News for Amigos de Casa San José: August 24, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,

Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:

As part of Pittsburgh's response to Charlottesville, Mayor Bill Peduto invited Sister Janice to speak at “A Prayer for Pittsburgh: A Prayer for Peace” event on August 18 downtown. Sister Janice’s talk drew on the sisters’ mission of “loving God and neighbor, without distinction.” Here you can watch the video: Sister Janice’s remarks begin at about the 42-minute mark.

Action:

• Keep up the focus on DACA (the temporary program allowing undocumented youth to stay in the US) because there is a looming deadline on Sept. 5:  GOP officials in 10 states have threatened to take the administration to court unless it agrees to start phasing out the program by that date. TPS (Temporary Protected Status) is also under threat. Please tell the White House (here) to keep DACA and TPS!
• Also contact your Members of Congress (here's how) and ask them to support legislation that provides a permanent solution for immigrant youth and puts them on a path towards citizenship.  Right now those are:
• The American Hope Act (House), Rep. Gutierrez and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• House DREAM Act of 2017, Rep. Roybal-Allard and Rep. Ros-Lehtinen
• Senate DREAM Act of 2017, Sen. Durbin and Sen. Graham.
• Side-by-side comparisons of these and similar bills, from the National Immigration Law Center.

• Talking points in response to: "They are here illegally.  Why can't they just follow the rules?"  We've found that variations on this question come up often in discussions with people and legislators who oppose immigrant rights.  So we would like to to offer some talking points in response, one each week.  This week: "Why should we be the ones to accept them?  It's not our fault that so many are fleeing."  In fact the US does have considerable responsibility:

• For more than 100 years, the US government undertook numerous political interventions in Latin America, often installing corrupt and murderous governments that resulted in violent and oppressive living conditions, particularly for the poorest inhabitants. Full story from Harvest of Empire, an award-winning documentary.  Also history from this Harvard publication.
• US-based corporations have continually been operating Latin America over the last century to get access to cheap labor, land, markets and natural resources. In doing so they have "displaced tens of millions, aggravated poverty and inequality, and wreaked havoc on the environment."  Details in this article.
• Many who leave their countries are considered "climate migrants," victims of increased droughts and superstorms that have destroyed their agricultural livelihoods, food supply, and communities. According to the World Resources Institute, the US has historically contributed significantly more than any other country to carbon emissions. More documentation from the Brookings Institute here.  

“Our Story” episode 16: "Green card!"

A week ago, Sarah, a Casa volunteer, took Bartolo to pick up his green card!  It has been an amazing journey.  It began when a boy of 16 left Guatemala alone, fleeing poverty and violence. He traveled for months, crossing deserts, and finally ended up in Pittsburgh working 12-hour days for less than minimum wage in order to send money home to his family in Guatemala. Malnourished and living on a mattress in a basement, he ended up hospitalized with a nearly fatal disease. Miraculously, sensitive judges, health workers, and Casa San José staff (Monica became his foster mother) came together to get him to recover and also achieve the legal status he needed to move toward his eligibility for a green card, the only way to ultimately become a citizen.  

Here’s how Sarah describes that day: “We went to pick up his green card from Jewish Family and Children's Services.  He was SO excited, especially on the way back with the card in hand, and he talked and talked about how amazing it was to have permanent residency.  Some of the things he was talking about were:  working and sending money back to his family, traveling (he said, "I can go anywhere! I can visit my family in Guatemala.  I can go to Guatemala!"), and he also repeated several times, "I'm going to have a new life, a totally new life, than I would have had in Guatemala."  When I saw him looking at the green card itself, his face was in awe.  It was a powerful experience to witness! Also, he insisted on stopping by Casa San Jose to thank everyone.”

Bartolo’s earlier story received national coverage on the radio program, PRI’s The World. Read or listen to it here.

Suggested if you’d like to read or see more:

• "Trump under the gun as Dreamers deadline looms," Politico.com, 8/23.
• Listen to Harvard Professor Roberto Gonzales explain his new book: Lives in Limbo: undocumented and coming of age in America. Even better: read the book (at Carnegie Library too.)
• Documentary We Are DACA, interviews with 5 PA DACA recipients that was shown at the PICC event commemorating the 5-year anniversary.
• More information on defending DACA and TPS.

Job openings that we were asked to post:

• CASA (not Casa San José) is hiring a lead organizer in PA, based out of York to supervise our organizing work in South Central PA with Latinx and immigrant communities.  More info.
• The Community Justice Project Looking for a Bilingual Paralegal to do immigrant outreach and advocacy work in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. CJP’s work on behalf of immigrants focuses on violations of workers’ rights (including discrimination and failure to pay minimum wage and overtime); access to critical services for those with limited English proficiency; community education: and limited advocacy on other civil legal issues. The position is 20 hours per week, paid by the hour, no health insurance or other benefits. Postsecondary education is preferred.  Previous experience as a paralegal is helpful. Must be Bilingual in spoken and written English and Spanish.  Send cover letter and resume to Peter Zurflieh, Community Justice Project, 118 Locust Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101. pzurflieh@cjplaw.org.  Call 1-800-322-7572 Ext.210. The Community Justice Project is an equal opportunity employer.

Thank you for joining us!

           (Earlier messages are archived here.)

News for Amigos de Casa San José: August 17, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,

Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:

Last minute help needed!
Volunteers for our Back to School Bash for our 2 youth groups:
   Friday Aug 18th, 2017 
   Time: 6pm-10pm (or part of that time)
   Place:  Brookline Teen Outreach, 520 Brookline Blvd.  
   For: set up, supervising various stations, and clean up
   Please let Sister Valerie know if you can help by email: srvalerie@casasanjose.org

Action:

• Please join us at a prayer service on Monday August 21st at 6-7 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena in Beechview (1810 Belasco Ave) in the upper parking lot (next to the church). We are gathering to be a witness to love and light in the world. Prayer has power, and our faith gives us hope. We are strengthened by standing together in love against hatred, racism, and violence. 

• Talking points in response to: "They are here illegally.  Why can't they just follow the rules?"  We've found that variations on this question come up often in discussions with people and legislators who oppose immigrant rights.  So we would like to to offer some talking points in response, one each week.  This week:  "My ancestors came here legally and waited in line - why can't they?" 

• Many of our ancestors would not have qualified under today’s immigration laws. 
• Until the late 19th century, there was very little federal regulation of immigration—there were virtually no laws to break.
• Before the 20th century, there was virtually no bureaucracy responsible for enforcing immigration laws. 
• Prior to the 1920s, there were no numerical limitations on immigration to the United States, but certain persons were banned from entering.
• The first numerical caps on immigration and limitations on Europeans were not established until the 1920s—after the great wave of immigration to the United States.
• Every restriction generated unauthorized immigration.
• Many European immigrants benefited from “amnesties.”

• Taken from the fact sheet "Did My Family Really Come “Legally”? Today’s Immigration Laws Created a New Reality" from the American Immigration Council.  More details in articles below.  Also, try this quiz to see if you could make it.

“Our Story” episode 15: "Fernanda"
Nothing we could say would be more eloquent than this video of Fernanda telling her DACA story at the demonstration on Tuesday at Senator Toomey's office. Please watch it - you will be so glad you did.  

Fernanda is literally part of the family at Casa San José - she is Monica's niece and Jeimy's cousin and a great help to everyone.  She is an extraordinary young woman, a 20-year-old rising Penn State junior with a double major in International Relations and Spanish. As a grateful recipient of DACA status, she is happy that it allows her to "have a normal life" in the US, though still without any stability, ability to travel abroad, or even eligibility for financial aid.  She arrived in Pittsburgh at 4 years old and lived and went to school in the South Hills until heading for college. Everyone who heard her on Tuesday was moved by her beautiful statement, in which she said, "All I want to do is make my parents and this country proud."


DACA is the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that allows young people brought to the US as children to get some protection from deportation and work eligibility.  It is temporary and under threat until it is made into law.  That law, the Dream Act, has just been reintroduced in the Senate and the House - both bipartisan bills!  It has a chance now and needs all our support; here's why. Please contact your Senators and Representatives!

Suggested if you’d like to read or see more:
"Your immigrant ancestors came here legally? Are you sure?"  from the Philadelphia Inquirer, June 25.

"The myths of illegal immigration" from the Boston Globe, July 25, 2014
Impossible Subjects:  Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America, by Mae Ngai, Princeton Univ. Press, 2014.
"No, Your Ancestors Didn’t Come Here Legally" Talking Points Memo, Nov. 20, 2014.

Thank you for joining us!

News for Amigos de Casa San José: Aug. 9, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,

Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:

Action:

• New feature: "They are here illegally.  Why can't they just follow the rules?"  We've found that variations on this question come up often in discussions with people and legislators who oppose immigrant rights.  So we would like to to offer some talking points in response, one each week.  This week:
• Utter desperation drives many immigrants to seek a refuge in our country, despite the great perils of the journey and the enormous barriers enforced by officials. Patient waiting for years and spending thousands on fees are usually not options, as one's children are kidnapped, raped, or starved, and dire poverty is endemic. For the heart-rending details of one region's example, see "Forced to Flee Central America's Northern Triangle" a 2017 report by the Doctors Without Borders organization.

• The RAISE Act, yet another virulently anti-immigrant bill has been introduced in the US Senate by GOP Senators Cotton (AR) and Perdue (GA) and loudly acclaimed by the White House. It would restrict green cards, bar immigrants from reuniting with their families, end the diversity visa lottery, prioritize applicants with advanced degrees and require that they speak English. It would make an immigration system that is already almost impossible to enter even more so, and much more discriminatory toward minorities. Please register your strong opposition with your Senators (contact info. here.) 

Assistance:

• Please be a sponsor of the fall fundraiser, ¡Que Viva Clemente!, which will honor Casa San José as the recipient (to be held October 7 by the LCLAA at City of Asylum on the North Side.)  Ad rates, which start at $75, and instructions are here, and more information about the event can be found in this letter from Sister Janice and Julian.  Deadline for the ad request is August 25.  This could be from an individual or an organization. Thank you so much for making our work possible!

• Will you help us raise visibility for our work?  You can post a review on Great Nonprofits (a popular review source like TripAdvisor) by posting a review of your experience with us, as a supporter, volunteer, donor, or Amigo!  Go to https://greatnonprofits.org/org/casa-san-jose and click on "Share your story" at the bottom.  If you don't have much time, you can just put in a rating without a story.  But stories are also great!

In other news:

• A big THANK YOU! to two of our Amigos for generously lending us their van to drive a group of our young people to the Harrisburg this month for the Summer Youth Convening sponsored by the PA Immigration and Citizenship Coalition. This was an opportunity for young people all over the state to share stories, build relationships, and develop their leadership and organizing skills.

• Reminder: workshop on Supporting Immigrant Rights in Your Community. Learn how Pittsburgh supports immigrant rights and where your state legislator stands - what the issues are and how to work for productive solutions. It is hosted by Casa San José, the Thomas Merton Center, and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. (Library locations are here.)
• Thursday, August 10th, Mt. Washington Library, 6-8 pm.

“Our Story” episode 14: “Roberto"

• Last Tuesday, Monica, our community organizer, had just returned from her trip to Mexico.  She was soon bombarded with calls about ICE detentions in Pittsburgh almost every day last week.  Here's what happened on Thursday:  at 7:30 a.m. an ICE van was waiting outside a house on Fallowfield St. in Beechview as 3 men came out on their way to work. ICE officers stopped and questioned them all. None of them was the person they were looking for, but they arrested one of them, Roberto (not his real name,) a Casa client, anyway.  Someone in the house witnessing this called Monica via Facebook to get help.  She immediately assembled members of the Rapid Response team, and they, along with Roberto's American sister-in-law, spent the next 3 hours in the ICE office on the South Side filling out forms and trying to get in touch with him - even though he was in the same building.  Finally the lawyer on the team was able to speak to him and learn what happened, so they could begin arrangements for a bail hearing.  So many people are now being held in the main ICE prison in York that Roberto has been transferred to the Cambria detention facility, where he will have to wait for an opening at York to even get a date for the hearing. He will be locked up for the foreseeable future - but at least he won't be deported immediately.  Roberto has no criminal record whatsoever.  

Suggested if you’d like to read or see more:

• "Fewer Immigrants Mean More Jobs? Not So, Economists Say" from the New York Times, Aug. 3, in opposition to the claims of the RAISE Act sponsors.
• "Ignorant Immigration Reform", the New York Times, Aug. 4, ditto.
• "Immigration is integral to the nation’s economic growth" is only one of the positive conclusions in the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine's 2016 Report, The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration.

Thank you for joining us!

News for Amigos de Casa San José: Aug. 1, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,
Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:

Your help is much needed:

• Sister Janice is talking to local political organizations about making sure our communities are welcoming to immigrants.  She is next going to approach local Councils of Governments which are municipalities working together:  here are the ones in Southwest PA.  If you know anyone who is connected to any of these, please email us at office@casasanjose.org.

• Please be a sponsor of the fall fundraiser, ¡Que Viva Clemente!, which will honor Casa San José as the recipient (to be held October 7 by the LCLAA at City of Asylum on the North Side.)  Ad rates, which start at $75, and instructions are here, and more information about the event can be found in this letter from Sister Janice and Julian.  Deadline for the ad request is August 25.  This could be from an individual or an organization. Thank you so much for making our work possible!

• From Jeimy and Fernanda:  please consider our Amazon Wish List for our Back to School Bash for the kids on August 18.  We now have 65 kids ages 7-18 registered - many in the last few days! - and they all get book bags and school supplies. We still need more items (especially bookbags) to be able to help everyone.  Also, a Huge Thank You to those who already donated (Amazon isn't giving us donors' names, so we unfortunately can't thank you individually.) ¡Mil gracias!

Political action:

• New feature: "They are here illegally.  Why can't they just follow the rules?"  We've found that variations on this question come up often in discussions with people and legislators who oppose immigrant rights.  So we would like to to offer some talking points in response, one each week.  This week:
• It is not a criminal offense to be here without documents.  Branding immigrants as "criminals" and "illegal" for simply living in the US without authorization is misleading and distorting, and contradicts the Supreme Court ruling in "Arizona vs. United States" (2012) which states "as a general rule, it is not a crime for a removable alien to remain present in the United States." The Court also ruled that it was not a crime to seek or engage in unauthorized employment. It is instead a civil offense (like a traffic ticket.)  See a fuller explanation from the ACLU here.

• The DREAM Act (DACA) which currently protects over 750,000 undocumented young immigrants brought to the US as children, is under threat. Ten states are challenging the act in the courts unless the Trump administration cancels the program by September 5: all of those young immigrants will be in danger of immediate deportation. Bipartisan legislators in Congress are now acting to protect the Dreamers through proposed legislation, but the situation is precarious.  Please call your US Representatives and Senators to tell them you support the updated versions of the Dream Act (more info and talking points here.)

In other news:

• Summer fun: disfrute el verano! Come to LACU's 23rd Annual Latino Picnic, Saturday August 5, 12 - 7pm at the Schenley Oval in Schenley Park.  Music, food, games, children's activities, raffles, etc.  Casa will have a table, so come see us.  

• Reminder: upcoming workshops on Supporting Immigrant Rights in Your Community.  Learn how Pittsburgh supports immigrant rights and where your state legislator stands - what the issues are and how to work for productive solutions. Events are hosted by Casa San José, the Thomas Merton Center, and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. (Library locations are here.)

• Tuesday, August 1st, Homewood Library, 6-8 pm
• Thursday, August 3rd, Beechview Library, 6-8 pm
• Thursday, August 10th, Mt. Washington Library, 6-8 pm

“Our Story” episode 14: “Smile!"

• On July 24, 20 of our young people got free professional dental care at PNC Park, courtesy of TeamSmile and the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Jeimy, Fernanda and Julian signed them up and chaperoned; the kids got exams, x-rays, cleaning, toothbrushes, as well as friendly guidance about brushing and flossing. Facepainting and fun activities were also on deck.

Suggested if you’d like to read or see more:'

• The terrible impact on the lives of nearly 6 million U.S.-citizen children living with at least one unauthorized family member are detailed in Trump’s Immigration Policies Are Harming American Children, from the Center for American Progress, July 31.
• "A gift to human traffickers': report warns of dangers of Trump immigration policy" from The Guardian, March 10, as background to the terrible San Antonio trailer tragedy. 

Thank you for joining us!

News for Amigos de Casa San José: July 25, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,
Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:

Your help is much needed:

• Please support us as a sponsor of the fall fundraiser, ¡Que Viva Clemente!, which will honor Casa San José as the recipient, and which will be held on October 7 by the LCLAA at City of Asylum on the North Side. Funds from this were instrumental last year in hiring Monica as our community organizer, and this year will expand our organizing and outreach.  Ad rates and instructions are here, and more information about the event can be found in this letter from Sister Janice and Julian.  Deadline for the ad request is August 25.  This could be from an individual or an organization. Thank you so much for making our work possible!
• Here's an Amazon Wish List from our youth coordinators:  Casa San José is throwing a Back to School Bash (Bad and Boujee, the kids call it) on August 18.  Both of our youth groups will get together to celebrate going back to school in style. We are asking the kids to dress up and have fun for the last day of summer. Below you will find our Wish List for the party. If you think of anything else don't be afraid to add it in. Thanks, Jeimy and Fernanda  - http://a.co/8MX2oRq.

Political action:

• New feature: "They are here illegally.  Why can't they just follow the rules?"  We've found that variations on this question come up often in discussions with people and legislators who oppose immigrant rights.  So we would like to to offer some talking points in response, one each week.  This week:
• There are insurmountable barriers.  Explained in this easy-to-digest 5-minute video explainer from the MTV Decoded Series, and/or this fact sheet: There is No Line for Many Unauthorized Immigrants from the American Immigration Council.
• Reminder: upcoming workshops on Supporting Immigrant Rights in Your Community.  Learn how Pittsburgh supports immigrant rights and where your state legislator stands - what the issues are and how to work for productive solutions. Events are hosted by Casa San José, the Thomas Merton Center, and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. (Library locations are here.)
• Tuesday, August 1st, Homewood Library, 6-8 pm
• Thursday, August 3rd, Beechview Library, 6-8 pm
• Thursday, August 10th, Mt. Washington Library, 6-8 pm

“Our Story” episode 13: “A staff profile"

Our newest staff member, Pilar Caballero Garman, started a few weeks ago.  She came to

Casa San José first as a volunteer, but that lasted only a week when she applied for the newly opened position of Service Coordinator (when Julian became Executive Director) and was perfect for it. From Panama, where she grew up, she came to the US with her American husband and became a citizen. They lived for a while in Texas near the Mexican border before they moved to Mt. Lebanon with their two children. Her work has focused on helping people: in physical therapy, hospital service coordination, and as a translator. She is seeing daily through her work at Casa, "how many Latinos struggle here," and appreciates its "warm, genuine" atmosphere and concern for people rather than numbers.  "No one has ever hugged me when I got a job before."

Suggested if you’d like to read or see more:

• Finally some good news from Congress!  A new version of the Dream Act is being proposed by Sen. Richard Durbin (D) and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R) to support DACA and "would put those immigrants and thousands of others on a path to U.S. citizenship."  Washington Post, Jul. 21.  
• Another Sunday installment in the Post-Gazette's series "Unsettled in America," this time about human trafficking and the stories of new Pittsburghers, Rodolfo and Juana.
• A veteran agent describes what goes on behind the scenes at ICE, where "now there are lots of people who feel free to feel contempt" and “we seem to be targeting the most vulnerable people, not the worst.” The New Yorker, July 24.

Thank you for joining us!

News for Amigos de Casa San José: July 18, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,
Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:

Sister Janice and Julian appeared on the front page of past Sunday's edition of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette!  It was chapter 3 of the paper's feature on Pittsburgh's Latino community, "Unsettled in America" by journalist Peter Smith and photographer Nate Guidry. This part focused on Casa San José and its staff: read the whole series here.

Our Grupo de Mujeres Latinas has been meeting over breakfast in Brookline every Saturday morning, with speakers and lively discussion about nutrition, politics, fiber arts, relationships, depression and women's health.  Childcare is provided.  Even in crisis, life goes on.

Your help is much needed:

• Carwash for a Cause, 2 more this week: please help our Latino youth attend the next Harrisburg convening and training workshop of the PA Immigration and Citizenship Coalition AND get your car clean and shiny again. This 
• Thursday, July 20, noon to 6, 2957 Banksville Rd., Banksville
• Saturday, July 22, 10 to 4, Busy Beaver, 2940 Library Rd., Castle Shannon

• We would appreciate any donations of these items for our Back to School party on August 18 for our kids ages 7-18:  plates, cups, silverware, napkins, paper towels, party favors, snacks, drinks, round tablecloths, raffle baskets and toys. Just drop them off at our office at 933 Brookline Blvd., M-F, 9-5.  Questions? Email Jeimy at jeimy@casasanjose.org.

Political action:

• Show your welcome to immigrants and refugees by displaying a beautiful free sign or poster, designed by local artist Bob Ziller and produced by local organization The Sprout Fund in its "Belonging" project.  Please come and pick one up at our office, 933 Brookline Blvd. or at the Sprout Fund, 5423 Penn Ave. - weekdays 9-5.
• Save the dates: upcoming workshops on Supporting Immigrant Rights in Your Community.  Learn how Pittsburgh supports immigrant rights and where your state legislator stands - what the issues are and how to work for productive solutions. Events are hosted by Casa San José, the Thomas Merton Center, and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. (Library locations are here.)
• Tuesday, August 1st, Homewood Library, 6-8 pm
• Thursday, August 3rd, Beechview Library, 6-8 pm
• Thursday, August 10th, Mt. Washington Library, 6-8 pm

“Our Story” episode 13: “More about Pierre” 
You may remember that last week we told the story of Pedro and Pierre - who became friends at the Erie Detention Center and were released a few weeks ago.  Pierre - after a desperate journey, much of it on foot, from Haiti to Brazil, other countries in South America, California, and Pennsylvania, was ultimately granted asylum status. He is now staying with Pedro in Pittsburgh until he finds a job and a new home.  He is no longer under threat of deportation and is getting help from local organizations.

Last week at Casa, Pierre came to the office to get help making a phone call to Haiti. Tracy Medrano, former Casa staff member who was there, tells it this way:  "After many months without communication with his family he called his sister and mother. He sat in the crowded office of Casa San Jose quietly communicating between Spanish, Haitian Creole, French, Portuguese and English  His mother, he says, is blind and thought him dead when she heard he was in the detention center. After gathering information from his sister about her location, he finally connected with his mother. "It's me, Mom. It's me." he said in French.  I could not help but wonder if those words were also for himself: It is me, I have survived! Then with his eyes tearing up from emotion and the cry of his mother audible from the phone, he lowered his gaze and spoke quietly; finally, a moment of intimacy with his mother. And now, he awaits quietly for the next step, for the continuous struggle of the immigrant spirit, humble, strong and indestructible."

Suggested if you’d like to read or see more:

• "Immigration Q&A: Why can't undocumented immigrants just 'get in line?" - This is the question that many anti-immigrant groups pose - here the Cleveland Plain Dealer explains why it's so hard. This helps respond to legislators who insist on it.
• The latest eloquent stories from the "Faces of Immigration" series produced by Justice for Immigrants.

Thank you for joining us!

News for Amigos de Casa San José: July 11, 2017

Dear Casa San José Amigos,
Welcome back to our weekly message!  Here’s what’s new:


The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sunday edition has begun a 5-part front page feature on Pittsburgh's Latino community, "Unsettled in America" by journalist Peter Smith and photographer Nate Guidry.  Casa San José and its staff and work are highlighted throughout.  It's illuminating and moving - and you can read it here.

Your help is much needed:

• Carwash for a Cause: Help our Latino youth attend the next Harrisburg convening and training workshop of the PA Immigration and Citizenship Coalition AND get your car clean and shiny again AND treat yourself to some great tacos!  This Thursday, July 13, noon to 8 p.m., at Las Palmas IGA, 1616 Broadway Ave, Beechview neighborhood.  Also the following Thursday, July 20, noon to 6 p.m., 2957 Banksville Rd.

Casa San José has a new organizational structure. Sister Janice Vanderneck has opted to be the new Director of Civic Engagement, and Julián Alonso González Asenjo is now the new Executive Director after having been both a Casa board member and service coordinator.  Board chair Jackie Abel-Stavropoulos says, “Casa San José is blessed to have compassionate leaders and passionate advocates.” More details are in our press release and in Julián's personal statement.

And check out our new website - casasanjose.org - thanks to the generous and expert work of volunteers Daniel Sun and Ignacio Arana Araya.

An excellent profile just came out out in NextPittsburgh on Sister Janice's and Casa's work "on the front line of helping Pittsburgh’s Latino families." 

Political action:

• Our partner PICC (Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition) just updated their "StopTheHate Toolkit" - it's a short efficient read on key points to make to anyone who will listen.  They also updated their "Priority Legislators" list - if your PA rep is on there, please contact any time - here's how to find them.

“Our Story” episode 12: “Pedro and Pierre” 

• On July 3, Pedro (not his real name,) a client of Casa, brought his new friend Pierre (also not his real name) into our office to get some help correcting a document.  They had met and become friends in the York County Prison. Here’s the back story:

• Pedro:  Having come from Mexico, he has been in Pittsburgh for about 10 years, and lives with his wife and 3 children, ages 14, 8, and 5.  He has no criminal record whatsoever – not even a parking violation -  and works for an American employer as a landscaper.  About a month ago, ICE personnel, dressed as police officers, came to the house where he was working with 3 other immigrants and arrested them all.  His phone was confiscated, he wasn’t allowed to call his wife, and he was taken first to a federal prison, where he spent weeks in limbo, with no contact with his family, and sharing a cell with someone accused of murder.  He was then transferred to the York County Prison, an ICE facility in PA, where some months later, with the assistance of his concerned employer who signed a guarantee for him, and after having somehow raised $5000 for bail and another $800 for a lawyer, he was released on bond pending a court date.  He is back with his family here but there is little hope that he can stay.  His wife can’t even accompany him to court for fear of being arrested herself.

• Pierre:  He fled Haiti and came to the US after promised jobs in Brazil evaporated; he speaks fluent French and Haitian Creole as well as some English, Spanish and Portuguese. He was picked up by ICE as well and taken to the York County Prison, where he befriended Pedro.  But he was the lucky one – after some time there, he was granted asylum, meaning that he can now live in the US legally, and was released a few weeks after Pedro, on June 23.  He was basically just put out on the street in York: he had no place to go, and no way to figure out how to live. His only contact was with Pedro – and somehow he got in touch.  Pedro immediately invited him to stay with him here in Pittsburgh, and came to Casa right away to get help buying him a Greyhound ticket – which is enormously complicated without a phone, an account, a credit card, and not much English.  Pierre is now staying with Pedro’s family, and is getting help from Casa and from Jewish Family & Children’s Service in finding a job and getting integrated into life in Pittsburgh. 

• Postscript, an act of creative generosity:  One of our Amigos asked his grown children, in place of a Father’s Day gift, to make a donation to support 5 families who have missed their own Dad through arrest or deportation.  They provided 5 cards with $50 each to Casa to distribute to those families.  One is going to Pedro’s family.

Suggested if you’d like to read or see more:

• ProPublica, an independent nonprofit investigative news organization has an excellent special series on immigration, and their latest article, “ICE officers told to take action against all undocumented immigrants” even for those with absolutely no criminal history, is chilling.  (It also reminds us that, despite frequently heard claims to the contrary, “Under the law, merely being here illegally is not a crime. Rather, it’s a civil violation.”)

• Don’t be put off by this title: Only mass deportation can save America – in this piece New York Times columnist Bret Stephens strikingly and entertainingly proves that immigrants are our most valuable and needed inhabitants. The statistical comparison to “complacent, entitled” long-time citizens is compelling – and will give you good arguments for Republican legislators.

• Would you like to help teach your kids about immigrant and refugee experiences?  The Carnegie Library offers a list of children’s books that helps children explore their own identities and develop empathy for others.

Clarification:In our Amigos message of June 13th we stated " Casa San Jose will be holding a Listening Session with our immigrant community to answer questions about their legal rights, welfare of children, and best practices."  We were in error to have used that description because we did NOT include answering questions about immigrant legal rights.  We will be sure to more correctly describe the content of our workshops going forward.

Thank you for joining us!