Dear Casa
San Jose Amigos,
Welcome
back to our weekly message! Here’s
what’s new:
You help is much needed:
Mark your
calendars! May 1, International
Workers Day, Pittsburghers will March for Immigrant Rights,
starting at the Hot Metal Bridge at 3 and ending at the Pittsburgh Federation
of Teachers HQ at 5 for a celebration with music, food and speakers.
Beforehand, phonebankers are needed to alert people about this
event – if you can help, and for more information about times and places:
· For English speakers at Thomas Merton Center – please contact
Gabe at gabriel@thomasmertoncenter.org.
· For Spanish speakers at Casa San Jose – please contact Monica at monica@casasanjose.org.
We still need volunteers on Easter Sunday morning, April 16,
for any amount of time between 8 am and noon at St.
Catherine’s Church in Beechview, to
help with the sale of freshly baked Pan Dulce to support its Latino
ministry. We need at least 4 volunteers
per hour to help prepare, sell, and clean up. You can see what is needed and
sign up if you use
this online poll
- just fill in your name and check the times you can come. No need to
email us – the poll will do that. If you
have questions, email roye.werner@gmail.com. Thank you!
Political action:
Good news:
State Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Phila.) is planning to introduce a Sanctuary Commonwealth bill - which will be pro-sanctuary, the opposite of the Republicans’ pending
bills. Find your PA State Congressperson
here and ask him/her to be a co-sponsor
of this bill.
More reasons to call
your legislators: the
Pennsylvania Immigration Citizenship Coalition (PICC), which has lots of experience
talking to state senators and representatives, reports that they often haven’t
thought or studied much about these issues. As informed immigrant advocates, we
can present arguments that they may have never heard (see suggestions in “Messaging Framework” p. 2) – and often they are receptive and
even grateful.
Learn to organize or
help someone else learn: Consider attending the Immigrant and
Refugee Rights Convening
in Harrisburg on May 7- 8, hosted by PICC, which will bring members of
immigrant and refugee communities, grassroots organizations, and advocates from
across the state together for training, networking and movement building. It is
open to anyone who cares about immigrant and refugee communities in PA and
wants to build a vibrant immigrant rights movement. Register and get information here.
Or, help fund someone else who wants to learn to expand immigrant
justice but can’t afford to go. The
funds will allow Casa San Jose and the Thomas Merton Center to cover travel
costs, registration and lodging for new organizers. Please donate here.
“Our Story” episode 4: “Cranberry”
Casa San Jose’s new Rapid Response team did not have to wait long to be
called into action. The team - Monica
Ruiz, Jeimy Sanchez-Ruiz and several other helpers (immigration attorneys,
social workers, etc.) - quickly mobilize and travel wherever needed to support
and advise immigrants in crisis when ICE patrols are spotted in a neighborhood.
At 6 a.m. on Wednesday, April 5, ICE personnel pulled into a trailer
park in Cranberry Township where many Guatemalans live, and blocked the exits
with their vehicles. Word spread fast,
but not fast enough for a few workers who were already on their way. Two young men – one 23, the other actually a
boy of 16, were immediately picked up and taken to ICE headquarters for
processing. Neither of them had any
criminal records. The boy was able to speak to Monica briefly: “Please
help me – do whatever is possible to get me out of here – I’m so afraid.”
The team went to speak to the other residents but the doors were shut
tight now. They approached two, three trailers, knocking on doors, speaking in
Spanish. No one would answer, though they knew there were people inside.
But when they said “We’re from Casa San Jose; we’re here to help!” slowly
all the doors opened, which enabled Monica and Jeimy to offer comfort and
support to these families. When we heard this at the Casa office, there were
tears in our eyes.
We don’t know where 23-year-old has been taken; but the younger boy is
in a facility called Kidspeace in Bethlehem, PA, to be held there until he can
be released to a family member. We’ll keep you posted. Casa San Jose will
be scheduling a “Know Your Rights” session up in the Cranberry area as soon as
time and resources permit.
Coincidentally, Sister Janice heard about this as she was at a meeting
of congregants and supporters at the Sisters of St. Joseph motherhouse in that
area. When she related this story to
them, they immediately offered to help and reach out to the community. They had no idea this was happening in their
neighborhood.
Something to see:
“Ojo Latino”, a photography exhibit by and about Latino immigrants in Pittsburgh, is
now on at the University of Pittsburgh’s Public Health Commons, room A115, 130
DeSoto St., Oakland, through April 24. It’s open 9-4 daily (on weekends, come
in Fifth Ave. entrance.) Read all about
it in this
feature in the Post-Gazette.
Thank you for your
interest in this cause!
