S tr e e t R o o ts • A pril 2 8 -M a y 4, 2 0 1 7
News
Page 7
DREAMERS, from page 5
This image is p art o f the art project “Working Makes Me Im portant” taking place a t the
M artin Luther K in g Worker Center in Northeast Portland. Four sim ilar images will be
turned into murals this summer, and the project participants are looking fo r walls that
could accommodate a m ural o f about 1 2 x 1 0 feet in buildings with good street visibility. I f
you own or occupy a building (or know o f someone who does) that will be a good place for
one o f these murals please contact Patricia Vazquez at 360 485 9981 or patricia.vazq@
gmail.com.
how homeless teens needed shoes and
many families needed to learn about the
paths to citizenship that were open to
them. He also became aware of how many
Latino families were living paycheck to
paycheck, with no investments.
He said with the current political
climate, there is a fear deportations could
increase at any moment.
If an executive order came down
making any minor violation grounds for
deportation, he said, because of Oregon’s
ban on driver’s licenses for
undocumented immigrants, anyone who
drives could be at risk for deportation.
“If they get stopped by the police, they
get arrested, and because of Secure
Communities, their information is handed
over to ICE,” he said. “It’s a fear that
we’re living in, because at any point we
could get stopped by a police officer for a
broken taillight.”
His mother often drives from Salem to
Canby and Aurora, where she cleans
houses. Being Latina and driving through
affluent white neighborhoods has resulted
in multiple calls to police over the years,
with neighbors reporting her vehicle as
suspicious.
With no license, she has been arrested
and detained multiple times, he said, and
the fines, “they stack up with three kids.”
He recently traveled to Salem to tell
lawmakers about his mother’s
experiences getting pulled over for being
Latina in a white neighborhood in an
effort to persuade them to support House
Bill 2355, which would require the state
to develop a method for recording data on
officer-initiated pedestrian and traffic
stops.
He was there as a Causa volunteer,
along with several mothers who had their
small children in tow.
The mothers were lobbying for House
Bill 2726, known as “Cover All Kids,”
which would extend health care coverage
to the more than 17,000 undocumented
children who are currently excluded from
Oregon Health Plan.
Neither bill has yet come up for a vote.
Fatima said Joseluis motivated her to
do well in school and pursue her goals.
His passion to give back and serve
others is inspiring,” she said. “He has a
huge heart and always finds a way to
make me laugh when I am feeling down
or upset about something.”
Today, Joseluis is living in Portland and
majoring in communications at Warner
Pacific College. He’s also working two
jobs, at Unit-ed Parcel Service Inc., which
is helping him pay for college, and at Five
Guys on the weekends. He still finds time
to advocate for immigrant rights.
espite the political climate and the
risks their families face on a day-to-
day basis, Fatima, Manuel and Joseluis
are focused on the future.
“We made it, right?” Fatima said with a
smile.
She still isn’t sure where the money for
the rest of her education is coming from,
but she seems confident she’ll find a way.
In the meantime, all three are
determined to make Oregon a better
place for undocumented immigrants
through their advocacy work.
They “worked tirelessly” to register
their community to vote this past
election, said Marquez, advocacy and civic
engagement coordinator at Causa. Now
she said they are focused on preparing
and educating the community about
deportations and “against attacks.”
Joseluis said recent marches and
protests show that “people’s hearts are in
the right place,” but he said the real test
of whether Oregon is a place that
D
su p p o rts im m ig ran ts will co m e w h e n th e
driving privileges for undocumented
immigrants comes up for a vote again.
He said lawmakers have a chance now
to at least give equity to undocumented
children by passing Cover All Kids.
While Dreamers have gotten a lot of
attention lately, it’s their parents who
really need the support of the community
right now, Joseluis said.
“I’m an optimist about the future and
our generation,” he said, “and if they do
deport us, then we’re going to make
Mexico amazing.”
ACRO SS
DOUGHNUT
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
1.
Fermentation agent
4.
Have a bite
6.
Tree fluid
7.
Cake ingredient
8.
Three-ply cookie
9.
Hook's henchman
12. Ground grain
14. The gift o f __
16. Tease or ridicule
17. Francis or Kevin?
DOW N
I.
Affirmative!
2.
Type of fritter
3.
Analyze or fry
4.
Cake ingredient
5.
Très
Deal
8.
10. Potter's practice
11. Nosh!
13. Late rapper; abbr.
15. ___appétit
p
n
U
L
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