Immigration Reforms in Kankakee continued from page (1)
A Jan. 26 conference sponsored by the Diocese of Joliet’s Peace and Social Justice Office in Kankakee featured the struggles of several immigrants, most of whom did not share their last names. However, each speaker addressed a different aspect of the immigration issue. One true-to-life narrative supported the need to cultivate and nurture an educated population, which currently is being proposed in Congress as the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. Yet, another story conveyed the necessity to provide opportunities for economic viability. And finally, a story shared on a personal level revealed the consequence of some of the legal intimidation techniques, which were granted in the aftermath of 9/11 by the Homeland Security Act.
Leonardo, a 30-something immigrant from Mexico, portioned out bits and pieces of his life at a conference designed to urge compassion while highlighting the economic logic of comprehensive immigration reform. One of a handful of speakers who shared the story of how ethnicity and language has marked their existence on this Earth, Leonardo told a group of 100-plus that today he is considered an outsider and treated like an outcast. Despite the fact that he’s lived in the U.S. for nearly 20 years, most of which have been in Kankakee, Leonardo knows what it’s like to be unwelcome. Along with Father Luis Gutierrez, associate pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Bolingbrook, several Hispanic immigrants shared the story of their struggles as newcomers to America.
Speaking about America’s historical immigrant roots, Father Tom Cargo, pastor of St. Teresa Parish, said Leonardo’s quest is no different than it was for the Germans, English, Chinese or Irish who crossed the Atlantic or Pacific oceans in centuries past. This region of Illinois, for instance, is famous for its French roots and boasts of French explorers Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette. It’s a place where common surnames, Arceneau, Audet and Blanchette—including Bishop Romeo Blanchette, the second bishop for the Diocese of Joliet—remain prominent.
Alex, an immigrant working three jobs to support his family, called on reform advocates to convince opponents of immigration reform that this legislation is in keeping with America’s rhetoric on freedom. Oscar, who was fortunate enough to get scholarships to pay for his college tuition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, fears that he won’t be able to get job after graduate school because he is not a citizen. He came to this country at the age of 6 with his parents, but he has no social security card.
Wearing a tan suit, white shirt and tie, Leonardo relies on broken English to share a slice of his day-to-day experience. Standing straight before a podium, the man whose hair is beginning to thin on top, revealed a sense of determination, a willingness to work hard and a desire to be an American citizen.
“We have to be like American citizens and learn the language. …It’s very important that we come to this country because we have human needs. We need to support our families,” said Leonardo.
Reflecting on his outcast role in society, Leonardo later shared in a conversation with the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office of the Wheaton Franciscans that his ethnic group is targeted. Police squad cars frequently park outside the Lisieux Center; the schedule happens to coincide with the regular schedule of ESL classes. The police also stop routinely at the convenience store nearby, a regular spot for Hispanics to stop for coffee or pick up groceries in a hurry, according to Leonardo. “It’s profiling,” said Sr. Sheila, and that makes even ordinary people feel like fugitives.
Elena Segura, direct of the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform for the Archdiocese of Chicago, unleashed a passionate presentation about Catholic social teachings and their directive to provide opportunities for the economically oppressed. Citing the Apostle Paul’s conversion on the Road to Damascus, Segura pointed out that it was an encounter with Christ. “It was an incident. We have the Holy Spirit 24/7. It’s a God-incident,” she said.
Pumped up and enthusiastic after the two hour presentation, participants were divided into groups to discuss obstacles that stand in the way of passing comprehensive immigration reform. The members of the JustFaith Ministry that meets weekly on the campus of the Wheaton Franciscans in Wheaton discussed practical means of halting the profiling that occurs in Kankakee. Speaking from experience, Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF, and leader of the JPIC Office, said she was interested in assisting a group from St. Teresa Parish in arranging a meeting with the Kankakee Police Department, Kankakee city officials and perhaps state representatives to find a solution that guarantees respect for the Hispanic community.
The group also addressed the idea of the “wall” between the United States and Mexico. The wall, the group agreed, is not merely physical; it’s emotional and spiritual. The key, said Doug Kasper, a JustFaith member, is achieving attitudinal change. The conversation has to change to reflect the notion that we’re all one family, added Father Jim Hoffman, OSF, citing the years of unnecessary anguish and pain between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
AP