night!<br />
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But so it goes, and so I am grateful. Spanish is not my native language, so I do my best. I still have plenty of vocabulary to learn, plenty of slang I've never heard before, and sometimes plenty of clarification questions to get the full meaning of someone's story or inquiry. But to understand Lupita's words that night and to be challenged with the task of translating her <i>poetry </i>and <i>expressiveness </i>and <i>emotion</i>, to translate <i>well</i>, was truly a blessing.<br />
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We all learned at dinnertime a little more about the three host moms, their experiences living in Nogales, and the volunteer work that they have done to serve migrants passing through the city, and after preparing for bed, my two participant housemates and I had the chance to sit down more with our mama Lupita.<br />
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Amy, Jenny, and I asked Lupita to tell us a little more about how she started working with migrants around twenty years ago, to which she replied (the following is a gisted translation from Spanish), "Whenever I would do my errands, I often passed by this road, and I would see migrants under a bridge, trying to figure out what to do. I wanted to help them, but I didn't know what to do either. So I prayed. And then God gave me <i>un granito de arena</i>, a little grain of sand, and I knew I was supposed to bring them food. That is what I can do, I can bring them food.<br />
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So I started making bean burritos and taking them to the migrants under the bridge, and I talked to my neighbors about it. Soon we had eight families, but we couldn't afford to bring food all the time. But we could every month, every fifteen days, every week..."<br />
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She likened it to the Bible story of Jesus and his disciples feeding the 5000 - how in the world were they going to do that with just five loaves of bread and two fish? They brought what they had, and all were able to be nourished.<br />
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"Even though the problem you are trying to solve seems enormous, bring what you have, and God will provide the rest. I could make food, but I would see them with their white lips from dehydration, and their blistered feet and other injuries. I do not have medical training, so I couldn't provide medical aid. Someone else had to do that."<br />
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And they did. Lupita's initial efforts became eight families, and then the Jesuits came and helped to broaden and coordinate the efforts to what is now the Kino Border Initiave and <i>comedor - </i>a tented cafeteria that serves meals twice a day to people recently deported from the U.S. and those who may have just reached the border from further south in Mexico or Central America. Lupita is now one of a few volunteers that are actually compensated for their service and go in to the kitchen on-site to cook - this labor of love is now her job from 8:30am-12:30pm Mondays-Saturdays. Sundays other groups come in to serve.<br />
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Here is me, Lupita, Jenny, and Amy - our homestay in Nogales. Lupita has such a big heart, a heart of gold, <i>un corazon de oro</i>. But she also clearly discerns what she is called to do and is capable of doing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgYyA_HvjQZgzfp8UZmIDdEXwkZfIi-bjlIuXSJrdZMLrS9UWowfJG13a5VpdQ_mm6bID_Q8NrThH2WIg13tWcShPfaX8GhOXjjKXpicbDkXRptBaIdIwO9Ar988_XPDeM6_ePFOU2BU/s640/blogger-image--1870755944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgYyA_HvjQZgzfp8UZmIDdEXwkZfIi-bjlIuXSJrdZMLrS9UWowfJG13a5VpdQ_mm6bID_Q8NrThH2WIg13tWcShPfaX8GhOXjjKXpicbDkXRptBaIdIwO9Ar988_XPDeM6_ePFOU2BU/s320/blogger-image--1870755944.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Throughout this year, I have met so many people who have found their grain of sand. Including Lupita, here are just a few of them.</span></div>
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This is Shura Wallin. She was deeply concerned by the effects U.S. policies were having on the Borderlands, and how the expanding border walls were funneling people into the Arizona desert. The Tucson Samaritans started first to drive vehicles into the desert to do water drops, search for people, and attempt to actively prevent death in this dangerous terrain, and Shura took this model about a half hour south to Green Valley. She never thought she'd have more than a few residents of the mostly conservative retirement communities join her, and she was astounded to build a network of over 200 volunteers. Shura not only does the work of going out on known paths of migration to provide food, water, and medical care to those in need, but she makes the time whenever we call on her to educate others and pass on stories from these humanitarian efforts. She has found her <i>granito de arena</i>, combating deaths in the desert and educating others on what she feels called to do.</div>
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<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0">Here is what UUCB had felt called to do. The group had brought donations of new socks, toothbrushes, and toothpaste as well as some used clothing. We delivered many of the items to people at Grupos Beta and the rest to the Juan Bosco shelter. </span><i>Photo by participant Will Kropp.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeXusVjR85nKHeH0tPLjKpvsZg0O6FYSghMoGo7yTC91N1SBwvebv5XJsYOfxaTfSbw6abJd-Xm1xvTxFcdD8L4mYo89_xiriTvGX6bCOmoHUkeAYs1QHyG0wNaYZwje4LkiCpJn4qOQ/s1600/DSC_9371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeXusVjR85nKHeH0tPLjKpvsZg0O6FYSghMoGo7yTC91N1SBwvebv5XJsYOfxaTfSbw6abJd-Xm1xvTxFcdD8L4mYo89_xiriTvGX6bCOmoHUkeAYs1QHyG0wNaYZwje4LkiCpJn4qOQ/s1600/DSC_9371.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" tabindex="0">Here is Hilda of the Juan Bosco migrant shelter in Nogales. She and her husband opened the shelter over 30 years ago and they keep it running with funds primarily from family and friends. Some days they serve up to 350 men, women, and children, meaning those days they put extra mattresses on the floor when they run out of bunk beds, and serve meals in the cafeteria in shifts twice a day. </span></div>
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<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" tabindex="0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlIT6s0n8pabnTRMtpQI4niGXOnx32Gk1aEOL16tgZdw9rxOnIzUyKHKzG1L5spbmXSX6dr9HJ3uLOfyd6BjVTaAO-WN35kQbLOHodJdMfG80THqFNPdzaQ0G5uNemr3_YR6jhglEEZo/s640/blogger-image--430566566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlIT6s0n8pabnTRMtpQI4niGXOnx32Gk1aEOL16tgZdw9rxOnIzUyKHKzG1L5spbmXSX6dr9HJ3uLOfyd6BjVTaAO-WN35kQbLOHodJdMfG80THqFNPdzaQ0G5uNemr3_YR6jhglEEZo/s320/blogger-image--430566566.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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And finally, Rick Ufford-Chase, who after a few weeks discovered seminary was not
right for him and showed up on in the Borderlands at age 23 in 1987 (the
same age I showed up here in 2013!). He learned about the U.S.' role in conflicts in Central America and how Central Americans were fleeing from the violence in their homelands, only to be deported from the US-Mexico border rather than recognized as refugees. He quickly got involved with humanitarian efforts, among them helping to start on-the-ground organizations like No More Deaths and Humane Borders, as well as the education and awareness-building component - BorderLinks!</div>
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We finished our UUCB delegation with the No More Deaths 10 Year Anniversary special service at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, with Rick Ufford-Chase as its guest speaker. "We still dream of a day when the reality is not this suffering, and when this work is not necessary," he said. Those words echoed part of Hilda's message, that when she and her husband started the migrant shelter over 30 years ago, they hoped migration issues would have been solved by now... They never imagined <i>having to </i>do this work for so long, but they keep on keeping on because people need them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkdgq9Ex49TBrzGqSx2yrJdv9SNj66IhoxVcpYs1zy7TvpbIuR2ArLfNB4LhAJYczZlC3LHO-SCO8VrOAVbSW0PcHS-9mbyw7Dpd6PjHIRsRJYtgWaS8p4A3VR4xr9jIwVK2X95qAeJ0/s1600/IMG_3433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkdgq9Ex49TBrzGqSx2yrJdv9SNj66IhoxVcpYs1zy7TvpbIuR2ArLfNB4LhAJYczZlC3LHO-SCO8VrOAVbSW0PcHS-9mbyw7Dpd6PjHIRsRJYtgWaS8p4A3VR4xr9jIwVK2X95qAeJ0/s1600/IMG_3433.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I was so moved by his sermon, and perhaps you will be too. <span style="text-align: center;">You can listen to Rick's sermon here: </span><a href="http://uuctucson.org/worship/selected-sermons.html" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">"No More Deaths: Love, Courage, and Resistance in a Time of Empire"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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One final quote I'd like to highlight is this: "Every day you wake up, you have to choose to save the world or to savor it." Can we do both? Can we choose to do both instead of choosing between those two options? The jury is still out, so I'm going to try to do both. Hopefully this resonates with a few of you out there, so good luck to you as well!<br />
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Especially for all you YAVs out there trying to save the world in your placement communities, remember, bring what you can bring and nothing more. Who knows, you may inspire others with your light and love, and God will do the rest. </div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today's topic is "border art." First, BorderLinks' main educational work
is in hosting groups from around the U.S. here on the U.S.-Mexico
border to experience different perspectives on immigration,
sustainability, and other themes, but from time to time we are also
called upon to do workshops for local groups from religious communities, schools, and other organizations. In the middle of March, Margi, Alex, and I set out to Phoenix to visit Paradise Valley Community College (which is the nicest, most sculpted, most tech-savvy community college I've ever seen... Pretty cool place, actually!), where we were asked to give two presentations on border history and one on border art. After weeks of preparation by the three of us and Indira, another awesome co-worker, we were ready to present, with Alex taking the lead on border history, and I on border art. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In prepping for the border art presentation, Margi and I teamed up and felt pretty overwhelmed and initially directionless. What really is "border art"? There were so many ways we could go, but we decided to bring a different aspect of my undergrad life into my work by
focusing on the relationship between art and politics. In doing so I
hopefully made my two toughest and most amazing profs Al Montero and
Silvia Lopez proud! They were the ones from whom I took the majority of
my interdisciplinary International Relations and Latin American Studies
courses from, and in each class there was some component of critical
cultural theory and examination of how artistic and political spheres interact. I'll get more into this later, but pause for now! </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I know I'm posting this a bit after the fact, but that is because it ties into something much more immediate. Normally I would write a whole blog post and tie it to an action item at the end, but because this has a deadline in just a few days, I want to put it in here before I lose you to the blog post length! You'll see the name Taller Yonke later and get to read more about their work, but for now, here's the time-sensitive message:</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Border Mural Restoration in Need of Funding! </span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://borderartists.com/2013/04/03/taller-yonke/" target="_blank">Taller Yonke </a>is an artist collective in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and again I will write more about them later. BorderLinks sometimes brings groups down to visit with them to hear about their work in the community that has gained them international recognition, including murals and sculptures around the city and positive engagement with youth. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They were the first artists to do art on the actual border wall itself that runs through what used to be called Ambos Nogales (Both Nogales) and blocks Nogales, Arizona from Nogales, Sonora. Much of their work on the wall was commentary on migration, but one mural in particular is a copy of a Zapatista work in southern Mexico depicting how land should be of the people. My dad and I actually witnessed this mural, along with other works on the border wall by Taller Yonke, in 2007 during my first experience with BorderLinks and the U.S.-Mexico border on a delegation with a group from our church, St. Luke! So this mural does hold a special place in our hearts!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My 2007 photo of the mural from our St. Luke delegation.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSWgVAN_MlRcgF0uo6qvxdfZDKcbeAAjpp0U4YVoyy3IZDggq0lO0-_ejYve3AQ62AkXg84-xuFL4QclQ2y7d48fbgTkGbR2Ox5V7MofYP7B5ULOqZci9h06YRN5Z_pViKWFax23v7e8/s1600/the+wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSWgVAN_MlRcgF0uo6qvxdfZDKcbeAAjpp0U4YVoyy3IZDggq0lO0-_ejYve3AQ62AkXg84-xuFL4QclQ2y7d48fbgTkGbR2Ox5V7MofYP7B5ULOqZci9h06YRN5Z_pViKWFax23v7e8/s1600/the+wall.JPG" height="300" width="400" /> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can click the link <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rebirth-of-renacimiento-de-el-mural-de-taniperla" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more, but here is part of the message written by Dan Millis (from Sierra Club Borderlands/BorderLinks board member) about the importance of this project: "Many of my friends from both sides of the border helped paint the colorful, bucolic scene of <i>El Mural de Taniperla </i>with help from arts collectives like <i>Taller Yonke</i>.
Before Border Patrol wrecked this wall and built a new one, the mural
showed a community at peace, with people, animals, masks and spirits in a
landscape as night turns to day. <br /><br />Border Patrol wanted a taller
wall, one that would be harder to climb and easier to see (and shoot)
through. In 2011 they got it, and we had to scramble to save the <i>Taniperla </i>mural. Luckily, Congressman Grijalva stepped in, and the mural was cut into 34 pieces and put in storage<i>, </i>where it has been ever since.<br /><br />Artists at <i>Taller Yonke </i>have
secured a new location near the border to display this unique public
art, and the border wall relics on which it's painted. Near a highway, a
railroad, a bus stop, and the international border crossing, the mural
would be seen by thousands every day."</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They do need some financial support to make this restoration possible. As of April 11th they are at $390 out of their $1000 goal, and every bit helps. Please consider donating before their <span style="font-size: large;"><b>April 14th deadline</b></span>! They will be starting the restoration process on April 19th and hope to get materials before then. Here is the link to learn more and to contribute if you choose to do so: <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rebirth-of-renacimiento-de-el-mural-de-taniperla" target="_blank">Indiegogo fundraising campaign</a></span>. Thank you for your consideration!</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For fun, here is the group photo from our 2007 St. Luke BorderLinks delegation!</span> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjUqN_oQyhugZnUTpQ03Txy5SsjiP6Y3rHD3_1PrTilIc-pgBE0_SF47wzYNOrm6mvAJRv2NIh2HHaq73jBBQ_7HxAB7THXlfiMSX5eoylLF903S-SyH3YQKM0SPIeeQ_PkdsoP0fj4E/s1600/IMG_1587.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjUqN_oQyhugZnUTpQ03Txy5SsjiP6Y3rHD3_1PrTilIc-pgBE0_SF47wzYNOrm6mvAJRv2NIh2HHaq73jBBQ_7HxAB7THXlfiMSX5eoylLF903S-SyH3YQKM0SPIeeQ_PkdsoP0fj4E/s1600/IMG_1587.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And now switching gears... </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To begin my border art presentation, I first wanted to hear a little bit about the drawing class I'd be spending the next hour and a half with, so I asked them their name, their own migration story (whether of their family or what brought them to Arizona and/or that classroom), and their favorite style of visual art to do themselves. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next line of questioning was a little trickier. I then asked, "How do you visualize the border? When
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of the border, what comes to mind for
you? What kind of images?" If you, my readers, would like to follow along with our
workshop activities, you can take 5 to draw and/or write how you
visualize the border… I also made sure that my classroom participants that day knew they were doing "border art" and encouraged them to keep that in the back of their minds too. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then the slides began... </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is this what anybody was picturing
in their mind’s eye? Phew, the Borderlands<span style="vertical-align: baseline;">
can be beautiful, right? This is an aesthetically pleasing work of photography,
right? Do you notice what’s on the left of this photo though? The border wall itself... Humanity is
interacting with the natural world and has put a physical structure to
delineate a space we’ve constructed. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmgRhYP4KF5NESzpoZ01aPHkfEhZU2_8A1unEz-vzRBegc0bAfZAdmXkDNqKT-aUKG7mzC-dhQ4jBJMSTzXK3RbHyFcXmFa2kHTfBRRLgBdGkt-gAl6NqluOuQ55emb8DjQPC8ifdQSw/s1600/IMG_2267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmgRhYP4KF5NESzpoZ01aPHkfEhZU2_8A1unEz-vzRBegc0bAfZAdmXkDNqKT-aUKG7mzC-dhQ4jBJMSTzXK3RbHyFcXmFa2kHTfBRRLgBdGkt-gAl6NqluOuQ55emb8DjQPC8ifdQSw/s1600/IMG_2267.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How
about this? Without the boots, this would be a simple desert landscape. But with that simple addition of a pair of broken boots left behind by someone migrating through this terrain just outside of Green Valley, a photo that is still aesthetically striking can be analyzed in multiple layers given its political context. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CIM3xuwN1rKDo5UHuaFlr1RLbSo-loGNrKwfzYJd4gDm-oLc0hgSCbM8jtxLRnxT3zCg9srArL6T4zAtYLy42bPp0KwemMIXx2sgpgsuqp9SQxa3YBvTbo70wfq25Lo6gM837fogpOc/s1600/IMG_0433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CIM3xuwN1rKDo5UHuaFlr1RLbSo-loGNrKwfzYJd4gDm-oLc0hgSCbM8jtxLRnxT3zCg9srArL6T4zAtYLy42bPp0KwemMIXx2sgpgsuqp9SQxa3YBvTbo70wfq25Lo6gM837fogpOc/s1600/IMG_0433.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> are all photographs of the border...
What thoughts or emotions do these last few images bring out? </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">Because of the work we at
BorderLinks do, educating people about the reality of life in the Borderlands
through firsthand experience, the main theme we tried to focus on here is the
relationship between the aesthetic and the political in art. In this workshop
we wanted to engage with some of the reality of the Borderlands, how
national/international politics affect the Borderlands, how what happens in the
Borderlands affects the rest of the country (I’m from just a
few hours away from the U.S.-Canada border, but I feel much more the effects of
U.S.-Mexico border politics with upswings of Latino populations in both
Minneapolis/St. Paul and also in small-town Midwest… people from Mexico and
Central America are working on farms, in factories, and plenty of other
economic pursuits as well), and what does art have to do with all that? </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">I argue that this region, the Borderlands, is a
highly contested space. For a little bit of historical context, since the
1500's, people in political power in this region have included First Nations, Spain, Mexico, and the United States… That affects reality today for people
in this region. Black, white, and brown people are all negotiating for
claim to this space, to resources, to their heritage and culture, and to power. These days, the Arizona-Mexico border makes the news for immigration issues,
drugs, connections to cartels, violence, etc. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">Especially in the last
20 years, after the passage of NAFTA, we have seen how economic and
political policies have contributed to a new reality on the border where more
goods and money are flowing across, but we have invested in infrastructure and
enforcement to restrict the movement of people. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">People are trying to make the space safer so
their people can live in peace, and people are also trying to make a living by
smuggling others to their better life. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">And we need to remember that people live in communities on
both sides of the border, a line constructed by people, and they relate to these realities and perceptions in different ways. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">In the picture above, the border wall outside of
Agua </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">Prieta</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> is
captured in photography. The first picture was as well actually. We have a wall
between two friendly nations. Does that seem strange to anyone? </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">Have you seen the border? </span></span></span>Certainly
wasn’t always this way, and not all pieces of the U.S.-Mexico border look this
way... The wall first started in urban areas -
President Clinton started it to “get tough on immigration” and every president
since then has expanded it. Clinton began with trying to restrict movement to
disappear into the urban space and the movement of people on the other side…
And then it expanded outwards, covering longer stretches of the border until
the only long stretch only covered by barbed wire and/or vehicle barriers is
Arizona-Sonora desert (meanwhile other areas have a 3-layer deep
fence), and the political thinking was the desert would be such a deterrent
that people would stop trying to cross because it’s such dangerous terrain… But people still
cross the border without authorization for economic, political, safety and other reasons (like the gross inadequacy in availability of temporary visas and a years-long wait time for a green card - if you're eligible), and because border enforcement infrastructure is thinnest in the most dangerous terrain, that's where people try to cross. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">The Borderlands used to have much more
cyclical patterns of migration where people would come north for work,
especially on a temporary basis, send money back home, and then maybe go back
home after a few months, or maybe they’d come especially for a harvest season
when agriculture needs more hands on deck, and then they go back home. </span></span></span>But now, if it’s so hard to cross, what about people who are
already here? If they came here without proper documentation, or if they
overstayed a visa and became an undocumented resident, they’re less likely to
go back to their home countries because it would be so hard to come back –
people may be separated from their spouses and children, they may not be able to go to their mom’s funeral, they can't visit sick family members, etc. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">The
reasons for migration haven’t
stopped, so has migration? Of course not. It’s just gotten more
dangerous as migration
routes now have to send people through the most hazardous desert
terrain, so
people have started dying in the desert. 3000 people have perished in
the Arizona desert in the last 15 years. 3000. And around 6000 along the entire length of the border. That we know of. The desert has a way of disappearing remains or at least making them unidentifiable with incredible speed.
And in these last few years, even as the number of people crossing has
gone down (for various reasons including the U.S.' recession), the number of deaths has remained about the same because of this funnel, meaning there is actually a greater likelihood of death in an attempted crossing.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">So now we see people aren’t
necessarily deterred (as the U.S. government would have it) by the political policies trying to make it harder for
people to cross, but instead they’re facing more danger, and perhaps more
likely to try and stay in the U.S. once they get here. This is part of the contested space of the
Borderlands, and also part of the current immigration reality as it affects the
rest of the U.S. – thinking about growing Latino populations around the country.
How may we see this new political reality through art? </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">To preface the meat of the presentation, I argued understanding political context for “border art” is vital. I also asked because of
this notion of a politicized geographic space or region, can we ever completely
divorce art from politics? Or is all “border art” by necessity political, or
capturing a political reality? I
like to think of three categories: </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">1) Purely aesthetic – art as an
expression of creativity created for its aesthetic value</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">2) Art for its aesthetic value, but
perhaps capturing political reality </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">3) Art as a vehicle for a political
message, like protest art or political cartoons </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">And these categories certainly aren’t cut and
dry… So I want you all to think about different approaches to the
aesthetic-political relationship and the aforementioned questions. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8F0O4nJ6GQinOTFBKd2BqXRFVvAIMbO5xLd3TUmlXpPL1w9RfjCChwh3sUyFVdWpr1kAXtJ1wOJJdgVZDjzJTT0-nip7gKq5r9goiMtuWrLjIVUHXNkUjaJ5v17udgf4zikrUhCNngk/s1600/Border+Dynamics.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8F0O4nJ6GQinOTFBKd2BqXRFVvAIMbO5xLd3TUmlXpPL1w9RfjCChwh3sUyFVdWpr1kAXtJ1wOJJdgVZDjzJTT0-nip7gKq5r9goiMtuWrLjIVUHXNkUjaJ5v17udgf4zikrUhCNngk/s1600/Border+Dynamics.png" height="427" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">As we went through a few more images, </span></span></span>I began<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> with the actual physical space of
the border wall. This piece is done by the a</span>rtist collective Taller Yonke that I mentioned before, based in Nogales,<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> Sonora, Mexico. They do “public
art” - they wanted to beautify their city of Nogales, and recognizing there were
not many spaces for art like galleries and museums, they wanted to make art
accessible to the people. So they started doing murals all over the city and
getting contracted to do it, but they gained international recognition with
this piece: "Border Dynamics." This photo is from its current installation at the
University of Arizona, but it was the first piece to actually go up on the physical border
wall. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">As I mentioned, we sometimes bring our groups down
to talk with Taller </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">Yonke</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> in
Nogales, and they talk about the actual wall as a taboo -
everybody knew it was there, of course, as it cuts right through the city of
Nogales to separate Arizona and Sonora, but people felt like it was
untouchable. So the artists wanted to make the wall feel accessible to people on both
sides of the border and get people talking about what’s affecting the broader
community. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">Can you tell what side is the U.S. and what side is Mexico? This is always an interesting question to pose to groups. According to the artists themselves, "On both sides of the wall, down to
our muscles, without seeing our brown or white skin, we are just people, and
you can’t tell who is trying to put up the wall and who is trying to take it
down." Wow. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">This is just one example of "border art." I continued on with my presentation, including themes such as protest art, political cartoons, and a sampling of how artists in the Borderlands and beyond attempt to represent the space that is the border region. I hope I gave you some food for thought, and thank you for considering financially supporting art on the border! </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-40556682628391470512014-04-09T03:03:00.001-05:002014-04-09T15:13:38.049-05:00National Educator's Coming Out Day<span class="userContent">April 9th is National Educator's Coming Out
Day in support of all students regardless of immigration status! Last
year I worked with many students in Northfield, MN, and this year I work
in Tucson, AZ to educate myself and others about immi<span class="text_exposed_show">gration
issues. Access to educational opportunities can only help strengthen
our youth, families, and communities so more people can thrive, achieve
their dreams, and inspire others to shoot for theirs. </span></span><br />
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<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">*** If you're an educator, please consider how you can better support undocumented students. One way is by checking out the <a href="http://www.scholarshipsaz.org/" target="_blank">Scholarships A-Z website</a> and buying a t-shirt so students know they can come to you. I'm wearing mine! </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAE7ZcZ38JyX93S81BwrzEwm8jqNtuRMEFCpJzevJU4u7Uiul8TIp9f3Q9LgyDyJD8Blrp5K9AxX7OYqb62oD6wGyCQzw-Mh-Viu9HHUVzDgMVWOYNj3DQKVrBBDrVVZQZRXWmK_RRik/s1600/la+foto(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAE7ZcZ38JyX93S81BwrzEwm8jqNtuRMEFCpJzevJU4u7Uiul8TIp9f3Q9LgyDyJD8Blrp5K9AxX7OYqb62oD6wGyCQzw-Mh-Viu9HHUVzDgMVWOYNj3DQKVrBBDrVVZQZRXWmK_RRik/s1600/la+foto(3).JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Josue from Scholarships A-Z, along with Indira, myself, Nancy, and David from BorderLinks. </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Another is posting this graphic on your social media sites and helping it spread. You can also print out the photo and post it wherever you find helpful for students and fellow educators to know you are a resource for students regardless of immigration status.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfoQKMtxsHgfU86wWSP6BkxktetQrCgCD9oWiFSAl8lVsUXhgv3BBxlLteT2yyfXf1pNpqFA5VZ9Roe4__B2hGGWEg3jy9j_8f-Pp9f8FHhJHM2IHbj520lpqWJxdu8Mwfj116yMM_4M/s1600/uwd_deep_v1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfoQKMtxsHgfU86wWSP6BkxktetQrCgCD9oWiFSAl8lVsUXhgv3BBxlLteT2yyfXf1pNpqFA5VZ9Roe4__B2hGGWEg3jy9j_8f-Pp9f8FHhJHM2IHbj520lpqWJxdu8Mwfj116yMM_4M/s1600/uwd_deep_v1.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">*** If you're a student, think about how you can better support undocumented and DACAmented students. If you are undocumented or DACAmented, it is your decision to come out or not about your status to your friends and your educators, as well as your timing. If you so choose, here's the graphic for you! Also, know that there are educators out there that support you - we're out there and are there to work <i>with</i> you!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYAngXxi0ekS9Q33t9iSkhJomhof4SusCDNnHMdTI0OEMeRuswtfJY6yXaFlXXve1CMc7J6eJ31VOSqCz55C5uFmiCagoP8APd3jDd2fAXC4IQnizSgnCOZkmhn2ow6nBPq3uiGwOLGA/s1600/uwd_deep_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYAngXxi0ekS9Q33t9iSkhJomhof4SusCDNnHMdTI0OEMeRuswtfJY6yXaFlXXve1CMc7J6eJ31VOSqCz55C5uFmiCagoP8APd3jDd2fAXC4IQnizSgnCOZkmhn2ow6nBPq3uiGwOLGA/s1600/uwd_deep_v2.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">*** If you're neither a student nor an educator, I still encourage you to think about how you can best support undocumented students in their educational journeys. Learn about what is going on in your local community and your state regarding DREAM Act legislation, school policies toward undocumented students, access to financial aid, etc.</span></span></div>
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<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">National Educator's Coming Out Day is led by <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=130234313704399&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/UnitedWeDream" target="_blank">United We Dream</a>'s Dream Educational Empowerment Program (DEEP) & Scholarships A-Z. <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=298390692304&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/ScholarshipsAZ" target="_blank">Scholarships A-Z</a>
is an incredible student-led organization here in Tucson working with
students, families, and educators regardless of documentation status to
figure out pathways to higher education and also organizes for a more
inclusive educational system through political and community channels.
To learn more about them, check them out here: <a href="http://www.scholarshipsaz.org/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.scholarshipsaz.org/</a></span></span></div>
Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-80682208010129185412014-04-01T22:49:00.000-05:002014-04-02T01:38:24.649-05:00"I fought and I won. And I'm free..."Nothing simultaneously brightens your day and makes you think about the influence your country's legal system has on people than opening your home last-minute to someone who was released from immigration detention earlier in the day.<br />
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After months of thoughtful conversations about what community means to us and deciding we want our two spare bedrooms to be available to give hospitality, the Tucson Young Adult Volunteer house has hosted friends, family, and significant others. But we also made the decision to be open to hosting people fighting an immigration case or getting bonded out of
immigration detention who need a place to stay temporarily, and tonight we were called upon to provide such hospitality.<br />
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I will refrain from using his name to protect his identity. We do not know many of the details yet, but in his home country of Brazil, he was persecuted for identifying as a gay man. He fled for fear of threats against his life and made it to the US-Mexico border, where he crossed the border and was caught about fifteen minutes afterwards. He sounded excited about it -- "I wanted them to catch me," he added when I perhaps looked surprised. "I wanted to fight my case." And then he was put in a detention facility in Florence, Arizona for six months to fight his asylum case. <br />
<br />
My question is, isn't there another option to provide people a place to stay while they're undergoing the tough-enough battle to prove that the discrimination, persecution, and violence they experienced meets standards for refugee status? An option other than imprisonment for an undetermined length of time? I'll let you sit with that question too. I don't have a good answer for you (at least yet...).<br />
<br />
He was released on bond today with support from the <a href="http://rainbowdefensefund.wordpress.com/about-us/" target="_blank">Rainbow Defense Fund</a>, and from the moment Raul Alcaraz Ochoa (community organizer for the Rainbow Defense Fund and Southside Worker Center) brought him to our doorstep, he just kept saying, <span style="font-size: large;">"I just can't believe it. I won. I fought and I won. And I'm free..."</span><br />
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The United States was his dream country, he said. "It's just such a beautiful country, and people from the United States are a beautiful people. Everywhere in the world I went, I always saw a person from the U.S. trying to help others." As someone who can be rather critical of the country I have grown up in and continue to live in, especially as I have seen how much damage representatives of our government and our country can do around the world, his perspective was refreshing. Thousands of people seek opportunities in the U.S. every single day. Some seek educational or economic opportunities. Some family reunification. Some are escaping violence or threat of violence and have to <i>prove reasonable fear </i>that they would be in serious danger if they were to return to their home country. Important note: the concept of "economic refugee" is not recognized by refugee law, which means you cannot be granted asylum for fleeing even a life-or-death economic situation. Less than ten percent of asylum cases from Mexico are granted precisely for this reason.<br />
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In our new friend's case, he had to prove to a judge that because he is a gay man, his life would be in danger if he returned back to Brazil. And here he is, in his dream country. Finally free and in disbelief. He could barely contain himself, and he would slip in and out of regular conversation in a mix of Spanish and Portuguese and overwhelming gratefulness to be out of detention and in this space of hospitality. And I am grateful as well that my house has chosen to be such a space so that we may learn from and be inspired by his light and his perspective, and maybe we will even learn a little more Portuguese!<br />
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Boa noite :-)<br />
Kathryn <br />
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<br />
P.S. If you'd like to do your reading on seeking asylum, here's one helpful article: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/17/asylum-seekers-border_n_3772734.html" target="_blank"> Asylum Seekers At US, Mexico Border Double.</a> And here's information for the <a href="http://firrp.org/" target="_blank">Florence Project</a>, which provides free legal services to people in immigration detention. They do amazing work, and their staff happens to include one of our housemates - Steph Quintana - who was a YAV last year!Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-7720525485725134452014-02-26T01:24:00.001-06:002014-02-26T01:30:20.034-06:00Help Fund the Southside Worker Center!Remember how I challenged you to think about how you could get involved with border issues? Here's one way! <br />
<br />
Raúl Alcaraz Ochoa is an amazing organizer in the city of Tucson, fighting for the health of his community, an end to discrimination against all people on the basis of race/ethnicity/gender identity/sexual orientation/etc/etc/etc, and a halt to deportations of undocumented community members. His birthday is Wednesday, Feb. 26th, and all he asks is for donations to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SouthsideWorkerCenter" target="_blank">Southside Worker Center</a>! I've written a little about the Worker Center, but it is a center through Southside Presbyterian Church to organize day laborers in Tucson (primarily men who are undocumented), to negotiate with employers for fair wages and labor conditions, and to build a network of community support to call into action especially when a community member is harassed, detained, or facing deportation. <br />
<br />
Thing is, they need some more funds, and fast. Check out Raul's video and how to donate here: <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/70ochw" target="_blank">http://www.gofundme.com/70ochw</a> Please consider donating today and helping the Worker Center continue their work to make Tucson a healthier and safer community - and give Raul a happy birthday!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqsuHYdJsXt2rHet2Dl7Uu4hq0f4UbNuCQb8h65gv-kRzWCiVGdTN-S8lSmXu_jwt2FXLDGaZ6jfAppn5c-58BrC6qM1XP3SLR4h5Pl68X9UcPIRzZsLvnDHzVj72vNLLqitwWhVrfgQ/s1600/la+foto+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqsuHYdJsXt2rHet2Dl7Uu4hq0f4UbNuCQb8h65gv-kRzWCiVGdTN-S8lSmXu_jwt2FXLDGaZ6jfAppn5c-58BrC6qM1XP3SLR4h5Pl68X9UcPIRzZsLvnDHzVj72vNLLqitwWhVrfgQ/s1600/la+foto+2.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is just one of my pictures of Raul being amazing, leading a rally in response to police brutality against peaceful resistance to the detention of four community members.</div>
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<br />Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-13373554760149761032014-02-13T18:09:00.002-06:002014-02-13T18:09:35.029-06:00Informate y toma accion! Inform yourself and take action!<!--[if !mso]>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There's a lot going on in the Borderlands that I
want to discuss, and I would like to follow BorderLinks' model of </span><b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">reflective action</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. In our education model we
encourage both delegation/workshop participants and leaders to not just be
consumers of facts and others' points of view, but to reflect upon what they've
seen and done, and from there, act. How do you take home your experience in the
Borderlands trying to synthesize the multiple perspectives that only make these
issues <i>more complex</i>? </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is a question that we ask ourselves a lot, and
for me as a YAV, I have to ask myself how I am also reflectively guiding myself
and others to action. Today, I'm thankful that consuming lots of immigration-related
current events is part of my job, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to blog
at work to try to process it all. But sometimes, I just... my brain is
exploding. So my intention here is to share with you all some of what's going
on in my world, and my apologies that some of these sections will probably feel
disjointed! </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My last blog post included some highlights about my
latest delegation, and from that, there has been some follow-up already with
those students, which is amazing to see. We often don't know what participants
do with their action items at home, but I've heard back from a couple
participants after our almost two weeks together... </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With delegation wrap-up, I really try to emphasize
that BorderLinks would love to help continue the relationship and keep
extending the experience of understanding the US-Mexico border, so we are happy
to connect people with resources and contacts once they've left our campus.
Following this delegation, within the first week...</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- I received emails from two participants asking
for the contact information for a couple of the community members we met with
here in Arizona</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Another is thinking about an internship with a
humanitarian aid group here on the border. Two students asked me to be a
reference for border-related internships and fellowships (which ahhh! makes me
feel like a real professional!)</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- And one of the students held a presentation that incorporated that music as well as
movement and forms of media to communicate his reflections to the school. And to
do that in just days - amazing!<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And another messaged me a question that I thought
would be relevant to share with all of you. The student asked, basically, </span><b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"So when you know a community member has been detained by Border
Patrol or ICE, what do you say when you call them?"</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> This is a great question, and as you readers may recall, I've asked you
to call Border Patrol for the release of upstanding community members - most
recently here: <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/12/tucson-mom-detained-help-keep-her.html" target="_blank">Tucson Mom Detained</a>. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here was my response:</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The good news is that these days there are a
few organizations and protection networks out there to spread the word quickly
about a detained community member, and they usually put out a message to say to
Border Patrol/ICE. It's usually something like, "Hi, my name is ____, and
I believe ____ should be released from detention and/or be granted relief from
deportation because_____ " I think the biggest thing you can emphasize
when you call is that this person is a positive contributor to the community.
Anything you can mention about community involvement, dedication to their
family, educational and/or professional goals helps. People with those
qualities are not supposed to be pursued for deportation, according to the <a href="http://www.ice.gov/doclib/secure-communities/pdf/prosecutorial-discretion-memo.pdf" target="_blank">Morton memo</a> - that order
was handed down for ICE to focus on people who have committed other criminal
acts, especially violent ones, and emphasize discretion and deportation relief
for upstanding members of the community..."</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So that's just one thing you can do! And now...
here's some more Arizona-related news that will help you understand my life and
work a little bit better: </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">*** Please watch the PBS documentary </span><b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The State of Arizona."</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b> </b>You
can watch it here:<b> </b><a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=hlWCGRY3aBv%2Binh8%2FWcqwYY8ss9SomHJ"><b>video.pbs.org/video/2365153190/</b></a><b> until
February 28th 2014</b>. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here's more of Arizona in the national news! It still feels wild for the issues you're working on and their local context to make national headlines... A couple days ago, New York Times featured Tucson's
Operation Streamline court proceedings, as well as Judge Velasco who holds the
record for processing 70 defendants in 30 minutes. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/us/split-second-justice-as-us-cracks-down-on-border-crossers.html?hp&_r=3" target="_blank">Split Second Justice as US Cracks Down
on Border Crossers</a> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here Judge Velasco was also interviewed for the Washington Post (please pay attention to tone as well as language in the two different newspapers): </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/under-operation-streamline-fast-track-proceedings-for-illegal-immigrants/2014/02/10/87529d24-919d-11e3-97d3-f7da321f6f33_story.html" target="_blank">Under Operation Streamline, fast-track
proceedings for illegal immigrants</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The system is working well and the system is
fair,” Judge Bernardo Velasco, who presides over Streamline cases here, said in
an interview. “When you enter illegally you’re a criminal. You may not be a big
criminal, but you’re a criminal. You can say ‘these poor people’ and all this other
stuff, but they’re still criminals.”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And this, I just have no words. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2014/02/05/3240431/border-patrol-children-targets/" target="_blank">Border Patrol Accused Of Teaching
Children To Shoot At Human-Shaped Targets Made To Look Like Immigrants</a></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Note: we need to keep in mind to separate individuals from the institution of the Border Patrol so as to not dehumanize the individuals who are doing that work. What we should focus on is systemic dehumanization by the institution, and if that cuts down to the individual level, that is what conversations are for. I happen to not agree with training
kids to use deadly force against a human target in any circumstance. But
clearly not everyone believes that way. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Beyond human rights abuses by Border Patrol at a systemic level, here's the update on state politics. While Pima County (that includes Tucson) has passed
a resolution declaring the county "Immigrant welcoming" (<a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/fad80dca-7725-501b-a504-880cd7182c15.html">County officially adopts "immigrant-welcoming"
designation</a>), at the state level there is new legislation proposed
that "would make it a crime for a ‘person in the state illegally’" to
use public infrastructure such as sidewalks and bathrooms...</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span><a href="http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/02/10/az-bill-would-make-it-a-crime-to-use-a-bathroom-without-proof-of-citizenship/">AZ Bill Would Make It A Crime To Use A Bathroom Without
Proof Of Citizenship</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>At the community level</b></span>, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SouthsideWorkerCenter">Southside
Worker Center</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/southside.p.church">Southside
Presbyterian Church</a> here in Tucson are working to call out an
employer regarding 6 cases of wage theft of our community members. Please
inform yourself and others so all work is valued! </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I'll leave you with an excerpt from my
participant's blog entry</b></span> - and you can find the rest here on the BorderLinks
blog: <a href="http://borderlinks.blogspot.com/2014/02/beyond-emotions-and-enlightenments.html" target="_blank">"Beyond Emotions and
Enlightenments."</a></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I dare to say that the 11
days at BorderLinks went beyond what we expected. I would fail to sum up the
experience of the trip if I limited it to a few emotions and enlightenments,
because the entire time I felt as if I was being forced to question the things
I was being confronted with. At times, I can honestly claim that I felt
hopeless and angered by the injustices at the border. Seeing the grand
monstrosity of the border wall itself and the blind militancy of the border
patrol could do that to you. Having to leave Agua Prieta because of
cartel-related violence also added to the intensity and immediacy of the issue.
But it would be unfair to leave it at that negative conclusion, because
BorderLinks always made sure to show us that not only was there was work to be
done, but there was already work <i>being</i> done. By getting the chance to
meet activists, Samaritans, public defenders, and other community leaders, we
saw that the issues weren’t being neglected. In the midst of danger, confusion,
and chaos, people do still feel compelled to act on behalf of those who need
the help. The beautiful people at HEPAC in Nogales, Tierra Y Libertad Organization,
Casa Mariposa, and all the other groups I have not mentioned prove that
complacency is not acceptable. The incredible work they do impacts people
daily. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Over and over again, the people on both sides of the border inspired me
to reject fatalistic thinking and instead move towards action. </b> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I left BorderLinks more compelled
than ever to continue fighting for a better, just future for everyone.
BorderLinks exposed the truth to us all. But the truth isn’t enough if we don’t
act on it. As Jose David, a Guatemalan man I met at the Florence detention
center told me, “Sigue adelante!” Move forward. In this case, we need to give
the issue of immigration a human face. After all the people we met and worked
with through BorderLinks, that is our responsibility." </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You all are smart people. So please, check out
the resources I have given you. If you are reading my blog, most likely you also have the internet, the TV, the radio, and personal experience at your fingertips. If you'd like more, hopefully I can
point you in the right direction! Inform yourself, reflect, think about how you feel guided to take action in your community and/or in the political realm, and act!</span> </span></div>
Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-71945518723291697282014-01-26T17:14:00.002-06:002014-01-26T17:14:38.525-06:00Poetry and PupusasHi friends,<br />
<br />
I just finished another delegation, my third, filled with firsts. It was my first delegation with two vans because we had so many participants (and therefore both MaryCruz and I having to drive most of the time)... the first time thinking about logistics for 24 people... the first time taking into account BorderLinks' typical visits and incorporating interests of the group for almost two weeks of programming...<br />
<br />
... the first time seeing where the border wall in Agua Prieta ends and a simple guard rail preventing vehicle crossings begins...<br />
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... the first time I had to take a group out of Mexico early due to safety concerns (we are all fine, thank goodness, and this is why we work with community partners on the ground who have a good read on the community)... the first time bridging two different colleges in one group... the first time having Latin@ participants with undocumented family members...<br />
<br />
... the first time visiting the Nogales dump where people live and try to make a living sorting through trash to reuse/recycle/sell items...<br />
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... the first time meeting with amazing community partners such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TierraYLibertadOrganization" target="_blank">Tierra Y Libertad Organization</a>, the <a href="http://firrp.org/" target="_blank">Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project</a>, and the <a href="http://www.tucsonyouthpoetryslam.org/" target="_blank">Tucson Youth Poetry Slam</a>...<br />
<br />
... and the first time making pupusas - a tradition from El Salvador where you essentially fill thick corn tortillas with beans, cheese, and sometimes meat. What an awesome way to celebrate the end of our time together! <br />
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<br />
It was tough, and I am tired. But I've been filled with a writing energy
that might run out soon, so I might as well run with it while it's
here! <br />
<br />
I had brought my first delegation to see part of a symposium at the U of A (University of Arizona) called "What It Means to Be Human," and that is where I first saw the Tucson Youth Poetry Slam share some of their work. It was amazing to hear youth voices and see youth strength processing everything that goes on in their community that is filled with trauma like inequality, homelessness, family separation, detention, deportation, language and cultural division, political tension. So when the group leader of this delegation mentioned it would be good to see examples of how the border communities are perhaps expressing the reality of the border through art and performance, I immediately thought of them, and the co-director Sarah Gonzales agreed to do a workshop with us! <br />
<br />
Now, I've never considered myself to be a poet. I don't think anyone in our delegation would have considered themselves as such. So we entered the space not knowing what to expect and with a high level of apprehension about having to write and share our own work. But it was simply amazing how accessible they made spoken word and slam (the act of competing in spoken word). By the end, through a couple of amazing examples by the 15-year-old and 18-year-old workshop leaders, two simple writing prompts, and some performance advice, we all had written pieces and turned out a collective creative piece about where we consider ourselves to be from. <br />
<br />
We were split into two groups, and one half wrote on "My city sounds like," and my half wrote on "My city tastes like," which leaves up to your own interpretation what "city" you identify with and what thoughts and memories you associate. Mine ended up weaving together contradictions I've found through romanticized ideas about the Midwest, my personal experience growing up in a mostly Jewish suburb of Minneapolis, and ethnic enclaves and urban struggles of Minneapolis/St. Paul. We all started from a simple premise and made it our own. At the end of two hours, we each were on our way to some amazing
personal poems, and we had woven together pieces of our individual work
and performed the whole. Wow. We amazed each other as well as our
workshop leaders, and now we have some new skills we can hone and pass
on to others.<br />
<br />
You never know what will come out of you. You get to own your experience and, if you choose to, share it with others. Here's what I came up with in those ten minutes we got to write, and I'd encourage you to try the exercise too! <br />
<br />
<br />
My city tastes like challah,<br />
lutefisk, <br />
hotdish and savory and heartyness;<br />
meat and potatoes to sustain you to grow corn for others.<br />
<br />
My city tastes spiceless.<br />
<br />
My city tastes like traditions:<br />
Norwegian,<br />
Somalian,<br />
Hmong,<br />
Mexican,<br />
Ecuadorian,<br />
Vietnamese,<br />
Thai.<br />
<br />
My city tastes like salads in the summer and soup in the winter.<br />
<br />
My city tastes like living off the land, feeding the community, but no grocery stores for miles.<br />
<br />
My city tastes like charities, food pantries, and sometimes emptiness.<br />
<br />
My city tastes like nobody wanting to be the one to eat the last bite.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
There you have it. That's what I got for today. This was a really intriguing exercise for myself and these students to do in Tucson, coming from all different parts of the country. It was two hours where I could be a full participant as well, allowing myself to be guided by the workshop leaders. I really look forward to further collaboration with the Tucson Youth Poetry Slam, and potentially more writing springboarding off of these prompts as well!<br />
<br />
Until next time! Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-68771786867985189962014-01-10T00:14:00.002-06:002014-01-10T00:29:58.380-06:00Southside Worker Center Tool Library!If you're either magically in Tucson and can give a physical item, or if you would like to send them a Home Depot gift card ASAP, you will make it possible for members of the <span style="font-size: large;">Southside Worker Center </span>in Tucson to get more solid work opportunities and make Tucson healthier!<br />
<br />
Brief background: the Worker Center is one of the ministries of Southside Presbyterian Church, and it is organized by and for day laborers who are primarily men who have immigrated from Mexico and Central America looking to make solid money to provide for their families. Through the Center they contract with employees, receive work and know-your-rights trainings, work to make their community safer and healthier, and support one another and their families. <br />
<br />
<br />
Here are details from the desk of Raul Alcaraz-Ochoa, Organizer at the Worker Center (and amazing activist to boot)...<br />
<br />
<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">"The Southside Worker
Center is working towards creating a rent-a-tool library so that workers
can have access to tools they may need for a paint job, yard work,
construction work and more! <br /> <br /> Please
contact us at <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:southsidecentro@gmail.com" target="_blank">southsidecentro@gmail.com</a></span> or call us at <span style="font-size: large;">520-955-8165</span> if
you are able to get us a tool donation OR a Home Depot Gift Card between
now and January 15th. Thanks!"</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span style="font-size: large;">Tool Wish List: </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show">LANDSCAPING: <br /> -Shovels, <br /> -rakes, <br /> -hand saw, <br /> -chainsaw, <br /> -vest, <br /> -blower, <br /> -loppers, <br /> -trimmer, <br /> -hoola hoe, <br /> -weed eater, <br /> -gloves, <br /> -glasses, <br /> -trash cans, <br /> -face masks, <br /> -boots, <br /> -sledge hammer, <br /> -digging pole, <br /> -trenching shovels, <br /> -pick axe, <br /> -axe, <br /> -prunners, <br /> -gas tank.<br /> <br /> PAINTING: <br /> -measuring tape, <br /> -rolls, <br /> -brushes, <br /> -tape, <br /> -paper, <br /> -plastic, <br /> -box cutting blades, <br /> -power washer, <br /> -paint gun, <br /> -air compressor.<br /> <br /> MASONRY: <br /> -Level, <br /> -wheel barrel, <br /> -cuchara y radiador<br /> <br /> ROOFING: <br /> -Air compressor, <br /> -hoses, <br /> -nail gun, <br /> -hammer, <br /> -roofing shovel, <br /> -safety hat,<br /> -vest, <br /> -saw, <br /> -spachula, <br /> -glasses, <br /> -ladder</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show">Thank you for your consideration! </span></span></span>Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-52141327665519391812014-01-08T10:00:00.000-06:002014-01-08T10:01:03.803-06:00Song from a ParticipantThis. This is amazing. This is one of the greatest gifts we can receive for our work at BorderLinks. And we get some really incredible ones sometimes! Yesterday a box showed up from a Phillips Theological Seminary participant who came back in September - he donated his company's gently used computer monitors and speakers after they upgraded - how kind it was for him to think of us!<br />
<br />
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Here are Maria, Indira, and Rhonda admiring our new (to us) toys that will make our work even better! </div>
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One of my Harvard Divinity participants wrote a <span class="il">song</span> following his BorderLinks experience and posted it to our Facebook wall
in late December. In case you haven't seen it yet, it's pretty amazing and
encapsulates a lot of what we hope people get out of border immersion. We try not to teach to a certain end, or hope that people who come in at Levels A through L in border understanding get to Level T or X by the time they leave us. We get to see what people write on their delegation evaluations on their last day, but rarely do we know how their BorderLinks experience touches them once they leave our campus weeks, months, or years later. Every person experiences things differently and can choose what they get out of their time with us. We hope that they integrate what they learn, feel, and think here on the border into wherever life takes them next. <br />
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I am amazed by his talent and his heart, and touched that he would produce this musical reflection to share with the world. Without further ado, here is "Paper" by Andrew Porter: <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/andrewporter" target="_blank">http://www.reverbnation.com/andrewporter</a> If you are so moved, please share on!Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-71322658316761807082013-12-29T23:08:00.000-06:002014-01-06T01:14:54.795-06:00YAV Year in Review (The 2013 Portion!)(Started this on December 18th and didn't quite get around to finishing it until now! Here you go) <br />
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So, friends, the next time I will be posting about my YAV year will be the next calendar one, 2014. This middle of December simply cannot be so. It must be something like June because today was over 80 and sunny. I'm soooo not ready for a White Christmas, but I am. I even put on Ma's snowflake earrings (for those of you who do not know, Ma was my maternal grandmother, and after she passed away, I now have a small collection of her classy-but-funky jewelry) and still walk to work in flip-flops even though it's 40-50 in the mornings because I want to get acclimated to feeling chilly. And to be tough and stubborn, really, so I do not get too soft or lose my Minnesotan heartiness towards blizzards and temperatures too cold for snow. <br />
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Since I've been lax about blogging regular life and all our YAV adventures until this point, I figured I'd do a review of my 2013 YAV life in photos! (And some captions so you get a sense of what's going on...). You may have seen some of these photos before either in this blog or on Facebook, but just in case, here are a bunch all at once - enjoy!<br />
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YAV orientation in Stony Point, NY, where we did yoga...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNE1SwPhNVMh0cNYEc6MN3h5EbB4H7PWP-PKpC2C9rjKD2vveGN4qooLuUGjthNWFbv5GJJXWDFqPclGBWsXEx-A5BS2fWoLf7ZDqwiuMTo-vLzz7xescxMH78ysur-zTOfsEjMHu338/s1600/1146925_649011921777248_591911991_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNE1SwPhNVMh0cNYEc6MN3h5EbB4H7PWP-PKpC2C9rjKD2vveGN4qooLuUGjthNWFbv5GJJXWDFqPclGBWsXEx-A5BS2fWoLf7ZDqwiuMTo-vLzz7xescxMH78ysur-zTOfsEjMHu338/s640/1146925_649011921777248_591911991_o.jpg" height="138" width="640" /></a></div>
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... sometimes canoed...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOtSvtK5x-VDCF_tHlXU6Q_zUNOwlT8wzl1xsYgJZknvNeqGbV21e64zSeW-b_FGIj0V7wbZyk_5cvzN_VosLB-IXfzTWT8lPy9pmxIOJ2OX-s3y6L7EgptcOQwxPj2y1nUK3rDe5CGs/s1600/1149064_10153164102070035_1323610271_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOtSvtK5x-VDCF_tHlXU6Q_zUNOwlT8wzl1xsYgJZknvNeqGbV21e64zSeW-b_FGIj0V7wbZyk_5cvzN_VosLB-IXfzTWT8lPy9pmxIOJ2OX-s3y6L7EgptcOQwxPj2y1nUK3rDe5CGs/s400/1149064_10153164102070035_1323610271_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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... sang, danced (I got to lead Zumba one night) ... </div>
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... did Bible study, and re-envisioned mission together.</div>
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I had an amazing small group! We reflected together, challenged each other in different ways, and sometimes, just watched silly Youtube videos.</div>
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Stony Point is where us four Tucson YAVs first met and bonded!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjG-EbWlaFW9If4yr5u65EhhyphenhyphenYlJCie6bG0t6Uri0a5zGzVqbFvlwwTWmGk2t4QVf-SJs2pdVGkdQXFdn2OguJ4AUtZp9aY1BXj4pa3dch1D1DOaQiZ88PWHvrzLcpvK89JPVqfrWloYs/s1600/imagejpeg_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjG-EbWlaFW9If4yr5u65EhhyphenhyphenYlJCie6bG0t6Uri0a5zGzVqbFvlwwTWmGk2t4QVf-SJs2pdVGkdQXFdn2OguJ4AUtZp9aY1BXj4pa3dch1D1DOaQiZ88PWHvrzLcpvK89JPVqfrWloYs/s400/imagejpeg_0.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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En route to Tucson, I gambled for the first time ever - $1 in the penny slots in the Las Vegas airport at the encouragement of YAV alum Luke. </div>
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And when we got to Tucson, there's that time we learned we inherited chickens from last year's Tucson YAVs.</div>
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Here's the first time got more food from the Tucson community food bank than we knew what to do with. We were initially stressed out about making do with a limited stipend to cover bills and food, the nature of which is supposed to help us understand some of the decision-making individual and families on limited salaries go through to put food on the table. But then we were able to register for the Agency Market at the food bank for being a community feeding program and thereby get a chunk of our calories for free. This eases the stipend stress a bit and hopefully will still make us think about what cheap foods are available to those who can only shop based on price alone. The Tucson food bank is one of the best in the country, but still, those who have to rely on it will find that lots of canned goods, packaged foods, and things you would never expect to contain corn syrup are readily available when fresh produce is quite hit or miss. But the "hit" days for produce really are fabulous, and we are grateful for that resource. </div>
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And that time we all made weird faces for the camera at the same time. </div>
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Our first house dinner! (Before Steph moved in). In house meetings we decided to have house dinners for everyone to commit to being there at least once or twice a week. There's just something special about sharing a meal in community. Our latest favorites are weekend brunches, sometimes breakfasts of big productions before church on Sundays! </div>
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We had to take a bike safety class which actually did help us feel slightly more comfortable with the concept of commuting by bike around the city, and Heather was the tire changing example! </div>
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I love biking, I really do, but I learned that going uphill for long periods of time on a bike is something I was not prepared for - somehow I struggled up "A Mountain" behind our pro housemate Tyler. Here's me posing with the "A" on the side of the mountain! </div>
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The ladies of the house went to "Slut Walk," a spoken word event for whoever wanted to share stories or poems and call for an end to violence against women, victim-blaming, and slut-shaming. </div>
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The new Tucson YAVs were received with a commissioning service at Southside Presbyterian Church, founding congregation of the Sanctuary Movement with a history of social activism. This has started to become my Tucson home church, and I look forward to seeing some St. Lukers here during the winter months!</div>
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St. Luke, my home congregation, did a blessing ceremony with a laying on of hands to send me off to my YAV year, and Southside received me in the same way.</div>
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Sometimes in Tucson, it gets toasty. Sometimes, people with a little less melanin in their skin have a rougher time than others. Here we are walking to a nearby bar to watch the Broncos game with Arial, Denver native. </div>
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And then, Arial told us being in Tucson for a year of service was not the right thing for her at this time. She was always meant to be a teacher, and this year, she was meant to be back in Colorado teaching. We still think of her often! </div>
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Tucson has some of the most beautiful skies I have ever seen. This is en route to the top of Mt. Lemmon for Southside Presbyterian's fall retreat, where you go through five different biomes on your way to the peak! We were so grateful to get a change of scenery from brown desert to green leaves and pine needles.</div>
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Worship around the fire pit. It was so great to be able to bond with some Southside members at worship, on walks, at mealtimes, and other fun times on the mountain.</div>
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YAVs getting cozy on a foggy day up on the mountain - so foreign to our bodies that had gotten acclimated to 80s and sunny every day.</div>
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YAV love on Mt. Lemmon!</div>
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The national More Light Presbyterian conference came to Tucson! My home church of St. Luke Presbyterian is a long-time More Light Church that welcomes and affirms full inclusion in the church of people who identify as LGBT, and my new Tucson home church, Southside, recently voted to officially become a More Light congregation! Freddie, a YAV in Hollywood, came down to Tucson to stay with us and go to the conference, so we went to some of the sessions together to hear updates about progress in the national church, re-envision traditional binaries of gender and sexuality as spectrums, and then to see an incredible gay men's choir rock some Lady Gaga! </div>
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Jason, Heather's boyfriend took us to a traditional celebration at the <a href="http://www.sanxaviermission.org/" target="_blank">San Xavier Mission</a> of the St. Francis Feast - he grew up for part of his life on the Tohono O'odham reservation, the largest Native American reservation here in southwestern Arizona. Because the Catholic mission was founded to Christianize native peoples in the region, the celebration of Catholic rituals to this day is contentious due to the opposing forces of a history of colonization and current culture of people who have converted and do want to take part. This night in early October, the plaza outside of the mission was surrounded with food vendors selling everything from Indian fry bread to tamales, observers filed into the church to cradle, lift, and kiss the head of the statue of St. Francis, and then crowds gathered in the darkness outside for fireworks and a dancing procession whose music seemed to create dissonance with the tolling of the chapel bells. </div>
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The Tucson community rallied around 3 of its members being detained for ridiculous reasons and called for an end to the discriminatory law <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_SB_1070" target="_blank">SB 1070</a> and its execution by Tucson police. </div>
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Here are Arturo and his family at the City Council meeting where they allowed more time for the "call to the public" so all community members who wanted to raise their voice could. He and other Tucsonans spoke about the October 8th incident and continued to press for an end to SB 1070's <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/10/fuera-polimigra.html" target="_blank">poli-migra</a> cooperation so the community could trust the police and families would not be needlessly separated.</div>
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Group photo of community members who turned out for the City Council meeting. Con el puño arriba - With a fist in the air! Ni una mas - Not one more!</div>
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The march for the one-year anniversary of the death of <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/10/justice-for-jose-antonio.html" target="_blank">Jose Antonio</a>, a 16-year-old who was murdered by Border Patrol across the border in Mexico. The communities in Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico turned out to mourn and celebrate his life, and to continue to call for justice and peace on the border. </div>
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Peace and light through the border wall at the march for Jose Antonio - two BorderLinks employees embodying our organization's name. </div>
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Tucson activists stopped Operation Streamline from criminalizing 70 migrants in less than two hours. They did it for one day and hope to end it forever: <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/12/operation-streamline-part-two.html" target="_blank">Operation Streamline: Part Two</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HxNskcB4jKrET_0c2C1y4dMhAbxUfXHupH82YflwdnDV3pPoWbJTdy5tY8tEpTvN3-z4URMWC1ziLHA_cMyRkBxIafXGMAxGPbqQrZmmQesfPYJXa6rFt1mOXdCXZRoh4Jh8tty8M6E/s1600/IMG_0082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HxNskcB4jKrET_0c2C1y4dMhAbxUfXHupH82YflwdnDV3pPoWbJTdy5tY8tEpTvN3-z4URMWC1ziLHA_cMyRkBxIafXGMAxGPbqQrZmmQesfPYJXa6rFt1mOXdCXZRoh4Jh8tty8M6E/s320/IMG_0082.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a> </div>
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The next day, I went with Amy Beth (my YAV housemate whose placement is Southside Presbyterian) and Southside's Pastor Alison (and her adorable toddler Naomi!) to Phoenix for the national Ni Una Mas conference. It was incredible to see activists from all over the country host a conference en español to share strategies for community organizing and immigration reform. </div>
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At the conference we also divided into regional groups and focused on making our voices loud to President Obama to stop deportations.</div>
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And that Sunday (wow, this was a full week) happened to be Migrant Sunday at Southside. Pastor Alison tied so many things together from this week's actions in Tucson as well as her own civil disobedience - while the Southside community stood up to defend three of its own, she was in Washington, D.C. getting arrested with about two hundred other faith community leaders and politicians for immigration reform. On the altar was one rock for each migrant who had died and been found in the Tucson sector in 2013. 183 bodies had been found, so Amy Beth went through the very emotional and spiritual process of finding rocks in the desert and labeling each one with the person's name, or "Desconocido"/"Desconocida" if the name was unknown. Following the incredible sermon and service, church members processed to take a rock or two from the altar to place at the migrant shrine outside the sanctuary.</div>
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Amy Beth and I were part of a group of Southsiders that wanted to start volunteering at Ochoa Elementary, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggio_Emilia_approach" target="_blank">Reggio Emilia</a> charter school with an incredible model of teaching respect, conflict resolution, value of different skills and learning styles, and collective learning. In the bottom left photo, she is playing with musical instruments made from recycled materials. I've been assigned to help a fifth grade classroom, mostly with reading support (but really whatever the teacher needs me to do) for an hour on Fridays, my day off!</div>
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Mauricio used his MEA break to come visit
me in Tucson for the second time! What a sweetheart. And, here's
another Northfield, MN connection - Elisabeth used to be the assistant
coach for Carleton Women's Tennis, and she happened to be playing a
national championship tournament in Tucson! </div>
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Steph admiring our quote board - the previous YAV year got permission to
paint one of the walls like a blackboard, so when we say silly and
ridiculous things, sometimes they get preserved on the board for a
couple weeks. If anyone's familiar with the young adult colloquialism
"struggle bus," you'll probably understand why we giggled at Steph's version complete with a picture - "the struggling bus!"<br />
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My first delegation as a BorderLinks staff member - I assistanted for Alex's crew from the Presbytery of Des Moines! I did not do the whole delegation with them, but I did chunks as part of my training. It was especially moving to do many of the visits and learn right along with them - especially going to Operation Streamline as I discussed <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/12/operation-streamline-part-one.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lQgzCTQizhRiaI40i9KipWEFR3LrBjNyW8ExIZZtYYVUowAxtW1-usPF92YwlqOj9nypDTJu4d-piT7B1ffLoD34xB1oaqa6MQ3aHSJAMCHGauZU1heM6nXNS_y16QSvFZK85l4Wd9g/s1600/561905_549842858398167_2123933734_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lQgzCTQizhRiaI40i9KipWEFR3LrBjNyW8ExIZZtYYVUowAxtW1-usPF92YwlqOj9nypDTJu4d-piT7B1ffLoD34xB1oaqa6MQ3aHSJAMCHGauZU1heM6nXNS_y16QSvFZK85l4Wd9g/s320/561905_549842858398167_2123933734_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEmdalResfdSHtTVeeLF34F3cQ-b8pgW7NxxKDv_eFpzUwPd15OLgFxjWbrBfoDN32LcZqcV-w_4H5S7Jyl5qG1kII9xEhoITqE8DJ_el1ro9U_sg8mWhO7Z5YfbqftAEYOE65u0V1pI/s1600/523522_550850484964071_1946968331_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEmdalResfdSHtTVeeLF34F3cQ-b8pgW7NxxKDv_eFpzUwPd15OLgFxjWbrBfoDN32LcZqcV-w_4H5S7Jyl5qG1kII9xEhoITqE8DJ_el1ro9U_sg8mWhO7Z5YfbqftAEYOE65u0V1pI/s400/523522_550850484964071_1946968331_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lQgzCTQizhRiaI40i9KipWEFR3LrBjNyW8ExIZZtYYVUowAxtW1-usPF92YwlqOj9nypDTJu4d-piT7B1ffLoD34xB1oaqa6MQ3aHSJAMCHGauZU1heM6nXNS_y16QSvFZK85l4Wd9g/s1600/561905_549842858398167_2123933734_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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One of the ways us YAVs support each other is doing some type of volunteer work or involvement with each other's organizations. Our first adventure in this vein was to follow through with our commitment to Habitat for Humanity's Brush With Kindness even though Arial had left her placement there. We thought of her as we gave the entirety of a woman's ten-year-old Habitat home a fresh coat of paint in a few hours.</div>
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My housemate Tyler and I went to the feed store to buy more chicken scratch and feed, and since we had trailers hitched up to the backs of our bikes, they opened the sliding doors to the storeroom for us to park there, and we found animals for sale! Baby chicks, hamsters, and my favorite (that I'm clearly really excited about), miniature rabbits! Even though we probably cannot have a fuzzy pet in our house, now we know where we can go to play with one if we want to.</div>
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That night I got to work a concert -
what?! - Katia Cardenal, one of Nicaragua's most famous singers, chose
to give a benefit concert for border justice organizations including
BorderLinks at Southside in Tucson, the city where she built her career
as part of a duo with her brother - Duo Guardabarranco. Since her
brother's passing, she became a solo artist and this concert performed
with her daughter! Katia wove stories about life and politics (and
spending five years in Norway where she produced seven albums and
translated Norwegian songs to Spanish) in between incredible melodies
about her homeland, love, and environmentalism. Check her out on YouTube
if you like! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKRiUxEEWcSFbqlEtWCUw2g" target="_blank">YouTube: Katia Cardenal</a></div>
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Southside had a Halloween party in the fellowship hall, so Amy Beth and I made up some costumes and biked to church to play games and spend time with Southside families. AB is a "college to-do list," I'm a tennis player (for those of you who have known me prior to my YAV year, this is not super original, but people in Tucson don't know tennis as part of my identity!), and the adorable Ellie May I think dressed up with her family as a tiger. We just borrowed her for the photo because she's so stinkin' cute.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU14ShhKuYHolWGtuSKqPQk0Xtgcrf0Z7Wn6hIrytzKt7IFRDdj06TAROgR_J7Bi86M0JxcDeC0LEvsdC-42SWXw9VQwaK_sOZBu3hSCM1FB_osPVopFN8C7bc8vmtpHILbeg9h9QXto/s1600/IMG_1275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU14ShhKuYHolWGtuSKqPQk0Xtgcrf0Z7Wn6hIrytzKt7IFRDdj06TAROgR_J7Bi86M0JxcDeC0LEvsdC-42SWXw9VQwaK_sOZBu3hSCM1FB_osPVopFN8C7bc8vmtpHILbeg9h9QXto/s400/IMG_1275.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7oXeuuL6imI0eO5PILCkquBvG_1ezTwXyT6f-au7fBJIi2Ib0tLxRQq5DrGgruUbygccWt8I4ZPO6zZsSkJZzf5QyS03W_KKeIXHhqPhyvHtqPmuoURCA2f3jaJRu5jq1ROYlJ_xSNQ/s1600/IMG_0487.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7oXeuuL6imI0eO5PILCkquBvG_1ezTwXyT6f-au7fBJIi2Ib0tLxRQq5DrGgruUbygccWt8I4ZPO6zZsSkJZzf5QyS03W_KKeIXHhqPhyvHtqPmuoURCA2f3jaJRu5jq1ROYlJ_xSNQ/s320/IMG_0487.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a> Over the actual holiday of Halloween, YAVs from Austin and Denver joined us Tucsonans for our own border delegation to Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, across from Douglas, AZ. We found out the day before that we were taking the Suburban (with a few years on it and about 18 different ailments) <i>without</i>
our coordinator Brandon, so Heather, Amy Beth and I did the driving to,
in, and from Mexico. Here it is in the daylight, with AB trying to work
her magic on the trunk door. This is after surviving our 2.5-hour drive in the dark to A.P. in the first place. We were pulled over in the outskirts of Tucson, not for speeding (I don't think it could speed on the highway if it tried...), but because our taillights were not working. After calling Brandon, we fiddled with the switch a few times and lo, it was just a fuse issue that resolved itself. But by that time we had pulled off the highway to the safety of a mechanics' lot and the muffler decided to stop muffling! Don't worry, Brandon was always a phone call away. And the Suburban did serve us well, albeit noisily. Our delegation leader Hugo from Frontera de Cristo Presbyterian Church was with us the entire time once we got to A.P., and he gave us excellent directions!</div>
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Because it would be part of my BorderLinks role, Brandon uhh, encouraged, that I do all the driving in Mexico, which included following the Water for Life team of CRREDA, a drug/alcohol rehab center and community partner, to fill up water tanks in the desert for people migrating on the Mexican side of the border. </div>
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We eventually parked the vehicles and walked typical paths of migration in the desert, all the while imagining what it would be like for people to walk and crawl this in the dark, trying to avoid detection by authorities, poisonous and scared/scary creatures, and every spiny plant imaginable.<br />
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The whole team outside of CRREDA. We met some amazing people that day (and the whole delegation!), but especially all of these leaders who fought their battles to sobriety here and now help others through theirs. Two 14-year-old girls especially astounded us with their maturity and all they have been through to have struggled with drugs and what they had to do to obtain them, accept rehab and decided to stay, and then become our English interpreters.<br />
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Dougla-Prieta Works holds various community classes including organic
gardening methods, and if individuals or families are interested in
taking home what they learned, they are given some starter seeds as well
for a healthier community!At Dougla-Prieta Works, we got to help out by
creating the adobe wall around one of the plant beds in their organic
garden. Apparently placing the last stone is a huge deal - as Raul from
CRREDA explained, in Mexico there is always a big to-do to celebrate the
first stone of an infrastructure project, but because of corruption or
running out of funds or motivation, projects that are seen through to
completion with the final stone are a rarity to be celebrated! Here we are applauding Estela placing the final stone.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBMdIdY6OSjiHBGLAQcWTe2Uo_vA3rqZFxUpSZt7FAVvj5LSmN_LuoC1OYuUIHgEWHbIjtgOkrmN-7RKzH5EQ_oLbz76EYKVOfvrZpYzKC4OzdTEzKdCxHQt-dKuTHfNQoLc_B5qbXnY/s1600/IMG_0581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBMdIdY6OSjiHBGLAQcWTe2Uo_vA3rqZFxUpSZt7FAVvj5LSmN_LuoC1OYuUIHgEWHbIjtgOkrmN-7RKzH5EQ_oLbz76EYKVOfvrZpYzKC4OzdTEzKdCxHQt-dKuTHfNQoLc_B5qbXnY/s320/IMG_0581.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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Here I am surrounded by bags of better-than-fair-trade coffee, Café Justo (Fair Coffee)! In the mid-1990's, coffee prices dropped especially following NAFTA, so farmers of traditional coffee growing regions in Southern Mexico could no longer afford to keep cultivating coffee. Many migrated northward within Mexico and some to the U.S. until a couple men in Agua Prieta thought about forming a cooperative and doing the entire coffee production process themselves, including the roasting, which is where the bulk of profits come from. Instead of farmers shipping the green coffee beans elsewhere to be roasted and thereby only being paid for cultivation, they wanted to keep the entire process in-house to benefit farmers and their communities. It started small of course, but now there are 45 families on board in Chiapas, and people who had migrated have started to come back because it is economically sustainable! Fair trade standards are great, but this is even greater because farmers are working in just conditions and are able to keep more funds in their communities so they have solid economic opportunities at home, rather than having to migrate to survive. After a few years of Café Justo's growth and expansion from Chiapas to two other states in Mexico Here's their website to learn more and order to support these communities: <a href="http://www.justcoffee.org/" target="_blank">http://www.justcoffee.org/</a></div>
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We had an incredible experience in Agua Prieta, clinched by a moving and humanizing visit with a Border Patrol agent in his home. The day after our return to Tucson, we got up early once again to help harvest leftover pumpkins for Heather's placement organization, Iskashitaa Refugee Network's gleaning program. They connect refugees to services they need in Tucson, and their main work is working with refugees to harvest produce around the city that would otherwise go to waste, and turn it into preserved goods or exchange culturally traditional dishes. Here's Heather looking adorable with her pumpkin and her sun protection. Who knew people grew pumpkins in the desert?</div>
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We came away with a few!<br />
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Here's our group of YAVs and a brother and sister from Kenya!<br />
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Tucson has taken All Souls/Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, traditions from Mexico and Central America and made them their own. The parade in Tucson has grown exponentially the last few years, and traditions include face painting like skeletons and other rituals to connect with and celebrate dead loved ones. The YAV program got us a professional face painter, so here are my before and after pictures!<br />
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There were many floats in the parade, some commemorating the lives of beloved people and pets who had passed away, and some with broader political themes about community and violence in the wider world.<br />
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And then it ended with this pretty bizarre acrobatic dance fusion imagined by an artistic group in Tucson. Throughout the parade, people had written prayers on slips of paper and put them in a giant metal ball now flaming off in the distance of this picture for the prayers to go up to the heavens.<br />
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Meet my first BorderLinks delegation! What a great crew to start my delegation leading career with - six young souls from Carpe Diem Education in the middle of an experiential learning semester. Here we are on a desert walk with Dan Millis of Sierra Club Borderlands (and also a rocking BorderLinks board member). MaryCruz was also amazing to co-lead with, and I look forward to working with her more!<br />
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Here we are in front of our sister organization in Nogales - HEPAC!<br />
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YAV girls' weekend: Heather had connected with the representative
from San Francisco Theological Seminary back at YAV orientation who
invited all of us to their Inquirers' Weekend! They flew us out and put
us up in a beautiful guest house, and it ended up being just the three
of us plus a man named Craig as Inquirers. We were a little excited to see real greenery and fall leaves.</div>
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They treated us so well, really investing in getting to know us, giving us tours of the SFTS campus, the Graduate Theological Union of which SFTS is a part (a collective of seminaries where you can take classes from and get resources), and then even down into UC Berkeley - and we came across a protest about... immigration issues! We of course had to check it out, and we learned this group wanted California to be more immigrant-friendly, especially in light of an upcoming visit by Janet Napolitano, who became the president of the University of California system after a controversial post as Secretary of Homeland Security.</div>
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Our last full day visiting the seminary, they took us sightseeing in the city of San Francisco itself, and after official activities, I got to meet two dear Carleton friends, Jessie and Min Yao at the ferry building for dinner before taking the last ferry back to Marin. So good to catch up with them!<br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45,"tn":"*G"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Sometimes, I get to play in the dirt at work! Breaking up rock-hard soil in the BorderLinks garden is a great stress reliever.</span></span><span class="fbPhotoTagList" id="fbPhotoSnowliftTagList"><span class="fcg"></span></span><br />
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Another community turnout to a City Council meeting to push for changes in practices around SB 1070 - this time in "¡Alto a la poli-migra!" (stop the police-immigration cooperation) tshirts. Community members and organizations such as the Southside Worker Center, Corazon de Tucson, and the ACLU worked together to put forth recommendations to the City Council, and many of them will be taken under advisement and implemented in coming months! </div>
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At BorderLinks' staff retreat, we retreated to the church of our board president, and in the community garden, this cholla I think got snagged off the ground by my long skirt, and then it proceeded to enter my foot! Thankfully I could pull it out before it lodged itself more permanently, but it was hard to know where exactly to grab so I didn't get stabbed more...</div>
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Maria, in the middle, one of our new BorderLinks staff, is also a flamenco dancer! My co-worker Alex and I brought friends along to see her perform at Casa Vicente, and we hope she teaches our staff a couple things sometime.</div>
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Thanksgiving plans changed a couple of times, and instead of me traveling somewhere, people came to me! Mauricio came to visit me, and we had a lovely few days of vacation, exploring Tucson, playing a little tennis (and guitar), and catching up. </div>
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We even made our first-ever Thanksgiving meal - pot roast with tips from his grandma, and a few hours later, it turned out beautifully! Hallelujah. </div>
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Our original thoughts were to try to meet my cousin Angie and her family where they live outside of Phoenix, but they instead came to Tucson too! And even brought my cousins Carrie and Dan who were visiting as well, so we had lunch at my house, and then went for a nice hike on A Mountain. It was so nice they could all come spend some time in Tucson with me!</div>
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After Thanksgiving break, we really needed to do a deep clean of our house. We hung out for a few hours with some music blasting and the incentive of treating ourselves to a dinner out in a restaurant for the first time in a very long time. Once we could breathe easy, we could get semi-dressy and eat Thai food. </div>
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We were invited to the Tucson YAV program steering committee meeting at one of the member's homes out in the middle of nowhere. It was great to meet our board to learn some of the business side of things, and we look forward to spending more time with them as they have all offered to do a different activity to bond with us throughout the year.</div>
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Winter apparently happens here too. Nothing like Minnesota, but 40 degrees at night with no central heating does get a little chilly. Thank goodness for fireplaces.</div>
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My second delegation: Harvard Divinity! The name was intimidating, but the group was so sweet, thoughtful, and already accustomed to critical thinking and reflection. Here Shura Wallin, a warm and spritely woman, takes the crew on a desert walk as a part of the Green Valley Samaritans - a group who sends vehicles out into the desert every day to place lifesaving water along migrant trails and provide food, medical assistance, and other humanitarian aid to anyone who needs it.</div>
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Shura and MaryCruz are longtime friends!</div>
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Here we are outside of HEPAC. </div>
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And back at BorderLinks after my final reflection with them. I had to transition them over to Alex for their last day and a half because...</div>
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... We had a YAV weekend in Cascabel! Here are AB and Heather looking cozy on the way to the rural hermitage community for their annual Christmas Fair where lots of local artists, artisans, and farms have a grand time selling their wares. It was semi-retreat, semi-work as it is now tradition for YAVs to come help at the fair every year. </div>
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Good way to support local economies! I picked up a few Christmas gifts for family throughout the weekend.</div>
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Here's our main post - the bake sale.</div>
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Oh yea, and we stayed outside in a tent.
The first night we hardly slept because we were so cold, and felt
validated the next day when we learned it was not some balmy 35 degrees
and we were wimps, but rather 18 degrees overnight. We built some
survival skills, that's for sure. </div>
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We also even did a little folk singing, jumping up on stage to sing some harmonies with one of Brandon's family friends. It really was a lovely weekend. </div>
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I love that BorderLinks staff also holds involvement in the community in high priority, trying to get to events with HEPAC in Nogales and Frontera de Cristo in Agua Prieta when we can, and we got to take a day of work to meet with some of our A.P. community partners and then take part in a border-themed posada. If you're not familiar (as I wasn't), a <i>posada</i> is a tradition in many Mexican communities where people process to different houses and knock on doors to remember the journey of Mary and Joseph to find a place to stay in Jerusalem. The first few doors they are rejected as they sing a traditional song begging to be welcomed in, and finally a house accepts them for the night, and there is much rejoicing.</div>
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In this border posada, the lyrics were re-written to act out people on
the Mexican side asking for passage and the U.S. rejecting them at the
first two stations. At each station, different leaders read a bible
verse and shared a prayer of reflection through the immigration justice
theme, connecting the struggles of the holy family to the struggles of today's migrants. Josias, our new friend from Frontera de Cristo, is on the left with the singers on the U.S. side.</div>
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At this station, we remembered the children and families affected by border separation. Joca of Frontera de Cristo says the prayer for this one.</div>
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And for the third and final station, we from the U.S. side asked for permission to come to the Mexico side, and both sides asked for forgiveness. We recognized a young Mexican couple with their young baby as parallel to Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, as well as the migration of Jesus from the divine to the human. We then "passed the peace" in Presbyterian tradition (greeting many individuals with phrases such as "Peace of Christ be with you" or "Paz de Dios," etc.) and shared hot cocoa outside of the Migrant Resource Center.</div>
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The last event I'd like to highlight: BorderLinks' staff holiday party at our Executive Director Fernanda's house. Staff and board members mixed and mingled, and Nancy, Alex, and I even brought out the guitars for the traditional version of the posada song. </div>
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And of course there was also a piñata. What better way to recycle the piñata after it has been cracked and raided than turn it into cute hats? Here are three of my awesome co-workers: Indira, Margi, and Nancy.</div>
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I'm sure I've accidentally left out some people, adventures, and experiences - my apologies. Thank you, dearest family and friends, for your support of my YAV year and making these experiences possible! Happy holidays, peace and love to you!</div>
Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-39805901177768947522013-12-25T08:20:00.000-06:002013-12-27T19:28:27.041-06:00Christmas Eve: Tucson Family Reunited!The latest update about the Tucson family threatened with separation for Christmas is that they were able to get enough funds together from supporters and get a loan for the rest, so momma made it home for Christmas!<br />
<br />
From Danilo on Christmas Eve night: "<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">My
mom is back home! Thank you very much for all the support and prayers!
This could not have been done without you! Fortunately, we were able to
borrow the money for the bond and she is here with us. But we still need
your support and donations to pay the loan, the lawyer, and other
expenses due to this unfortunate situation. The GoFundMe page will
continue to be open until Sunday night. We still<span class="text_exposed_show"> need your support. Thank you very much for everything! God Bless You All! THANK YOU! MERRY CHRISTMAS!"</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">If you would still like to support this family and help them pay back their loan, please give what you can here: <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/5w688o" target="_blank">http://www.gofundme.com/5w688o </a></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">Many people in the U.S. and around the world are not able to be with their loved ones for the holidays, especially families who are separated by migration. </span></span>Thank you all for following this story and helping this one family be reunited. Whether you are celebrating Christmas or celebrating another day of being alive, may you have a beautiful, blessed day!<br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"></span></span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"></span>Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-15962137573332841592013-12-20T23:25:00.000-06:002013-12-20T23:26:12.016-06:00Re: Tucson Mom Detained! Help Keep Her Family Together!<span style="font-size: small;">This is an update about Dario and Danilo's mother, a member of the Tucson community who was detained yesterday afternoon. The community rushed to make calls to Border Patrol on her behalf and spread the word, and many thanks to everyone who made calls!<br /><br />The latest news is that she has been moved to Eloy detention center, which means calls to Border Patrol are no longer needed. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">However, that does not mean she is free. She could be in detention for a while, who knows. But community support could demonstrate to the immigration judge assigned to her case that she is a solid member of the Tucson community, which may merit her release!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">One way we demonstrate community support is by writing letters, and a letter campaign for Maria is forming as we speak. If you would consider writing a letter of support, I can make sure it makes it into the right hands! Just email me your letter to <a href="mailto:kathryn@borderlinks.org">kathryn@borderlinks.org</a>. Thank you for your time and support of Tucson families!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Here's my example that I tailored from from my BorderLinks co-worker Alex, and please feel free to tailor yours as you like. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;">December 20,
2013</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Dear Esteemed Judge,</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">My name is Kathryn
Schmidt and I am a citizen of the United States. I am writing on behalf of Maria Jesus Mendoza Velasquez, who is currently detained in Eloy
Detention Center In Eloy, Arizona. I am doing a year of Young Adult Volunteer
service in Tucson through the Presbyterian Church (USA). </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Maria is an
exemplary mother and has been a hard-working member of the Tucson community for
over 10 years. Maria has two US citizen siblings and two sons that received
their DACA work permits and currently attend Pima Community College in Tucson. I
have gotten to know her sons, Dario and Danilo, through the
organization with which I am serving as a Young Adult Volunteer, BorderLinks. They
are both hard-working, responsible, and smart young men who use their time outside of studying to work with other youth and DACA recipients. Both are extraordinary
students and community members that need their mother. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I know that
Maria was pulled over for smoke coming out of her car and as a result, the
Boarder Patrol was called. Maria has never before committed a crime. She works
hard to support her family so that her two sons can go to Pima Community
College. Her family depends on her. They love her a lot and if something
happens to her, they would be devastated. Maria deserves to be released from
Eloy Detention Center and to stay with her family. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Many thanks
for your time and consideration of her case for discretion and urgent release
to be reunited with her family and community.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Peace,</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Kathryn
Schmidt</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-5709805468348407712013-12-19T23:58:00.003-06:002013-12-19T23:58:22.823-06:00Operation Streamline Part Two<div class="ajy">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hello again, friends,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My first blog post about Operation Streamline was very heavy. And long. I hope you stuck with me
through it, but I understand if it was overwhelming in length and/or
emotional weight. If you missed my last post, you should probably at
least skim it so you have background for this one - here it is: <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/12/operation-streamline-part-one.html" target="_blank">Operation Streamline Part One</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you think Streamline is unjust and should end...</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What can you do? </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sign and share this petition: <a href="http://endstreamline.org/petition-to-end-operation-streamline/" target="_blank">EndStreamline.org.</a> Really.
Even if you feel like your 30 seconds is meaningless, for some
politicians to see thousands of people care enough about this issue to
put their name out there, that can hold serious weight. Your thirty
seconds means something. If it moves you, please sign and share.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you need more information<span style="font-size: small;"> (AKA more of my efforts to convince you Streamline and the criminalization of migration is wrong...):</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If our justice system targeted drug-related and
violent crimes separately from immigration violations, we could more
effectively prosecute individuals we consider more of a "threat" to
society than migrants whose singular offense is crossing a border without
proper documentation. Criminal courts should focus on the first class of crimes
rather than economic refugees - that's true safety. <span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm sure many of you have heard the stat that the
US prison system houses more prisoners than the rest of the world's
developed countries combined. And we call ourselves "the land of the
free." Anyways... Criminalizing immigration with an already-overwhelmed
court system, federal prisons are now 2/3 immigrants, and Streamline
fuels the private prison industry because the government has found it
more efficient to contract out prison infrastructure to industry
professionals than build more federal prisons.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Florence,
AZ is a city in the middle of nowhere whose economy is founded on the
prison system. There are several detention facilities in that one city,
including one federal and others private. Two private prison industry
giants are the Geo Group and CCA, both of which have been accused of
less-than-humane conditions inside their facilities' walls. I will not
go into that more here, but one defense lawyer quipped, "CCA
has built private prisons all over the country and they pay no property
taxes - they're like churches!" He further went on, "People have to start going bankrupt for things to
change... California is going bankrupt and up there in their budget is
prison costs..."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another related fun fact: Congress demands that every single night, 34,000 beds must be filled in immigration detention facilities with the <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/11/19/245968601/little-known-immigration-mandate-keeps-detention-beds-full" target="_blank">Detention Bed Mandate</a> (read this for more info), further perpetuating and incentivizing the criminalization of migration and private prison profits. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is
this the society that we want? Is this the economy that we want - our
government paying corporations to keep 34,000 economic refugees under
lock and key, when we could surely use those resources for the common good - education, jobs, etc.? Not to mention the expenses and environmental impacts of deportations (and that's just the systemic political/economic look... I could go on for days about impacts on our familial and social fabrics). <span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I began to mention this at the end of the previous post, but <span style="font-size: large;">on October 11th, people in Tucson <i>did something</i> about Streamline</span>. A group of activists of mixed documentation statuses intended to make a statement to stop Streamline in Tucson for a day, and they did it!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The planning happened in secret, and they were so well-organized. A couple activists were able to stop the buses taking the 70 people to be Streamlined right by the federal courthouse, and others rushed to circle themselves around the bus wheels and confounded authorities by the materials they used to reinforce their linked arms. They
remained there connected for hours, inhaling fumes as the buses were
still running (thankfully maintaining the air conditioning for the
people aboard! But who really knows what was going through their minds
as they saw all these crazy people yelling and chaining themselves to
their bus!). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A group of protesters joined those locked around the buses doing the actual obstruction of Streamline, and soon, the street was blocked off. Another group of prepared activists also chained themselves to the gate on the side of the street, referred to later as the "gaters."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And Operation Streamline was stopped for the day. Due to the protest, the defendants were not able to meet with their attorneys in the morning, so they could not be prosecuted in the afternoon. 18 doing civil disobedience were arrested. More on this later. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's a follow-up article including a
more comprehensive look at Operation Streamline history and practice:<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/11/operation-streamline-tucson_n_4085798.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=1075734b=facebook" target="_blank"> Huffington Post</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here are a few more from the day: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/activists-chain-themselves-to-%E2%80%98deportation-bus%E2%80%99-in-tucson--ask-obama-to-halt-all-deportations-204724643.html" target="_blank">Activists chain themselves to ‘deportation bus’ in Tucson, ask Obama to halt all deportations</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/arizona-immigration-protesters-block-court-proceedings/story?id=20549378" target="_blank">Arizona Immigration Protesters Block Court Proceedings</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://nbclatino.com/2013/10/11/lying-under-tires-immigrant-rights-activist-block-operation-streamline-bus/" target="_blank">Lying under tires, immigrant rights activists block Operation Streamline bus</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you'd like to check out any video footage, here's a couple options: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBW5ydJjMwA" target="_blank">Shutting Down Operation Streamline; Tucson, AZ Oct 11, 2013</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">25 minutes of video coverage: <a href="http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/10/breaking_demonstrators_blocking_deportation_buses_in_tucson.html" target="_blank">ColorLines</a></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And the following is my coverage of the event! Yes,
I was there, at least for part. I had to go to the food bank for our
program in the morning, but with my arms full of peanut butter jars, Amy
Beth called me to get down there as soon as I finished the appointment.
So I hustled home, threw the perishable items in the fridge, and called
her again to figure out exactly where they were. And I hopped on my bike.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I got there, the buses were already blocked off. I innocuously asked police officers what was going on, and they said something cryptic, not that they were closing the street because of a protest. So I biked around the side of the federal courthouse, parked my bike in their bike rack, and strolled through the parking lot, around to the side to find the "gaters" and their supporters.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKg_mgGExEB3Od2i5lR-9wyxRi-UVsA401a2aqHsWTcoDimzuIskWo2MboFgbhmaoihQv12ecd3T1yLD7UAApmku7cVt62_dA70g2O4SQWatKiPk-7-AqnnNYkaJXvurKNrOJsJ3U5CHA/s1600/IMG_9916.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKg_mgGExEB3Od2i5lR-9wyxRi-UVsA401a2aqHsWTcoDimzuIskWo2MboFgbhmaoihQv12ecd3T1yLD7UAApmku7cVt62_dA70g2O4SQWatKiPk-7-AqnnNYkaJXvurKNrOJsJ3U5CHA/s400/IMG_9916.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By this time, the protest was in full force, with chants, and signs, and the whole shebang. </span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSoKcfDroAsojqgnHedoOR6InRC0I385WW0SIJqD8ft61ZNi5YwL8QB7_BgkL4Pw2B-keEYsbqTx2Z2CkkMnJYIqhKyC6cYgtKGoAU4lfZCHEjMmCpnnG6oTklyaUxznG0JzONuzPoA8/s1600/IMG_9928.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSoKcfDroAsojqgnHedoOR6InRC0I385WW0SIJqD8ft61ZNi5YwL8QB7_BgkL4Pw2B-keEYsbqTx2Z2CkkMnJYIqhKyC6cYgtKGoAU4lfZCHEjMmCpnnG6oTklyaUxznG0JzONuzPoA8/s400/IMG_9928.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One chant: "What do we do when our community's under attack? Stand up fight back!"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr21A-mnqj7gkOxPSZqZysMZ1vZh7y61ln7U6N61ZNi1DMnQkeKKXdODgUdsQJVSDmMZRTLMaQ438vqkmyKy9aWY2nzqEQ8jHvqrMKjMwduCyvTEYG4AHP5DyKD6WbsAa0YBtvAVrtdk/s1600/IMG_9920.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr21A-mnqj7gkOxPSZqZysMZ1vZh7y61ln7U6N61ZNi1DMnQkeKKXdODgUdsQJVSDmMZRTLMaQ438vqkmyKy9aWY2nzqEQ8jHvqrMKjMwduCyvTEYG4AHP5DyKD6WbsAa0YBtvAVrtdk/s400/IMG_9920.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr21A-mnqj7gkOxPSZqZysMZ1vZh7y61ln7U6N61ZNi1DMnQkeKKXdODgUdsQJVSDmMZRTLMaQ438vqkmyKy9aWY2nzqEQ8jHvqrMKjMwduCyvTEYG4AHP5DyKD6WbsAa0YBtvAVrtdk/s1600/IMG_9920.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A peek of the "gaters" from the side. They linked themselves to each other with PVC pipe, and the people anchoring on the ends locked their necks to the gate with bike locks. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqdOgjlX2ONK0iIGi9g1ADvi-Kh-PA3bDrs2B6Oq3q6HJYDO_vxe0FLEtbqqsXQqBBiyAV2Yve30HJ_mkHReo6B1SDnX1dRBy2xHSdrK6KedAQ8fUFpQQJVzLekzaPfBnzyhx8DFyUs0/s1600/IMG_9963.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqdOgjlX2ONK0iIGi9g1ADvi-Kh-PA3bDrs2B6Oq3q6HJYDO_vxe0FLEtbqqsXQqBBiyAV2Yve30HJ_mkHReo6B1SDnX1dRBy2xHSdrK6KedAQ8fUFpQQJVzLekzaPfBnzyhx8DFyUs0/s400/IMG_9963.JPG" width="400" /></a></span>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another chant: "CCA go away!"</span>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWb8VjsFfoBs5DGROYveIAT6e0yScAoaSLHDJfP3A8tnZGnt_WrCD4HVU7TBhh8oeswuiaeqViA3VcXguu5gpJh1yRWqsKAXEtKk91H7ZfDhBe0PfHnYkZacffs1NmLeekAv6qyDKlio/s1600/IMG_9933.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWb8VjsFfoBs5DGROYveIAT6e0yScAoaSLHDJfP3A8tnZGnt_WrCD4HVU7TBhh8oeswuiaeqViA3VcXguu5gpJh1yRWqsKAXEtKk91H7ZfDhBe0PfHnYkZacffs1NmLeekAv6qyDKlio/s320/IMG_9933.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My fellow chanters - Ali (Tucson YAV alum and now our steering committee president) and Amy Beth - one of my current YAV housemates!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGg8qWIMAhoJ3RmBEyIkCIeHK2HiF59X6q3ePHdSUbtORjwajmO4cwDk48C8sXqhZis16Xc01VVn2jbG5V_elONfF7BCSLOuPRbnfxPu4c-7CxRkcBdT5jN85qQsyevJdgTM6K2YkoZU/s1600/IMG_9936.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGg8qWIMAhoJ3RmBEyIkCIeHK2HiF59X6q3ePHdSUbtORjwajmO4cwDk48C8sXqhZis16Xc01VVn2jbG5V_elONfF7BCSLOuPRbnfxPu4c-7CxRkcBdT5jN85qQsyevJdgTM6K2YkoZU/s320/IMG_9936.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5YuaTk8GRPlzWypFqyVSbqiXutfxewnDTn1PSaxYavPTY-IXkGNpweiAn_hf06pzpAjBX3dqwQbGV0LWBtqtvC23JNncufd0POFXUvFvJr0p-l12CyAadH5W3YvArrHJQV2Y9jAMoeA/s1600/IMG_9954.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5YuaTk8GRPlzWypFqyVSbqiXutfxewnDTn1PSaxYavPTY-IXkGNpweiAn_hf06pzpAjBX3dqwQbGV0LWBtqtvC23JNncufd0POFXUvFvJr0p-l12CyAadH5W3YvArrHJQV2Y9jAMoeA/s320/IMG_9954.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Female demonstrators who had performed something earlier in the day before we got there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The other side of the street: members of the media, other onlookers, and some people getting some shade.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This issue connects a couple generations. The woman to the left in the left photo is Southside pastor Alison Harrington. And the woman to the right in the right photo is Margo Cowan, Pima County Public Defender. Both are inspiring and very active in the community.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpXpF6iWd4XFsv82gHI8zy9pgBRSzWWjMfvZtlo0fwhI3Gke5VSLPa1ZJ42F9toSv_gVslDnHwjtFivlBK4sJKVVoSMcfO29DIR0qLVCzCF9HYBt0sVkzm2tUzsiWRDcIfyse92GZpc8/s1600/IMG_9962.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpXpF6iWd4XFsv82gHI8zy9pgBRSzWWjMfvZtlo0fwhI3Gke5VSLPa1ZJ42F9toSv_gVslDnHwjtFivlBK4sJKVVoSMcfO29DIR0qLVCzCF9HYBt0sVkzm2tUzsiWRDcIfyse92GZpc8/s320/IMG_9962.jpg" width="213" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fxElAOs0utXYjSNQvhqCARLsqyuWuKVJ6QtaN7EgXkuDeCZnh3lrn_FgkR5bAfXa5P6kNkvzVL40PK-PgTlO-AKNw9c0GxWRxMt2-ujdbsY6QxbjOWay3jZ_lQrt3TbAj7-rq_2JMSg/s320/IMG_9960.jpg" width="213" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"We pay 17 million a month to CCA. The Post Office costs 14 million a year."</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKO6_wXlSLlaI31_H267zAv4Hbp2CyCiGGI5Ctd4wcRFp5KMNlwbEohTBfuNPKpmt9_OkPESvaW7gl28K_NaLZ5Wr4-HHj87-qZdKhjEaBpyYMM7M3VBjNXSWiLCL3IfT3tHBvsy0Nm3k/s1600/IMG_9980.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKO6_wXlSLlaI31_H267zAv4Hbp2CyCiGGI5Ctd4wcRFp5KMNlwbEohTBfuNPKpmt9_OkPESvaW7gl28K_NaLZ5Wr4-HHj87-qZdKhjEaBpyYMM7M3VBjNXSWiLCL3IfT3tHBvsy0Nm3k/s400/IMG_9980.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Different chanters took turns to keep the energy alive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Here's the side where I was with Ali and Amy Beth most of the time.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"TUSD (Tucson Unified School District) closed 11 schools for budget cuts. $17 mil a month for Streamline."</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Officials unsure of what to do about the human chain.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marshalls begin closing the gate - no Streamline buses today!</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Up up with liberation, down down with deportation!"</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marshalls start to move in from across the street.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keeping the "gaters" well-hydrated from hours in the sun.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbh0jnIhOvCrjW6dkRpwS91bax4J6q96qrS4RsoReSs4bQT__m7dlchRBoksT7jPk5d2upN9HT605Hw0LEjXOixrztAQ-Ho3W7VyXgxgAG-9vkW7hntuzTutCumqlFJTBACPk0fw_pNmI/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbh0jnIhOvCrjW6dkRpwS91bax4J6q96qrS4RsoReSs4bQT__m7dlchRBoksT7jPk5d2upN9HT605Hw0LEjXOixrztAQ-Ho3W7VyXgxgAG-9vkW7hntuzTutCumqlFJTBACPk0fw_pNmI/s400/IMG_0054.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Awaiting news.</span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8Uj_9pp3NyheerYm_RRlPPmEKctNQm195H8vJaQ_ZXdCrejkhatcXMfmKYm2OSRDpCvK_snDDnsEsNY94utfNksiZUhK6aH51GIp8wO_jLBNT7MwVOsLkxQ-rPOWUL0rR3Mv5jvKeJg/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8Uj_9pp3NyheerYm_RRlPPmEKctNQm195H8vJaQ_ZXdCrejkhatcXMfmKYm2OSRDpCvK_snDDnsEsNY94utfNksiZUhK6aH51GIp8wO_jLBNT7MwVOsLkxQ-rPOWUL0rR3Mv5jvKeJg/s400/IMG_0059.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chanting "Undocumented and unafraid; Sin papeles y sin miedo!"</span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbDMjoWT-riwFuUZNqLbmIBxJ92jX9zD-2weVPiHWqXNogZy1XkcYOqyYiP08j5bkIMb73iCBYXiu39-lNLPZTfOuE77qcxMUWuQWx9xeIblJtizsmjDZoGEREgc2wKcdeodxFbsp1Dw/s1600/IMG_0062.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbDMjoWT-riwFuUZNqLbmIBxJ92jX9zD-2weVPiHWqXNogZy1XkcYOqyYiP08j5bkIMb73iCBYXiu39-lNLPZTfOuE77qcxMUWuQWx9xeIblJtizsmjDZoGEREgc2wKcdeodxFbsp1Dw/s400/IMG_0062.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Housemate Steph! Rock it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGt0AI1FD2oyBaA0evVMsyEBA9Z3WUEH78BdHri4unx_YNvouj3jsTgoSNKi3A3iIXBg2N5bi0nQAQA8rs_-nueL7wMJM9Cg4DFQfG0KuIYvXXpjzBg0DKnl6zc6_uX0XHxeFz4_wb7s/s1600/IMG_0064.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGt0AI1FD2oyBaA0evVMsyEBA9Z3WUEH78BdHri4unx_YNvouj3jsTgoSNKi3A3iIXBg2N5bi0nQAQA8rs_-nueL7wMJM9Cg4DFQfG0KuIYvXXpjzBg0DKnl6zc6_uX0XHxeFz4_wb7s/s320/IMG_0064.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then...... the announcement came! "The judge has gone home for today." </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Streamline has been shut down <i>by the people</i>. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzl8ACxpFMtHMGboZuvC_3Aa67F5AOP4IJef8Fv8T1qX3NDwA9RGXNjZ3657308oHFpM-l5LTs_R5UPZt8tk8R59har3GZAf0s7wiHyG1qruG9IjWhPUpWgvUm-blZJgJqRZXVsr0WRU/s1600/IMG_0070.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzl8ACxpFMtHMGboZuvC_3Aa67F5AOP4IJef8Fv8T1qX3NDwA9RGXNjZ3657308oHFpM-l5LTs_R5UPZt8tk8R59har3GZAf0s7wiHyG1qruG9IjWhPUpWgvUm-blZJgJqRZXVsr0WRU/s320/IMG_0070.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What a
glorious moment, "Streamline shutdown by the people," placed there by
dearest activist and Southside Worker Center coordinator, Raul
Alcaraz-Ochoa. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_jK_Md9Zh5PVyNr3bFaUB8VJPs4FrNLUbzXlrCwgx82YIqMBI8VLnzTn8cN33JGeDlJpIT_rPx_QQqBr4w-7mFbcgoDLXnSyp9MdT447gKhZdWUH0oZdH_CHUgFENyiibTewdTOm_8Y/s1600/IMG_0082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_jK_Md9Zh5PVyNr3bFaUB8VJPs4FrNLUbzXlrCwgx82YIqMBI8VLnzTn8cN33JGeDlJpIT_rPx_QQqBr4w-7mFbcgoDLXnSyp9MdT447gKhZdWUH0oZdH_CHUgFENyiibTewdTOm_8Y/s320/IMG_0082.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mission accomplished.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AwalZ6G8Nd412bEEFfijXcz7jViRSTISthP0HrEaIqEUSm_nzAuU3Yh2wq3B0-oZ7s3ezVSHSqLCjc-C7X5XVFQBcifYIF1TkNIKXs6kNjdIkacCKinTqH6GbJFcDsZbN1GeOIbKP-4/s1600/IMG_0079.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AwalZ6G8Nd412bEEFfijXcz7jViRSTISthP0HrEaIqEUSm_nzAuU3Yh2wq3B0-oZ7s3ezVSHSqLCjc-C7X5XVFQBcifYIF1TkNIKXs6kNjdIkacCKinTqH6GbJFcDsZbN1GeOIbKP-4/s400/IMG_0079.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Why can't we live together?"</span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzBktz9p5TuFGP-4J52pWOJpxgFHLOrWH5nmCaK0YaMTueXbV_9BD8YGd-HqrWpmV502KFjEQCXWosbgME_8yIxe8RHp2yMH2Uiu0Chhu5HgtYnk_NpmV5JenXZ7n3GfjnBBC8WzyQuw/s1600/IMG_0091.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzBktz9p5TuFGP-4J52pWOJpxgFHLOrWH5nmCaK0YaMTueXbV_9BD8YGd-HqrWpmV502KFjEQCXWosbgME_8yIxe8RHp2yMH2Uiu0Chhu5HgtYnk_NpmV5JenXZ7n3GfjnBBC8WzyQuw/s320/IMG_0091.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Official message at 12:35pm: Operation Streamline has officially been shut down for the day - the judge that runs the courts went home, so there would be no deportations through Streamline today.</span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qiphy7jv-eGzoKNeKvLa3KMLKrsC2MGVYdXDI_yErWNWg5NZFA6HUUh6f1oQ4o0caVlnM-hctJYTkYOJuSDjS3UAQBqeYL2eihCc-Aoh3nVHJZB-XM6Vir6Hx8cIIIgN7gbaHXuxgvU/s1600/IMG_0097.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qiphy7jv-eGzoKNeKvLa3KMLKrsC2MGVYdXDI_yErWNWg5NZFA6HUUh6f1oQ4o0caVlnM-hctJYTkYOJuSDjS3UAQBqeYL2eihCc-Aoh3nVHJZB-XM6Vir6Hx8cIIIgN7gbaHXuxgvU/s400/IMG_0097.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The human chain stood up to start removing their reinforcing equipment following an agreement with the marshals, hoping to save the equipment for future actions...</span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogA0y2Ci7ueUwspb6LWJ41ddHt2PSZxcoCd6TlaTX266-Jy4DdlhNU92vRR_EMcXJN3m786xS6Y84nhfqTJGH4C9n_WpDWd0qh15sm0_hJx4pPU55csaHT9ZrGjmBC72OW2haXXi0w3c/s1600/IMG_0098.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogA0y2Ci7ueUwspb6LWJ41ddHt2PSZxcoCd6TlaTX266-Jy4DdlhNU92vRR_EMcXJN3m786xS6Y84nhfqTJGH4C9n_WpDWd0qh15sm0_hJx4pPU55csaHT9ZrGjmBC72OW2haXXi0w3c/s320/IMG_0098.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />And then police and marshals moved in on the crowd to make everyone disperse, taking away the chained people after they unlinked themselves. </span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6x-zqEmYIjg2wiF_ZEgRiX9eVpsyyP5godzKuNwnaVwr_aC6ogofWmAwMX6QPJvS0Swjm-BPYJwpQiGA4tNozWqH1fPPF-r36BA77wRRJPd_RlgFobCfGNM4183hjtyUOpOG487MBjxk/s1600/IMG_0103.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6x-zqEmYIjg2wiF_ZEgRiX9eVpsyyP5godzKuNwnaVwr_aC6ogofWmAwMX6QPJvS0Swjm-BPYJwpQiGA4tNozWqH1fPPF-r36BA77wRRJPd_RlgFobCfGNM4183hjtyUOpOG487MBjxk/s400/IMG_0103.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />The crowd swarmed in to get pictures, and some were shoved back by police. </span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DPTebsDm-EyihSxCLTAngXA4it451DRuZW_7yuPfLZsofnOurNABy7VPpKxuTHVkGhDK5oakUr0ZTqCWCJnSF0YCRfLwS9ASy6pGTj7qom18ZW7jWlNGkPWkYWXZgOTdYwf_7_rqA4g/s1600/IMG_0109.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DPTebsDm-EyihSxCLTAngXA4it451DRuZW_7yuPfLZsofnOurNABy7VPpKxuTHVkGhDK5oakUr0ZTqCWCJnSF0YCRfLwS9ASy6pGTj7qom18ZW7jWlNGkPWkYWXZgOTdYwf_7_rqA4g/s400/IMG_0109.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Police took away the civilly disobedient, and supporters followed. </span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDegVKaXHcOINcwItGLx8EA32HLIHAK___AzPyrI9UvEs5iJQ8IPkOynqI9nvBzDb-LiddLGU8OiDoL3EJ924aia4VeKuRs05SZDcXPC4_bWVa4JHBsvAQgSNxG3bB18O96ezNT_gKJ0/s1600/IMG_0112.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDegVKaXHcOINcwItGLx8EA32HLIHAK___AzPyrI9UvEs5iJQ8IPkOynqI9nvBzDb-LiddLGU8OiDoL3EJ924aia4VeKuRs05SZDcXPC4_bWVa4JHBsvAQgSNxG3bB18O96ezNT_gKJ0/s400/IMG_0112.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Law enforcement and a protester talking it out.</span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnFIJdOoorem-AQLNMh8Cuf1gBCRV81PqAMaPeFeH5XaMZZKlTpzL4dwzoPvO-mm-CAkK512_-iheesWRq7q3aMtNCN0E-BW4n2tEvlBL85690N3Z1Bq1uOuQeLIpRJnztbNp__HuJZg/s1600/IMG_0120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnFIJdOoorem-AQLNMh8Cuf1gBCRV81PqAMaPeFeH5XaMZZKlTpzL4dwzoPvO-mm-CAkK512_-iheesWRq7q3aMtNCN0E-BW4n2tEvlBL85690N3Z1Bq1uOuQeLIpRJnztbNp__HuJZg/s320/IMG_0120.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"La lucha no será en vano" - "The fight will not be in vain."<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprWYKENhUd5zlSeG5EtmpjumC5TVbdj7kWOdyFsCTrkRKHfzsTa-85HCAAdmC8vVkxBWGc1GTnfxNoT63AymN3ke5r7vvotNumJKQN6UqUDEqFdWeHIs2CJRZTaMObIGoP1QtSwx5-r0/s1600/IMG_0124.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprWYKENhUd5zlSeG5EtmpjumC5TVbdj7kWOdyFsCTrkRKHfzsTa-85HCAAdmC8vVkxBWGc1GTnfxNoT63AymN3ke5r7vvotNumJKQN6UqUDEqFdWeHIs2CJRZTaMObIGoP1QtSwx5-r0/s400/IMG_0124.JPG" width="400" /></a></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />The scene through the fence behind the federal courthouse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ7XVUGJaCZsague6a0T2E6vxD682Vpwajvf6bWXjq9coYJfU6G8ON068bLNPlRIgcH5uMv_mPzbu7v5nsCJ0R-MDIfCEiBaN92HAea6JuPuI-cHtSgm4EGGh8oQKqxEa_iPly4SUYVs/s1600/IMG_0126.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ7XVUGJaCZsague6a0T2E6vxD682Vpwajvf6bWXjq9coYJfU6G8ON068bLNPlRIgcH5uMv_mPzbu7v5nsCJ0R-MDIfCEiBaN92HAea6JuPuI-cHtSgm4EGGh8oQKqxEa_iPly4SUYVs/s400/IMG_0126.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Accessibility to technology makes it so easy these days for people with access to their pocket-sized camera or smartphone to grab shots and be their own media to spread the word in addition to the pro cameras behind them.</span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62pTJayJkN3VAXUKaueNhTRahSps1K0IcxXXpjq_i5zsIh3GFfup2hMGdFFGW174GCdpsvVKXdjc3aEKf9cdVhwDlS_bFDYSr0KEejoANxQ1KpCh4mbAOIyJdOINj6ILxDHZXFWhqrw8/s400/IMG_0129.JPG" width="400" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And here's proof that I was here! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdcj-XGwH3SS6ZaUHbNQhLOFi1TlBjCxqj6k68tiCppk6hUQAFNL-jEFeVB4QxnSqSNx3Ga3BrcvsUxHeWaIm89_JZo1VSeprrqCnFLX_gViZNUK6xinLcaVVYuCGty7U4Qv1-l9S0dg/s1600/1146842_686578984693878_1504236307_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdcj-XGwH3SS6ZaUHbNQhLOFi1TlBjCxqj6k68tiCppk6hUQAFNL-jEFeVB4QxnSqSNx3Ga3BrcvsUxHeWaIm89_JZo1VSeprrqCnFLX_gViZNUK6xinLcaVVYuCGty7U4Qv1-l9S0dg/s400/1146842_686578984693878_1504236307_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No doubt, I am excited to have been a part of this
historic day. It feels good to do something. But I also must challenge
myself about what I am doing in response to the injustice I have
witnessed. I went to a protest where several people took radical action
for what they believed, and I stood with them. I was one part of keeping
them energized with my voice. I was educating myself. I am now writing
about it to whomever feels like reading this. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am the first one to admit I am still in the midst of discernment about the concept of doing
civil disobedience, of intentionally breaking a law to make a point. As
much as I have heard my amazing home church community talk about and
value getting arrested to stand up for
justice, this is still a very abstract concept to me. I am one to value
the social contract, where at the most simplistic basis of political
science, we enter into a pact as a collective of individuals because it
is a more effective way to get resources and protection than fending for
ourselves. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we enter
into the pact, that means the collective sets the rules. How those rules
are determined is also set by the collective. Everyone should play by
the rules, and if an individual or group does not agree with the rules
set by the collective, it is their responsibility as a member still to
work within the rules to change the one they disagree with or suck it up
(to put it bluntly). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But if the game, or the system itself is unjust,
does it then follow that it is always right to work outside the system?
Or is there still value in working with and even working within existing
structures to change minds and practices for the long haul? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My issue is when we pick and choose what rules we
want to play by when we are enjoying the rights and privileges of the
social contract. The social contract does not mean we have to agree with
everything set by the system, but if we don't, we either accept it or
do something about it with your fellow people within the system you all
have agreed to. Granted, that assumes all individuals still believe that
system as a whole makes them better off, otherwise you all scrap it and
make something new, or you take your leave from the proverbial island.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am nowhere near the first person to be asking these questions, but when injustice is systemic, I still have to ask myself "What
is my role in the struggle?" My first instinct is always to work with
the system in place, with intentionally disobeying the law as the last
resort. I still have more processing to do, though, and I am going to
leave it up to the individual to figure out if/when they find breaking
the law the best course of action to work for the arc of history to bend
towards justice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In this specific case, what was the goal of the
protest and the action, and through that action, was the goal achieved?
The direct action was to stop two buses and to close a gate with the
larger intention of shutting down the judicial process that is Operation
Streamline. On that single day in Tucson, Operation Streamline was shut
down. And these actions in fact started a ripple of protests around the
country to shut down local ICE offices to prevent deportations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There
is give and take, and we all have to look at if we want our strategy to
follow Machiavellian's "ends justify the means." We disrupted the lives
of government officials probably just trying to get through the day and
believing they were doing the right thing. And the 70 people who would
have been streamlined were apparently deported more swiftly than typical
cases because of the action. <a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/attorney-says-border-crossers-at-center-of-tucson-protest-were/article_35832061-a1e6-57ea-a5b7-bfbdd158e072.html#.UloggUPajYo.facebook" target="_blank">Attorney says border-crossers at center of Tucson protest were deported. </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Did
we do the right thing for those 70 individuals in the midst of the
broader quest for an end to Streamline? For me personally, we were on
such a high from actually shutting down Streamline for the day but the
wind was taken out of my sails when I read those 70 people were quickly
deported. They were not criminally prosecuted, and without but their
deportations were expedited. Deportations keep happening, and so it
goes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All is not lost with those 70 individuals, however. <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45,"tn":"*G"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-size: large;">October
24th</span>, there was a <span style="font-size: large;">press conference</span> as the Pima County public defenders' office
starts to make its case against felony charges for the 18 activists who
blocked the two Streamline buses. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The view from the 21st floor in downtown Tucson!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAbTsqtr1APXiXphLSwaDBmrzpwHA0XCCFM5s30UjkdwxT9S_fuqyXkRpMhTmTyw4vo1il91Da_A0qm438vz1OSBX6i21iOee-b_6tvjmBYcml0N0DK4gmqLmPGSsLql940F8tGcgccA/s1600/la+foto+2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAbTsqtr1APXiXphLSwaDBmrzpwHA0XCCFM5s30UjkdwxT9S_fuqyXkRpMhTmTyw4vo1il91Da_A0qm438vz1OSBX6i21iOee-b_6tvjmBYcml0N0DK4gmqLmPGSsLql940F8tGcgccA/s400/la+foto+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Defendants gather. 18 activists were charged with felonies in helping 70 people avoid criminal immigration charges. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDk4gyLA6SSrQIqoZ7kns8mm_jekkEAvuJWYFHcu3ctL97AJVHaeK19MUUenjHZBqut_u-saE6qY0mSb5dqtoi-A4aVrJNvX6RQhHHF7qrXLVmpTKlDvXSFEL5zmmOAGJfB3AWQUWE31k/s320/la+foto+3.JPG" width="240" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45,"tn":"*G"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Part
of the defense strategy is putting a call out to find those 70
individuals from the buses to tell their stories, attorney Margo Cowan
explains here. "They were deported quicker than we have ever seen... But we know those on the buses. We know their stories." The public defenders' office is committed to finding the humanity in this situation, contacting organizations and shelters along the border. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv67HwtO0U0nsyLCPQl8Hg5STi6xawl6uHZ6_D4jKdKDdirwyQ7CR3mdAyimL8HSUCiJ7USbcl3tyFNXt-1rJEqhv555rSDbYBMmzJcbQ_r0tXby8wC2shvoBqBg5k90o46kUaYqHuQ5Q/s1600/la+foto+2+%282%29.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv67HwtO0U0nsyLCPQl8Hg5STi6xawl6uHZ6_D4jKdKDdirwyQ7CR3mdAyimL8HSUCiJ7USbcl3tyFNXt-1rJEqhv555rSDbYBMmzJcbQ_r0tXby8wC2shvoBqBg5k90o46kUaYqHuQ5Q/s400/la+foto+2+%282%29.JPG" width="400" /></a><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45,"tn":"*G"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45,"tn":"*G"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">She
added, "There is some incredibly pressing human condition to make you
decide to cross the desert. Your removal instead of prosecution probably
ranks pretty high in your life. They're talking to others about what
happened - their lives have been changed and we're confident they'll
call us... If they're in Mexico and it's necessary for them to come to Tucson [for the trial], we'll ask for them to be paroled in."</span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In their defense, several of the activists shared testimonies of undocumented individuals and friends they have been affected by. This man talked about a father named Claudio who was active in his daughter's education. Claudio was deported and picked up in the desert on his way back to his family. His daughter dropped out of school one month from graduation. They were not on the bus, but they are community members, just like those individuals who were about to be Streamlined. On those buses were mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, grandparents and grandchildren, children and friends, just like the people we know in our own communities. </span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5FHMSR68vP1eJtH20iOgWyP_UOcThOe5o1S1DPRAHS5CYJMBj2gIg9AlWWwmgg9GJFXDlncieMAd6RkRqF53_1rdMhrqtnISo9d8y-rwZl3GIC5rqro44BGNCPLXiOpzVcGXgrTn2hQ/s1600/la+foto+3+%282%29.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5FHMSR68vP1eJtH20iOgWyP_UOcThOe5o1S1DPRAHS5CYJMBj2gIg9AlWWwmgg9GJFXDlncieMAd6RkRqF53_1rdMhrqtnISo9d8y-rwZl3GIC5rqro44BGNCPLXiOpzVcGXgrTn2hQ/s320/la+foto+3+%282%29.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The aftermath of Shutdown Streamline: Tucson Edition:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I took my Carpe Diem delegation down to Nogales in late November, on our visit to the Kino Border Initiatives' comedor, a cafeteria run by the Catholic organization that provides free meals to migrants, I noticed the sign on the wall saying if you were one of the 70 stopped Streamline deportations, to call a certain number. West, our contact there, said they were indeed doing what they could on their end to find the individuals who were deported that day. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As for the activist defendants, felony charges have been dropped, but the cases are still in process. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And since this epic day in Tucson, there has been a wave of "Shutdown ICE" protests around the country - starting in Phoenix and heading to California, New Mexico, New Jersey... Monday, December 16th, there were actually protests simultaneously in DC and LA! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maybe
civil disobedience isn't your thing. Maybe it is. I will leave that
decision up to you. What every single person who wants Streamline to end
can do though, is <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">sign and share</span> this petition: <a href="http://endstreamline.org/petition-to-end-operation-streamline/" target="_blank">EndStreamline.org.</a> Really. </span></span></span>Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-69189583158370383252013-12-19T22:13:00.002-06:002013-12-19T22:58:59.598-06:00Tucson Mom Detained! Help Keep Her Family Together!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="userContentWrapper aboveUnitContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">
<div class="_wk mbm">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="userContent">A
hardworking mom of the Tucson community has been detained by Border
Patrol - please consider calling for her release to keep this family
together!</span></span></div>
<div class="_wk mbm">
</div>
<div class="_wk mbm">
<span class="userContent"><br /></span></div>
<div class="_wk mbm">
<div class="_wk mbm">
<span class="userContent">I just heard about
this as I sit in the Phoenix airport waiting to be reunited with my
family back in Minnesota for the holidays. What irony. Dario and Danilo,
two wonderful young men I have gotten to know from ScholarshipsAZ
(partner organization of BorderLinks) were hoping to just got home and
hang out with their family after finishing college exams today, but they
met hardship instead of celebration. I don't know the full story, but
their mom was pulled over while driving, and she has been detained by
Border Patrol. </span></div>
<br />
<span class="userContent">Dario wrote: "</span>I
was looking forward to today, but i walked out of my exam to find out
that my mom had been pulled over as she was driving and is now being
held by border patrol. To think that she is gonna spend nights in jail
and is in risk of being sepa<span class="text_exposed_show">rated from
us is so unfair. For the next few days i will need the support from
every one of you. My family has already been separated in the past and
i'm not gonna let that happen again, I need you! I need you to call
border patrol to the following number and demand her immediate release
by reading the following script. I need you to call multiple times and
to share with your friends and family. Do it for her, do it for what is
right, she doesn't deserve this! No one deserves to be separated from
their mother!"</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">And from Danilo: "</span><span class="userContent">My Mother Got Detained! Please help me and my
family stay together for the holidays by calling the Tucson Border
Patrol Station at (520) 514-4700 and (520) 748-3000. Please help us! We
want to be together with our mom. It will not take more<span class="text_exposed_show">
than a minute of your time and it will be greatly appreciated. We don't
want to be separated from our mother!!! Please Help Us!!"<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span style="font-size: small;">Please, if you have the time, make a quick call. The info is all there. Community support does help prevent detentions and deportations! Help keep an amazing family together! </span></span></span><br />
<span class="userContent">
</span><span class="userContentSecondary fcg"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkGJQIRoSnSDIra8acVj4yu4qLFUTtaGyCC87DYh-dxVz3UXJ-uk4YJLdZaX9YuSZUWDNEU1-CM339YrsFzLv35RTo514rrfNrpxvGaCGCYThODV_3ydh8YZVvKapumcN3Q41Et95nwE/s1600/1513284_10152084902866335_1167084281_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkGJQIRoSnSDIra8acVj4yu4qLFUTtaGyCC87DYh-dxVz3UXJ-uk4YJLdZaX9YuSZUWDNEU1-CM339YrsFzLv35RTo514rrfNrpxvGaCGCYThODV_3ydh8YZVvKapumcN3Q41Et95nwE/s640/1513284_10152084902866335_1167084281_n.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
<br />Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-22524488496009840502013-12-12T14:02:00.000-06:002013-12-19T16:42:10.643-06:00Operation Streamline Part One<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear friends,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This
is something I have been wanting to write about for so long but kept
putting off. It is without a doubt the hardest part of my job. Not
balancing planning and organizing delegations with staying on top of
immigration news, getting out BorderLinks' monthly email in a timely
fashion, driving a 15-passenger van, or looking to native Spanish
speakers for help with simultaneous interpretation when an animated
maquiladora worker excitedly tells a five-minute long story about
organizing a union in the factory without pausing to breathe and wanting
to get every last detail communicated in English. (Respira, respira - breathe, breathe).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love my work, and I love that every day is different. I love that I get to <i>learn</i> and <i>experience</i> and <i>be challenged by</i>
so many different things and help make it possible for others to do
that as well. But I'd rather not experience this. I'd rather them not
experience this. But as long as it goes on, we have to because we have
to end it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This
is the hardest part because it is emotionally hard. And I will have to
do it, have my heart broken, endure, and endure, and endure countless
times throughout the year with every delegation I lead. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been a witness to <span style="font-size: large;">Operation Streamline</span>
four times. I have been once as an assistant delegation
leader as a part of my BorderLinks training, once on our YAV border
delegation with YAVs from Tucson, Austin, and Denver, and I have since
been twice as a part of my own delegations that I am leading. There are
times to be objective, systematic, and academic, but in these cases I do
not want to be cold. I do not want to become calloused. <i>I don't want it to stop bothering me.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I started writing about Operation Streamline in my previous blog post, <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/11/immigration-101.html" target="_blank">Immigration 101</a>. The basic gist that I wrote is this: "The government's intent was to make it so hard for people
to cross that they wouldn't try anymore, but since people are still
coming. In [2005 in Del Rio, Texas] they started criminalizing immigration violations and
detaining people for months instead of simply deporting them. This
program called Operation Streamline exists in several cities, and at
least in the Tucson sector, 70 people are arbitrarily chosen to get
streamlined and criminally processed every single day within a span of a
half hour to 1.5 hours. Sentences range from 30 days to 6 months in detention." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The following is more of my take, but if you'd like to see a video rundown en ingles y español, click here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7NjMiITdlM" target="_blank">Operation Streamline: The Mass Incarceration of Migrants. </a>Or if you're more of an academic journal person, try this:<a href="http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Operation_Streamline_Policy_Brief.pdf" target="_blank"> 2010 Review of Operation Streamline</a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">With
BorderLinks, our typical delegation framework</span> when we take groups to
Streamline (which happens every day Monday to Friday, 1:30pm to whenever
it's done, in the specially built special proceedings room) is that we
have lunch at BorderLinks and head out around 1pm, stay however long it
takes, do a short debrief, and then talk with a public defense lawyer
who will help answer all the technical legal questions. Therefore, my
writing about Streamline is grounded in four times witnessing, four
times conversing with public defenders, and four times feeling confused
and helpless. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This
special proceeding is open to the public, as long as everyone fits in
the seven to eight pews in the rightmost section of the room. No cameras
are allowed into the federal courthouse building, and technology that
can be brought into the courtroom must be turned off. So we have no
record, or at least I don't (some people out there I'm sure have
sneakily taken photos or recorded on their smartphones), about the
spectacle of, to generalize, 70 brown people shackled at their hands,
waist, and ankles, guarded and represented by majority pale people, in
what is the most elegant room perhaps the majority of the defendants
have ever set foot in.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
original idea was to create a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal
immigration and to process every illegal entry criminally instead of
just civilly by way of immigration enforcement (aka just deporting
someone right across the border or back to their country of origin). If
it were truly zero-tolerance, the estimates are that 600-700 people
would have to be processed criminally per day. Instead, the Tucson
sector only has the infrastructure to process 70, so it is effectively
about a 90-percent-tolerance policy. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With
the courts already backlogged, how do we stick a whole bunch of people
with the same criminal charge in a lot less time than it takes to
process each individual case through a trial? Streamline. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Defendants
are effectively signing a deal to plead guilty to a misdemeanor of
illegal entry, and the federal government will waive the charge of
felony illegal re-entry. Then, based on number of prior deportations and
if there are other crimes associated with illegal entry defendants are given sentences between the parameters of 30 and 180 days, with time already served in detention credited towards their sentence, thank goodness. However, because it is an <i>en masse</i> hearing, judges do not say out loud in court the reasoning for each individual's sentence length, which leaves us witnesses speculating. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">An
additional factor in the confusion is that in Tucson there are seven or
eight magistrates who sit on the bench for Streamline, and every time I
go for the next few times I could see a new judge. And because t</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">here
is so much judicial variation, </span>in how the Streamline process is carried out, I should probably do a better job of bring a notepad into the
courtroom instead of almost completely covering the back of my hand with
all the differences I noticed like I did during my most recent Harvard
Divinity delegation. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
part of the court proceedings the public
does not get to see is the time where defendants meet with their lawyers
earlier in the day. Thanks to Gideon v. Wainwright, every defendant in a
criminal case that cannot afford a lawyer will be appointed one, so
everyone is assigned either a public defender, or, because the federal
public defenders office's budget has been slashed, a contract lawyer
working for about $110/hour.
Each lawyer in Streamline for the day will receive 4-5 cases and a
limited time to meet with all of them, so each defendant ends up with
about 20-40 minutes with their lawyer to explain the terms of their
case, their rights, and the plea deal, as well as look for any possible defense to take the case to
trial or make an asylum claim. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At least the system recognizes the vast majority of the defendants in Streamline are Spanish speakers, and therefore there is a court interpreter and lawyers
have to be bilingual in English and Spanish. Many of the lawyers
themselves are Latin@, but as someone with a college degree in the U.S.,
legalese is still wonderfully complicated in my primary language. Think
defendants understand what their rights are and what they are agreeing
to with one or even two language barriers if their primary tongue is
neither English nor Spanish but perhaps an indigenous language? If it is determined that a defendant is not at a level of understanding due to mental competency or language barrier, the case is often either given more time or thrown out.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A few more of the basics based on what I have seen and been told:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Border Patrol has a lot of discretion over who out of the 600-700 daily illegal entries gets streamlined.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Most Streamline cases are processed within a week of when a person was picked up by Border Patrol.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- When we the public see them, defendants are seated in the courtroom in the clothes in which they were arrested. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-
Out of the 70, usually 2-5 of them are women. The rest are men, some of
whom look as young as 14, and some of whom could be in their sixties.
To be processed in Streamline you are supposed to be a legal adult, but sometimes minors say they are 18+ so they are processed with a family member of the same gender. Minors are sent to different facilities, as are males and females.</span><br />
- Every defendant is shackled at three points: their hands, around their waist, and between their ankles, allowing for only short strides. I've heard different rationale for this from different people, one saying that every federal criminal defendant in that building is shackled. Another said that only when the defendants outnumber the court marshals is everyone shackled, for safety reasons, of course.<br />
- The judge addresses all of the defendants at once to read the charges and make sure the defendants understand their rights. Every judge does this differently, and with different speed and intentionality in their voice. <br />
- Groups of five to seven come up to the front to stand at microphones with their lawyers. They are then questioned individually these days, with different groupings of questions depending on the judge. <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-
In hearing judges read off, "Mr./Ms. ______, are you a citizen of _____ and
did you enter the United States on ________ away from an area or time
designated by U.S. immigration authorities?" (or some variation of this), you usually learn where people are from. Mexico has the largest representation, unsurprisingly, but other typical homelands are El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- </span>Normally all you hear an individual say is "si," "no," and "culpable" (guilty).
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And then they are led away.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have personally seen it take 33 minutes to process 70 defendants. <i>33 minutes</i>. And I have seen it take around two hours. Has justice been served here? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One public defendant we have met with said first thing, "So, you are all shocked and appalled at witnessing brown people being shackled who are economic refugees." From there, we processed more of what we saw and heard, and contextualized it within economic systems and the private prison industry booming as a result of the criminalization of economic refugees.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is when I struggle the most </span>between being professional as a delegation leader and <i>experiencing</i>
right along with my participants. There is delicacy required to
impartially (as impartially as possible) opening a space for others to
experience and form their own conclusions, contributing your knowledge
without tainting their organic takeaways or guiding them to what you
want them to get out of it, and sharing your own reactions to grow with
your group.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My
first Streamline experience was unfortunately an excellent trial run
for professionalism vs. being human. I was as an assistant delegation
leader with Alex's group from Phillips Theological Seminary. I had spent
some time with them the couple of days prior, so we had some foundation
for relationship-building. I sat in the front row next to a
participant, a forty-something year-old woman with whom I had shared
some decent conversation. I'm pretty sure she had also been one of these
forty- to eighty-year-olds on this delegation who had given advice to
me, this 23-year-old, as parents would. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sitting in the front row on the right side of the courtroom, we were the last thing defendants saw before they disappeared through the side door to await their return to detention. Most were led to the door with their lawyers and stopped to thank them, once in a while glancing over at the peanut gallery. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But one man, probably in his thirties, in his last moments in the courtroom, paused and turned around just before passing through the door. He looked each one of us in the front row in the eye, and just nodded. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I took that as to mean he intended to thank us for being there, and I just cried. I hate crying, and for much of my life, I haven't. </span></span>But this, <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I couldn't take it. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've learned it takes something to be vulnerable with other people; to share yourself with other people. I'm still not good at it, but I don't know if anyone really ever is. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Outside the courtroom afterwards, I had the opportunity to walk with her as the group migrated to the public defenders office, and I apologized for crying. She refused to accept my apology, and instead told me that it was powerful for me as a leader to experience that with them, and to acknowledge my own humanity. And that is why I say as I have to bring groups, and <i>bring myself</i>, to Streamline time in and time out, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I don't want it to stop bothering me.</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first time, I remember feeling
like it was a zoo. That, to be very blunt, we were a bunch of white
people watching brown people led around in chains. As other people I
have connected with through BorderLinks have said, it is just another
facet of the criminalization of dark-skinned and indigenous people. And
as my delegation co-leader from HEPAC, MaryCruz, says, "History does not
repeat itself. We repeat history." We have choice in the matter. But we
continue to tell people their way of life isn't valid, and whomever
does not fit into our framework is cast aside and/or criminalized. And we silence them.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Voice. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To me, the most important piece of Streamline is <i>voice</i>. The voices that drown when you have an <i>en masse</i> hearing for 70 people. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The voice that fill the courtroom versus the Spanish interpretation that flows only to the headsets of defendants who need them. </span></span>The power of the voices of different judges as they vary in their approach from "Get me the heck out of here" and throwing three questions mumbled in succession at each individual, to "I really want to make sure that you understand your rights and that you know what you are agreeing to," to "Do you have anything you would like to say?"</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Typically, even when a judge asks, "Do you have anything to say?", the answer is "No." However, it does happen that there is a precedent set by one person who speaks up, and then others follow suit. My first time at Streamline, a man in the very last group spoke up and said, "I just want to say that even though we came here illegally, no human being is illegal, and I just wanted you to know that." The judge could have ignored his comment or replied in any number of ways, but she said, "Thank you for saying that, and I'm sorry." I feel it was such a tragedy for only four other defendants to hear his message. What power that would have carried for the other 65.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last time, near the last few groups, three out of five spoke up and shared their reasons for coming into this country without the requisite documents. One talked of his sick mother in Mexico that he had to send money back to. Another talked of reuniting with his son in the United States. And then a third said he needed to find work in the states to support his wife and three children back in Mexico.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The judge this time took it upon herself to tell each of them variations of this message: "I understand things are hard, but your family needs you to be safe and working back in Mexico. I know you want to do what is best for your family, but what is best is for you to be with them."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clearly she was giving them the best advice she could think of. But first, that doesn't address the issue of separation from family in the U.S. And two, that demonstrates a lack of understanding on her part about the economic situation back home. That if there were work back home that paid enough to take care of their families, they would not have risked their lives to come here.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One man from Mexico was not wearing the earphones for interpretation, instead going through the entire court proceeding in English, signifying he had either practiced a lot of English in Mexico, or he had been in the U.S. a long time and was immersed. He used his voice in a way very powerful for us, which was not in front of the entire court, but when he reached the audience before going through the door, he said to us in perfect English,</span> </span>"Have a good day."<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Ay, mi corazon, my heart. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In my four times at Streamline, I've only seen one case thrown out because of a language barrier. Typically that would happen in the morning before the public proceeding, but this young man was just 18 years old, his first language was one I had never heard of, and when it was his turn at the front, his lawyer just noted to the court that they had some problems with understanding and asked for more time at the end. The lawyer claimed that they could go through the court proceeding because even though it was clearly evident that he did not understand everything that was being said, he had up to 8th grade education in Spanish and understood alright when it was written. The judge did a verbal evaluation with them after everyone else had left the courtroom, and she in agreement with, surprisingly, the prosecutor, advocated the case be thrown out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This transpired under a female judge who spoke deliberately slowly and clearly and asked many times throughout the process for the defendants to confirm understanding or raise questions if they had any. She is the only one I heard ask if anyone wanted more time with their lawyer, and one defendant actually took her up on that, standing up and receiving a sidebar with his lawyer while the first group of five processed to the front for questioning. How would defendants know they have a right to and deserve more time with their representation? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And how do you listen to 70 people saying <i>"culpable,"</i> <i>"guilty,"</i> when </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">they hang their heads to confirm they crossed the border without the permission of the mighty United States?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When it is in fact the responsibility of the mighty United States to <i>prove</i> they performed the action of crossing the border without permission at the specified time and place, like the prosecution asserts?</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When they perhaps have a claim to asylum or derivative citizenship or another defense, but just didn't have enough time with their lawyers? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When if every single Streamline defendant chose to take their individual case to trial, it would overwhelm the system and who knows what would happen? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But do you encourage defendants to do that when they resign themselves to being <i>culpable</i> and just want to get this over with so they can serve their time and get out of detention as soon as possible, rather than waste in detention waiting for a trial for an indefinite period of time?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When they know they could get out in 30 days, or 85 days, or 160 days to try to find work to feed their families? </span><br />
<br />
How do you bear witness to this?<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I have no good answer, and that is the struggle.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Further rhetorical questions:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What
does it mean to be a witness? Do your best to acknowledge the humanity
of others? How do you do that? Share someone's pain for that split
second of eye contact? Share their joy that this process is over, or
that they got a shorter sentence than it could have been? How in the
world do you communicate numbness, anger, hurt, frustration, <i>helplessness</i>, etc. in a single glance?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is no justice served here, in my opinion. </span>This
is when I feel most helpless in my job. But people in Tucson are doing
something about it, from BorderLinks where we feel nearly every
delegation should witness Streamline, to the End Streamline Coalition,
which has more action-driven intentions - including a letter campaign to
all lawyers and judges to demand them to recuse themselves from
participating in Streamline, so as to jam the cogs in the machine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And
on October 11th (goodness, this was a long time ago!), people chained
themselves to the federal courthouse gates and around two buses to
prevent Operation Streamline prosecution and deportation proceedings,
and they succeeded! "According to multiple sources, as a result of the
three and a half hour long and continuing peaceful blockade, the court,
for one of the only times in it’s history, cancelled the proceedings
where detainees are presented in shackles in front of a judge and
sentenced as a group" - <a href="http://www.notonemoredeportation.com/2013/10/10/tucson/" target="_blank"> Tucson Blocking Deportation Buses</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“'Any</span>one
who witnesses Operation Streamline will come away convinced
that it is both unconstitutional and immoral,' explains writer and
author, Roberto Cintli Rodriguez. 'There is no justice in that
courtroom. It violates every principle the US claims to ascribe to.
When humanity is confronted with unjust laws, it is our responsibility
to challenge them.'” I have since met this author, who happens to be a
professor at the University of Arizona, on several occasions because he
is so active in the community, and I am amazed by how he <i>shows up</i>
for different organizations working for immigration justice on top of
his work in the classrooms about reinvisioning the colonial Americas and
patterns of migration. And he makes the time to get to Streamline
regularly to continue to be present, to continue to be a witness, just as we do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If
you're feeling overloaded already, just think I was about to make this
blog post about three times as long! Instead, I decided to focus on the
initial Streamline experiences and heart-mode in this post. In the
next installment of Kathryn Witnesses Operation Streamline, I'll take
the corporeal to the streets and dive into the
intellectual/philosophical realms with some political theory and civil
disobedience. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
Hasta pronto,<br />
KathrynKathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-61014284637682468732013-11-25T00:23:00.000-06:002013-11-25T00:23:07.182-06:00Immigration 101<div>
Hi friends, it's good to connect with you again! </div>
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First, I want to bring a <span style="font-size: large;">quick fundraising note</span> to your attention. Every YAV is asked to raise $3000 to to contribute to their year of service, and each YAV site is asked to raise an additional $3000 per YAV (AKA $9000 between Heather, Amy Beth, and myself). The wonderful news is that the three of us Tucson YAVs have already met all our individual goals! In my case, my home church of St. Luke Presbyterian blew me away by fundraising for the Tucson YAV program through their Change for Change effort in the month of June, and many friends and family contributed as well through St. Luke. I am forever grateful to all who helped make my journey here possible through countless ways, including blowing the individual fundraising goal out of the water!</div>
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And here's another piece of exciting news that we learned today: three months into our YAV year, we are only $500 away from meeting our collective house goal! We would love to meet our house goal by the end of the year so that our site can stay financially afloat, make it possible to recruit more YAVs for next year, and keep deepening our connections with the Tucson community. </div>
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So if you are so moved, please consider supporting our social justice ministries on the border by helping us meet our Tucson YAV site house goal! You can do that by clicking the "donate" button on the upper left side of my blog site, or here: <a href="http://www.tucsonborderlandsyav.org/" target="_blank">Tucson/Borderlands YAV Site</a> </div>
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Whether or not you can give/have given financially, thank you for your love and support!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_7DYFcNSX80pbGwiR3tmsSQDf2iZZWfxcwGJ3Ky029QbY81NlUWLeDunfEqKGlSBRrMdyTCzNXoivBw0cptdmTUZKHOQ4d5paEmZZKptFkrH3r75z4TLWmyf4zP3Tsd8Guw8j2k263s/s1600/IMG_0734.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_7DYFcNSX80pbGwiR3tmsSQDf2iZZWfxcwGJ3Ky029QbY81NlUWLeDunfEqKGlSBRrMdyTCzNXoivBw0cptdmTUZKHOQ4d5paEmZZKptFkrH3r75z4TLWmyf4zP3Tsd8Guw8j2k263s/s400/IMG_0734.JPG" width="400" /></a></span> </div>
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Thanks from the Tucson YAVs! Under our Día de los Muertos face paint, that's me, Heather, and Amy Beth. Without your support, we would not have been able to experience this Mexican/Central American cultural tradition Tucson-style!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Switching gears to the actual work on the ground... </span></div>
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A few weeks ago, I received an email from a young man who grew up in my home church who I had not connected with much over the years, but now he is a freshman in college! How life flies. Anyways, he told me he had to do a speech about border control and immigration, and as he knew I was down here working on the border, he wanted to ask me a few questions. As if I'm some sort of expert - I certainly do not feel like an expert, but I am very flattered! </div>
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The legal framework surrounding immigration policy is the second most complicated body of law in the United States, second only to our tax code. In my short time here, I can now definitively say immigration law is not a career path I intend to venture into, and I'm even more grateful to those who do dedicate their lives to it! All I can do is give some thoughts on my experience and point him
towards some more resources and questions to research, but I took a bit
of time to answer as comprehensively as I could (while
boiling down the main points, and I'm sure oversimplifying an
unimaginably complex issue), and I felt like sharing what I wrote with
you all in case you are wondering about some of the things that are
going on in my head these days within the broader national picture on
immigration.</div>
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As for the three questions this young mind asked me to cover, here's a summary: what I'm doing at BorderLinks, three points to focus on in the speech, and why people want more or less control on the border. You may have seen or thought about some of these topics or points of view before, but here's everything in the neatest package I could tie up for you. Here goes! </div>
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At BorderLinks, I say that I am part social media master, part Program
Organizer. I am in charge of maintaining our Facebook, blog, and
website, as well as helping with some event planning, hosting workshops,
and community outreach. On the Program Organizer side, in mid-November I
will start leading delegations to show people the reality of the
Borderlands by having groups meet with various community partners as
well as cross the border to Mexico if they can do that. Our main goal is
to create space for people to learn and reflect about the border and
migration, and then hopefully inspire people to use their knowledge when
they go back home.<br /><br />
<div>
Just a note, I approach this
subject purely from a U.S.-Mexico border standpoint and primarily
looking at migration from our neighbors to the south. However, there are
other people as well that are coming from other countries, through our
southern border or other ways, perhaps even on a temporary visa and then
overstaying that visa to effectively become undocumented in the U.S.
Also, I am focusing more on actual trends of immigration and border
militarization than what's going on in the U.S. once people are here
undocumented. If you want me to go into that, I can :-)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Three things I would recommend focusing on:</span></div>
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1)
Strategy of deterrence. President Clinton politically needed to "get
tough on immigration," so he was advised to expand the wall that started
under Pres. H. W. Bush. First, the wall covered urban areas because
they were the easiest to sneak through and blend into the crowd, and
then people started going around, so the wall kept growing. The point
was to make it so tough for people to cross that they would tell people
back home, and fewer people would cross. But people kept going around
the wall, and eventually the trend is that the wall is most lax around
the Arizona desert, but people kept coming, and then they started dying
in the desert. The government's intent was to make it so hard for people
to cross that they wouldn't try anymore, but since people are still
coming, in 2011 they started criminalizing immigration violations and
detaining people for months instead of simply deporting them. This
program called Operation Streamline exists in several cities, and at
least in the Tucson sector, 70 people are arbitrarily chosen to get
streamlined and criminally processed every single day within a span of a
half hour to 1.5 hours. Sentences range from 30 days to 6 months in detention. The point is to look at the strategy of deterrence and
how effective it is. </div>
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2) Along those lines, with our current border enforcement strategy,
are we really keeping out or punishing the people we want to keep out
or punish with our criminal justice system? The Obama administration
said they would target people who are considered "threats to society"
for detention and deportation, but is that what has really happened?
(Check out articles below)</div>
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3) In my mind, our approach to border security and immigration policy
needs
to address the root causes of immigration. What factors lead people to
leave their homelands to face life or death, extortion, sexual violence,
etc. countless times perhaps on top of trains from Central America,
throughout migration routes in Mexico, across the border with a
smuggler, and days of walking in the desert?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">More control:</span></div>
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People
are being smuggled across the border, drugs are being smuggled across
the border, cartel violence south of our border affects the borderlands
and spills over the border. And it is indeed a threat to national
security to not know who all is living in your country. There are many
economic arguments as well, such as undocumented immigrants are a drain
on our social services and undercut our labor system by being willing to
work in poorer conditions for less wages. Because people, drugs, and
other things we don't want in our country keep coming across the border,
the argument is to step up enforcement and pour more resources to stop
these things from coming across. It would be helpful to research
arguments around immigration and reform in general to know why people
want to step up enforcement.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Less control:</span></div>
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I would
perhaps think of this as more effective use of resources. When we look
at the root causes of migration, we could instead try to work with
sending countries to provide more economic opportunities and peaceful
conditions so people wouldn't flee their homelands. Also, if we stopped
targeting people who's only offense was crossing the border, we could
shift resources from apprehending and deporting those people and also
from paying detention centers to catching and prosecuting people who
actually have committed crimes such as rape, murder, extortion,
smuggling, etc.<br />
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<div>
One worrisome trend is the collaboration
between local police and federal immigration authorities, which gets
labeled "polimigra," police-migra (or border authorities) through the
federal Secure Communities program. Especially in Arizona, state law SB
1070 makes it legal for local authorities to ask for documentation under
reasonable suspicion, but police are in fact not required to either ask
for documentation or call border patrol. However, the law is often
abused, and people are pulled over for routine traffic stops and asked
for their documentation, and if they are discovered to be undocumented,
border patrol is called, people are held for longer than it is actually
legal, and they are often deported. Many deportations happen as a result
of routine traffic violations, and further, the trend is that people
who are undocumented do not want to report an accident or crime for fear
of being asked their status and then being deported.<br />
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Another aspect to think about is the
environmental impacts. The wall not only tries to stop people, but it
actively prevents many birds, plants, and animals from their natural
roaming patterns. Additionally, the wall's construction disturbs the
environment around it, and Border Patrol vehicles often go off-road and
destroy the habitat in the process. Here's the Sierra Club Borderlands
page if that helps: <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/borderlands/" target="_blank">http://www.sierraclub.org/<wbr></wbr>borderlands/</a><br />
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I would also like to point you
towards a <span style="font-size: large;">few good articles</span> I've come across that could help, and since
we're an educational organization, I have plenty more - just ask if you
want more!<br />
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Check out this article from the NY Times: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/opinion/not-one-more.html?_r=0" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/<wbr></wbr>10/28/opinion/not-one-more.<wbr></wbr>html?_r=0</a>.
This obviously does not represent the opinion of everyone on the border
or in the immigration debate, but it does encompass what a lot of
people are looking for from the Borderlands.<br />
<br />Here is a comprehensive look at Congress' "Bed mandate" that perpetuates the system of criminalization and incarceration:<br /><div>
<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-26/congresss-illegal-immigration-detention-quota-costs-2-billion-a-year" target="_blank">http://www.businessweek.com/<wbr></wbr>articles/2013-09-26/congresss-<wbr></wbr>illegal-immigration-detention-<wbr></wbr>quota-costs-2-billion-a-year</a> </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Here is another good look at militarization of the border
- Todd Miller writes for Witness for Peace and also is on our
BorderLinks board, which is a cool connection since I also used to work
for Witness for Peace and am still involved as well.</div>
<a href="http://www.witnessforpeace.org/article.php?id=1364" target="_blank">http://www.witnessforpeace.<wbr></wbr>org/article.php?id=1364</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
Hope that is helpful and all makes sense! If you have more thoughts
or questions or want more resources, please do not hesitate to let me
know. I am happy to help! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
All the best, </div>
KathrynKathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-79720588857716893252013-11-12T10:23:00.000-06:002013-11-14T22:34:30.822-06:00Tucson: Immigrant-Welcoming City<span style="font-family: inherit;">This post is an update regarding the three Tucson community members, Arturo, Agustin, and Rosa, who were taken into ICE custody on October 8th despite peaceful protest from Southside Presbyterian Church members and the broader Tucson community. Here is my previous blog post on this topic if you want a refresher: <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/10/ni-una-mas-continued.html" target="_blank">Ni Una Mas Continued</a>. Thankfully, all three of them were soon thereafter released on bond! They are still waiting about the details of their cases, however. In the meantime, they can be with their families and go back to work. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Additionally, these three can advocate for the undocumented community that continues to live in fear of simple infractions that lead to polimigra cooperation and deportation. You can read about some of the follow-up here: <a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/call-for-a-solution-to-civil-rights-standoff/article_a41f044b-9fdf-5afd-a502-63edc18f9d99.html" target="_blank">October 21st follow-up article</a>. This time, the Tucson community decided to exercise their rights to have their voices be heard at a public forum with the City Council. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The word went around to gather the community on October 22nd, so Amy Beth and I went to show our support. Steph wanted to go, especially because she was part of the spontaneous non-violent protest (<a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/10/fuera-polimigra.html" target="_blank">Fuera Polimigra</a> is about our experience with the incident), but she could not get back from work in Florence in time, so we helped recap the meeting for her when we got home. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can honestly say I've never been to a City Council meeting before! The idealist in me was excited to see the community and its democratically elected leaders working together, and I hoped <i>something</i> would come of this more than disgruntled activists voices finding a space to vent and then being forgotten. Many waited outside City Hall in anticipation, and we've discovered you get to see a few of the same faces taking time out of their lives to do justice work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmHjjvNt5mVJA4XiwABW2puKnFnQqlBCqax7ElQW6y9Xfq2D0hLfgm9uf2V5nfEV1Z_4owxjV2UbKPDnjlpUpkqGjZp2AmGy7RfS4yK0b7L9FscKCkBO2kCz3XsmlUmZxWUu3MgyuCAA/s1600/IMG_0182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmHjjvNt5mVJA4XiwABW2puKnFnQqlBCqax7ElQW6y9Xfq2D0hLfgm9uf2V5nfEV1Z_4owxjV2UbKPDnjlpUpkqGjZp2AmGy7RfS4yK0b7L9FscKCkBO2kCz3XsmlUmZxWUu3MgyuCAA/s400/IMG_0182.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The media is here too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETRpgn95_dCfdqaxLin0O4HH0_hWuc2Z0VOaMJrofKIUNwxj2eSaUzCm6l7eyt4up1Sd5RhIp6gvbnsztoyGBAQTeSTqgd4unr8x_LPH2MNvmXtORj4CzCt77KwJr9d6Aq4bZ8j-9V9Q/s1600/IMG_0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETRpgn95_dCfdqaxLin0O4HH0_hWuc2Z0VOaMJrofKIUNwxj2eSaUzCm6l7eyt4up1Sd5RhIp6gvbnsztoyGBAQTeSTqgd4unr8x_LPH2MNvmXtORj4CzCt77KwJr9d6Aq4bZ8j-9V9Q/s400/IMG_0183.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Delicate shadows befall the center of the city at 5pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSssKi5nQiQuPhSzdvb3gd1J1YVERxLunydYkzAzsXBqk9LNvEVEKFJUG-Q_uJ2hdlX8lPu4ZnCQZR6pO60q49nVfs_sxYV2bbvzs-t9vjS-tmzajj4cLmqfstFqNpIrAked9LZEVGWEU/s1600/IMG_0187.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSssKi5nQiQuPhSzdvb3gd1J1YVERxLunydYkzAzsXBqk9LNvEVEKFJUG-Q_uJ2hdlX8lPu4ZnCQZR6pO60q49nVfs_sxYV2bbvzs-t9vjS-tmzajj4cLmqfstFqNpIrAked9LZEVGWEU/s320/IMG_0187.jpg" width="213"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvZnZIfOFhtb8FHwN6bZgUL5s-7N3V8tTHBFz6KXXSDnFfoxoY6VsoZzYja7Tu30DzHv37Uiv9JSNHUNWxA4gp_jFBfnCQuTwSrgmTtGSizTRapB4fWZ-3EzYEy2oPgmYkuMmuFgcV2U/s1600/IMG_0186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvZnZIfOFhtb8FHwN6bZgUL5s-7N3V8tTHBFz6KXXSDnFfoxoY6VsoZzYja7Tu30DzHv37Uiv9JSNHUNWxA4gp_jFBfnCQuTwSrgmTtGSizTRapB4fWZ-3EzYEy2oPgmYkuMmuFgcV2U/s320/IMG_0186.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH72g-B2SJ6_oExgoBuG_hN0woPMCxOnDsZxyGr025chkATzxOYqLZZ6quPTM6Gtd1Lf5spbdu9b0Ws9le0hB-Wwjnc8j5wboD-R59G0FiQJBbhYieV_jsZtOCYkgI135-MfefH-Fcl-E/s1600/IMG_0190.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br></a></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When it was time to enter, community members passed one-by-one through a metal detector and bag search, for our safety of course. Amy Beth and I walked through the double doors past security and into the hall just as a prayer for actions under good conscious was beginning. I at first wondered if that was because many of the community members were from Southside Presbyterian to support their fellow community members who do not have what is considered proper authorization to exist in this country, however, I soon learned it is customary. Customary? Customary to have prayer in one religious tradition when we purport to abide by religious freedom through the Bill of Rights for all? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Separation-of-church-and-state commentary aside, the room filled despaciadamente, gradually, after the prayer and Pledge of Allegiance as people got out of work. Hey Amy Beth! (She's in the blond ponytail and black shirt). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGS9UO6F3hAwIu1jrjDY6iPsdYt47FWSz95qkwvJ5GoY8PJCmMbl09HTcI3SfhjR8dvMIRVo95vzaA4S2DXrxi4rYPXlbF8AxhzJVhTXhn_gznBFSwr0UjcqvlZv6ns8ApkOwO85Sres/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGS9UO6F3hAwIu1jrjDY6iPsdYt47FWSz95qkwvJ5GoY8PJCmMbl09HTcI3SfhjR8dvMIRVo95vzaA4S2DXrxi4rYPXlbF8AxhzJVhTXhn_gznBFSwr0UjcqvlZv6ns8ApkOwO85Sres/s400/IMG_0194.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGS9UO6F3hAwIu1jrjDY6iPsdYt47FWSz95qkwvJ5GoY8PJCmMbl09HTcI3SfhjR8dvMIRVo95vzaA4S2DXrxi4rYPXlbF8AxhzJVhTXhn_gznBFSwr0UjcqvlZv6ns8ApkOwO85Sres/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I just kept sneaking photos as the City Council went through their usual business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeu2ykGtzVyAOb5uBCx51S_6wt6609btx9WJpxGtsgLX_hxA6FHLt1XZ45awL6ITgRloJqUZfK3ro61om7jVMODNiPdVyVtYQaOID-g5vBxCF9_B-72j0tif-vg56upILXWPIAH8bilw/s1600/IMG_0197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeu2ykGtzVyAOb5uBCx51S_6wt6609btx9WJpxGtsgLX_hxA6FHLt1XZ45awL6ITgRloJqUZfK3ro61om7jVMODNiPdVyVtYQaOID-g5vBxCF9_B-72j0tif-vg56upILXWPIAH8bilw/s320/IMG_0197.jpg" width="213"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVz87ADcRry6B9rF3fZCWLt04ocJS5CPdqWZzenZ6EiAVXrDB9y1gpuuesFr33dbUwr4pSilTFY0Cmh_2xiCChi7bIjcvzljaHyPchhyphenhyphenZeZbVVBbBsGa47wstMUZsmBBSz4BE70F98jc/s1600/IMG_0198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVz87ADcRry6B9rF3fZCWLt04ocJS5CPdqWZzenZ6EiAVXrDB9y1gpuuesFr33dbUwr4pSilTFY0Cmh_2xiCChi7bIjcvzljaHyPchhyphenhyphenZeZbVVBbBsGa47wstMUZsmBBSz4BE70F98jc/s320/IMG_0198.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For a while the audience was mainly members of the allied community, and I was worried members of the affected community would not be able to or would be afraid to come. But they are amazingly "undocumented and unafraid," and eventually filled the room with members from the Southside Worker Center and Corazon de Tucson (community organizations that provide networks of support for day laborers and families of varying immigration statuses)!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlDpEf92G8S0-_yhhKWhzridwx2Rg8hDSJseVx0oyWN3UcE_HF36CuBDZ-9Vi2ZMDpshVWAAg3KGy71nvRkpox553mqL-MUpn-MqV5a5JPSygLnleaW7AE_KHQkdwxUXyUy7sx1KiPeg/s1600/IMG_0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlDpEf92G8S0-_yhhKWhzridwx2Rg8hDSJseVx0oyWN3UcE_HF36CuBDZ-9Vi2ZMDpshVWAAg3KGy71nvRkpox553mqL-MUpn-MqV5a5JPSygLnleaW7AE_KHQkdwxUXyUy7sx1KiPeg/s400/IMG_0206.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the back row sat Arturo, one of the men taken into custody on October 8th, and his family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJSzscu1wKh7nbudkQAuCaBpApyIk6mNc6UrhXUEoM5RM5C5gNcxPkhiyS1oKfSbAqJ94slR8Y31PpHkS2aLzKx_9JX8VU-9rLnonZu55AOUYAYUtlnYeTxulp_BFlNA5xU1ATR6IzrI/s1600/IMG_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJSzscu1wKh7nbudkQAuCaBpApyIk6mNc6UrhXUEoM5RM5C5gNcxPkhiyS1oKfSbAqJ94slR8Y31PpHkS2aLzKx_9JX8VU-9rLnonZu55AOUYAYUtlnYeTxulp_BFlNA5xU1ATR6IzrI/s400/IMG_0207.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hey Miquitzli! He's in the green shirt and one of the main organizers at the Southside Worker Center.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88s50YkE8_qu-bp4njcvYfpHsAFiQeLN-um4jxx4k4GI4nqqoiVLSVW7z48LGQbrxx3A9Je9UhhBZc5WeVwE4OtCGJkgU3k7mOiGaySCxuAxYtCMfsvUyvYoeScN5kp1Is9UVFP2-Xs4/s1600/IMG_0209.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88s50YkE8_qu-bp4njcvYfpHsAFiQeLN-um4jxx4k4GI4nqqoiVLSVW7z48LGQbrxx3A9Je9UhhBZc5WeVwE4OtCGJkgU3k7mOiGaySCxuAxYtCMfsvUyvYoeScN5kp1Is9UVFP2-Xs4/s400/IMG_0209.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the City Council got through what
they had to, the mayor made an announcement: "I think most people here
tonight for the call to the audience, so I will extend the call to the
audience to one hour." He went out of his way to recognize the time and
presence of all here to speak directly to City Council about their
concerns for the community. Three minutes per person is not a lot of
time, but it keeps things moving and ensures fairness to all who
submitted their name ahead of time. Another note of appreciation, this City Council was basically gender balanced! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Various cameras stayed perpetually pointed towards the podium when it became time for the community to speak. This young woman was first on the docket, saying, "I have always thought of Tucson as a welcoming city to all people," and demanding an end to the <a href="http://kemstravels.blogspot.com/2013/10/fuera-polimigra.html" target="_blank">polimigra </a>and attacks on brown people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQ_zvSTWbEnvwnwcn8EM9Es4wWu9v9JyrcEd6c7AJz-IPefqCSFv3-43dutnMkqIrUCT_BrI4HiW1xS-qt-Be73rRz2cAbY8NMxPnBeXc-NGX5rnL4UlInpU46VjnPHK7AhrDmPNf_rI/s1600/IMG_0205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQ_zvSTWbEnvwnwcn8EM9Es4wWu9v9JyrcEd6c7AJz-IPefqCSFv3-43dutnMkqIrUCT_BrI4HiW1xS-qt-Be73rRz2cAbY8NMxPnBeXc-NGX5rnL4UlInpU46VjnPHK7AhrDmPNf_rI/s320/IMG_0205.jpg" width="213"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvoLD9IccVY7ZaXkgZltCXND5J5ChGNHjjb5R0I64SihVdOW9MMZHbXdsQFZqlB6MTiNgKMDktq5vQDuppF17Pf9H7rMVkgvXlWThhG3HvB1X9tBQuJPUmrpyXJG8uHzDCYPBTnNzgPk/s1600/IMG_0203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvoLD9IccVY7ZaXkgZltCXND5J5ChGNHjjb5R0I64SihVdOW9MMZHbXdsQFZqlB6MTiNgKMDktq5vQDuppF17Pf9H7rMVkgvXlWThhG3HvB1X9tBQuJPUmrpyXJG8uHzDCYPBTnNzgPk/s320/IMG_0203.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, this woman spoke of her plight as an occupier. Her home was foreclosed on in 2011, and she has been occupying it since. She appealed to City Council's authority and purpose to represent the wellbeing of the community, which she certainly did not think was happening, especially with regard to the transitory lives of many of Tucson's people of lower socioeconomic status.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T9wStQIB1H4aRr2nRzzOK8aXxfdy4lHYaL0_QowuA3vAQ7j5RJk-5IlwHZ1gc-qPiRyFMuYLZWrtBlkjm4S6URObyxSJmO2rld3Q4hfMu4zl8NdsGun3obMtSLgI2zYo49bX0BfvZQQ/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T9wStQIB1H4aRr2nRzzOK8aXxfdy4lHYaL0_QowuA3vAQ7j5RJk-5IlwHZ1gc-qPiRyFMuYLZWrtBlkjm4S6URObyxSJmO2rld3Q4hfMu4zl8NdsGun3obMtSLgI2zYo49bX0BfvZQQ/s400/IMG_0208.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another group with members interspersed throughout the lineup wanted to hold the City Council accountable for its first plan to turn a private golf course into a family golf center. This group argued that since the initial plans had been made, different deals have taken place without public knowledge that would instead increase gentrification instead of opening the course up to the public. And it was fascinating who all put in their two cents about the October 8th incident and the collaboration between local police and immigration authorities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An immigration law professor added his legal knowledge and perspective to the incident at Southside, saying he had talked to the prior police chief before Chief Villaseñor, and with this new chief, he has work to do. This professor emphasized that the "show me your papers" part of <a href="http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf" target="_blank">SB 1070</a> section that requires local police to ask people to provide legal documentation has qualifiers, such as "reasonable suspicion" and "as practicable" so as to not hinder the processing of the original offense. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
language in SB 1070 gives local police considerable discretion as to
investigate someone's immigration status and further call Border Patrol
or ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).</span></span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And beyond that, a</span>s I've mentioned in prior blog entries, police need to have a reason other than immigration status first, such as traffic stops or another violation of law, and they are only allowed to hold the person as long as it would normally take to process the other offense, not any longer to purposely wait for Border Patrol. Consequently, the professor called for an investigation into not only policy, but also practices and procedures within the police force that will be in conformity with Tucson being an immigrant-welcoming city.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The room stood up to cheer when one of the victims of the October 8th incident was called to the podium. Arturo brought his family, and he brought the room to tears.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90xLP0F5HAvbYdGpA1oT15P46IGl-ON89pIF8xpE14DOu8W7RoFCKkPVR1GMLjz6f_Tk1A_xkDJThGyLInIHepB7nO4ThfGOuv-7HhMCNfwQXbvsC5ZeVcZa3BhsDe9zZc5JuhGlUdaI/s1600/IMG_0211.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90xLP0F5HAvbYdGpA1oT15P46IGl-ON89pIF8xpE14DOu8W7RoFCKkPVR1GMLjz6f_Tk1A_xkDJThGyLInIHepB7nO4ThfGOuv-7HhMCNfwQXbvsC5ZeVcZa3BhsDe9zZc5JuhGlUdaI/s400/IMG_0211.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iea9xg7TYMmHA-TfH2Vtwo837RgW8E2WPBw6plzIyT6wqSSxjTQZ5lyhfh8AP_VNSPqMlIBPdXKupeH5pfe_dLCp0F4oIBRll_VIj5DHQS51cY1N7Yfa2QyB8LAcqshY2KaAdF0OlQ8/s1600/IMG_0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another mother from Corazon de Tucson filmed on her iPad, and I snuck around to get photos from the front.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iea9xg7TYMmHA-TfH2Vtwo837RgW8E2WPBw6plzIyT6wqSSxjTQZ5lyhfh8AP_VNSPqMlIBPdXKupeH5pfe_dLCp0F4oIBRll_VIj5DHQS51cY1N7Yfa2QyB8LAcqshY2KaAdF0OlQ8/s1600/IMG_0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iea9xg7TYMmHA-TfH2Vtwo837RgW8E2WPBw6plzIyT6wqSSxjTQZ5lyhfh8AP_VNSPqMlIBPdXKupeH5pfe_dLCp0F4oIBRll_VIj5DHQS51cY1N7Yfa2QyB8LAcqshY2KaAdF0OlQ8/s1600/IMG_0212.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iea9xg7TYMmHA-TfH2Vtwo837RgW8E2WPBw6plzIyT6wqSSxjTQZ5lyhfh8AP_VNSPqMlIBPdXKupeH5pfe_dLCp0F4oIBRll_VIj5DHQS51cY1N7Yfa2QyB8LAcqshY2KaAdF0OlQ8/s400/IMG_0212.JPG" width="400"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWVo8fiJTKxlWUAcYofqWy-ZkCllCO1x-yNt1pBG9i2vZLAhKoOAqigr4Wu1Zv_iaqdTwAegiVfUkN5klXWMkMO0GlPP9Bp_aMzop0EXmRcZDEAOyBnZq_9vgI1wGljofsz14mg2UQYY/s1600/IMG_0252.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWVo8fiJTKxlWUAcYofqWy-ZkCllCO1x-yNt1pBG9i2vZLAhKoOAqigr4Wu1Zv_iaqdTwAegiVfUkN5klXWMkMO0GlPP9Bp_aMzop0EXmRcZDEAOyBnZq_9vgI1wGljofsz14mg2UQYY/s320/IMG_0252.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rosa, the community member who was swept off the sidewalk for just being present outside Southside on October 8th, is here in the blue shirt next to another woman from Corazon de Tucson and Agustin, also detained that night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFvcHIWefNpe-tzADUsIKhBio_PNSmXNt5M79nq-3Ym6zTG-FJcPH0RFMIYcHT5bmtLXLVrRE2Iydk50_UNX-N9YaOXZN_Sag0fKfaykBODTn3WS9mqOlo7iSz8FPXJnFrJt8DxLff6c/s1600/IMG_0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFvcHIWefNpe-tzADUsIKhBio_PNSmXNt5M79nq-3Ym6zTG-FJcPH0RFMIYcHT5bmtLXLVrRE2Iydk50_UNX-N9YaOXZN_Sag0fKfaykBODTn3WS9mqOlo7iSz8FPXJnFrJt8DxLff6c/s400/IMG_0213.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Arturo captivated the room in Spanish and the interpretation of his words in English. He explained how he did not understand why the police questioned him when he was simply the passenger. Agustin was the driver of the van without a front license plate light, so he should have been given a ticket y nada mas. But Agustin's documentation status was questioned, and then his passenger, Arturo's, which is quite against the law. And that's just the legal piece.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOi7aefDRFabFSNskYRkfgUJk6DbcuZoHR6usQLPxRZrETRzFUEsprZgHVOAZRVNZxKQc2zIxBq7l3601FJooA5HMoZl13wz7IJ8JHG_TsHbYAtHpIb19XvYO0sh6YfdFeE7a2WASQz0/s1600/IMG_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOi7aefDRFabFSNskYRkfgUJk6DbcuZoHR6usQLPxRZrETRzFUEsprZgHVOAZRVNZxKQc2zIxBq7l3601FJooA5HMoZl13wz7IJ8JHG_TsHbYAtHpIb19XvYO0sh6YfdFeE7a2WASQz0/s400/IMG_0216.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"We want united families... I hope you look at my children and see the face of America because they are citizens... We must protect families," he pleaded with the City Council, appealing to their hearts and minds alike.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0PnWn1j0vwCP7hEpqPxKl5wjgdSIjZNvd7Kp0DDGg281Kc9NpOhi8g6_W3YiprnO2RVJh012Ch-wuM6vGQzx7KoYQey2ywmferq1VXMg5k-t_M99ZoyqpmfcLgI8tS5qnJYL3mx1Xvk/s1600/IMG_0228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0PnWn1j0vwCP7hEpqPxKl5wjgdSIjZNvd7Kp0DDGg281Kc9NpOhi8g6_W3YiprnO2RVJh012Ch-wuM6vGQzx7KoYQey2ywmferq1VXMg5k-t_M99ZoyqpmfcLgI8tS5qnJYL3mx1Xvk/s320/IMG_0228.jpg" width="213"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQMYFuMsUEHKnWm6UOKdQ_6h3sf7RcPJOqB7LKB5d7TnUInPxmMQ2CUr_7cRiT-jWkNulXb1oqTnu11cVv32MRxQb9byxbaP-P4FWcVsaYeEDgVwuVmFMyUBdAkzGVweDHWfml-X3kvI/s1600/IMG_0230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQMYFuMsUEHKnWm6UOKdQ_6h3sf7RcPJOqB7LKB5d7TnUInPxmMQ2CUr_7cRiT-jWkNulXb1oqTnu11cVv32MRxQb9byxbaP-P4FWcVsaYeEDgVwuVmFMyUBdAkzGVweDHWfml-X3kvI/s320/IMG_0230.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Members of the community...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjut587551sulY-hTfeXTN3mnQjLRud506wB2kTTW4Hn7TrF8G0UnchvlmM6rBusNbahyOIf0eNqp3S3i1jfCxtysYaIw72NSci4lFKpRJKTUrxmuvMKZDvfMVOQjrfu0vk_eNHO504CoM/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjut587551sulY-hTfeXTN3mnQjLRud506wB2kTTW4Hn7TrF8G0UnchvlmM6rBusNbahyOIf0eNqp3S3i1jfCxtysYaIw72NSci4lFKpRJKTUrxmuvMKZDvfMVOQjrfu0vk_eNHO504CoM/s400/IMG_0218.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjut587551sulY-hTfeXTN3mnQjLRud506wB2kTTW4Hn7TrF8G0UnchvlmM6rBusNbahyOIf0eNqp3S3i1jfCxtysYaIw72NSci4lFKpRJKTUrxmuvMKZDvfMVOQjrfu0vk_eNHO504CoM/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> ... and members of the press took it all in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpPHHFqSMxWhsb3jeHiCg8Z5Ua-DwustmZtyLln2SLUv3Nj9iCanfKA8luJcjtJ1CFuzfyKpwyO2KSwK75EpV3r-PXBg8ts-VOtlkkDcCuiZVBCDE8bfl6UxQYEUZAfVrBAOvpEplMrs/s1600/IMG_0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpPHHFqSMxWhsb3jeHiCg8Z5Ua-DwustmZtyLln2SLUv3Nj9iCanfKA8luJcjtJ1CFuzfyKpwyO2KSwK75EpV3r-PXBg8ts-VOtlkkDcCuiZVBCDE8bfl6UxQYEUZAfVrBAOvpEplMrs/s400/IMG_0234.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And then the room rose in support.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnc-KJ17_nEN2lTJVpDDtXEUpvBx_sRVoXsxaJ-fP2tMnunNo1BktZ8ijCaRE172wNcpBFJrhqyTV2VyKp7Kw0ZDLi9tqenhuJ9NVJeFEwp5pqXdJqvLTl_jIMWWypcTxadso36QUrOAo/s1600/IMG_0238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnc-KJ17_nEN2lTJVpDDtXEUpvBx_sRVoXsxaJ-fP2tMnunNo1BktZ8ijCaRE172wNcpBFJrhqyTV2VyKp7Kw0ZDLi9tqenhuJ9NVJeFEwp5pqXdJqvLTl_jIMWWypcTxadso36QUrOAo/s400/IMG_0238.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">... Except for one man. He used his three minutes to speak about welcoming illegal aliens as an illegal act (his language, not mine by choice), which in a room full of day laborers and their friends and family, was a rather unpopular sentiment. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Another community member </span><br style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> They got their three minutes like everyone else through this public process. </span><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">From the Worker Center, Augustin was next up. He was the one who was actually driving the car with the missing front license plate light which catalyzed this whole incident. "I know I'm driving without a license, but so are others... Regarding this law, I ask for discretion. Just stop us, give us a ticket, and </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">stop separating our families</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">," he pleaded. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZK0feX_TATHZeHhmmiKuhj_aeXeqWb6AdLWEulrXw4hnN-qNVthuRoGzJAdoK_ggWSRTs_DBul9DYk973wxwHm4_NFE63fH7FLkko7Z6GlPwGznE6nDAN-NTMSHLALBctLrrbWEetJg/s1600/IMG_0240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZK0feX_TATHZeHhmmiKuhj_aeXeqWb6AdLWEulrXw4hnN-qNVthuRoGzJAdoK_ggWSRTs_DBul9DYk973wxwHm4_NFE63fH7FLkko7Z6GlPwGznE6nDAN-NTMSHLALBctLrrbWEetJg/s320/IMG_0240.jpg" width="213"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"The precedence of Tucson should be to soften city presence so that it supports, not represses... Supports the homeless and undocumented workers... This community is directly affected by deportations. I have so much anger because I am a religious person, and I believe God created this world for all of us to enjoy it."</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2LwFaB14QBITYuDzf3E3YsDPWV-smplM_HoUoGlp8LXJYe0CX_C68-kepLtAt57fcrI5lkTX-yzoMFlPfd9FI1E8dB05RYfWY1Y_IHcBlUJ6N6wqqfxCY-4kER-pz2P_P8WrXrPR3PI/s1600/IMG_0259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2LwFaB14QBITYuDzf3E3YsDPWV-smplM_HoUoGlp8LXJYe0CX_C68-kepLtAt57fcrI5lkTX-yzoMFlPfd9FI1E8dB05RYfWY1Y_IHcBlUJ6N6wqqfxCY-4kER-pz2P_P8WrXrPR3PI/s320/IMG_0259.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This student was present on October 8th and said she was a witness to police brutality along with other students, churchgoers, and community members. She declared definitively, "Traffic stops should never result in deportation and separation of families," which ellicited a roaring applause. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4qyMhM5-z6v14kqhkAPW8LFy_slKHJ6aZKeIRprZZ2dYe-Qttc8_yzXh0syRJxty8T2A8WYyzV5tRtYUan8AAk7-aO1Ktrc1eMEW1MirIrMAzRulTwIcm-o2Xh2477SxAPBsROFcDWo/s1600/IMG_0263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4qyMhM5-z6v14kqhkAPW8LFy_slKHJ6aZKeIRprZZ2dYe-Qttc8_yzXh0syRJxty8T2A8WYyzV5tRtYUan8AAk7-aO1Ktrc1eMEW1MirIrMAzRulTwIcm-o2Xh2477SxAPBsROFcDWo/s320/IMG_0263.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This woman was at Southside and demonstrated how her arm was twisted forcefully by police. "This was a meeting of Southsiders, 50-85 years old..." She told of one woman who is battling cancer and was wearing a scarf over her head, and she was thrown to the ground. She emphasized "These are <i>choices</i> we can make... We can separate the police from Border Patrol... This happened to white people, just <i>imagine </i>what happens to peope with darker skin out in the desert..."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYdQiqO3XslUajEDMnZwYO8nx_tV4KiS4G3imP0Wfh9FDiATCFQEHc4BJ-SWZ3QjoQzFIcVC9MTVTWbsWe5HsLmM2MeOhvVNQrpdIW3uEGBWZcesXnBsdDzBKKOCVbkc1Ja0rAscpJ5Y/s1600/IMG_0275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYdQiqO3XslUajEDMnZwYO8nx_tV4KiS4G3imP0Wfh9FDiATCFQEHc4BJ-SWZ3QjoQzFIcVC9MTVTWbsWe5HsLmM2MeOhvVNQrpdIW3uEGBWZcesXnBsdDzBKKOCVbkc1Ja0rAscpJ5Y/s320/IMG_0275.jpg" width="213"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then a mother and member of Corazon de Tucson came up with her adorable daughters. She tearfully shared how she <i>and her daughters</i> were <i>testigos a esa violencia</i>, witnesses to that violence. Her children asked her, "Why are they [the police] taking your friend? What did she do?" And this mother had to simultaneously scan the entire crowd to confirm that none of them had anything that could hurt anyone, and the only way she could respond to her daughters' fear was to shield them and respond, "I don't know."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4VXF-hvQWgxPdRRGWnp7_nEcHK795jN4hsonm20BthP2RyAi2n_hIKsHZu3mOYKgUUHEgDlCovLkqJqTeMjeF3qs9mri8xJaylhfWp_Bd6ynjysUSkoT_ol0kZ7Jh3R9sCEhInFa1Y4/s1600/IMG_0277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4VXF-hvQWgxPdRRGWnp7_nEcHK795jN4hsonm20BthP2RyAi2n_hIKsHZu3mOYKgUUHEgDlCovLkqJqTeMjeF3qs9mri8xJaylhfWp_Bd6ynjysUSkoT_ol0kZ7Jh3R9sCEhInFa1Y4/s320/IMG_0277.jpg" width="213"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPpjYUwNw9YbCfh6N2sxVrxWV9AELGcF-ZEWHIqnMlrOt3ffe38Cto1p4MFj4mssVhh897-gWK6i4ZSNBYPKxHyoh9M_OYulYShyphenhyphenf1DDaTD2keSvML9YFQr-7pEs2dYQ6axrRXT9o2jg/s1600/IMG_0287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPpjYUwNw9YbCfh6N2sxVrxWV9AELGcF-ZEWHIqnMlrOt3ffe38Cto1p4MFj4mssVhh897-gWK6i4ZSNBYPKxHyoh9M_OYulYShyphenhyphenf1DDaTD2keSvML9YFQr-7pEs2dYQ6axrRXT9o2jg/s320/IMG_0287.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Tucson es una ciudad amigable a inmigrantes" - "Tucson is a city friendly to immigrants" repeated many of those who testified. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4dGHZ95BjigP4_jezVJfqMh_lXaTk8B1S5EaL45nCNrbMI_LLrWnXZIGmdOFVWGFQ9uSvAOXIDThXajH3tcbQC7jan0LX7y1LcZ_QpxvuZrlgYooUOb3wKMSdeno8G7bl5v7OQ66WII/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4dGHZ95BjigP4_jezVJfqMh_lXaTk8B1S5EaL45nCNrbMI_LLrWnXZIGmdOFVWGFQ9uSvAOXIDThXajH3tcbQC7jan0LX7y1LcZ_QpxvuZrlgYooUOb3wKMSdeno8G7bl5v7OQ66WII/s400/IMG_0289.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCqu7kjLgEq9RCFxV6c1GgHesrwjk7Yj8LqyNP7inapFCHkIbB4UpqWv0YLsLX8G-7mVLpssH7PSIqNsEceA4Q8efjdXne6m4dgDs4TOZk9I4WtWXlobMFTXnK3khmQ2MKBr-FKUKbqI/s1600/IMG_0290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCqu7kjLgEq9RCFxV6c1GgHesrwjk7Yj8LqyNP7inapFCHkIbB4UpqWv0YLsLX8G-7mVLpssH7PSIqNsEceA4Q8efjdXne6m4dgDs4TOZk9I4WtWXlobMFTXnK3khmQ2MKBr-FKUKbqI/s320/IMG_0290.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This Samaritan preached about <i>why</i> people are coming, touching on many topics BorderLinks tries to open a space to discuss: NAFTA, federal policy, civil rights, international human rights. He concluded, "'Just following orders' is not good enough for me."<br></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTDO3I1tis9wVod5utW59VwxWTD70sPmMnZHVYKIRx99szwhgEe9Sk_nfuKCv-Z-Ih28ZwZ2xt5G0DtSuYGO1l9A6YUfFVtDGXu9lCfjYdwUV93Ue4v_k0GdLpfUMjfQH6InvZ1009WQ/s1600/IMG_0293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTDO3I1tis9wVod5utW59VwxWTD70sPmMnZHVYKIRx99szwhgEe9Sk_nfuKCv-Z-Ih28ZwZ2xt5G0DtSuYGO1l9A6YUfFVtDGXu9lCfjYdwUV93Ue4v_k0GdLpfUMjfQH6InvZ1009WQ/s320/IMG_0293.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I was standing 20 feet from the incident. I saw them ask a brown woman for her papers. They didn't ask me for my papers... I saw police pepper spray women my age and older and push them to the ground... I pray to the God of justice who stands with the oppressed, and I think we need to be careful which side we're standing on."<br></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then Raul came up to introduce fellow organizer and activist Leilani, who in rapid syllables recounted her experience and showed a well-publicized picture of her being pepper sprayed in the face from four feet away. Quoting Dr. King, she said we had a moral responsibility to stand up to unjust laws. She advocated a practice of cite and release and called out the officers for wasting resources and pepper spray - community members acted peacefully and were in fact<i> leaving the scene</i> when they were pepper sprayed without warning. "I also demand an end to police brutality. That's always wrong! ...An immigrant-welcoming city cannot enforce 1070, there's no two ways around that."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YmY6KeCEtYxP1kKArDklsLdm6zczz1od2Q-Bt-E2-A_uDmHi0KVkF9yIR9b4CxpJrHubxojNtA2wvu51bff0Pg5xrUW7l0BOCOxA2nfPJdIgkjSnDq6vqrT1s7BmO5wkT6hfP-U3YXc/s1600/IMG_0295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YmY6KeCEtYxP1kKArDklsLdm6zczz1od2Q-Bt-E2-A_uDmHi0KVkF9yIR9b4CxpJrHubxojNtA2wvu51bff0Pg5xrUW7l0BOCOxA2nfPJdIgkjSnDq6vqrT1s7BmO5wkT6hfP-U3YXc/s320/IMG_0295.jpg" width="213"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVhQJQnPCN-BL075yhcjeJfpQ3SWmRspu-sHpBYAVI-7iHJgzdFI5TzPhnn_LrrLk-eYFVwaYiqiFiHg5srLZXFvCBmBmqaAfSXixO_XqDHHBSPnXMr1LiiOa5-5vx-hhtB3dC9chPFk/s1600/IMG_0297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVhQJQnPCN-BL075yhcjeJfpQ3SWmRspu-sHpBYAVI-7iHJgzdFI5TzPhnn_LrrLk-eYFVwaYiqiFiHg5srLZXFvCBmBmqaAfSXixO_XqDHHBSPnXMr1LiiOa5-5vx-hhtB3dC9chPFk/s320/IMG_0297.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGRSVA0-CVQrceB81khkEGBjRUqUCE517FJeWcH8LEEfXVACIWBwD_BNkkrMr3Sqad0UtXXN6pQETShKD-SLWD3OwexCOaevzkUPkPYwBa33GPcuYfB-3kOJB4AUGCN6P0tvDDT_EPW8/s1600/IMG_0307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGRSVA0-CVQrceB81khkEGBjRUqUCE517FJeWcH8LEEfXVACIWBwD_BNkkrMr3Sqad0UtXXN6pQETShKD-SLWD3OwexCOaevzkUPkPYwBa33GPcuYfB-3kOJB4AUGCN6P0tvDDT_EPW8/s320/IMG_0307.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last up was Rosa Leal, wife of Eleazar, and they are one of the world's most adorable couples. "I was only picked up because I'm <i>Hispana</i>. A driver's license isn't a legal document? That's all my information, you don't need anything else... Stop this <i>polimigra</i>, stop the deportations!"<br></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">People of all causes were welcome to their three minutes to voice their thoughts to City Council, and while there were a couple other groups talking about different development projects, this man went up by himself to advocate for the legalization of marijuana, saying marijuana usage is a victimless crime and arresting young people especially just throws their lives away. Billions of dollars go towards drug arrests/busts which overwhelmingly targets minorities and young people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6fcDXSxy2ZpZL2_44XJohhBBgs0ECuhScLGwEwMVCzyjYIDzLagXo3wlHxt0Zv15pTNh5bJhXrW-xAsO5AEotmjwvAPNlmdpfb1pgl-IKZxIrXuO5bYiiJjNMluE6aAsPUIMZzgCl9k/s1600/IMG_0329.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6fcDXSxy2ZpZL2_44XJohhBBgs0ECuhScLGwEwMVCzyjYIDzLagXo3wlHxt0Zv15pTNh5bJhXrW-xAsO5AEotmjwvAPNlmdpfb1pgl-IKZxIrXuO5bYiiJjNMluE6aAsPUIMZzgCl9k/s320/IMG_0329.jpg" width="213"></a></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Meanwhile, Raul worked to organize a group photo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71YB53sKRGXkJNersEKOxgl-laxcUHE-HfKiiXI2pPqxPH8o0TVMfyAeWJ2dFkIDnh1WyoqAb_zZe4VGJ3L4R4HujG0aG1GeKFel29LVordNiKixnmAjyz83GFlOCqyohTKjxBqjBsYs/s1600/IMG_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71YB53sKRGXkJNersEKOxgl-laxcUHE-HfKiiXI2pPqxPH8o0TVMfyAeWJ2dFkIDnh1WyoqAb_zZe4VGJ3L4R4HujG0aG1GeKFel29LVordNiKixnmAjyz83GFlOCqyohTKjxBqjBsYs/s400/IMG_0310.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Ni una mas!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5XRzhH_q61a4ZAS_CvTLMvxJYsuKKA7kSs6ENaDDhI2ol-eVnyViMRu02WWv7-4XmaBesj8nlS_jozUJHD5Kb1wHxmK6OZ6CW5ZyRPjrGdqJip-VJbbdmVtJlmGH39EFvrzTTzvK5Hc/s1600/IMG_0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5XRzhH_q61a4ZAS_CvTLMvxJYsuKKA7kSs6ENaDDhI2ol-eVnyViMRu02WWv7-4XmaBesj8nlS_jozUJHD5Kb1wHxmK6OZ6CW5ZyRPjrGdqJip-VJbbdmVtJlmGH39EFvrzTTzvK5Hc/s400/IMG_0314.JPG" width="400"></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span><div style="text-align: center;">And then Raul was interviewed and translated for several of the affected family members.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RdqEg4Oj0jo-sHNZZyNN7qiX7PBpeaiwUAIRtYWWwB94lN0SKK0U6iTOceyAdywQzQvwq5scQj0DKqgJYs2RiSif4x5fwmdRoVhFlbfQwzXB66_WMfZBnbMRXIOSfMBEVBqOGgT1W6M/s1600/IMG_0322.JPG" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RdqEg4Oj0jo-sHNZZyNN7qiX7PBpeaiwUAIRtYWWwB94lN0SKK0U6iTOceyAdywQzQvwq5scQj0DKqgJYs2RiSif4x5fwmdRoVhFlbfQwzXB66_WMfZBnbMRXIOSfMBEVBqOGgT1W6M/s400/IMG_0322.JPG" width="400"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Celebrities for justice! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7GNI32Y8vjlBFbBTW0jmIEen1x2_37j_HgzKv_CDEKvh5kD-nU5n0kWfxK1Hb1AM0T8DgwPwN5qigxBRB2i3tUHjP9TiY4oLTTEoKViIWy3hQlOdD_Ob95-_OZsIJWdn6jFT4PU74ZM/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7GNI32Y8vjlBFbBTW0jmIEen1x2_37j_HgzKv_CDEKvh5kD-nU5n0kWfxK1Hb1AM0T8DgwPwN5qigxBRB2i3tUHjP9TiY4oLTTEoKViIWy3hQlOdD_Ob95-_OZsIJWdn6jFT4PU74ZM/s400/IMG_0318.JPG" width="400"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6fcDXSxy2ZpZL2_44XJohhBBgs0ECuhScLGwEwMVCzyjYIDzLagXo3wlHxt0Zv15pTNh5bJhXrW-xAsO5AEotmjwvAPNlmdpfb1pgl-IKZxIrXuO5bYiiJjNMluE6aAsPUIMZzgCl9k/s1600/IMG_0329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There you have it. These were just my attempts at grassroots journalism, and here's a real article! <a href="https://news.azpm.org/p/news-fp-featured/2013/10/23/27879-activists-ask-tucson-city-council-to-change-enforcement-of-sb1070/" target="_blank">Activists Ask Tucson City Council to Change Enforcement of SB1070</a></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just a few days ago, police chief Villaseñor was interviewed by Channel 4, saying, "'I don't agree with SB 1070. But that doesn't mean I get to say I'm
not going to enforce it, because then I don't stand for anything...' We asked Villasenor, 'If you could re-write the law, how would you?'
He replied, 'Well, I wouldn't involve local law enforcement. It's not
our purview, that's a responsibility of federal government.' Villasenor has repeatedly said he thinks SB 1070 puts local cops in a tough spot." Check out the full article here: <a href="http://www.kvoa.com/news/news-4-tucson-investigators-tpd-chief-fires-back-on-immigration-law/#_" target="_blank">TPD Chief fires back on immigration law</a>.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since, on November 8th, another member of the Southside Worker Center has been taken into ICE custody, and actions are happening this week to call for his release. Because us YAVs were in San Francisco for the weekend, I have less knowledge about this case, but this keeps happening to the Tucson community because Villaseñor will continue to enforce the law as he think it should be enforced. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This Wednesday, members of the Tucson community are once again going to speak with the City Council about continued collaboration between the local police and immigration authorities. I'll keep you posted on what becomes of those talks! </span></div>Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-45876483524031907702013-11-10T01:23:00.000-06:002013-11-10T01:23:06.656-06:00Dwelling<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since I last published on this blog, I have been writing. I've started and left unfinished several trains of thought that I desperately want to finish and share with you. They threaten to burst out of me, but the collective is so large it's overwhelming and I don't even know where to start. The thing is, all of my experiences in Tucson have been so life-giving that I keep drinking in more, that I keep breathing in more without adequate time to reflect, write, and share. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I process best through writing. That's not to say I'm a great writer, it just means I am healthiest when I judiciously choose each individual word and its place because <i>words have meaning</i>, and looking back at my experiences, I want to know I spent the time to express each thought as fully as I could. I still want to tell you all about Operation Streamline, about immigration "reform," about my program's time on our own border delegation in Mexico, about Tucson's way of celebrating Day of the Dead, but that is still to come, I promise.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This weekend us Tucson YAVs have been invited to San Francisco Theological Seminary's Inquirer's Weekend. We are here to learn about the programs and environment the seminary has to offer, and to begin the process of discernment about future careers and the graduate education we would potentially need. Many from our program through the Presbyterian Church (USA) will go on to seminary, and these couple days are foothills to that mountainous path if we feel so called. For Heather, Amy Beth, and I, some sort of theological education or deep church connection runs in our lineage. My momma was ordained towards the beginning of the time frame when it was revolutionary for women to do so (and humans are still in the middle of that time frame), and I think of her often here, especially thinking about her work as a prison chaplain before I was born, as the other man here for Inquirer's Weekend has been doing prison counseling in Texas - phew!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I sat down with paper in front of me yesterday morning, I was supposed to be devoting
my full attention to our brief orientation, but phrases connected to
our life in the desert spilled out as doodles in the beautifully arranged and tabbed binder complete with resources for the weekend and beyond. Perhaps all I needed was a change of scenery. And a good night's sleep. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't really know what this is, kind-of poetry, kind-of spoken word but written? I cannot claim a culture or upbringing or any sort of education around spoken word, but I imagine the syllables caressing my tongue, spitting out as rapid-fire as my audience could take it, and leaving spaces. Spaces to <i>breathe</i>. Spaces to <i>dwell</i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here we have been called to <i>dwell</i> in God's words. </span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">And we are dwelling in the beauty of God's creation. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Changing leaves. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hills. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fog. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Micro-climates. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">And it calls me to remember the beauty of the desert that used to take my breath away six times daily, that perhaps I now have gotten too accustomed to, or grown complacent with. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have gotten so busy with daily life in the desert and have these amazing experiences all rolling around in my head of the vast world, but my focus gets buried in my bike frame and a street-level panorama.</span></span><br />
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Responsibility takes me out of the clouds and grounds me, but every so often I need to dance in the sky;</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">leap from star to star;</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">dance in the rain! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">when it appears...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">What I really want to do is push those pedals until a streetlight stops me and <i>breathe</i> and <i>reflect</i> and <i>soak</i> and <i>dwell</i>. And later <i>write</i>. My head is super-saturated, but my body needed rest. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />In this time of reflection that I can share with you all, I pray that I will never forget those who will may never see the beauty of the desert as I have, and those who face more of the dangers of the desert than I ever will. </span></span></div>
<div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Those who face the sticks and spines of more than just cacti and cholla and burrs, but of <i>polleros</i>, Border Patrol, and barbed wire.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Those who crawl in silence through the deep night in more than just <i>el desierto</i>, but also through the shadows of life without the <i>right kind</i> of documents and the <i>right kind</i> of language. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Those who are injected with more than just poison of rattlesnakes but of loss, desperation, racism, and repeated discrimination. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When we return to Tucson, I pray that I will never forget to appreciate
the expansive sky and think of all those who journey under it. I pray that I will never forget God who makes the
stars twinkle, who touches the horizons, who touches my heart and calls
me to walk in Jesus' footsteps to, in some small way, use my life to
walk with others out of their time of darkness, however that is
manifested. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Until next time friends.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The passage preached and reflected on this week: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Colossians 3:12-1<i>7</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Col-3-12-Col-3-14" id="en-MSG-12533">So, chosen by
God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for
you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be
even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.
Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And
regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic,
all-purpose garment. Never be without it.</span></span></i> <br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Col-3-15-Col-3-17" id="en-MSG-12534">Let
the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each
other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate
thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the
house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one
another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God!
Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the
name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God every step of the
way.</span></span></i></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-5327257633636681342013-10-15T12:07:00.001-05:002013-10-15T12:07:26.531-05:00Rainbow Defense FundThrough BorderLinks, I have connected with the Southside Worker
Center. This is one of
the ministries of Southside Presbyterian Church that organizes and
fights for the rights of mainly male, undocumented day laborers. One of
their main
activists, Raul Alcaraz Ochoa, has recognized the need for education
around issues of sexism and homophobia, so he and other volunteers have
been doing workshops for the past couple of years to shift attitudes in a
historically macho environment. In conjunction with the Worker Center's
Protection Network that supports the families if a worker is detained,
Raul, himself a young gay man, has
started this initiative called the Rainbow Defense Fund to support
immigrants who may be doubly oppressed by the shadows of the
undocumented life and the LGBTQ closet. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
"The
Rainbow Defense Fund seeks to raise funds for the bond release of
migrant prisoners in immigration detention centers in Florence, Arizona.
Due to the high rate of systemic abuse and discrimination towards LGBTQ
detainees, support and solidarity are critical to ending the plight of
our LGBTQ friends in immigration detention." Florence is a
city outside of Phoenix whose economy is mainly supported by its four
detention centers, including both state and for-profit prisons. It seems most immigrants detained in Tucson end up there. <br /><br />Especially for my St. Luke readers, this
is a project I feel meets St. Luke missions for both immigration and
LGBTQ justice. The current need is that the Rainbow Defense Fund is
working its hardest to raise $30,000 by the end of October to
potentially bond out eight gay and transgender workers who have been in
detention for over six months and have therefore qualified for bond
hearings. That would allow these migrant prisoners to be released to
work and be with their families until their final court ruling, and in
many cases where undocumented immigrants fight deportation, they
actually have a chance if they have no other criminal charges! If you would consider supporting the Rainbow
Defense Fund in any way, that would be so appreciated! If you are not able to give financially but still want to support their work, please tell a friend. Their website is <a href="http://rainbowdefensefund.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">rainbowdefensefund.wordpress.<wbr></wbr>com</a>
if you'd like to check it out, and donations can be made there or to
The Rainbow Defense Fund, 127 N. Palomas Ave., Tucson, AZ 85745.Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962102316476090975.post-10994287385512844922013-10-10T23:15:00.000-05:002013-10-15T09:58:26.191-05:00Justice for Jose Antonio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
First off, some exciting news in the immigration justice world in Tucson: the three Tucson community members who were detained after forcible removal by the Tucson police and Border Patrol have been released on bond! Thank you to all who have been staying up with and supporting this case. Arturo, Agustin, and Rosa are now waiting for news about a potential future court date for their case, but at least they are all back with their families! </div>
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And tonight, the Nogales community is seeking a different kind of justice. One year ago today, October 10, 2012, 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was shot and killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents across the border wall while he was in Mexico and they were on the U.S. side. Different accounts of that night say Border Patrol was in pursuit of two suspects on the run and Jose Antonio was not the intended target. More frequently the story is that he was throwing rocks, which is a threat to the lives of the agents. Some accounts are a combination. One thing is certain: when you go down to Nogales, Sonora and stand where he was killed, imagine taking a rock and throwing it from fifty feet from the wall and trying to aim over the top of the 20-foot fence. How much of a threat are you? He was just a kid.</div>
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It is hard to know the full truth. But to me, at least, the real question is what justifies shooting a 16-year-old at all? What justifies shooting and killing across an international border? What justifies putting eight bullet holes into his body, and leaving several more in the building behind him? </div>
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For more about this tragedy and the Border Patrol's use of deadly force, here's a current article: <a href="http://www.ksdk.com/rss/article/401918/28/Questions-linger-over-teen-killed-at-border" target="_blank">Questions Linger Over Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez' Death</a></div>
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Additionally, BorderLinks' Nogales sister organization, HEPAC, put together this powerful video. Warning: some sounds and imagery are disturbing, but very powerful. Watch if you can: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=356099891189781&set=vb.349158795217224&type=2&theater" target="_blank">Campaña: Justicia para Jose Antonio</a></div>
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This kind of justice is very real. The Nogales community has held vigils on the 10th of every month, placing candles around a white cross at the site where he was killed. His mother and the community have rallied to call for an end to Border Patrol acting with complete impunity. There has been no investigation into their actions. His mother simply wants to know who killed her son and how they will be held accountable. </div>
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And tonight, on the year anniversary of his death, a few of us from BorderLinks went down to Nogales to show our support for this community still crying out for Jose Antonio. They are still crying out for justice in this singular case. And they are crying out for justice on the border so that no more die at the hands of the Border Patrol or in the grips of the desert. </div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">According to their Facebook page, "the campaign has two objectives:<br /> 1. Build through strategy and coordinated actions a movement led by
People Power that will take Justice for Jose Antonio, Justice for the
victims of Border patrol Abuse and Murder, Justice for borderlands
people and put an End to Border Militarization policies.<br /> 2.
Develop the capacity and political vision for the struggle of the people
of Nogales. Increase the leadership of individuals and families of
Nogales. Put at the forefront the voices of the people of Nogales."</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">So tonight, Nancy (BorderLinks office manager), Maddie (</span>BorderLinks'
YAV last year)<span class="text_exposed_show">, and I piled into Indira's </span><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="text_exposed_show">(BorderLinks'
Education Associate)</span> car for the hour drive south. </span><span class="text_exposed_show">I unfortunately did not grab any photos of Indira or Maddie, but the four of us were the crew crossing to Nogales,
Sonora, Mexico for the night. </span></div>
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<span id="goog_1740166927"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzi_tIaYIHm5_2iBBx42hHf1Zlyg5WDyP_RWAVGxcE2poqd1MmJFLHf7BSePBF2DTZtqVz8v4dFtQjl9QVxHhbKIKfLyRyzX8QH2rn9jfWGny4N98pp_K1DyZYeD0CMN4HSg7KY9i32E/s320/IMG_9750.jpg" width="213" /></a>Meet my colega, my co-worker, Nancy!
She's our office manager at BorderLinks, and my partner in crime in
attempting to do regular five-minute exercise breaks during the workday.
Today over lunch, the office was really quiet with most of our
co-workers on vacation or out for lunch, so we ended up having a really
long conversation, mainly realizing we have a lot in common with our
long-distance relationships. She's such a lovely person (when she's not
being purposefully annoying while I'm trying to nap in the backseat), and I'm thankful to get her know her more as a person through our bonding conversation and time outside of BorderLinks for this event.<br />
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<br />Here's what this section of the port of entry looks like:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnO3gc-AaoVT0XX7U8O6IYbJ5p_xgUOzollPwtbvIbR2U6QrSDpfybVeVeGW7aYuM94610vIarZIPdYbEJUoDz-RGhNK12SBRX83PBKYua3cknK8M1FG4DpWPypoPeFxfS592TTFXr-Q0/s1600/IMG_9754.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnO3gc-AaoVT0XX7U8O6IYbJ5p_xgUOzollPwtbvIbR2U6QrSDpfybVeVeGW7aYuM94610vIarZIPdYbEJUoDz-RGhNK12SBRX83PBKYua3cknK8M1FG4DpWPypoPeFxfS592TTFXr-Q0/s400/IMG_9754.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since this is a higher traffic time at the port with people going to and from school or work, there are more officers around. I've never had any issue crossing to the Mexican side, but this time, U.S. Border Patrol had a presence and was stopping people at random. Our group of four young women, two Latina and two white, were asked questions like, "Where are you from? How did you get here? How much money do you have?" Tucson, ummm we drove... And, about $5 in cash. Was there a need for this interrogation? Were we supposed to have our guard up when talking to law enforcement on our way <i>out</i> of our country? I definitely was not mentally prepared for that, but apparently we passed.<br />
<br />
And then we ran into Shurra! She is one of the Green Valley Samaritans (a humanitarian aid organization of volunteers that bring water, food, and medical supplies out to the desert) that helps take BorderLinks groups on desert walks so see common migration trails and also things that have been left behind by people. I am realizing the immigration justice community feels like a small world sometimes. In any event, Shurra still had to find her other Samaritans, but she walked with us to find the <i>marcha</i>. I was not sure what this event would be like, I just wanted to be there with the community on this tough night, but I think I anticipated more of a vigil than a march through the streets of Nogales.<br />
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By the time we got there, people had already been marching a little ways from a plaza in town, and we were all headed to the site of Jose Antonio's death.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgqPjY1W-5cfmGr4Vy2EoRhHzzO38qTzDObpK2YvyNKcpAyryKb05ZMzj6_AkTjig_fvoZ8X0aBkQswwtXPC8kjYEGyzr_N2KfSO0cgJbpOntxGEUUsoNonhdrPhJBZrgmj3WzEVPiFo/s1600/IMG_9756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgqPjY1W-5cfmGr4Vy2EoRhHzzO38qTzDObpK2YvyNKcpAyryKb05ZMzj6_AkTjig_fvoZ8X0aBkQswwtXPC8kjYEGyzr_N2KfSO0cgJbpOntxGEUUsoNonhdrPhJBZrgmj3WzEVPiFo/s400/IMG_9756.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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HEPAC director Jeannette. When we first met, the second she heard me speak two words in Spanish, she started going a mile a minute! She is one of the sweetest, most energetic people I've ever met, but sometimes it just takes me a second to fully catch up to her. Here she's working her magic.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDdPo_VseoitqMcK0M8DVHMII9AIhcfEXr4zpDLmJIdAEP0ND0siHjKaBxR12CVlxG_WNVkNrG4l72hZ0XeJOgx0ylb-T_m52CORZhOqHPTXGbWUlvJehArWQoNkhqD7MX0UcmpxOBe8/s1600/IMG_9757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDdPo_VseoitqMcK0M8DVHMII9AIhcfEXr4zpDLmJIdAEP0ND0siHjKaBxR12CVlxG_WNVkNrG4l72hZ0XeJOgx0ylb-T_m52CORZhOqHPTXGbWUlvJehArWQoNkhqD7MX0UcmpxOBe8/s320/IMG_9757.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Press are on the scene.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXF4zxxagZ3_93wje6vZaacljVS3jKV7z1_keW-zhP9HhbwFZNuet4jC2Tpqj9tPc2PanPV6hJ2jg8dKN_na9YLgqo0XZEcsQpyUuOKAwayXSVsuxF4-yeEaJEZX9BLGN_jE14OdfK_ak/s1600/IMG_9759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXF4zxxagZ3_93wje6vZaacljVS3jKV7z1_keW-zhP9HhbwFZNuet4jC2Tpqj9tPc2PanPV6hJ2jg8dKN_na9YLgqo0XZEcsQpyUuOKAwayXSVsuxF4-yeEaJEZX9BLGN_jE14OdfK_ak/s400/IMG_9759.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I never learned why some painted their faces white, but here they are! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviMKw-nvnH1Fcm2IsZKdjq42PL46xl1rPtPLMkSIwdKrY3220gxQFOr5rKs-_PrQgyv74ocgvpjNt3wpCZU06qtLJXchSOwiAENR29noUWyumV3aERGMhlWNzyecbnUS2h5XzURJIIdk/s1600/IMG_9762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviMKw-nvnH1Fcm2IsZKdjq42PL46xl1rPtPLMkSIwdKrY3220gxQFOr5rKs-_PrQgyv74ocgvpjNt3wpCZU06qtLJXchSOwiAENR29noUWyumV3aERGMhlWNzyecbnUS2h5XzURJIIdk/s400/IMG_9762.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNlS1jmp6U95YFgrIzQ0EfHBtPeNRXkLeN1IB9TL5iAFO66SGdDsS7m466ISQMwOMlMbGJ9I09FOEeQVir-Tu6nYNKm-cFlBdgsIFYpZSARgkMtPQBygT86RlUH_5HYqKRdRE8ZoZDaE/s1600/IMG_9765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNlS1jmp6U95YFgrIzQ0EfHBtPeNRXkLeN1IB9TL5iAFO66SGdDsS7m466ISQMwOMlMbGJ9I09FOEeQVir-Tu6nYNKm-cFlBdgsIFYpZSARgkMtPQBygT86RlUH_5HYqKRdRE8ZoZDaE/s320/IMG_9765.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Many marchers carried white balloons with them to release into the sky. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1ZYTzIeaMZ0lThyphenhyphen9b4kTqMPgsDXtRsQ2Mq9nNw_dLxWl0d_j7ShTQC0yZ59MauSL3Vf8ySghVFTnx7uap9QZHYPvd39Mh84MHDH_mDxE6DXC7xw78dwfLrPxb6UuqbnecCtrYG_5h_0/s1600/IMG_9767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1ZYTzIeaMZ0lThyphenhyphen9b4kTqMPgsDXtRsQ2Mq9nNw_dLxWl0d_j7ShTQC0yZ59MauSL3Vf8ySghVFTnx7uap9QZHYPvd39Mh84MHDH_mDxE6DXC7xw78dwfLrPxb6UuqbnecCtrYG_5h_0/s400/IMG_9767.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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MaryCruz, one of BorderLinks' delegation trip leaders from our Nogales sister organization, HEPAC. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirs6wcUniAxP-OoAw6xJEbZd8F8mCAJVaVuAJws-nuHKv0MjiydMzkb2SQErnWQm6UekErPNW9v3JFscpmot4Ngd0aQue_ixL0OT7_dBGcZ2Su7YGX9MOmkcsXfaAbK32Od5LjzkuN5ys/s1600/IMG_9773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirs6wcUniAxP-OoAw6xJEbZd8F8mCAJVaVuAJws-nuHKv0MjiydMzkb2SQErnWQm6UekErPNW9v3JFscpmot4Ngd0aQue_ixL0OT7_dBGcZ2Su7YGX9MOmkcsXfaAbK32Od5LjzkuN5ys/s320/IMG_9773.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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People put the Jose Antonio stickers everywhere they could. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxVsOiX1bhs-6pWpDBy8f-hocC3eoDBn-FDTM6F5K_ORi4k1r1-fPwFgG2vD9004RDFQm35v-eDiodHBZ8LK46EsWul0uRjo89NfrYAJdYRhzgNZtMDOKsVlhPD7Nq_f2kc7bc7XB1ho/s1600/IMG_9778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxVsOiX1bhs-6pWpDBy8f-hocC3eoDBn-FDTM6F5K_ORi4k1r1-fPwFgG2vD9004RDFQm35v-eDiodHBZ8LK46EsWul0uRjo89NfrYAJdYRhzgNZtMDOKsVlhPD7Nq_f2kc7bc7XB1ho/s320/IMG_9778.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Passersby took a look at why we were on the streets, as we chanted slogans such as "Ni una más," not one more, "Abajos los muros de la frontera," down with the border walls, and "El pueblo unido jamás será vencido," the people united will never be defeated. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbLeojOCJBSs1vRJ8cLnhILjt9vo1ucM8URB61Erz0oEa62frO427naoulAOUkGxWSjmFT_zvVqTlH6EslU1cQJ_V0nnIm2XsQeVNc6PmEFdFayTJLMjs4B1K-mwHB1YNdW0JWG7wr1M/s1600/IMG_9780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbLeojOCJBSs1vRJ8cLnhILjt9vo1ucM8URB61Erz0oEa62frO427naoulAOUkGxWSjmFT_zvVqTlH6EslU1cQJ_V0nnIm2XsQeVNc6PmEFdFayTJLMjs4B1K-mwHB1YNdW0JWG7wr1M/s320/IMG_9780.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Members of the "policia turistica," tourist police, followed along with us. </div>
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Baby in solidarity!</div>
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Turning the corner next to the border wall.</div>
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MaryCruz and baby marcher.</div>
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Others taking photos of murals on the walls.</div>
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Then, the balloons were released into the night sky, little white dots, joining the stars. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbz4YdAxegSKx-djng67tvY-36oPA54NQB_Xhi0cZl9CpDBze2fIm62bTD6fA2IHJVCJZGJ10mMZ_K8T8rwyh2Yf3rSeDUUj3NUHKUZRSvZKntgm-Tql-3A_MioFNGX6Ct8kSOUz9xVeU/s1600/IMG_9848.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbz4YdAxegSKx-djng67tvY-36oPA54NQB_Xhi0cZl9CpDBze2fIm62bTD6fA2IHJVCJZGJ10mMZ_K8T8rwyh2Yf3rSeDUUj3NUHKUZRSvZKntgm-Tql-3A_MioFNGX6Ct8kSOUz9xVeU/s320/IMG_9848.jpg" width="213" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdG-kiXBF3tplDDO5LBXQl1q4Se5jarKnKeadGXYyc6WolWbdoLgpRZ91GyMeibRd7NLZUBFX-0ID-vaIY02YMsvNEZBJUH1QfuO_sroye0K2e3NML-HBJlhOfMaKh7whnxkFSypKtyjc/s320/IMG_9847.jpg" width="213" /></div>
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Messages on the bank up to the border fence. "¡No más muertes! ¡Justicia!" No more deaths! Justice!</div>
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"¡Chinga la migra!" ..... "F--- the Border Patrol!"</div>
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Check out this artwork: "We are as free as paper!" </div>
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White candles are painted along the Mexico side of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. </div>
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The crowd gathering along the wall near where Jose Antonio was shot and killed. </div>
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Shurra of the Green Valley Samaritans connecting with supporters on the U.S. side.</div>
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Those who had candles shared the flickering flames as community members began speaking about Jose Antonio and how to work towards justice and celebration of his life. A couple even played home-written songs as well. One of the lines: "Jose Antonio, tu vela simpre estará prendida," Jose Antonio, your candle will forever be lit.</div>
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Jose Antonio stickers on the border fence and U.S. supporters looking on. </div>
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Poster from No More Deaths, a humanitarian aid organization and one of BorderLinks' partners. </div>
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Nancy from BorderLinks and MaryCruz from HEPAC! </div>
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This is <i>precisely</i> my college major: International Relations! People relating across a physical barrier that divides their two nation-states; here, BorderLinks' Alex on the U.S. side (because he forgot his passport), and MaryCruz and her daughter on the Mexico side. Both in solidarity and support of a grieving Nogales community so hurt by cross-border violence and injustice. </div>
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Cross-border high-five. </div>
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After the songs and speeches were finished on the Mexico side, they turned to the U.S. side for its voice in the form of Aztec dancers performing - I was not able to get a good picture of the dancers, but here are a few faces on the Mexican side trying to get a good vantage point. </div>
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One of the policia turistica officers who had been following the march on his bike actually came closer to watch the Aztec dancers as well. It is amazing how tragedy brings people together.<br />
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After their performance was over, we said our goodbyes to our HEPAC brothers and sisters, made it through to the U.S. side of the border uneventfully, and reunited with Alex to take him back in the car with us as well. Before throwing on the Latin tunes for the hour back to Tucson, we were primed with bachata music in the Burger King bathroom. <i>This</i> is life on this border. Cultural duality and intermingling. Conflict and unresolved tension. Despair. Hope. Connection. Flickering candles and crosses in remembrance of lives lost. Resolution to fight for "ni una más" muerte ni deportación, not one more death or deportation.Kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08503249742249590528noreply@blogger.com0