Immigration
When We Fight We Win
“Through telling our stories, we learn about ourselves and a contagious ‘we’ is created; the storytellers transform themselves and give courage to others to take action. Through stories we teach each other how to organize change.” (79)
“In the years since 9/11, the United States, a nation of immigrants, has targeted this generation of immigrants-especially people of color-who work and live within its borders and who enrich our culture.” (79)
Sabrina Needs Her Identity Back
“I wanted to kick the INS agents, because I was thinking. We are good people. People that get tied up are bad people.” (185)
“That night they let us go, dropped us back across the border. Not even a day went by and we tried it again.” (187)
What?
When Lorena says “My Job as a Human Being?” she means that she needs to help others. The role and importance of college for Lorena in relationship to her vision for social justice are shown on page 190 when she says “I’ve always reminded myself that the only reason why I’m in school and I have a good job is because my parents did backbreaking labor so that I could go to school. I’ve always felt like I need to give back to those people because those laborers out there in the fields are like my parents.” Lorena acts on her values by helping people learn about pesticides. “It was really eye-opening, because a lot of these families, they didn’t even know what pesticides were.” (192)
So What?
WWFWW Chapter 4 illustrates the challenges faced by immigrants and the ways that the Dreamers have sought to create change and better lives for all immigrants by giving personal stories and team efforts. “In Florida, these Trail of DREAMs walkers met fearful migrant workers on farms. In Georgia, they confronted the Ku Klux and dared a racist sheriff to arrest them.” They came up with these approaches by wanting a change in society by undertaking “a simple, bold, and creative act.” (WWFWW, 79)
Now What?
I believe my story is similar to Lorena in the sense that we both want to use our education to teach people. However, I also believe we are very different because we have lived different lives. I was born in the U.S. and have lived a comfortable life with no real struggle. Reading Lorena’s story and WWFWW chapter 4 will impact how I think about the stories of students at my community partner because it will show me that just because someone may not be documented doesn’t mean that they can not make a change in the world. This week’s reading has definitely expanded my perceptions about my community partner by showing the “despair and fear of being undocumented.” (WWFWW, 79) By knowing this fear that some students may face shows me why I want to be there for the students.
