Executive Action and "Being Happy with What we Got"

I came home last night so exhausted and with not much energy to even look at my phone and read up on any facebook updates.  It has been such an emotion filled couple of days that I am still processing what I feel.

Our community has been fighting for so long for some sort of relief and now we have it, that it is still difficult to have a reaction.  This is undeniably such a HUGE victory, but yet so many people have been left out of the celebration.  I’ve read posts this morning saying that we “should be happy with what we get” that we should be grateful to Obama for “giving us something.”  These words alone “what we are getting” remind me that this is not something we are getting from ANYONE. 

This is something our community has achieved, a huge milestone given the context in which our families live on the day to day.  We have exposed the ugliness and complex nature of immigration.  We have exposed the racism that still penetrates, breathes, and lives in the fabric of our society.  We have brought to light the injustices for people of color in Arizona and nationwide.  We have RESISTED and learned to resist from the people who live the reality of living in the label of illegality on a daily basis, despite an entire system designed to oppress them and keep them in a status of illegitimacy and trauma.  We have witnessed our families resist this very system that targets and harasses and hurts and kills through the construction of shifting borders that exclude and divide.   

We have resisted and learned to resist from the leadership of organizations who through various tactics have moved the movement for human rights forward.  We have resisted and learned to resist from our youth, from students and dreamers who questioned the status quo, who risked arrest, and continue to experiment with ways to demand more from this process that continues to deny our families the human rights we continue to exercise and know we have.  This is a HUGE victory for ourselves, we have exposed this problem and forced the United States to recognize its need to address the mess they know they have but a mess that our community has loudly and passionately been screaming is NOT okay and it is something we are TAKING NO MORE OF. 

While the administration thinks this is enough, we all know in our hearts that it’s not.  But should we be happy, YES! We have came this far in pushing for the recognition of our human rights and while this is not the answer nor the cure for this sick society that profits and sustains itself from the exploitation of people of color, it is a step in the right direction, a step to reenergize our movement and continue fighting till brown and illegal cease to be synonymous, to continue fighting till the stigma of criminality is shifted away from the sweat of immigrant workers, till every single mother no longer has to worry about abandoning their children when and if they are kidnapped by our government through detention and deportation, till every student is able to focus on living his or her dreams and their education instead of on trying to protect the status of their families, till we are finished teaching fear to our children by having to have conversations about la migra, till speaking Espanol is something we value rather than denigrate, till ethnic studies is recognized as a necessary component of our history and education, the fight will continue till  these and so many other important issues are resolved in our community, the fight continues. 

We know from Ferguson and various other communities that despite their legality, being a person of color continues to be a problem in the United States, we have scratched the surface of a much deeply rooted historical element of America’s tradition.  But in this tradition, the struggle continues and I know our community is far from done, we will continue moving forward.

Shared Environments

The weekend has ended. 
As I sat here getting ready to doze off into a restful sleep, I felt the sudden urge to reflect for a moment, and well, write. It's just that this weekend was particularly special.  I didn't do anything of great significance or anything but rather I guess I am just loving the way I felt these last couple of days.  It's almost like if I felt myself growing...or at least beginning to chip away at the edges of uncertainty that many of us know way too very well.

I had picked up the Bisbee Observer, a local newspaper that detailed upcoming community events, and was suddenly inspired to go hiking.  The paper detailed a guided walk to a ranch (I can't quite recall the name) and the other was a guided walk in the San Pedro River.  One was at 7 am on Saturday and the other was at 8 am, also on Saturday.  Though I love mornings, we ended up going to the 8 am one because we were way too tired to wake up on time for the 7 am.

So as I was saying, the walk was a guided tour of the San Pedro River and it was free! Though we had both been there before and absolutely loved it, we thought it might be a good idea to learn a little about this beautiful place, I call it the place with the trees and Ray knows I'm talking about the river.  So there we were.  Lucky for us no one else showed up so we had the guides all to ourselves, they gave us so much information, and encouraged us to ask as many questions as possible and even asked what our interests where so they could taylor what they shared with us to meet our interests. 

They shared that there are many people this time of year who come out to see the birds, and so they focus on all the information about birds, and then there's others who come for the plants, or whose interests are focused on the cultural history of the place, or who are archeologists, or people interested in the water, or in the insects, and that depending on what we were interested in there was wealth of information to share.  At first, I had no idea what to say...I mean first I would have to ask myself...why am I interested? and second, what am I interested in?  I had no answer for myself so I was silent.  My instinct was that I just found the place beautiful but I was unsure if that was a good enough answer.  Lucky for me Ray jumped in and said..well we are interested in the history.  and I was.

So the walk began.  The guides are all volunteers and they call themselves "Friends of the San Pedro River."  They are extremely knowledgeable, and super kind.  Slowly they began to point out a series of details, about the kind of grasses that grow there and which ones are native to the area and which ones are not.  Then they began to point out particular insects, and then they pointed out these checkered butterflies that I had not even noticed.  They pointed out the mequite trees and how they grow in bosques, or woodlands, and the cottonwood trees and how they rely on the water of the river.  Then they showed us these birds and the seeds of certain plants. With each step we took a new detail about our surroundings was unveiled, sounds that were previously dormant began to dance around in my ears, images and details I had glanced over became crystal clear and even my nose began to notice a myriad of smells and scents that slowly triggered my curiousity and mind to wander.  This layer of sensory experiences was then followed by a series of details about the cultural history of the people and the animals that had existed and lived in this area before. 

And then out of all of it...reflection kicked in.  The guides were showing us the many ways in which all of those individual elements of nature were so very alive and interconnected, how each insect, each grass piece, each bird, how they all share a relationship with each other, and the ways in which they rely on one another to accomplish their own existence.  One example they mentioned, was regarding the birds, the birds use the San Pedro to migrate from north to south and from south to north (yes! despite the stupid border, birds migrate to and from Mexico too :)!).  That without the water and the monsoons and the rain that maintains the river, the trees would not grow, so the birds would not have the shade, shelter, and food they need to migrate and survive.  

I learned so much in just that moment.  I know that I should know this but I guess knowing can have many layers and levels of comprehension.  And I guess I had not realized it in the way that I realized it in that moment in time.  I realized just then, after 30 years of existence, that our lives are shared.  Our existence is a series of shared environments with so many different creatures, plants, and nature.  We all depend on one another and we all have our own internal knowledge of fixing and defending and displaying and existing and problematizing what is needed and what nature requires of us.  I've always believed that there's a shared energy in the world, but after saturday, I'm convinced that it goes beyond energy, its a shared existence, a shared environment with the world.  And with that we share a responsibility with all these ecosystems.  I learned that whenever a change occurs with one thing it affects intentionally and unintentionally a series of other things.  So of course, given my passion for immigration, I can't help but wonder what great damage, environmentally, the border does to our shared environments.  I wonder what animals can no longer migrate during harsh weather conditions, what they must think when they confront that steel wall.  I wonder how confused they must feel upon that barrier, or if they simply find ways around it.

I could write pages and pages about all the neat factoids and realizations that came about that lovely morning, but my words would pale in comparison to actually experiencing, understanding, and most of all feeling what I felt in that moment.  I was absolutely and positively present.  I was with the trees and the birds and the butterflies, and the noises of the wind against the cottonwood trees, the sounds of the our guides voices, the steps of my husband's footsteps, I was so very present and felt so very alive.

So before I put myself to sleep, I guess I just wanted to write about this experience, it's definitely one I do not want to forget. 

Oh..and it's worth noting that after that walk, (aside from the beauty of the place) I guess I have a series of things I know I'm interested in and I also know why...so much so that I had to pick up a book from the San Pedro House Bookstore...I was so fascinated and intrigued and excited, I wanted to learn more and more.  I'll have to write an update about what I discover...but I'm so excited about the title: Conservation of Shared Environments: Learning from the United States and Mexico.  One reviewer wrote "a comprehensive look at the challenges of conserving the interconnected ecosystems and migratory linkages shared by Mexico and the United States" (I can't wait to read it!)

but for now...in the words of my hubby...sleeeeeepy time...:)

Sin Gente

Summer days at the Naco Migrant Center have been pretty lonely.  While in the spring the center was crowded and full of commotion..the recent days are filled with reflection and most of all, silence.

I always bring a book, but tend to spend most of my days talking with the other volunteers about the center and or exchanging our own theories about whether or not people are still crossing.  We've concluded that they are, but that due to the repatriation efforts and new funding/programs, people are either not crossing through Naco or they are crossing but simply being repatriated through Nogales or flown back to Mexico City after being processed in Tucson.  According to the volunteers who've been there longer, this summer silence is normal...


The heat is so unbearable that I'd like to convince myself that people stopped crossing but then one or two people come in and you realize this is not the case...people continue to cross...

Unfortunately, their stories are also harsher...one guy today expressed that he had been robbed and no longer had any money to return home or keep trying...he looked defeated...as if he had tried to conquer this huge beast and in his case, he had lost...

He asked me how long this repatriation was going to happen, whether enforcement was this hard all the time or just in the summer...he told me he just wanted to go home..but maybe in the fall, he would return and try again...

It's quite amazing to me..their strength...

I know I may sound like I'm objectifying or romanticizing but I'm not..I really see something truly special about people who migrate...they are not like everyone else...

most all the people i've met, their hearts are filled with hope and strength, lots of strength and perseverance...

amidst the many obstacles they face...they continue to try again...and again.

like a passionate love that doesn't die...their courage motivates me to love too...to love humanity...and our ability to fight so hard for a dream, to maintain hope when it's so hard to keep on
most everyone does it for their family or for the dream of "making it" or whatever that should mean...

And yet like love, hate also co-exists...in the background beautiful mountains and desert landscapes observe with indifference

millions of dollars, nativist hate groups, politicians, media, and innocent folk who buy into the rethoric...work together to ensure that the border, the coveted border will keep out the brown folks who are trying to come in...

Just this last weeked the so called Tea Party held a rally in Hereford, AZ, about 15 minutes away from Bisbee and Sierra Vista.  We organized a counter protest in opposition of their rally.  It was awesome...Just to make the statement that they weren't welcomed.

Supporters, in their red white and blue gear drove in with their out of town license plates...to claim ownership of a land they hardly know or recognize...to urge enforcement of the "illegals" who are "invading" their country...

It's quite funny, actually.

Land. 

People feel so entitled to claim it...and yet..they hardly take the time to really get to know it..to explore it..to imprint their existance upon it...Land. yup. Land.

Migrants spend hours getting familiar with the desert, they walk and walk for days on their journey up north...they risk their lives in that land...their spirit resonates in the air...in the gravel, and the many paths that thousands have walked upon...

and like nothing...strangers to this particular land..arrive in their trucks, and suv's with their clever bumper stickers and american flags...to gather..to talk about how they can make the lives' of migrants so difficult, so unbearable, that they'll want to leave...

little do they realize that if the desert didn't defeat them..their ridiculous laws won't either..

sb1070 has brought so much attention to the immigration issue...and yet the border and militirization continues to be a non-issue for advocates...no instead it's all about racial profiling and getting out the vote...we encourage and lie to ourselves that the next candidate won't be a shmuck, but who are we kidding? i hate politicians..i really do...morons without a conscience...all they care about is winning...and then there's the dream act people...message being..let's give the students a chance...and screw everyone else...truly selfish and individualistic messaging...but oh well...i guess i too would be happy to get something rather than nothing...and i do like the dream act..just dont like the whole "stand alone" bill deal...

in any case im glad sb 1070 happened..its truly about time that these injustices came to the forefront, even if through something as awful as sb1070, perhaps that's my privilege talking, but even friends who are undocumented are truly sick of marching without results...at least this blatant attack can stir some action....i just hope its for the benefit of our people...

And then there's the border patrol...can you believe they are now checking people before going into Mexico? Yes...they are..the US is checking people for papers before they leave the states to go into mexico! is it not our right to effen leave when we freaking want to? damn it...just another sign or illustration of their power...and how much its effen growing...(i have a lot more to say..but i'll come back to this) clearly i'm angry...but how can we avoid it..when people are dying over a childish game of this is mine and that is yours...couldn't we all get the point back in kinder garden? it's okay to s h a r e!

pero bueno...enough of my ranting...my only point is that it's been quite an experience volunteering at the migrant center, even when there's no people to help...there's always so much to reflect upon...the irony of it all...con o sin gente

Friday

It’s Friday already.

I remember the first time I came to the migrant center it was also a Friday. I haven’t really worked on Fridays for a while. I usually take the Monday morning shift at the center but I am covering for another volunteer who is taking a trip to San Diego for a conference on border issues. It’s quite interesting the stark differences in the center from even a couple weeks ago. Today the center’s pretty much empty, lonely, and hot.

There are still people trying to cross, but many of them are being repatriated differently during the summer so few are arriving at the center. To be honest, I have no clue what is going on.

Some say that there is a new repatriation program going on that tends to be implemented in the summers. Or that people are getting streamlined (in simple terms it’s a strategy that began on January 14, 2010, that basically takes people through a formal deportation and criminalizes migrants for crossing). Others say that Border Patrol has extra funding so they are trying to use up those funds by flying people to Mexico City when caught, part of a Lateral Repatriation Program, as opposed to simply releasing them at the closest port of entry where they crossed, in theory this is supposed to detain people from crossing again by shipping them far away from the border in which they attempted to cross.

In reality, this does not seem to deter people in anyway. A few weeks ago the migrant center was filled with people. And slowly, the numbers began to decrease. At hindsight, one might believe their strategies are working, but in talking to people, this isn't the case.  Most of the migrants seem well informed and aware of what is happening politically in Arizona and they just simply mentioned that they would maybe wait, but inevitably, regardless they would try again.

You see, people don’t cross because its easy. They cross because they feel they have no other option. Some of their situations are so difficult that one can’t really blame them for seeking their own solutions. If anything, I am humbled by their courage and perseverance to keep on going, despite the many obstacles and hardships they face.

Today there was a pregnant girl and two men at the center. I always feel for the women.  My own bias, I guess.  Their strength makes me realize just how weak I really am.  The girl was looking for help purchasing some prenatal pills.  When I was pregnant all I wanted to do was to protect my baby.  To see her, struggling, trying to cross this ridiculous border, trying to protect her baby, and simply reunite with her husband, it breaks my heart.  Families should not be torn apart this way. 

So anyway.  It's friday.  I get to go home. 
               For the people at the center, they get to wait.  and wait.   

Spaces of Resistance

The migrant center in Naco is small and often crowded, yet it has already found a special place in my heart. I want to say that it’s the people that I meet that make me love to be there, but reality is that it’s the place itself. I have always found that places, spaces, are juxtaposed in such ways as to bring about the most interesting lessons about life and living. Your position within the space, teaches you so much about who you are and who you want to be. I suppose it becomes another symbolic reminder that learning is always taking place, both in and out of the classroom.

It is there where I am learning over and over that life itself is so very random. It is a paradox that we struggle daily to embrace. The situation of so many migrants is no different or is drastically different than the situation I once knew or didn’t know. What I mean is that there is not a day that I don’t say to myself I’m glad that isn’t me or that the person I just met is just like me. There is nothing intrinsically different from the communities that live on either side of the border.  But the border is there, and with it are the many unheard stories and reasons for crossing it.

Se van a regresar? O van intentar de Nuevo? (Are you returning home or trying again?) These are some of the questions, among others, that we ask at the migrant center. The answer is irrelevant from our perspective. Our only concern is of how to help. If they are going back, we try to inform them of their resources for return. If they are trying again, we give them food, water, a phone call. It’s not much. But it is. I think that perhaps the greatest resource is simply welcoming them into the center. As I said, it is a space where learning happens. Where for an hour or two, people get to feel human once again. The outside contains not one border, but many. The police, the polleros, the financial borders, the wall, the dessert, border patrol. So many barriers to cross and overcome. Identities constantly challenged against the many institutions of power and control. Dominance and submission; and from all of it, resistance continues to be born.