Five things I learned from immigrants

Photo by Alan M. Dumoff

Juan, an undocumented immigrant, speaks at the Mass for immigrant families May 3 at Divine Mercy Parish, Vineland. Born in Mexico, he came to the United States at the age of 16 with his family.

It has been an eye-opening, gut-wrenching privilege for me to compile the Immigration Stories series here over the past few weeks. These stories of struggle, perseverance and faith have occupied my mind and heart as we have prepared for tonight’s Mass in Support of Immigrant Families and this weekend’s Justice for Immigrants Sunday. Here are five things I’ve learned or been reminded of by compiling these witnesses.

1) Life here without a Social Security number is so difficult.

Without one, there’s no driver’s license, no school field trips, no scholarships or in-state tuition for college, no protection from dishonest employers. I took all of these things for granted growing up.

2) For hundreds of years, people have been coming to the USA for economic opportunity.

From Father Ken Hallahan’s family escaping the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s (a story posted on the Life & Justice blog at http://camdenlifejustice.wordpress.com) to Father Rene Canales traveling across three borders to come to the USA in the 1990s, people have been coming to America to search for a better life for their families. These people have not necessarily wanted to leave their homelands behind, but they felt it was their best opportunity to make things better for those they loved. I’ve gained a new appreciation for the migration of my ancestors, from Eastern Europe, Ireland, Sweden. I also learned that my ancestors wouldn’t be allowed in to the U.S. legally today because of our strict quotas.

3) Family separation is one of the most pressing issues we face.

An issue that must weigh heavily on our hearts as Catholics is that today’s immigration system drives families apart. As Pope John Paul II said, “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the world in which we live.” The USCCB is advocating for immigration reform that puts family unity and a path to citizenship at the top of the list.

4) Young adults brought here as children have the cards stacked against them in their pursuit of an American Dream.

At Friday night’s Mass in Support of Immigrant Families, we heard the testimony of a young man named Juan, who was brought to the United States from Mexico when he was five or six. Twenty-one today, he hopes to become a nurse, and to attend NYU — his dream school. But he is struggling to reach his goal, because he is not eligible for financial aid, and it would cost about $80,000 to earn a bachelor’s at Rutgers. He’s currently studying at Camden County College and hoping for immigration reform, so he can earn scholarships and have access to financial aid. He’s doing all he can, but he has to work so much harder than I had to in pursuit of my own dreams. After he shared his story, Bishop Sullivan put his arm around Juan, and said, “We can make [Juan’s dream] come true because there is greater pressure now than there ever has been on the Congress to get this thing fixed. And we need to have it fixed so people like Juan can fully contribute to society here in South Jersey.”

5) Hope for change is with others in mind.

Over and over, I learned that people were sharing their stories in the hopes that others will not have to experience the hardships they have faced. I read of an others-centeredness that inspires me to care more deeply about immigration reform even though it does not directly affect me or my family.

Mike Jordan Laskey is director, Life and Justice Ministries, Diocese of Camden.

Read the entire Immigration Stories series at http://camdenlifejustice.wordpress.com. Questions or comments? Email Mike at michael.laskey@camdendiocese.org