Sandra

Here is a report on a patient at CitySquare's Community Health Services medical clinic:  

Sandra was referred to CitySquare several years ago from the ER at Baylor.  She was treated here and has great health now.  

She volunteered as a translator for our cooking classes and everyone loved her.  The cooking class coordinator wanted to steal her from us.  

Sandra  is one of those young people brought by her parents to the US for a better life.  She attended school and really did well.  She went to school to be a medical assistant and her dream is to be a registered nurse.  She however did not have permission to work in the US and was not eligible for scholarships or loans for college.  She was stuck and unable to progress or work legally.

In the last year there have been changes to the rules affecting people in her situation.  She quickly applied for the Dream Act and completed all the necessary paperwork to get a work permit in the US.  We wrote letters of recommendation for her as we knew her as patient and as a volunteer.  

About a month ago she returned to the clinic to show me her Permission to work ID.  She said the next day she was going to get a driver’s license.  As she sat in my office, she began to cry.  I asked what the matter was and she said I just can’t believe all my dreams are coming true. I have waited so long with no hope,  now everything is changing so fast and it is all good.

She applied for a job at Baylor at our encouragement and she was hired for a full time position.  She will, after a period of time, be able to continue her education with the support of the tuition reimbursement program Baylor has for employees.  We are so proud of what she has accomplished.

Jose, Alabama and Federal Court

Last week I had a meeting with Jose.  [Use the "search" tool to read more about his case and that of his cousin, Monica.]

Jose came to the United States when he was a very young child.  No one in the family had the documents needed to be in the country legally.  Like almost all  immigrants to the U. S., Jose's family came to find and to make a better life. 

Today, Jose faces deportation.  Recently, Jose married his sweetheart, an American citizen.  He is in the process of working through the system so that he can stay in this country.  He will be required to leave and go back "home" to Mexico, even though he won't know anyone when he arrives.   He is nervously trying to line out his plan with high hopes of returning to his wife as soon as possible.

Like in the case of lots of controversial issues, once you know someone personally who faces a very difficult situation like Jose's you just look at things differently.  Jose is a fine young man.  He comes from a very fine family of extremely hardworking people.  He has never been in trouble with the law.  He has been a good young man.  He is exactly the sort of person we need to stay in the country. 

I'm wondering why our leaders can't step up and deal with immigration reform so that we create a new way for our neighbors to the south to come and go to the benefit of all concerned. 

Because of my friendship with Jose and his family, the following story about a federal court's ruling on the very harsh immigration laws now in force in Alabama caught my eye. 

We've got to find a way to do better and to do the right thing by our fellow human beings.  After all, we are a nation of immigrants. 

Court Rules Alabama Can Detain Illegal Immigrants

by The Associated Press
October 14, 2011

A federal appeals court issued a ruling Friday that temporarily blocked parts of an Alabama law requiring schools to check the immigration status of students but let stand a provision that allows police to detain immigrants that are suspected of being in the country illegally.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the order after the Justice Department challenged what is considered the toughest immigration law in the nation. The opinion also blocked a part of the law that makes it a crime for immigrants to not have proper documentation.

A final decision on the law won't be made for months to allow time for more arguments.

Since a federal judge upheld much of the law in late September, many frightened Hispanics have been driven away from Alabama, fearing they could be arrested or targeted by police. Construction workers, landscapers and field hands have stopped showing up for work, and large numbers of Hispanic students have been absent from public schools.

Read the entire report here.

Work--Part 2

This is the second in a 3-part series about participants in CitySquare's Build4Success hard skills, construction training program. 

Michael McCall – Michael was in the Build4Success class with Sam (see previous post on 3-25-2011). They became friends during the training and have remained good friends since then. Michael was a leader in the class and was quick to help his fellow classmates if they were struggling with any course work. He even tutored some in math. A few months after completing training, Michael went to work for Humphrey & Associates electrical contractors and is now in his second year of electrical apprenticeship at CEF. After he had been on the job for a few months, Michael had saved enough to purchase a new truck; he called me and asked me if I thought it would be ok if he gave his old car to Sam (Griffin). He said it wasn’t much of a car but it was better than none and maybe Sam could use it as a stepping stone into a better vehicle. I told him that would be between them but wanted him to make sure he transferred the title and did all the paperwork, he did. (This car helped Sam get into his truck – longer story on this than I want to write here). After Sam’s shooting, Michael has continued to prove to be the kind of friend all of us hope to be. He picks up Sam for dinner occasionally and is there to help Sam however he can. Michael also participated in tryouts as an evaluator this last time with Sam.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City.  The fire claimed the lives of 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women in their teens and early twenties died in the terrible fire.  Public outcry resulted in numerous labor reforms, building codes and factory inspections. 

Read more here. 

Juan works hard

Our Sunday paper arrived complete win a Christmas card from Juan.

Juan delivers my paper every day long before 6 a. m.

I expect his days begin well before 5 in the morning.

Of course, his paper route allows him to work two jobs, at least.

I know Juan hopes I'll use the Christmas card envelop, self-addressed, to pass along a tip for his service this last year. And, I'll gladly respond as he hopes.

Juan works hard.

I am fortunate that he is assigned to my street.

Even more blessed that he came to the U. S.

I don't get folks who oppose immigrants.

Merry Christmas, to you and your family, Juan!

(2,500th post.)

Los Suns: sports and public policy

What follows combines a couple of reports last week about the stance of the Phoenix Suns in the current immigration debate set off by Arizona's new law.

In general, people in the sports world keep their political leanings to themselves. Sure, there are a few guys who regularly speak out on political issues, but for the most part that's considered bad business. As Michael Jordan put it, "Republicans buy shoes too." That's why what the Phoenix Suns are doing is so amazing.

The team will be wearing its "Los Suns" jerseys for Wednesday night's Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs "to honor [the] Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation." Awesome.

The decision to wear the jerseys came from way up the corporate ladder, as team owner Robert Sarver suggested the team wear their Noche Latina alternates.

Sarver, who was born and raised in Tucson, said frustration with the federal government's failure to deal with the illegal immigration issue led to the passage of what he called "a flawed state law."

"However intended, the result of passing the law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question," he said, "and Arizona's already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them."

The Suns voted on the jerseys and unanimously decided to wear them for Cinco De Mayo. As if he weren't likeable enough, Phoenix guard Steve Nash(notes) succinctly summed up the Suns' feelings on the issue.

"I think it's fantastic," Nash said after Tuesday's practice. "I think the law is very misguided. I think it's, unfortunately, to the detriment of our society and our civil liberties. I think it's very important for us to stand up for things we believe in. As a team and as an organization, we have a lot of love and support for all of our fans. The league is very multicultural. We have players from all over the world, and our Latino community here is very strong and important to us."

And it's not just the Suns who are speaking out on this issue.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is on board, and the team even tried to get their "Los Spurs" jerseys, though it was too late to do so. When asked for approval to wear the jerseys, the NBA "was all for it," said Suns general manager Steve Kerr. Furthermore, NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter issued a press release, denouncing the law.

The recent passage of the new immigration law in Arizona is disappointing and disturbing. The National Basketball Players Association strongly supports the repeal or immediate modification of this legislation. Any attempt to encourage, tolerate or legalize racial profiling is offensive and incompatible with basic notions of fairness and equal protection. A law that unfairly targets one group is ultimately a threat to all.

We applaud the actions of Phoenix Suns players and management and join them in taking a stand against the misguided efforts of Arizona lawmakers. We are consulting with our members and our player leadership to determine the most effective way for our union to continue to voice our opposition to this legislation.

It's not much, just an extra three letters on the front of a tanktop, but it means a lot more. As Kerr said, the Suns want to "make sure that people understand that we know what's going on and we don't agree with the law itself." For a sports team, that's huge.

Los Suns have caused quite a storm.

The Phoenix Suns wore jerseys that said "Los Suns" on Cinco de Mayo during Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the San Antonio Spurs to protest Arizona's immigration law.

Suns star Steve Nash said the Arizona law "really damages our civil liberties. I think it opens up the potential for racial profiling and racism. ... It represents our state poorly in the eyes of the nation and the world."

The Suns' political proclamation has created a big stir, including inspiring one fan to shred her game tickets.

Immigration and wages. . .

Immigration and Wages—Methodological advancements confirm modest gains for native workers

Heidi Shierholz
February 4, 2010
EPI Briefing Paper #255

Executive summary

In the ongoing debate on immigration, there is broad agreement among academic economists that it has a small but positive impact on the wages of native-born workers overall: although new immigrant workers add to the labor supply, they also consume goods and services, which creates more jobs. 

The real debate among researchers is whether a large influx of a specific type of worker (say, workers with a particular level of education or training) has the potential to have a negative impact on the wages of existing workers of that same type. Some research argues that immigrant competition is quite costly to certain groups of native-born U.S. workers, while other research finds that native workers—even those who have levels of education and experience similar to new immigrants—may actually reap modest benefits from immigration.

We begin this paper with a review of the scholarly literature on immigration’s effect on wages, focusing on recent methodological advancements. We then use Current Population Survey (CPS) data from 1994 to 2007 to conduct our own empirical analysis of immigration’s effect on wages over this period, incorporating these recent methodological advancements. Our analysis finds little evidence that immigration negatively impacts native-born workers.

A key result from this work is that the estimated effect of immigration from 1994 to 2007 was to raise the wages of U.S.-born workers, relative to foreign-born workers, by 0.4% (or $3.68 per week), and to lower the wages of foreign-born workers, relative to U.S.-born workers, by 4.6% (or $33.11 per week). In other words, any negative effects of new immigration over this period were felt largely by the workers who are the most substitutable for new immigrants—that is, earlier immigrants.

Click here to read the full report.

Reflections on "the game" as Spring Training 2010 begins. . .(Part 4)

[What follows is the conclusion of an essay written while I coached an inner-city baseball team in the Texas Rangers Rookie League.  For Parts 1-3, see my posts on the last 3 days.]

Economic Disparity and America's "New Economy."  Observing John's world reveals that the use, trade and delivery of illegal narcotics involve not only serious criminal, health and addiction issues, but crucial market issues as well.  The drug trade in Dallas promises (actually one of urban America's most tragic lies) to provide the highest income possible to persons whose limited skills mark them out for a life to be scratched out well below the poverty line.  When faced with the option of taking a job that pays just above minimum wage or becoming a player in the illicit drug industry that promises to pay much more, many people, especially young people, chose the more dangerous route. 

While I am not  attempting to relieve anyone of personal responsibility, the fact remains that the teens and adults in John's house do not possess the skills needed to compete in America's "new economy."  Our community has the will to support the revolving door, created by our criminal justice system that shuffles adults in and out of John's world.  Evidently, what we lack is the will to adequately fund training programs that could provide real economic options for these same teens and adults.  Add the powerful factor of addiction to the mix and we create a recipe for social destruction, one person, one family and one neighborhood at a time. 

[When I wrote this essay, Dallas corporations were crying for qualified employees, especially in the technology sector.  The need was so great that immigration policies were being reformed and relaxed to accommodate the need for foreign workers who could fill the need quickly.  The economic bust of 2008 changed all of that, but the need for livable wage employment skills for our citizens remains very urgent.]

The mental leap necessary to move from coaching in a summer youth baseball league to a discussion of drugs, crime, the state of public education, employment training and market-driven economic options may seem strange or even strained. 

But not if you know my buddy John. 

He lives in the tough world of inner city Dallas. 

As a result, I estimate that John has possibly two more years of semi-innocence before he faces some very tough choices forced on him by the circumstances of his world.   If he takes the wrong turn, he likely will end up repeating the mistakes of his older family members. 

Fortunately, John has a number of friends in the neighborhood who are committed to staying near him to help navigate these critical times of decision.  Not every Dallas child in his position possesses his small advantage. 

Since serving as his coach, I know I will never be able to watch a baseball game in the same way again.  From sandlot to second grade Little Leagure, the game has always been very special to me.  Now I think I know how I'll occupy many of my thoughts during the slow, steady progress of America's game. 

[Eight years after I first wrote this reflection, I am pleased to report that John graduated high school, went on to college and served last summer on our AmeriCorps team.  I expect that he will graduate with his degree in about two more years.  Would that John's story could be repeated across urban America a million times over.]

Conservative, Evangelical Christians on Immigration Reform

On Oct. 8 the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) voted without dissent in support of cmpre-hensive, national immigration reform.  NAE president Leith Anderson rallied and solidified the troops to see this position paper and value statement adopted after a couple of years of intensive study. 


The U. S. Congress would do well to read the document. 


Here's a taste for your consideraiton: 

Immigration 2009

The significant increase in immigration and the growing stridency of the national debate on immigration compel the National Association of Evangelicals to speak boldly and biblically to this challenging topic. The complexity of immigration issues provides an opportunity to mine Scripture for guidance. A biblically informed position provides a strong platform for the NAE to make a contribution in the public square that will be explicitly Christian. Out of commitment to Scripture and knowledge of national immigration realities comes a distinct call to action.

Biblical Foundations

Discussion of immigration and government immigration policy must begin with the truth that every human being is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28). Immigrants are made in the image of God and have supreme value with the potential to contribute greatly to society. Jesus exemplifies respect toward others who are different in his treatment of the Samaritans (Luke 10:30-37; John 4:1-42).

The Bible contains many accounts of God’s people who were forced to migrate due to hunger, war, or personal circumstances. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the families of his sons turned to Egypt in search of food. Joseph, Naomi, Ruth, Daniel and his friends, Ezekiel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther all lived in foreign lands. In the New Testament, Joseph and Mary fled with Jesus to escape Herod’s anger and became refugees in Egypt. Peter referred to the recipients of his first letter as “aliens” and “strangers,” perhaps suggesting that they were exiles within the Roman Empire. These examples from the Old and New Testaments reveal God’s hand in the movement of people and are illustrations of faith in God in difficult circumstances.

Migration was common in the ancient world. Outsiders were particularly vulnerable. They stood outside the kinship system that regulated the inheritance of property. They did not have extended family to care for them in case of need. The Law recognized their helplessness and stipulated measures that served as a safety net. The motivations behind this generous spirit were that the people of God were not to forget that they had been strangers in Egypt (Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 19:33-34) and that God loved the foreigner (Deuteronomy 10:18-19). The New Testament adds that all believers are spiritual sojourners on earth (Phil. 3:20; 1 Peter 2:11). Christians should show compassion and hospitality to outsiders (Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:2).

The Bible does not offer a blueprint for modern legislation, but it can serve as a moral compass and shape the attitudes of those who believe in God. An appreciation of the pervasiveness of migration in the Bible must temper the tendency to limit discussions on immigration to Romans 13 and a simplistic defense of “the rule of law.” God has established the nations (Deut. 32:8; Acts 17:26), and their laws should be respected. Never-theless, policies must be evaluated to reflect that immigrants are made in the image of God and demonstrate biblical grace to the foreigner.

To read the entire statement click here.

Reactions?
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Just "deportees"?

So, I'm wondering today where comprehensive immigration reform falls out on president-elect Obama's legislative agenda? No doubt, the current economic crisis will affect priorities. But then, the subject managing immigrant labor surely will play some role in any future economic recovery, at least I would think it should.

Frankly, I'm back to our neighborhood, to our children, those born of undocumented immigrants, and to their future in this country.

I'm thinking of the hard-working men and women, enticed to journey here by the promise of a better life and a good job. People I see every day.

I'm thinking of my faith and how that relates to a just labor policy for immigrants, especially those relatively low-skilled immigrants who keep a city like Dallas moving.

I'm thinking of how we've exploited their presence, their willingness to work hard for very low wages to build our community.

I'm thinking we need a fair policy that considers no one a "throw away" person.

I'm thinking of Monica today and others like her who need to see the DREAM Act passed through Congress now [for background here, simply type in "Monica" in the blog search box above to read more of her story--there is quite a lot to read about her and others like her and her family!].

So, where is the comprehensive reform package? Where do we stand on that matter?

There ought to be an equitable process that allows Mexican and other Latin American immigrants to assume documented, guest worker status in any number of industries running short on labor.

There ought to be a way to ensure that a fair wage is paid for an honest day's labor.

There ought to be a way to protect the children and the families of those who labor among us. People should not be made to live in fear.

At the same time, our nation should work with governments south of our border to improve their economies, to promote justice in those economies and to create new connections that pay off for us all who call this hemisphere home.

The whole matter brings me back to Woody Guthrie. I suppose I shouldn't have watched the old movie about him recently!

In his song, Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos), Guthrie sings about the hard life of immigrant workers. He sings about the high, human cost of labor, labor that we have a history of under valuing and de-personalizing, as we find ways to write off the people who provide it before we send them away.

The song protests the inhumane treatment of passengers who died aboard a planed that crashed near Los Gatos Canyon on January 29, 1948. Twenty-eight migrant farm workers being deported to Mexico perished in the crash along with four U. S. citizens. Guthrie wrote the song out of respect for the Mexican victims who were never identified in news reports, but referred to only as "deportees." Of course, U. S. citizens who died were named.

Guthrie's song provides names for the migrant workers.

The Mexican victims of the accident were placed in a mass grave at Holy Cross Cemetery in Fresno, California. Of the 27 men and one woman, only 12 were ever identified. The grave site measured 84 feet by 7 feet, allowing for two rows of caskets.

Now for Woody's song:

Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos)

The crops are all in and the peaches are rott'ning,
The oranges piled in their creosote dumps;
They're flying 'em back to the Mexican border
To pay all their money to wade back again

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye, Rosalita,
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria;
You won't have your names when you ride the big airplane,
All they will call you will be "deportees"

My father's own father, he waded that river,
They took all the money he made in his life;
My brothers and sisters come working the fruit trees,
And they rode the truck till they took down and died.

Some of us are illegal, and some are not wanted,
Our work contract's out and we have to move on;
Six hundred miles to that Mexican border,
They chase us like outlaws, like rustlers, like thieves.

We died in your hills, we died in your deserts,
We died in your valleys and died on your plains.
We died 'neath your trees and we died in your bushes,
Both sides of the river, we died just the same.

The sky plane caught fire over Los Gatos Canyon,
A fireball of lightning, and shook all our hills,
Who are all these friends, all scattered like dry leaves?
The radio says, "They are just deportees"

Is this the best way we can grow our big orchards?
Is this the best way we can grow our good fruit?
To fall like dry leaves to rot on my topsoil
And be called by no name except "deportees"?

[Words by Woody Guthrie and Music by Martin Hoffman© 1961 (renewed) by TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc.]

Listen to Arlo Guthrie, Woody's son, and Emmy Lou Harris perform this moving tribute to those who were lost in the tragic flight.

So much work to be done for the sake of those who simply want to work for a better life.
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Labor Day

Work is sacred in my book.

All kinds of work.

The spiritual quality of work, the substance of human effort and purpose, the connection of labor to the maintenance and promotion of life, creativity and productivity--I'm fascinated by it all.

If regarded properly, there is no such thing as meaningless work.

We arrive at despair regarding work because of the false categories and artificial judgments that promote lies about what work matters and what work does not.

All honest, legal work, grounded in authentic human effort, matters. All such labor should be honored in our communities.

Labor connects us to others.

Production sustains and supports the entire human enterprise.

Labor is sacred.

Often, it is not treated as if it were, especially when it comes to livable wages, opportunities for advancement, access to skills training and continuing education or on the job training.

Food for thought this Labor Day.

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More on immigration and the economy from Ray Perryman

Check back to this past Tuesday's post to read the first portion of my synopsis of a study conducted by Ray Perryman and his team. What follows are excerpts from the same report dealing with our national reliance on immigrant labor. This dependence on immigrant workers presents many problems, especially for the laborers themselves. But the net benefit to our national economy should factor significantly into any conversation about immigration reform. As always, I'm looking for your responses. LJ

______________________________

As the era of a plentiful workforce wanes and the "baby boomers" begin to approach retirement, the US economy has found numerous ways to sustain growth and prosperity. These approaches include. . .an increasing reliance on immigrants, both legal and undocumented.

. . .The relative increase in the immigrant share of the overall population in the past few decades, the greater reliance on undocumented workers, and intense political attention have often camouflaged the fundamental economic concerns. . . . The development of immigration policy affects not only national security and other priorities, but also the economy. Overly restrictive policy has the potential to devastate certain industries which would be faced with near crisis conditions in terms of affordable labor.

. . .If all undocumented workers were removed from the workforce, a number of industries would face substantial shortages of workers, and Americans would have to be induced into the labor pool or provided incentives to take jobs far below their current education and skill levels. For this phenomenon to occur to a meaningful extent, substantial wage escalation would likely be necessary, thus eroding competitiveness in global markets.

As the domestic workforce becomes older, more stable in number, and better educated, the US production complex increasingly requires foreign, low-skilled workers. The economy is now relying on more low-skilled immigrant workers than the allowable work visas under current policy.

In 1960, about 50% of men in this country joined the low-skilled labor force without completing high school; the number is now 10%. . . .The total demand [for low-skilled workers] will far exceed the rate of growth in the workforce that will occur from natural expansion and the entry afforded by current immigration policy, leaving a potential gap of tens of millions of laborers. Even if some marginal workers are induced into the workforce from other sources, the need for an immigrant pool to perform these functions is likely to increase.

For several industries and occupations, undocumented immigrants serve as a particularly important source of labor. These include private households, food manufacturing, farming, furniture manufacturing, construction, textile manufacturing, food services, administrative and support services, accommodations, and selected elements of the manufacturing industry.

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Hot streets

"There are no statistics on the street."

(Bernard Glassman and Rick Fields, Instructions to the Cook: A Zen Master's Lessons in Living a Life that Matters, page 149)

_________________________________

The thermometer in the car read 113. It felt hotter.

At 3:30 p.m. we were just getting around to having lunch. The walk across the parking lot felt like a sauna complete with built-in aerobics.

113.

Not sure how accurate the instrument was, but clearly, well over the century mark.

My mind went to the street.

What's it like "out there" when it's this hot?

Even in the new homeless assistance center, The Bridge, Downtown there wouldn't be enough cool spots to accommodate the crowd.

Looking for shade. No place to shower or rest or use "the facilities."

113.

What would it be like?

_________________________________

Our Resource Center building on Haskell Avenue that doubles as our headquarters is now surrounded by Baylor University Medical Center development. The last pieces of the build out include a surface parking lot directly behind our building that wraps around us to the northeast and a multi-story administrative office building and parking garage just across Crutcher Street to our southwest.

Watching the construction has become a daily enterprise as we come and go from our offices. I've been amazed by the pace of the construction.

It's been hot.

113.

I've watched the labor closely.

Mostly Hispanic gentlemen who demonstrate great skill and impressive work ethic, to say the least. I've also noticed that they remain focused and cheerful.

One day recently, I watched as two men took alternating turns with two sledge hammers driving what started as a 5-foot stake in the hard dirt of the parking garage site. As they finished, I cheered them on. We shared a laugh and a brief exchange.

Hard working guys.

113.

Friends in the heat, whether at work or just trying to survive difficult circumstances.

Hot streets.

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