¿De donde vienen los fondos del Centro de Enlace? ¿Y para que se usan los fondos?

Cuando: Viernes el 30 de Marzo a las 6:00

Donde: Centro de Enlace, 10 Swiss Avenue Burnsville

Centro de Enlace’s board and staff attended a Yancey County School’s community meeting to prevent the growth of gangs in Yancey County. The keynote speaker, Sandra T. Huerta shared her personal story of losing a son to gang violence and the effect gangs have had on her family and the community. The death of her son (who was not a gang member himself) has inspired Ms Huerta to become a Victim’s Advocate. She is based in Charlotte and now travels throughout the state speaking out.  Following Ms Huerta, a representative from the Hendersonville law enforcement spoke outlining the signs of gang activity and how the Yancey County community can prevent the formation of gangs.

The latest Community Gathering took place last Friday night at Centro de Enlace. Latino Community members and center staff reviewed existing and proposed NC anti-immigrant laws.  America Mauricio explained the recent formation of a legislative committee to study specifically the immigrant situation in North Carolina. Many of this committee’s members have been sponsors of anti- immigrant legislation.  As many as 18 anti-immigrant proposals were introduced in 2011 in the NC Legislature, several similar to those introduced and passed in other states. Various Latino Advocacy Coalitions joined forces to lobby and work vigorously against these proposals. A law requiring e-verification of employees working for companies with government contracts passed. Another law that passed originally contained wording allowing schools to ask about students’ status. This wording was dropped.

The Special Legislative Committee is holding five meetings to hear testimony regarding immigrants in the state. Latino advocates report that the testimony in the first meeting was too one sided. They report that the second meeting was more balanced.  This special committee will hold three more meetings and make recommendations to the full legislature in May. Yancey County Representative Ray Rapp is a member.

Centro's dedicated MANNA food bank volunteers

Centro’s great volunteers teamed up with staff and MANNA food bank to put on a very special Holiday Celebration. With help from MANNA food bank and fresh chard, kale and turnips from the Dig Inn Garden, our volunteers distributed holiday boxes of these healthy foods to seventy families in the community. They even whipped up Mexican specialties like Atole, Tamales and Gelatin to share with all our guests!

Volunteers Mixing up Atole (a Mexican rice drink)

Guests & Volunteers Enjoying Tamales & Atole

These guys were the life of the party!

Smiling faces full of Holiday cheer!

Paul Cuadros receives his membership card

After Cuadros spoke to the community about his book, and later to high school students about the changing demographics of the U.S., as part of the Carolina Mountain Literary Festival, Centro de Enlace welcomed him with a reception. Latino and Anglo teenagers, including the Mountain Heritage soccer team, came together for the celebration.

Cuadros honored all participants in Centro de Enlace’s “A Home on the Field” Latino Essay Contest and presented checks to the winners. First place went to Nancy Martinez, second place went to Araceli Guerrero, and third place went to Bety Sanchez.

Essay Contest Winners Bety Sanchez, Araceli Guerrero and Nancy Martinez

Cuadros emphasized the importance of staying in school and that academic work can earn money, just as he makes a living as an author and journalist. He went on to tell the soccer team that they must come together on the field, that regardless of where they were from or how talented they are, it takes unity to win games.

Then, in the small parking lot between the road and the row of sunflowers in front of the center, everyone ate tacos and drank agua de Jamaica together, had Cuadros sign their books, cheered during the soccer juggling contest, and danced. When parents came, the kids told them they were not ready to go home. Perhaps because they had found a home right there, for a couple of hours, in the parking lot.

Soccer juggling contest winner

On June 24^th, twenty six folks piled into two Yancey County transportation vans at 5:00 AM to make a trip to the Mexican Consulate in Raleigh. With one car following, some 30 folks stood in several long lines in order to secure vital records for themselves and their children. The center planned the trip as a follow up to our Know Your Plan workshop in May. Folks were able to actually fill their Immigrant Readiness Toolboxes with passports and proof of double nationality for their children. The consulate accommodated our group on short notice and was able to provide documents to everyone. As we battled Raleigh’s heat and concrete, we were all reminded of why living in the mountains is so nice. We returned to Burnsville at 11 PM, exhausted but having accomplished a lot.

Our thanks goes out to the Consulate, to the folks at Yancey Transportation for their generosity in providing the trip and driving and to the children on the trip. You were amazing!

Visit the IYJL website at www.iyjl.org

“Undocumented. Unafraid.” This declaration can be found on the T-shirts of teenagers and young adults in the Immigrant Youth Justice League. In Chicago, the IYJL is fighting to achieve justice for young immigrants. Brought to the United States as children, many of them have gone to American schools since kindergarten. Now, as high school graduates, they want to pursue their education and careers alongside their classmates, who are making plans for college.

However, undocumented immigrants are denied federal financial aid, so many of the bright, motivated students who have always called America their home are now unable to go any further in their educations. The members of IYJL are working to promote the passage of the Dream Act, which would grant temporary legal status to students, on the condition that they went to a university, completed a program to get a degree, or served in the military.

I heard the stories of several young adult members of IYJL. One girl talked about how excited she was about going to college, and how shocked and sad she was to find out that because she was undocumented, she couldn’t get any financial aid for school. She worked hard and was able to save up enough money to take two classes, and although she is still far from getting a college diploma or a degree, she continues to work with plans of taking classes a few at a time.

A man in his twenties talked about how ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) had started deportation proceedings on him, and had temporarily halted his deportation only because of his young son, a United States citizen. However, his case is up for review in a year. His son was with him that night at the IYLJ meeting. At one point, when he got tired of playing, he came and gave his dad a hug and rested his head on his dad’s shoulder. What would this boy do if his dad was deported?

The Immigrant Youth Justice League’s action and determination are inspiring. They are fighting every day for the Dream Act to be passed, for comprehensive immigration reform, and for their families to be kept together and kept safe. I hope that their dreams, and the dreams of students here in Yancey County, can become realities.

Over thirty-five members of the Latino community gathered together Saturday, May 29^th for Yancey County’s first ‘Know Your Rights, Know Your Plan’ workshop.  Attendees started out the morning addressing current immigrant issues and learning what their legal rights are when confronted by an official.  Four groups acted out scenarios to share possible responses to an official stopping them in their car, confronting them in public, raiding their workplace, or coming to their home.  This led into a discussion of North Carolina laws affecting immigrants, such as Secure Communities and 287(g).

One group acts out a response to a raid in the workplace

As the workshop progressed, participants created their own plans to prepare their families and belongings in case of an immigration crisis or raid.  To supplement their plans, they gathered ‘tools’ ranging from ‘passports’ to ‘power of attorney’ to ‘knowledge of the deportation process,’ filling their ‘toolboxes’ with information about how to accomplish each step.

The serious topics of the workshop were approached with engaging group activities and laughter, and participants left with knowledge and tools to better protect themselves and their families.

Centro de Enlace offered the workshop to the Yancey community as the first in a series of four.  The Coalición de Organizaciones Latino-Americanas (COLA) collaborated in this endeavor, and the Sacred Heart Catholic Church provided the space.  We are already planning for our next workshop of the series in July.