{"id":1246,"date":"2013-11-14T13:01:01","date_gmt":"2013-11-14T20:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/?p=1246"},"modified":"2013-11-14T13:01:01","modified_gmt":"2013-11-14T20:01:01","slug":"show-your-goodness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/?p=1246","title":{"rendered":"Show Your Goodness"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">In a few weeks I will be a migrant. Flying to Los Angeles to join with our children and grandchildren, my husband and I will migrate to California for a Thanksgiving holiday. It is an American rite that we take for granted: we move about freely and travel once or twice a year to be with family and friends. There will be feasting around a dinner table with four different conversations going at once. Then games and more talk will follow in the living room. We will return home exhausted, yet satisfied that the kids are OK. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1247\" style=\"width: 434px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Show-Your-Goodness-2jpeg.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1247\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1247\" alt=\"Migrant wearing &quot;Show Your Goodness&quot; t-shirt with Samaritan Sharon\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Show-Your-Goodness-2jpeg.jpeg\" width=\"424\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Show-Your-Goodness-2jpeg.jpeg 424w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Show-Your-Goodness-2jpeg-254x300.jpeg 254w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 424px) 100vw, 424px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1247\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Migrant wearing &#8220;Show Your Goodness&#8221; t-shirt with Samaritan Sharon<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">This week at the <i>comedor<\/i> I spotted a man in a bright red t-shirt which said, \u201cShow Your Goodness.\u201d The man was on the move. He needed shoes and jeans, and thankfully we had just the right sizes for this fellow. His plan is to travel to Jalisco to be with his family after the death of a brother. After living in the U.S. and not seeing his family for several years, it is important for him to grieve with his siblings about this loss. Funerals and illnesses are common reasons why Latinos travel to Mexico. Many are aware that it will be difficult to return to the U.S., but family ties trump the dangers of crossing our borders.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1248\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Samaritans-and-their-clothing-at-the-comedor.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1248\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1248\" alt=\"Samaritans gather clothing at the comedor\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Samaritans-and-their-clothing-at-the-comedor.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Samaritans-and-their-clothing-at-the-comedor.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Samaritans-and-their-clothing-at-the-comedor-300x247.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1248\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Samaritans gather with bags of clothing at the<em> comedor<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ( photo:\u00a0 John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Another man, whom I will call Eduardo, is wearing shoes with flopping soles and no socks. He is a short man with a round, open face, and he wants to talk. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: large;\">I take a 9 \u00bd size shoe. Can you help me out?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Around his neck is a lovely blue rosary which he has fashioned out of recycled plastic bags. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">\u201cI learned how to do this in the detention center in El Centro,\u201d he tells me. The craftsmanship of the rosary is impressive. I examine it closely and cannot believe that this is made of plastic throwaway bags.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1249\" style=\"width: 506px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Silence-and-reflection.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1249\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1249\" alt=\"Silence and reflection\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Silence-and-reflection.jpeg\" width=\"496\" height=\"369\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Silence-and-reflection.jpeg 496w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Silence-and-reflection-300x223.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 496px) 100vw, 496px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1249\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Silence and reflection\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (photo:\u00a0 John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">He is from Modesto, California, and for four months has been struggling to get back to his family and workplace.\u00a0 Eduardo shows me his business card; he is a small business owner and manufactures granite counter tops, a lucrative enterprise. Living in Modesto for twenty-two years, Eduardo was brought to this country when he was six years old. He is married and has four children, all American citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1250\" style=\"width: 386px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Collage-of-family-memories.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1250\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1250\" alt=\"A collage of family memories\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Collage-of-family-memories.jpeg\" width=\"376\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Collage-of-family-memories.jpeg 376w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Collage-of-family-memories-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 376px) 100vw, 376px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1250\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A collage of family memories<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a carefully folded photograph of his family taken on a poolside holiday. Eduardo&#8217;s eyes are wet with tears as he explains how he got here. Four months ago he headed to the grocery store to buy milk and forgot his wallet. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">He was stopped by a police officer because the tail light on his car was not functioning. Of course he didn&#8217;t have his identification or driver&#8217;s license with him and was taken to the local police station. When his identity and records came up in their system, it was discovered that he was undocumented. He was immediately deported back to Mexico and has tried several times to cross and return home. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">His life changed because of a burned out tail light.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1251\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/breakfast-time.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1251\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1251\" alt=\"Breakfast time\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/breakfast-time.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/breakfast-time.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/breakfast-time-300x239.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1251\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Breakfast time<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">As an entrepreneur with several employees, he is desperate to return to his business and his family. We talk about his girls, his work, and the abrupt end to the routines and comforts of his life in California. He has had phone calls with his wife and children throughout this ordeal, but the challenges he faces are daunting.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1252\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Lupita-creates-magic-in-the-kitchen.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1252\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1252\" alt=\"Lupita creates magic in the kitchen\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Lupita-creates-magic-in-the-kitchen.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Lupita-creates-magic-in-the-kitchen.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Lupita-creates-magic-in-the-kitchen-300x199.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1252\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupita creates magic in the kitchen<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">As he leaves the <em>comedor,<\/em> he faces me and says, \u201c<em>Gracias<\/em> for all of your help. I may never see you again. But I know what I have to do, and I&#8217;ll be OK.\u201d He tells me he will cross without a guide, as he doesn&#8217;t trust them. He gives me a hug, crosses himself, kisses his rosary, and is out the door. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">\u201cCuidado! You are a good man and I wish for you a good life with your family,\u201d\u00a0 I call out to him as he leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1262\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Samaritans-assisting-a-lost-migrant-on-a-desert-search1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1262\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1262\" alt=\"Samaritans assisting a lost migrant on a desert search\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Samaritans-assisting-a-lost-migrant-on-a-desert-search1.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Samaritans-assisting-a-lost-migrant-on-a-desert-search1.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Samaritans-assisting-a-lost-migrant-on-a-desert-search1-300x199.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1262\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Samaritans assisting a lost migrant on a desert search\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (photo:\u00a0 John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">I ask God to keep him safe and give him strength to get back to Modesto.\u00a0 My prayers these days are like those of a child. I ask God to protect people from my government. During these moments at the <em>comedor,<\/em> I don&#8217;t know what else to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1255\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/My-family-my-life.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1255\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1255\" alt=\"My family, my life\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/My-family-my-life.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/My-family-my-life.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/My-family-my-life-300x238.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">My family, my life<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">So here is what I take away from this day at the <em>comedor:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">1) When families are separated, people are torn apart at a deep, primal level. Grown men cry. I see it happen every week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">2) If we pass only one thing in Congress regarding immigration reform, let it be family reunification. We must end national policies which separate families. It is tearing at the moral core of this nation. Our children&#8217;s children will ask us one day how we could allow such tragedy to occur as a matter of national public policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">3) We need a legal employment structure that allows for workers to move back and forth to Mexico and Central America, protecting both migrants and American employees.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">4) Our esteemed U.S. Congress has 10 days left between now and the New Year to pass any kind of immigration legislation. It is a long shot that anything meaningful will come out of this legislative session. We all must vote during the next election and change the face of our dysfunctional Congress. Better yet, some of us must run for office and bring some light and hope to the disenfranchised and vulnerable peoples peering through the border wall.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1263\" style=\"width: 453px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Vultures-at-a-water-tank1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1263\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1263\" alt=\"Vultures at a water tank\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Vultures-at-a-water-tank1.jpeg\" width=\"443\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Vultures-at-a-water-tank1.jpeg 443w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Vultures-at-a-water-tank1-265x300.jpeg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1263\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vultures at a water tank<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">5) The deaths in the Tucson sector of the Sonoran desert continue unabated in spite of the drop in numbers of deported Latinos. It is a blight on our collective conscience. The Samaritans continue to find people lost in the vastness of our desert. We find them walking in circles. Many are dying. The numbers are up from 2012, with 146 bodies recovered since January, 2013. There are more bodies out there; they just haven&#8217;t been found, and may never be discovered.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1257\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Alfonso-Samaritan-Tracy-Lorena-Samaritan-Linda.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1257\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1257\" alt=\"Alfonso, Samaritan Tracy, Lorena, and Samaritan Linda\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Alfonso-Samaritan-Tracy-Lorena-Samaritan-Linda.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Alfonso-Samaritan-Tracy-Lorena-Samaritan-Linda.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Alfonso-Samaritan-Tracy-Lorena-Samaritan-Linda-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1257\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alfonso, Samaritan Tracy, Lorena, and Samaritan Linda<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">As I enjoy a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast in the coming weeks, I will remember the man in the \u201cShow Your Goodness\u201d t-shirt, and Eduardo, who is heading to Modesto. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Our beloved country, a country of hospitality and a tradition of empathy towards the tired and the poor, needs a good wake-up shake at the shoulders. We accept the labors of immigrants, but deny them their humanity. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">These people are literally my neighbors, just on the other side of the fence. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Please direct your comments and thoughts to Peg Bowden at pegbowden@yahoo.com.<\/p>\n<p>The<strong> Green Valley\/Sahuarita Samaritans<\/strong> is a non-profit organization whose mission is to prevent deaths in the desert.\u00a0 Information and contributions can be directed to:\u00a0 www.gvsamaritans.org<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kino Border Initiative<\/strong> directs the activities of the <em>comedor<\/em> in Nogales, Mexico.\u00a0 The mission is to help create a just, humane immigration policy between the United States and Mexico.\u00a0 Their website is:\u00a0 www.kinoborderinitiative.org<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Border Community Alliance<\/strong> is an exciting new organization in southern Arizona focusing on the economic, cultural and humanitarian needs of the Arizona borderlands.\u00a0 Non-profit status is pending.\u00a0 Contact Bob Phillips at: rtp9@earthlink.net\u00a0\u00a0 for more information.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a few weeks I will be a migrant. Flying to Los Angeles to join with our children and grandchildren, my husband and I will migrate to California for a Thanksgiving holiday. It is an American rite that we take for granted: we move about freely and travel once or twice a year to be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1246"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1268,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1246\/revisions\/1268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}