The American dream is just that for many—a dream. For Latin Americans facing violence in their home communities, the journey to make that dream a reality can be a nightmare.
The Uprooted learning tour, a collaborative effort between Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Alberta and Saskatchewan brought eight young adults to Arizona and Mexico. Participants were hosted by MCC Mexico and West Coast to learn about migration issues.
“There’s a huge crisis in Latin America where people face murder, robbery, and rape on the migration route instead of staying home. They carry on because they can’t go home,” says Joel Bueckert, 25, who attends Eyebrow Mennonite Church in Saskatchewan.
It starts at home. Mexico’s Pacific coast has a long history of drug trafficking, and most of the country’s cartels originated there. For those who want to escape the violent cycle, fleeing the country is the safest option.
But Mexican human rights organizations estimate that between 20,000 and 70,000 people are missing along the migrant trail between Mexico and the United States. Some people die exposed to the elements in the desert, others face race-based violence at the border.
The learning tour participants heard stories of people who survived the migration. These were some of the most difficult times for Bueckert because he couldn’t do anything to help.
“You go to four different interviews a day, you hear terrible things and then you pack up and leave and go to the next place. It was frustrating to see the problem and say, ‘Good luck. We’re off,’” he says.
Krystal Esau, 20, who attends Abbeydale Christian Fellowship in Calgary says she was confronted with her own privilege on the learning tour.
“As this happened, I was drawn into seeking what God’s will was for me in situations of injustice. This is something I already felt very passionately about; that we as Christians are called to proclaim and bring about peace and justice to those in conflict and those mistreated,” she says. “This truth became even more real as we met with real people who were struggling.”
She believes the learning tour helped her learn to listen and use her voice purposefully.
The American government officials and workers like border guards see many migrants as illegal aliens. Esau believes this dehumanization contributes to the cruelty that many migrants face.
“There is a desperate need for humility and the willingness to look people in the eye and become equals. Part of our call as Christians is simply to listen and to tell the stories of those we met, because it gives them a voice and affirms their humanity,” Esau says.
Megan Enns and Jolene Peters of MCC Alberta and Saskatchewan, respectively, led the eight young adults on the tour.
“We had a lot of fun together but also struggled with these real themes with real intentions to engage with them in our home contexts as we move into life at home,” Enns says.
For Bueckert, this means submitting himself to the cause.
“I don’t plan on writing letters to my local politicians. I don’t plan to ask people to donate. You look at the American government and this is the smallest thing on their mind. The best thing you can do is apply yourself and make a difference one person at a time.”
He hopes to move back one day to do humanitarian work.
--Posted June 18, 2014
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