Militarization

And the militarization continues...Check this article out http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_national_guard_border

Poem

This Poem was created from the students journals who were on the Humanigration trip.

All because of the Line

The vans, soon to be crammed with people like slave ships

They all have names

The desert for for days or forever

Would you do that?

We sit down

The judge says good afternoon,

They respond Buenas Tardes.

Our side of the room is silent

There is nothing good about this afternoon

Do you understand the charges against you?

The migrant as an international criminal

“Culpable” Sent back blinded, judged

How is it that people forget we’re dealing with Humans?

An evasion of moral responsibility

Politicians campaign in poetry, govern in prose

Where is the intersection between politics and morality?

My brain can only process so much, my heart picks up the heavy stuff

Human rights crisis at the border

Human rights go left

The issue is securing our border

Homeland Security to the right

There I was sitting in the middle

Tucson is like the Birmingham of the 1960’s

Ground Zero for immigration

We are responsible for this atrocity

Within each one of us lies the solution

Are you an English speaker?

No. Then please answer in Spanish

La solucion es un mundo sin fronteras

Hunger and hope for a better tomorrow

Welcomed back, eyes opened

With a responsibility to educate

Go back to your community and tell this story

Humanigration March, 2010

-Arturo, Harper, Jacob, Luis, Maricela, Mark, Vicky

Journals

A requirement for the trip was to keep a journal. All members of the trip kept a journal after reading the journals here are some excerpts.

Chat with Mike Wilson-Representative from the Tohono O'odham nation who puts water on the reservation for migrants.

-Change the way we frame the immigration issue. It is a human rights issue, not an issue of homeland security

-Border Patrol has gotten more intense and sophisticated in terms of technology and militarization

-Governments mentality of border security and then immigration reform

-Desert people have always offered water and hospitality, this goes back to the old testament

“Politicians campaign in poetry, govern in prose”

Grupos Beta

-Mexican government supported group that provides resources to migrants

-Around 200 immigrants are served daily at this office

-Chiapas man paid 5000 pesos to cross

-After speaking with representative we got to speak with migrants using Grupos Beta

Maquiladora

-surprising how clean and well paid the people are

-Pay is 1.8 times the minimum wage

Desert Experience

-The most emotions that I have felt so far on the trip

Isabel Garcia

-Cool Lady, Address the root cause, reform immigration and demilitarize the border

Overall

-Trip of a lifetime, it taught me so much about what is going on there

-Instead of asking them why they are here we should be asking them why they left

Thursday

Our last day of the trip we spent in Tucson. To start the day off we did a tree activity. In small groups we combined what we know collectively about immigration and border issues.

The tree:

Branches-problems, issues, and what is happening

Trunk- what agents are contributing to these problems

Roots-What underlying components make the system possible

Desert deaths, NAFTA,

peoples right to a better life, human traffic, terrorism,

drugs, violence, militarization of the border, hate, xenophobia, funnel effect

to danger zones, desperation, ignorance, Polleros, gangs, lack of immigration solution, hunger, empty promises, unemployment, ignorance, fear, de-facto segregation,

bad politicians, human rights protection

Big Business

-Mistreatment

-Known Hiring

Mexican Government

-Corruption

-Leadership

U.S. Government

-NAFTA

-Homeland Security

-Legislative Branches

Media

-Lack diverse opinions

-Framing as Terrorism issue

Greed, Maintenance of the status quo, Manifest Destiny, Globalization, Capitalism, Ignorance, Difficulty going against the system, Class system, Bootstrap myth, Lack of leadership

Day Labor Camp: After the tree activity and discussion we went to a church which offers a place for day laborers to wait for work. We talked with the pastor and got some history on the Sanctuary Movement, and what the church is currently doing to help laborers.

Sustainable Food Presentation: During lunch we participated in a presentation on sustainable food. Food production, specifically corn is directly related to immigration. Before 1994 (NAFTA) Mexico could feed itself corn tortillas and beans. Since 1994 there has been an influx of corn sold below the cost of production (US Subsidy) to Mexico. This has resulted in loss of work for farmers and increased migration north. For further reading on this topic: The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan, The End of Food by Paul Roberts, and Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser.

Operation Streamline: After lunch we went to the Federal Courthouse in Tucson to watch Operation Streamline. This zero-tolerance program prosecutes illegal entrants apprehended along the border. This program charges some migrants with criminal misdemeanors rather than following standard civil deportation proceedings. In the Tucson sector around 70 migrants are prosecuted daily, this is a random set taken from the 800-1200 migrants caught trying to cross daily in this sector.

The migrants are herded in the court with chains and handcuffs. Each migrant while we were there plead "culpable" or guilty. Most were given time served and will be deported back to Mexico. Taxpayers are paying millions of dollars for judges, public defenders, and detention facilities because of this criminalization of migration called Operation Streamline.

Isabel Garcia: She is a Public Defender and famous activist who has been on programs such as Anderson Cooper 20/20. We met with her after Streamline. This was a great supplement to Streamline and many students expressed that this was their favorite part of the trip. Isabel spoke about migrants becoming international criminals when the issue should be framed in a socioeconomic way. She believes instead of criminal deportation there should be only administrative deportation which is far cheaper. She gave us hope for a solution addressing:

1) Root Cause

-Why are immigrants continuing to come

2) Immigration Reform

-Work Permit, Immigrant Rights

3) De-militarize the Border

-Due process, stop funding the human rights crisis

"The number one responsibility of humanity is to take care of each other, this means immigrant students and people crossing the desert. Everything can move trees, water, air; we are the most intelligent species on the planet; why not us?"

Scholarships AZ:Finally we met with a group of Tucson students who are working on scholarships and advocating for the rights of undocumented students. This was very emotional and a very human way to end sum up the trip. We shared our collective knowledge and talked about what is being done for students. The students shared their stories of wanting to be educated and the importance of working hard in school. We talked about the thousands of students who have been here since childhood, they were educated in our public schools, their friends, family and lives are here. They are American in every aspect but paper....Why does the U.S government deny their legitimacy?

Humanigration Schedule

Sunday- Fly in to Tucson; made it to airport ok, security held up Maricela to almost miss flight but flight delayed to Dallas; in Dallas, van ready for pick up at plane to ride to Tucson plane....FUN! We made it, met Margi

Monday- Met Mike Wilson with Tohono O'dom nation. Amazing talk; drive to Nogales Mex- no passport check, nothing to get in Mexico (....interesting); met/picked up Cecilia; visiting with Grupo Beta, talked to recently deported migrants there; went to stay with our families in Colonia Encino; played kick ball and learned about our families history migrating to Nogales.

Tuesday- Homestay breakfast; News about the U.S. dept of state warnings along border, warning to cancel desert walk and grocery store visit; saw military armed in middle of nogales with big guns (don't know what kind); visited Maquiladora- took pictures; on road to Magdalena, met Ana Maria de Colombia who lives 6 months on the border of Panama/Colombia and Mexico/US, played music, met foster children in Mexico (Ceci knew one of the girl's family in Nogales...interesting), they played violin, vegetarian food; went to CAMYYN in Altar, met migrants recently deported, had dinner together, met with sisters, Tere, Marcos. Slept in cafeteria area together.

Wednesday- breakfast with migrants, much fewer than the night before...wondering where they went, back to cross desert, home, or in an huesped. Visited Plaza area where migrants wait for coyotes, a few vans to sasabe, line waiting for money transit; saw what looked like coyotes/polleros looking for customers. Went to visit a casa de huespedes, guy there a little drunk told us his story- crossed four times, beat up by Chicanos in California, chef in US, about to cross again and if he doesn't make it, he said he will kill himself and will ask the border patrol to help him. We had to go, he hugged Luis and Maricela as if it had been a long time since he's had human contact, very emotional for all hugged. Drive back to Nogales, lunch with Lupita who serves food at the comedor near the border port of entry, where people are dropped off when deported; she lives near the wall, took photos and a walk in her colonia. Visited wall art with Taller Yonke artists, as with every visit the art work is always amazing to look at. pictures to be posted. Walk across border, line, line, President Obama photo on wall in customs. Migration simulation with St. Adams College, Colorado. Dinner at Maya Quetzal, Guatemalteco. BLOGGGGG, pictures.

We're leaving tomorrow!

So we're leaving tomorrow and I'm excited! I've gone through the fear part but now I'm definitely excited to get to hear what people have to say about immigration. I'm excited to at last people's voices, instead of interpretation and representation of their voices. Some things that I think are important to keep in mind when taking trips like this is remembering our place of privilege. We need to be as open and understanding and non-judgmental as we embark on our journey. Let's not try to put ourselves in people's shoes because it is simply impossible. Let's remember how to be good listeners. I can't wait! I think that this is a great group and we are ready and eager to learn and listen as much as possible! I can't wait to learn from the people we are visiting and our group members. I'm glad we'll spend so much time on the van so we can discuss what we thought of the day or the activity.

Legislative Information

Agency Plans to Improve Oversight of Immigration

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/06/AR2009080601543_2.html

Arizonas Immigration Reform Bill Up For Passage

http://azcapitoltimes.com/blog/2010/02/23/panel-oks-bill-to-track-illegal-immigrant-students/

What are your thoughts on these legislative actions?