The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried

A torn shirt.
A broken toothbrush.
A pair of damp socks.
A broken backpack.
A baseball cap.
Twenty cracked water bottles.

The Things They Carried
Source: Abigail Osborne, a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, a friend, and a great photographer

These are some of the items I found during my walk in Coronado National Forest with The Samaritans last weekend.  The Samaritans are a humanitarian aid group of volunteers who patrol the desert, looking for migrants who need help, and place food and water in places along migrant trails, where vulnerable people can access them.

Source: www.tucsonsamaritans.org

In the last decade, the Border Patrol has increased militarization and protection of the border near cities, forcing the desperate to cross in the desert.  During the summer, people usually cannot carry enough water to stay hydrated in 105 degree weather.  During the winter, the desert can also reach hazardously low temperatures.  Below is a graph of the urban areas like San Diego or Nogales that have been heavily patrolled and the alternative routes migrants have created.  Read more here.

Source: "'Trash-talk' and the production of quotidian geopolitical boundaries in the USA-Mexico borderlands." by Juanita Sundberg

Source: Washington Office on Latin America

.....

After driving for hours and hours, we reached a remote canyon where migrants were known to hike.  We packed our bags with portable foods, gallons of water, and medical supplies.  With the help of a GPS, we found a flagged area were we deposited the supplies.  

Unsurprisingly, we did not encounter any travelers, but we did see clues they had left behind.  I was walking along a dirt path when I found a ripped and broken backpack packed with torn, empty water bottles.  It was eery to know that this disheveled piece had once been an essential part of someone's journey.

As I looked at the backpack, I wondered:

Who used this backpack?

Where were they from?

Did they survive the trip?

Did they get apprehended by Border Patrol?  

If so, are they going to jail?  Will they try crossing again?

What were they running from?  What were they running to?

The Backpack

A sign we passed in the national forest 

No More Deaths is another humanitarian group in Tucson that provides migrants with water and medical care.

Some questions I am grappling with:

Was this experience sightseeing or service?

Have I been exoticisizing or othering "the migrant"?

Humanitarian aid is wonderful, but it is only a bandaid for a gaping wound.  How can we fix this system that forces people to risk their lives patrolling and crossing the border?

Source: Abigail Osborne, a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, a friend, and a great photographer

Culpable. Guilty. Culpable. Guilty. Culpable. Guilty.

Operation Streamline

Currently, I am getting trained to lead educational trips with BorderLinks.  I am fortunate to get to do hands-on work that introduces me to different parts of the immigration system.  Last week, I went to the Tucson courthouse with my coworkers to observe Operation Streamline.

Before Operation Streamline (OS), undocumented immigrants apprehended by Border Patrol were process and then quickly deported back to their home countries.   Many migrants would try to cross multiple times.  In order to deter multiple entries and increase Border Control morale, the Arizona government implemented Operation Streamline and criminalized illegal immigration.  Individuals who are tried under Operation Streamline receive harsher punishments as they are tried in a criminal court, instead of an immigration court.   Almost all migrants are encouraged to plead guilty to the charge of illegal entry and accept up to six months in prison before deportation.

Every week day, at 1:30 pm 70 immigrants are processed through Operation Streamline.


Wednesday, September 24th, 1:35 pm, 98 degrees outside

I sat on a hard wooden pew.  To my left sat about 20 male public defenders and lawyers in crisp suites.  In front and above me sat a judge at a large hardwood desk.  To my left sat about 40 immigrants, waiting to be convicted.  Most were male and all were from Mexico, Honduras, or Guatemala.  They wore casual clothes that were caked in dirt from their recent border crossing.  Each migrant was shackled at the wrists and feet and wore a chain around their waist.

My courtroom looked much like this.  I sat in the top left corner.  Most of the immigrants were on the right, against the wall.
Source: stopstreamline.org

Confined by their chains, they shuffled and limped as walked to the front of the room and answered the judge's questions.  Each detainee wore earbuds that translated English, the dominant language of the court, into Spanish, their native language.

The public defenders stood next to the individuals they represented, towering over them as most of the immigrants were short with small bone structures.  Since all belts were taken away from the detainees (for safety reasons), several of men's pants were sagging low on their waste.  One man's pants were falling off his behind, exposing my lime green underwear.  How humiliating.

Shackles.  Chains. Constrained movement.  A language you do not understand.  Exposed underwear.  Imprisonment. 

What does dehumanization look like?

The judge asked the same four questions to each person.

"Are you a citizen of (country that is not the United States)?"

"Did you cross the border on or around (fill in date) in or around (fill in border town)?"

"Did you cross using a legal port of entry?"

"Are you guilty of illegally entering the United States?"

               "Culpable."
                    - migrant

               "Guilty."  
                     - translator

After answering these four questions, each migrant was shuffled to a holding facility, where they would wait before going to prison.  As they walked by my pew, almost every person looked me in the eye.  I did not know how to react.  Should I smile at them?  Should I nod my head to recognize their humanity?  Should I look away?  Should I stare back blankly?

This assembly line of prosecutions was only stopped once by one male who took the stage to explain why he crossed the border.  In broken English he said,

"I ask for mercy.  I am sorry, but I crossed for love.  I have a daughter here.  You have to understand, I crossed for love."

As, is customary, the judge responded by saying, "Thank you. We appreciate your comments" as he waved them on.

This sketch is similar to what I observed in court.
Source: endstreamline.org

A Taste of Tucson

Tucson

Neighborhood mural of the mountains 

 Tucson is a multicultural city that rests in a valley surrounded by mountains. You can determine the cardinal directions by what mountain range you are facing.  Rated one of the best biking cities in the U.S., I am able to walk or bike most places I go.  I have really enjoyed biking around the city, even in 105 degree weather and wild monsoons. Tucson is often described a city that feels like a small town as it is not uncommon to run into someone you know on the street or at the grocery store.  In addition, the pace of life seems to be more relaxed and the general disposition seems friendly and welcoming.

I live in a wonderful location which is accessible to the lively downtown area, the University of Arizona, and the mainly Latin American city of South Tucson.  This allows for a rich mixture of cultures and experiences.  I can easily bike to a grocery store in South Tucson where most people speak only Spanish or bike to the local college hang-outs.

My housemate Emily taking the groceries home.

My favorites places in Tucson have been when I am not sure if I am in North or South America.  The desert landscape along with the border culture make for places that are infused with Native American, Latin American, and European-American culture.  Last week, the other Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) and I climbed onto of our roof to see the sunset.  As I looked out at my neighborhood and saw cacti, abode houses, and intricate iron gates, I was reminded that there are many representations of the United States.  Everything from the dry heat to the desert terrain to the multicultural history makes Tucson a rich, captivating place to live in.

A multicultural moment at the grocery store

House Life

My Casita

Note: This is what a front yard looks like in the desert.

I live with four women who enrich my life every single day.  I am so glad that I get to come home to such a supportive and fun community every evening.  My roommates and I are from diverse parts of the US and the world including Baltimore, Connecticut, Alabama, and South Korea. Together, we try to live as an intentional Christian community by living simply, discussing our work sites, and exploring our faith and vocation together.  After meeting to determine house guidelines, we decided that we want to have three community meals together a week, where we cook and eat as a group.  In an effort to be more present, we have established "Without Tech Wednesdays,' where we refrain from using technology during and after dinner.  Without the constant distractions of texting and checking Facebook, we hope to have more time and space to interact with our community.

My housemates right to left: April, Me, Emily, Allie, Hanbyeol
Photo taken by April

We have a YAV site coordinator named Brandon who meets with us once a week, and organizes workshops, and retreats.  Last week, he invited us to have dinner at his home, which is a intentional community where several families share communal space, meals, and responsibilities.  It was a great reminder that there are many ways to live, to raise a family, and to share resources.

At home we are trying to have a lower environmental impact by composting our food waste, growing vegetables, conserving water, air-drying our clothes, and biking to work.  Although these are our intentions, we often fall short, especially when time and money are limiting factors.  In the future, I hope to talk more with my house mates about what local or sustainable food we can purchase on our small budget ($20 per person per week).

Also, we have four chickens in our backyard!  They recently stopped laying eggs so we are trying to figure out what we should do.  We may remake their coop to make them more comfortable or we may kill them (my preferred option, haha) and eat them.  As a meat eater, I think it is important to fully understand the process of taking an animal's life.  My new friends James and Uk have said they are interested in this too so we'll see what happens!

We had a big dinner with guests on Friday.
I cooked pasta with a bolognese sauce and Uk (in front) made Korean beef pancakes.
Photo taken by Uk with a selfie stick (look it up)

Immigration and Envelopes

Envelopes and Immigration

            After two weeks of orientation, I have now started work at BorderLinks, an educational non-profit in Tucson.  I’d like to tell you about something that happened this week.

I had been on the clock for 30 minutes when one of my co-workers told me that BorderLinks was working on a larg mailing for their summer donation drive.  I was to help prepare the letters along with some other volunteers.  The doorbell rang and in walked two petite Latin American women and an European-American woman.  We introduced ourselves in Spanish.  Juanita,* was slightly older than Graciela, who was holding a newborn baby.  We doted on the 19-day-old baby as we settled into folding letters, sealing envelopes, and organizing addresses.  Between piles of mail, we slowly warmed up to each other.  I attempted to start conversations with my rusty Spanish and they gradually told me about themselves.

Juanita and Graciela are from Honduras and immigrated to the U.S. a year and a half ago.  They are part of the large wave of single mothers and unaccompanied minors who have fled gang-ridden Central American countries for a safer life.  Juanita told me that, as she a single mother of four children, she could not sustain herself in Honduras.  She could not get a job in a factory and there were no social services to support her.  In contrast, people have been very generous to her in the U.S..

The two women laughed as they reminisced about their chicken coops in Honduras and advised me on how to best care for my hens.  After the envelopes were completed, we chatted for a while.  As they left, I waved goodbye, feeling pleased that we had had such a fruitful conversation that they had opened up to me about their home country.

Wondering about the poverty that often shadows single parenthood, I asked my coworker if Graciela, the younger woman, had a partner.  A pained expression clouded her face as she asked, “Did you hear about the day laborer who got arrested on his way to the hospital?”

Suddenly, I made the connection.  My heart sank.  No. 

“You mean the undocumented immigrant who was pulled over on his way to see his newborn daughter?” 

“Yes.”

This man was Graciela’s partner, the baby’s father.  He was pulled over for a minor traffic violation and is now being held in a detention facility, most likely awaiting deportation.  My coworker did not have the heart to ask Graciela if her husband had gotten the chance to see his daughter yet.  This beautiful child has been born into such a complicated and tragic situation.  She is an American citizen, but her father is not.  Borders and laws will divide her family.

I pray for this family and admire their giving spirit.  Even with a 19-day-old baby, even with a husband in jail, Graciela still made time to volunteer and help BorderLinks.

On my first day of work, during my first hours on the job, I already got a taste of the incredible people and stories that abide within Tucson.

*All names have been changed for confidentiality.

......

Oct. 3rd, 2014 Update:

The partner and father in this story is named Norlan Geronimo Prado.  He is currently being processed to be deported back to Honduras.  If you believe he should stay in the US with his family, please sign this petition or send this sample letter to ICE.

"On Sunday afternoon August 10th, 2014, Norlan Geronimo Prado, A#089-813-015, was driving home from the hospital where his partner had just given birth to their daughter, Genesis, when he was stopped for a supposed minor traffic violation. He was detained by Tucson Police Department when he was not able to produce a driver’s license, who turned him over to Border Patrol custody.  A loving new father, he was planning to spend every second he could with his beloved child, in the first days and weeks of Genesis’s life.  Instead, Norlan has spent the first month of his baby’s life detained.

Norlan is a long-time member of the Southside Worker Center, active member of the Protection Network Coalition, a loving friend, and caring partner. He is a vital part of the community and committed to the movement to stop deportations and to end police-ICE collaboration in Tucson.

Norlan’s stay of deportation was recently denied and the Nicaraguan embassy is currently preparing his travel documents, meaning he may be deported at any time, likely in the next two weeks.  Norlan qualifies for a U-visa based off a crime he suffered in the United States and has submitted an application signed by the Pima County Sheriff’s office.   ICE has released a policy memo against deporting U Visa applicants, so why is Norlan still being deported? His friends, coworkers, family, and his newborn baby need him back in Tucson."

Beautiful and Painful