Dear Allison,

Thanks so much for the video clip--an encouraging life story. I'm one of the Mexicans in this country who never crossed the border ("the border crossed us" back in 1848).

However, I'm amazed at how we are all treated largely by Media (including "progressive" media) and Evangelicals (including "progressive" evangelicals). Sadly, Mexicans are too often treated as if we are a nameless, faceless mass of people who are ruining "American culture" (whatever that is). There are many Mexican cultures just as there are many so-called "Latino" cultures in this country, all of various lived experiences, historical memories, and political persuasions.

Typically, if I want to know if an Evangelical is actually a "Christ-Follower" and has at least an elementary knowledge of Biblical Migration narratives and ethics, I politely raise the issue of Mexican migration into the U.S. (a matter of "Undocumented Workers," and "Displaced Laborers," NOT so-called "Illegal Aliens"). The first words out of their mouths are a telling indicator of how they treat Jesus as they treat "the least of these" (Matthew 25)...

Posted by: Quetzal | June 26, 2008 3:38 PM

I am a citizen of the US who has been married to a Guatemalan for almost 11 years. For about 9 of those years, we lived in Guatemala. My eyes were opened to many things that would shock the average American who makes blanket statements about foreigners entering the country illegally. Right before our wedding, for example, my husband, who had always had a visitor´s visa, missed the renewal date for his visa by days and had to reapply. With documentation in hand to prove he had a house, an established job, and was currently studying to be an engineer, he paid his $100+ for the interview. They asked where the copy of his current grades was, and rejected him. He returned with the copy of the grades added to his pile of documentation, paid the fee again, and stood on line for another interview. This time they did not ask for the grades, but simply denied him. For the third attempt, I was able to join him. We paid the fee again (now having given a total of nearly $400 to the embassey) and proceeded to the interview. It was not the fact that I was an American or that we were planning to get married that enabled my husband to get his visa, but rather the fact that I by chance was teaching the children of one of the embassey workers. My husband once estimated the amount of money that the Guatemalan embassey earned daily for visa interviews alone. Considering that the majority of those interviewed are denied and try to reapply, we should consider thanking the many foreign contributors to our government´s working budget. It is not simply a choice to do what is easier that leads people to enter illegally but a decision forced upon them by dire economic situations or threats to life or safety that push them to sacrifice family unity and familiarity to enter an unknown environment where they are treated as unwanted and unworthy intruders. I personally know one professional who is now doing manual labor because he had to flee his country when his wife was kidnapped and murdered and the rest of the family was threatened with the same.
In the process of residency, we discovered even more difficulties. There are no written explanations of the full process nor workers willing to detail the steps that must be followed and prices to be paid for the whole process. In our case, by the grace of God, my husband knew someone that knew the secretary to the embassador who was willing to answer questions about the process. For most people told to pay the approximately $150 for the residency packet, they gather this relatively large amount and begin, unaware that they will be required to pay over $800 before they conclude the process.
From the point of view of Americans, many people do not realize that residency leads to citizenship and that allows foreigners to bring other members of their family into the county. For some strange reason, legislators have not thought about the idea of offering short-term workers´permits which would encourage foreigners to come for short stays where they would contribute to our economy and serve as a strong labor force, then return to their own countries to which they would bring large quantities of American products. Without guarenteeing citizenship, the ingress of one worker would not bring with it the strain on our schools and healthcare system of their whole family.
It is obvious that there is much more to this immigration issue than anyone in government is willing to admit. Does social security really not want illegal immigrants in the US to give money to the social security fund that they will never be able to reclaim? Do businessmen really not want workers willing to receive less than minimum wage in order to keep costs down? Are three really enough American workers willing to do hard manual labor in the hot sun of summer? Did not President Bush recently have to soften immigration restrictions in the southwest when the vegetation on the farms started to go bad in the fields without enough workers willing to pick them?

Posted by: katie | June 27, 2008 2:27 PM

Allison, thanks for your update and the video! Keep up the good fight to inform!

Blessings,
Janible, abuela of AJ and Erin

Posted by: janible | June 30, 2008 10:51 PM