Hispanics | Ahna Hendrix

Nebraska Town Wants to Enforce New Immigration Laws

Between the oil spill, the failing kingdom of Obama and immigration rage – I am overwhelmed with the news.

This morning I read an article about Fremont, Nebraska. The town wants to put laws into action that would require residents to file permits in order to rent and ban hiring illegal immigrants. ( http://drudge.tw/bhKUN0)

The town has seen a large influx of Hispanics due to factory jobs in the area and residents are ticked the jobs are going to Hispanics. The town’s unemployment rate is at 4.9 percent compared to the national average of 9.7 percent, and their population sits at 25,000. Around 2,000 are Hispanic.

If the unemployment rate is so low what jobs are being taken? And would Americans take the jobs that the Hispanics hold?

Throughout the recession I have heard people complain about not being able to find a job when there are plenty of jobs available-just not the ones they want. Minimum wage and restaurant jobs are plentiful, but Americans seem to be too good for them.

I recently had to acquire a second job and was impressed with the amount of positions open in restaurants and retail. If someone really needs a job then they should be willing to work wherever they can until they can find what they are looking for.

When I read or hear that “Hispanics are taking all the jobs” it is irritating to me because they mostly fill the positions that Americans don’t want. What company or corporation is going to invest in an undocumented worker? I definitely believe that Americans should hire Americans first, but if they need help and there isn’t any, they have to hire what is available.

Another argument from the town is that Hispanics are sending all of their money back home and not investing in the community. This holds no conviction because many reports have been released showing that Hispanics are actually helping our economy more than Americans right now. Hispanics do not save money the way Americans do and while they are sending money home it isn’t enough to actually make a difference.

If the town intends on passing these laws, they will need stronger arguments to back themselves up.

“A Home on the Field” by Paul Cuadros chronicles the issues that arose in a small N.C. town when a large amount of Hispanics moved in for the factory positions. (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1364206,00.html) Cuadros uses a solid mix of story and statistics to illustrate the reasoning behind the influx. He actually moved to the community and became heavily involved in order to write the book.

Immigration needs to be dealt with immediately by the federal government. I firmly agree that immigrants should follow the law and that they have broken several by coming to the U.S., but these small enforcements are getting out of control quick.

Arizona Is NO Longer A Part Of Free America

I have been keeping up on the bill that was brought up in Arizona against immigration. The man who proposed it was personally hurt by an immigrant who shot down his son. He said that this had nothing to do with him drafting the bill-but a measure so strongly opposed made me wonder.

I didn’t believe that it was possible that such a law would be passed in America. I felt there was no way that an American could allow such a direct violation of human rights. We are a free country, we are able to walk the streets and not fear the violence and abuse that is often seen in other countries.

When I lived in Panama my home was two doors down from a mini supermercado and I always took my passport just to go there. The police were brutal and were always wanting to see identification. Panama’s passport visa has been up for debate for a few years, and so the police have enough power to throw whomever they want into jail if they feel they are a threat. Can you imagine what type of fear that put inside of me whenever I saw a police officer? I was petrified.

And this is what we are doing to the immigrants. The immigrants who for the most part would prefer to be in their countries where they can live life at a reasonable pace-not this crazy rat race we have in the US. They come because they want their children to have an education, they want to support their families, or they come because their countries, like Mexico are becoming too dangerous.

I am not saying there are not immigrants here because they want the American dream-of course there are and why would anyone not want it? We represent freedom in a confined world where dictators and communism prevail. America is certainly far from perfect, but if you have traveled at all then you can understand that we have more rights than any other country.

At lunch I was discussing this issue with a friend because I had read that Obama had come out opposed to it in a speech. I was relived that Obama was taking a stand and that he was opposed to this ridiculous law.

But when I came back from running, I jumped on Twitter and saw article after article saying that the Gov. Jan Brewer had passed the bill.

I cannot even describe the emotions that ran through me as I read the NY Times article. I was angry and so very sad-tears ran down my face and even now I want to go and do something about it immediately.

I hope this backfires on Republicans and ignorant citizens that have no idea who it is that resides in our country. Our families were all immigrants at one time or another-we are a mixed nation and this is wrong.

This law will break the trust of law enforcement in Arizona, it will give more power to the officers who are against immigration and may cause severe racial profiling.

That does not even include what it will feel like for these immigrants to live in Arizona. They will fear going to the grocery store or paying a bill. They will fear and fear and that fear will bring anger and when the anger cannot be contained anymore it will explode.

I do agree that the United States government has dropped the ball concerning immigration for a long time. It has not been dealt with and therefore this woman feels like she needs to march out the troops and sound the alarm on something that I am sure she does not even understand. But our country has been dealing with an economic depression-immigration was put behind for the time being.

President Obama needs to act quickly before other states begin to think about enacting the same laws and we become a country that is daily losing human rights.

I am fiercely against anything that undercuts the freedom we have been given and if Americans do not believe that this will affect them then they are sorely mistaken.

America loses more and more rights every day. And if we don’t do something about it, then we will only have ourselves to blame.

Equality Found in Orange County Law Enforcement

Orange County law enforcement says it is important that immigrants feel they are treated equally in the community.

Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass sat down with citations in hand. All six were cited for driving without a license. As the pages turned he read the reason behind the citation and disclosed the race of the offender-three Hispanics, one African American and two Caucasians.

Pendergrass is running for reelection in part on a platform of tolerance.

“My policy is everyone should get the same courtesy regardless of race. We don’t have problems with Hispanics in Orange County. As law enforcement we must treat everybody like we want to be treated because we are not here in servitude, but we are the servants of the people,” said Pendergrass.

Pendergrass has been in law enforcement since 1957 and credits his open-mindedness to previous law enforcers he worked under before becoming the sheriff.

“I had a couple of the best mentors in the Chapel Hill police department. Chief W.D. Blake was one that came to us in the summer of ’62 and said that sit-ins were going to begin. We were to go and do our job, but we were to be compassionate and understandable because we had to live here,” said Pendergrass.

“I also credit it to the great University of North Carolina. Even if you don’t attend or graduate from UNC-CH, a lot of that good stuff rubs off on you,” said Pendergrass.

In the sheriff’s office Hispanics are only brought in if they have committed a crime. Then they are entered into the system through fingerprinting. This enables the SBI, FBI and immigration services to monitor for repeat offenders.

“Unless it is a serious crime, they are not going to come in and deport a Hispanic. Immigration calls us, we don’t call them. Sometimes they will simply call in and ask to speak with the Hispanic before being released,” said Pendergrass.

According to reports available through the sheriff’s office, in 2009 the Orange County ran 280 sets of fingerprints through the system, and only 12 of those Hispanics were turned over to immigration.

Hispanics and other immigrants are dealt with in the same manner across the county by other law enforcement departments and many credit the unique behavior to the diversity of the area.

“When you are in a university town and you deal with student populations, you deal with well-educated people. Your thinking tends to be a little different about other cultures in trying to understand them, and the compassion it takes to deal with people coming from different backgrounds,” said Captain Booker of the Carrboro Police Department.

Carrboro and Chapel Hill police departments work diligently to have patience with the communication gaps and use the resources that are provided to them to understand as best they can.

Corporal Frye of the Carrboro police department said that officers have many resources available, including a language line where they can call and have someone translate if necessary.

“Usually Hispanics find someone to help them translate before police arrive and if we cannot find someone to help, then we have a language line that will translate back and forth for us. We do everything we can to communicate, and I don’t think we have any problems, it just takes longer,” said Frye.

It is not difficult for police departments to earn reputations of being hard-nosed or difficult when it comes to dealing with minorities in any fashion, but that is not the case in Orange County.

“Generally speaking, I think the officers bring a non-biased approach in dealing with the Hispanic population, and I say that honestly. I think our guys have bought into the philosophy of doing the right thing and policing has changed. It is more about the root of the problem and trying to point them in the right direction with the resources available so that they can live a better life,” said Officer Pardo, of the Chapel Hill police department.

“This community has progressed because of the attitudes of the leaders in the communities, the mayors, the aldermen, and the commissioners. Sometimes we are criticized in Orange County for being too liberal, but I don’t think we are so liberal that we would want someone harmed. We try to get along with people,” said Pendergrass.

Carrboro to Gain Advocates for Hispanics

El Centro Hispano was founded more than 17 years ago in the basement of a church after it became apparent that Latinos were having problems assimilating into American culture. The organization grew into a cornerstone for Latinos in Durham.

Now El Centro Hispano, largely unknown in Orange County is expanding to Carrboro.

“It started with one volunteer and they offered some ESL classes and basic things. Then they started bringing more people in, hired an executive director and then we moved to our building on West Main Street 10 years ago,” said Pilar Rocha-Goldberg, executive director of El Centro Hispano.

After opening, El Centro Hispano saw problems in how Hispanics handled their money. Latinos who kept their money on their person or hidden in their homes were often robbed.

“The concept of having a bank account, especially in rural areas, is not a good thing so people keep their money under their mattresses or wherever. On Fridays when the Latino community got paid they had the money in their pockets and they were getting robbed,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

In 1999 Hispanic leaders in the Durham area began to meet and discuss the problem. El Centro Hispano, credit union activists and other banking and advocacy institutions began talking and a year later the Latino Community Credit Union was given their charter and opened its doors.

“About 70 percent of Hispanics have not had a bank account and don’t have credit history. And they do not know how to deal with the banking institutions,” said Alejandro Sanchez, director of organizational development for LCCU.

The two non-profits worked side-by-side in the same building for several years before the credit union decided to find its larger venue, which opened in January 2010.

“We believe in the model of having social service and financial services close together. But they were growing, so they decided to be independent, separated from El Centro Hispano and now are a totally independent organization,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

El Centro Hispano offers a variety of services to its members. The center offers a membership program where individuals pay $20 a year or $30 for families, and it gives them access to all the programs offered.

Members have their pictures taken and the laminated cards include personal information. The cards give Latinos discounts in some businesses and also serve as informal identification at others.

“But that doesn’t mean if they don’t get a membership then they can’t come here, because no matter what everything is free except for the summer camp program and the soccer leagues because we need funding for those programs,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

The list of services offered is endless at El Centro Hispano. Their offices are located in a brightly colored building downtown Durham. The orange and yellow walls serve as a backdrop for the English classes, Spanish literacy classes, youth tutoring, drinking prevention workshops and HIV/STD prevention workshop-just to name a few.

“The services and culture program is a service where people come in without an appointment for whatever they need. Translation, interpretation, questions about the health system and we connect them with the resources in the community if we cannot help them in the center,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

Similarly the Latino Community Credit Union, a member-owned non-profit has been making its own impact since it opened its doors more than 10 years ago. To date they have opened 10 branches all over North Carolina and have become a trusted credit union in the eyes of the communities where they reside.

Its mission “is to improve the financial condition of the Hispanic community through the delivery of affordable financial services and financial education programs specifically targeted to underserved Hispanic immigrants in North Carolina,” according to Web site.

To set up an account with LCCU, Latinos need a government-issued identification document from their country, legal proof of residency, a $20 membership fee and a $10 minimum deposit. And the bank offers accounts regardless of the status of the individual.

But LCCU is not a bank, it is a credit union and the difference is large. They are non-profits and are therefore able to offer more competitive interest rates and have lower fees. And everyone who is a member of the credit union has a stake in its ownership.

The LCCU Web site says, “Credit unions are different from other financial institutions. They believe that it is the fundamental right of all people to have access to loans and affordable financial services. The credit union movement is based on self-help, helping people help themselves.”

Sanchez says that LCCU is very excited to be coming to Carrboro, and although they don’t have an exact opening date they hope it will be within the first couple of weeks in April.

“We are very excited to open in Carrboro because it will give us a chance to help the Latino community and become involved in the community. The special thing about Carrboro is that it is very socially responsible and green. And there is a big need for the credit union because we can offer the Latinos affordable access to services and education,” said Sanchez.

Both El Centro Hispano and LCCU are looking forward to becoming part of Carrboro and getting to know and help the community get to know their Latino neighbors.

“It is important for Hispanics to learn the rules here, the system here, the culture here so that we can meet in the middle. It’s not just about the people accepting us, but also for us to accept the country we are living in,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

The credit union already has a space in Carrboro Plaza next to the Department of Motor Vehicles while El Centro Hispano is still in negotiations but would like to be as close to LCCU as possible.

“The idea was for us to open up with the credit union or around them, but it has been a challenge, but we are trying to find a building as soon as possible. We know how much the community needs it,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

The funding for the El Centro Hispano in Carrboro will mirror its sister branch in Durham, with the Durham board initially investing in the Carrboro center. The main source of income for El Centro Hispano in Durham comes through grant writing, although they also do fund-raising, and accrue income from the membership fees and paid classes that they offer, said Rocha-Goldberg.

The name of the new center in Carrboro will change to El Centro Hispano, but the partnership between members of El Centro Hispano and El Centro Latino will continue. Some of Latino’s board members will remain to unite Hispano with the community’s resources as will the previous volunteers.

“Some of their members will join the board so that they can share their ideas and knowledge of the area. They have been wonderful, very supportive and sending us wonderful connections and information,” said Rocha-Goldberg.

“We are ecstatic that they are coming-it is nothing but a win for the community. It is a collaboration built out of hard times that has come to fruition and the incredible people of El Centro Hispano will help us expand in ways we haven’t seen before,” said Torin Martinez, chair board of directors for El Centro Latino.

And then there are those who make dreams come true…

“They are all so different from one another, yet they are all so passionate about what we are doing at the Center,” Judith Blau said of the three who run the Human Rights Center.

Alfonso Hernandez, Nancy Hilburn, and Raphael Gallegos, work to fulfill the mission of the center, which Blau created, everyday.

The walls of the center, are painted bright and cheerful colors, one fading into another as the walls fold into another part of the apartment in Abbey Court Condominiums where the center is located.

The living room has been turned into a study room with desk space lining the area and computers neatly sitting on top. The sounds of educational games and laughter ring through the center, and it doesn’t take long to notice the magic abound.

Gallegos was the first to come along, joining the center as a graduate student. He is from Mexico and spent eight years living in Germany before moving to North Carolina and attending N.C. State University. He graduated with a B.A. in sociology and Latin American Literature before coming to UNC-CH to begin his master’s program in sociology.

“I was initially assigned to TA for Dr. Blau during the fall of 2008. At the time, Dr. Blau was working on establishing a nonprofit organization. We talked about Abbey Court and helping the Latino community,” said Gallegos.

After the organization was created, Blau rented out an apartment at Abbey Court and established the Center.

“The ultimate goal would be to have the resources to assist all the undeserved population of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. To be able to close the economic, social and cultural divide that exists,” said Gallegos.

Hernandez came along during this time, too. Blau was introduced to him, and they began a friendship through email. They shared a special alliance for human rights and it was not long before Blau asked him to move into the Center.

“Alfonso and I met in Abbey Court and I liked him a lot. Then, when I decided to rent the apartment, I needed someone to live there to be consistent with zoning laws and I asked him to move in. When you meet someone good you have to hold on to them,” said Blau.

Hernandez’s mother had decided to move to Texas, so the offer to live at the center came at the perfect time for them both. The center was just beginning to take off.

“In the beginning the center struggled to gain trust from the community, but once the connection with Scroggs Elementary School was made, the center began to bloom like the beautiful flower it is,” said Hernandez.

Posters are hung up on the walls translating simple words into English and overflowing bookshelves line the wall in the dining area. Student volunteers sit with their heads down focused on the children they are working with, helping them complete their homework.

Nancy Hilburn is the final piece of the team. She works at Mary Scroggs Elementary School as an inclusion specialist during school hours and in the center after school four days a week.

One afternoon she was asked to join a meeting with school associates, Blau and Gallegos. From the meeting came the relationship that formed between the Center and Scroggs.

“In the meeting with Dr. Blau, it was apparent that she and Raphael were open to a partnership with our school in which we could work with the children of Abbey Court in the Center,” said Hilburn.

“My role is as a tutor coordinator and liaison to Scroggs. I love that our children enjoy coming here and that we are a place that honors all people and wants all people to have what they deserve in life,” said Hilburn.

The Center offers English and computer classes for adults, help finding jobs and soccer programs for children.

The center operation is mostly the responsibility of Hilburn and Hernandez, while Blau and Gallegos spend time in the community advocating for human rights.

“We go to lots and lots of meetings together and sometimes give presentations because we are very engaged in this larger campaign for human rights in the community,” said Blau.

“The goal is to create a sense of community so that people fight to protect other people’s rights. To empower individuals, so that in the future they can fight for their rights,” said Gallegos.

The Center also has many UNC-CH student volunteers who tutor the children. Blau is a UNC-CH sociology professor and requires her students to spend a certain amount of time working at the Center.

“UNC-CH students are generally good volunteers, but coming from a human rights class they are especially good,” said Blau.

The foundation of the Center rests on the shoulders of Hernandez, Hilburn and Gallegos however. All are deeply devoted to the Center and spend a large amount of their personal time towards its growth.

“I don’t ever expect the world to have total peace because the world must have difficulties in order to grow and progress; this works in every level of life. What hope the Center is giving now and in the future, is to provide the necessities and education of society, and in broader terms, the world,” said Hernandez.