I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Arizona is probably having its most eventful week in a long time, if not ever. In the midst of government concern with health care and financial regulation, this state managed to stir the pot of political and social controversy by introducing the immigration law heard ’round the world.

Completely re-shaping our immigration system is like the long division math problem that you had for homework in fourth grade. You do all the other homework first, and even some that isn’t due until next week; anything to avoid that time-consuming and tricky long division.

Unfortunately for Arizona, they are suffering the biggest consequences of the avoidance of this figurative math homework. As one of the handful of states who are closest to the Mexican border, it means that these citizens are bearing the brunt of the immigration that the rest of the country ignores.

Under the new law, which will take effect in 90 days, legal immigrants will be required to carry proof of their citizenship with them at all times.The most controversial aspect of this new legislation is that police and law enforcement officials are given the right to question anyone that they suspect could be an illegal immigrant. This has sparked a debate as to whether or not Arizona’s law is authorizing racial profiling for the sake of eliminating undocumented citizens.

There is nothing wrong with requiring immigrants to carry the proper documentation with them at all times declaring their citizenship. When I turned 16, I got my driver’s license. I know that, for as long as I’m driving a car, any car, I’m going to have to carry that little piece of plastic with the keystone hologram and the unflattering picture of me around, lest I ever get pulled over.

In the same imaginary situation in which I get pulled over, I am required to provide the registration information for the car I am driving. Although proof of citizenship is obviously a much more important document, it doesn’t change the fact that it should be as easy to provide as any other document, including licenses, working papers or medical emergency cards.

The third and final provision set forth by the law, allowing officials to question anyone they believe to be illegal, is where everything gets tricky and emotional. Personally, I don’t think it’s an altogether offensive ruling. I was talking to a friend the other day who posed the question of looking for a murder suspect. If a police report described an Italian man, what would the police be looking for? In Arizona, a state that is teeming with undocumented Mexican immigrants, it seems fairly obvious that, as law enforcement, you’ll be looking for someone who fits that description.

On the other hand, Arizona residents have been dealing with the problems brought on by illegal immigration for years. It would be ignorant to think that personal biases won’t play into any arrests or allegations made by police or other officials. In order to ensure that racism and stereotyping are not outweighing rational judgment, it is important for Arizona government to keep a close eye on these individuals.

Overall, I think this law is a huge step in the right direction not only for Arizona, but for America. If nothing else, this law forces the federal government and the rest of our country to finally wake up and face the immigration problem.

Jerry Zurek/Submitted Photo

Hundreds of thousands of people converged at the National Mall in Washington D.C. on Sunday, March 21 in support of comprehensive immigration reform.

Demonstrators of all nationalities raised the flags of their countries of birth alongside the American flag in a crowd that stretched for blocks. The “March For America” rally was the largest since 2006 after immigration reform legislation was shot down in 2007.

14 Cabrini students and faculty members were among those thousands. Students from Bryn Mawr College, Eastern University and Villanova University as well as other organizations from the area were also present.

Katy Friggle-Norton prepared two buses to transport these groups from Villanova University.  Norton is an active congregant at Central Baptist Church in Wayne.

“This is the biggest rally on the mall since Obama has become president,” Norton said to the group.

Speakers at the rally included Cardinal Roger Mahony from Los Angeles and Jesse Jackson. President Obama also made remarks through a prerecorded videotaped message voicing his support to the crowd.

Students were motivated to attend the rally for a number of different reasons. Monica Burke, senior English and communication and biology major, believes the current system is broken and wanted to show her support for an overhaul of immigration legislation.

“Without fixing the laws that are ineffective, immigration problems can’t be solved,” Burke said. “The current laws make it impossible for the number of people who want to come to America to do so legally.”

Those that marched held by signs that read, “Equal treatment for all” and “No human can be illegal” at the rally.

Frances Garret, sophomore social work and Spanish major at Eastern University, was uplifted by the sheer number of people at the rally.

“It was really powerful to be in the midst of so many people that want change and have traveled so far to stand up for their rights,” Garrett said.

The Latino community from West Chester was also in attendance alongside Cabrini students. Sr. Mimi DePaul, coordinator of Hispanic ministry of St. Agnes Church, wanted to raise her voice for the undocumented.

“There’s been a large Hispanic presence [in the congregation] since 1968,” DePaul said. “80 percent are Mexican, 10 percent are Puerto Rican, and 10 percent are from Latin America.”

DePaul also recognized the reason why immigrants are leaving their countries of birth.

“They’re fleeing from hunger. I believe if they could, the Mexicans want to stay in Mexico. They’re making one tenth in Mexico of what they make here.”

By the end of the day, DePaul not only was confident that she had made a difference but was overwhelmed by the positive energy at the rally.

“There was no fear here. It just seemed to be a really family-friendly atmosphere,” DePaul said. “I’m hoping I can contribute and encourage people I work with to do their best to get this reform passed.”

People from across the country represented a range of ethnic minorities. Michael Byun, executive director of Asian services, has seen many families displaced due to current immigration laws. His own family immigrated to the United States in 1975.

“We believe in humane immigration reform that works towards a path to legalization,” Byun said. “We have lots of family members separated because of the current system.”

Julie, who requested her last name not be used due to her undocumented status, shared her personal story. Growing up in Mexico City, her mother was involved in an abusive relationship with her husband and wanted a better life for her children.

“I actually came from Mexico when I was 12. I didn’t decide to, it was mainly my mom,” Julie said.

She settled in Austin, Texas, with a visa and excelled in her academics as an honors student and received letters of acceptance from Yale University. After receiving her bachelor and masters degree in nursing in America, her visa expired.

“I can’t work because of my undocumented status even though I have a masters in a profession that is highly needed in this country,” Julie said.

While she wants to be a legal citizen of the United States, she expressed her frustration with the current system and the inability to change her status.

“There is no way to get behind a line,” Julie said. “There is no way to fix it unless you are deported.”

When asked if she wanted to return to Mexico, Julie noted how different the cultures are between Mexico and the United States.

“The families I visit say I’m too Americanized,” Julie said.

Because of this rally, Julie and millions of other undocumented immigrants saw a ray of hope.

“I call my home the United States. I call my home Austin, Texas,” Julie said.

Roberta, a resident of Philadelphia, requested her real name not be used due to the recent validation of her visa. She was once a part of the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants already living in the United States.

This precarious journey northward was also one she didn’t want to make.

“I was praying we wouldn’t have to go,” Roberta said. “I didn’t want to leave my family.”

After growing up in Guatemala City as a child, she moved to the outskirts of the city after 12 years. She later married and had two children, one girl who is now 14 years old and a boy who is now 12. Just like any other average Guatemalan, Roberta led a seemingly normal life.

However a normal life to Guatemalans is in stark contrast to the normal life of an average American. According to the World Bank, about 75 percent of Guatemalans are below the poverty line with 58 percent of the population living in extreme poverty. In addition, seven out of 10 children under the age of five are malnourished.

Current economic conditions in Guatemala have worsened since the 1990s with the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA has benefited the large agribusiness companies of the United States, but has decimated the middle class and farmers in Central America.

Due to the economic disparity in her own country, Roberta was forced to be separated from her husband for weeks at a time. Her husband would make the long passage through Mexico to the United States to work in Texas in order to provide a living income for his family.

Over time, a family can live under the strain of separation only for so long.

“My husband wanted me to come to the United States with the kids. It was hard for him as well,” Roberta said.

Facing the challenges of migrating without documents

Roberta made the decision to put her family first and come to the United States. The first option was to come to the United States legally. But reality soon set in for Roberta.

“It’s almost impossible,” Roberta said in reference to obtaining a visa.

Current immigration laws only allow for 66,000 low-skilled labor positions for people across the globe. This leaves a gap of 434,000 in the labor force as there are 500,000 generated every year. In addition, it can take over a decade to enter the United States even if a person can get through the process.

Roberta and her children wouldn’t have to jump from boxcar to boxcar on the northward trains like many heading to the United States do. Because of her husband’s connections, she was able to secure a safe passage to Mexico. But, that came with a price.  Undocumented immigrants are known to pay up to $5,000, the yearly wages of a Guatemalan, to assistant them in entering the United States.

“He [my husband] had to pay, but because he was a friend I think he didn’t have to pay as much,” Roberta said.

The ease of her journey would abruptly end. The next challenge would be to cross the Rio Grande River bordering the United States and Mexico.

“I was told ‘Someone is going to help you cross the river,’” Roberta said. “These people work doing that all the time. I said ‘How? I don’t know how to swim.’ They said, ‘You’re going to sit in here and then we’ll push.’”

With her children next to her, she crossed the river into the land of opportunity on a raft in fear of the possibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement turning her right back around.

Even more frightening was the possibility that these people were not friends but human traffickers. Approximately 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked to the United States every year for labor or prostitution according to the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report.

Luckily, Roberta and her children would not be subjected to this fate and she made it to the shores of the United States safely.

“They had a house where we stayed for a few hours. While I was there, I was scared they could do something,” Roberta said.

Learning a new language

After what seemed like a never-ending wait, she was finally united with her mother-in-law in Texas where she stayed with her children for a short time. Yet obstacles were still being thrown at Roberta and her family.

“I didn’t speak any English. I knew how to read and write some, but it was hard to speak. It was hard to ask questions. I needed people to help me,” Roberta said.

The reality of having to pick up a second language was not new to Roberta.

“Of course, I knew that I needed to. I do love my Spanish though,” Roberta said with a laugh. “I know people who come here and they want to learn English. Even the older people still want to learn.”

Her children, having been thrown into a completely different culture, would also be faced with this obstacle. Many Americans are concerned that English would be overtaken as the primary language spoken in the United States.

Yet a report on language assimilation by the Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research in Albany, N.Y., found that 91 percent of second-generation immigrants, like Roberta’s children, will become practically fluent in English.

“They speak English and Spanish. My daughter speaks both perfectly, but my son’s first language is English.”

Within a few weeks, another journey lay ahead for Roberta.

Adjusting to America

“A friend in Philadelphia said, ‘Come here, you can save money.’  I said okay, let’s do it. It was expensive for me. I took a Greyhound bus,” Roberta said.

Life wasn’t what she expected it would be in the United States. Her pursuit of happiness would be a struggle to obtain as she recalled the first few months in Philadelphia.

“There were four of us in one room in this house. It was awful, there was no space for us. We stayed like that for two months until my husband got the money from his job,” Roberta said.

Because she did not have a social security number due to her undocumented status she was unable to find a place of her own.

“You can’t even rent a house. Oh lord, it’s so important to have a social security number.”

Her first jobs included tasks that even teenagers searching for jobs wouldn’t subject themselves to.

“I was lucky a lot of people knew me. I had a friend and I started working cleaning houses. I didn’t know I could make a lot of money,” Roberta said.

Without the protection of the law, she was subjected to low wages.

Recalling the experiences of others she knows, she noted the long hours and small amount of pay they receive.

“People will have to work many hours in a day and they don’t make money,” Roberta said.

The adjustment to life in Philadelphia for her and her family was a constant struggle.

“Life is completely different. Everyone stays in. I don’t even know my neighbors,” Roberta said.

“There are so many drugs. I never saw people doing that in Guatemala. I walked out the door here and it’s happening.”

She soon found help in the area from the Sisters of St. Joseph Welcome Center. The sisters at the center help immigrants improve their English and make the transition into American society easier.

“It’s amazing though. They’ve helped me so much,” Roberta said. “Thank God everyone was pretty nice.”

In 2000, Roberta adjusted her status when her husband applied for a Family Based Green Card.

“I’m very happy now, I can help the way I was helped before,” Roberta said.

Cabrini SEM 300 students learn about issue firsthand

Students at Cabrini have been able to address the issue firsthand. Taught by Dr. Jerry Zurek, chairman of the communications department, the SEM 300: Working for Global Justice class immerses students into issues such as extreme poverty, human trafficking and immigration.

“Students will take knowledge and desire and use that knowledge after they graduate,” Zurek said.

Students have also been able to visit the Sisters of St. Joseph Welcome Center and the Northeast Regional Office of Catholic Relief Services.

“The class has opened my eyes to the myriad of issues that face immigrants in America. Although it seems like a cut-and-dry situation, the challenges they face once arriving here are unbelievable. I think before I thought their struggles ended once they successfully crossed the border. Now I know that isn’t the case,” Monica Burke, senior English and communication and biology major, said.

Before engaging in the class, Burke found that she was not as informed on the issue as she thought she was.

“I thought I was pretty in tune to immigration issues,” Burke said. “Now, after learning more and more, I see that most Americans have barely scratched the surface of understanding what faces an immigrant once they decide to migrate.”

Burke believes that people like Roberta also deserve the help of the community.

“It is the responsibility of a community to care for the weakest of its members. By being educated about the challenges and issues that face immigrants, Cabrini students can advocate for these members of our community,” Burke said.

Roberta also holds high hopes for the future and hopes to be a part of this community that helps out those that are making the adjustment into American society.

“This is a wonderful country where we can learn and support our families. For those that are living here undocumented, there is hope. There are wonderful people who can help,” Roberta said.

Cabrini College and Saint Joseph’s University joined forces on Tuesday, Feb. 16, to rally on behalf of comprehensive immigration reform in hopes of reaching out to members of Congress.

“The Justice For Immigrants campaign is important, because we want our senators and representatives to hear our concerns,” Michelle McDermott, sophomore psychology major, said. “We want them to take into consideration our thoughts when it comes time to pass legislation.”

McDermott, along with other Catholic Relief Services ambassadors and representatives at Cabrini, have been hosting a postcard campaign in preparation for the rally. Students involved with CRS have influenced the campus to sign off on changing the current immigration system.

Students from both schools met in Grace Hall Atrium where a podium was open to anyone willing to speak on behalf of the campaign. Dr. Mary Laver, director of international partnerships, organized the rally with St. Joseph’s. Although her efforts in bringing the event together were apparent, she credited the accomplishment in advocating change to the students.

“Basically we’ve been trying to get classmates and faculty members to sign the postcards,” Michelle Costa, sophomore English and communication major, said. “It hasn’t been easy and not everyone says ‘yes.’ But, we wound up getting over 300 students to sign in a little over a week.”

St. Joseph’s students not only support Cabrini’s efforts in the campaign, but have also been recruiting supporters on their own campus.

“I was born in Mexico so any involvement with changing the current immigration system is important to me,” Mariana Fernandez, sophomore St. Joseph’s student, said. “At St. Joe’s we have classes and clubs that offer ways to get involved with social justice and the Justice For Immigrants campaign was one of them.”

All students at the rally were there in support of a new immigration system.

“It’s important to keep immigrant families together,” Jamie Tadrzynski, sophomore history and secondary education major, said. “I’ve seen firsthand families being displaced because of the current system. It’s just better for the children to have a stable family.”

Cabrini’s partnership with CRS has opened doors to help campaign and advocate for social change. Students of both Cabrini College and St. Joseph’s reached over 600 people to push their senators and representatives to act on the broken immigration system.

Cabrini’s ambassadors and representatives plan to continue pursuing people’s signatures for a couple more weeks.

“It’s the little things like these postcards that hopefully make all the difference,” Costa said.

For more information on the Justice For Immigrants post card campaign visit www.justiceforimmigrants.org

by Christine Graf

Thanksgiving at Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Camden, N.J., means more than celebrating a holiday with family as three Cabrini students and a faculty member found out.

The organization recalled the tradition of “welcoming the strangers,” on which the American holiday is based, by inviting recent refugees and immigrants from troublefilled regions around the world who have arrived in the last year to come and share a meal with the community.

“Thanksgiving is a holiday about strangers coming to America – Catholic Charities is reenacting this idea all year long,” Kevin Hickey, executive director of Catholic Charities in Camden, N.J., said.

“Our thanksgiving celebration shows new arrivals that they are part of America now and welcome.” Cabrini migration ambassadors for Catholic Relief Services and advisor Mary Laver, joined more than 60 people on Nov. 25 in the training room of Catholic Charities to share food from around the world and to celebrate their cultures as well as their new lives in America.

“I realized after this event that language has no barrier in kindness and that refugees are really no different than Americans,” Brittany Mitchell, senior communication major and CRS migration ambassador, said.

Refugees included people from Eritrea, Liberia and Burma, who have all been in Camden for a year or less, as well as current staff who were former refugees from Ghana, Liberia, Burma and Russia. “I’m very happy to be here and feel very welcomed especially today to be a part of this,”

Jawda, 27, a refugee from Burma, where citizens have lived under severe political oppression for years, said. “In Burma I was always running and hiding. We didn’t have events like this.”

John Marcantuono, director of the Catholic Charities refugee program in Camden, explained that refugees experience major trauma and fear for their lives in their homelands. Coming to America provides safety and freedom.

“I’ve seen refugees arrive in the States and kiss the ground because they are so happy for freedom,” Marcantuono said.

In addition to Catholic Charities, other participants included representatives from Camden Center for Law and Social Justice, a low-income law firm specializing in immigration assistance and domestic violence; Romero Ministries, a social justice education organization; and the Diocese of Camden.

“This celebration reminds the community that this idea of welcoming the strangers is a reoccurring event, that people are still coming to America for a better life,” Hickey said. “Americans don’t realize that people around the world are literally dying to come to America.”