Street roots., March 16, 2018, Page 10, Image 10

Street Roots • March 16-22, 2018
Commentary
Page 11
Misled by a canvasser, I signed the IP 22 petition
Jane Doe has been in
personal contact with
Street Roots on this
issue. She is not
using her real name
to protect her father’s
employment. Doe is a
Gresham resident
and nonprofit
professional.
BY JANE DOE
interest in maintaining sanctuary status:
Both of my parents are undocumented.
My family’s story echoes the thousands
n the evening of Saturday, March 3 , 1
of stories that have been shared by brave
visited the Gresham Fred Meyer to
Dreamers and other undocumented people
pick up some late night snacks. As I
the past few years. My mom was born in
walked up to the doors, I was approached in by
the 1960s in a tiny village in England. My
two canvassers. The canvasser who
mom never knew her biological father and
approached me was holding a clipboard with
she didn’t have a dad until my grandma
a petition on colored paper, indicating that
married my grandpa, a U .S . Air Force
she was being paid to get signatures. It
serviceman who was stationed in England.
didn’t have the name or the title of the
He legally adopted my mom and they moved
initiative written on the paper but the
together to Germany, California and Texas
woman explained that they were collecting
with the Air Force. Right after my mom
signatures to put IP 22 on the ballot in
graduated from high school in Texas, my
November. According to her, IP 22 would
grandpa got stationed in England again to
give Oregonians the chance to protect our
finish out his military career. Despite being
sanctuary state status by letting us vote to
an adult, my mom decided to move with her
protect it. I didn’t understand why putting
family to England after graduation and met
sanctuary status to a vote would protect it,
my dad during that time. When my grandpa
and I questioned her about why we would
retired from the Air Force and moved the
need to vote on a law that was already in
family back to the U .S ., my mom stayed in
place. I explained that ensuring that our
England because she had fallen in love.
sanctuary status remains in place was
Eventually, she got pregnant with me and
important to me. The canvasser explained
she and my dad decided to move to the U .S.
that she too wanted to protect our sanctuary
to be with my mom’s family for the end of
status and that IP 22 would do that. I asked
her pregnancy and the first fqw months of
her where Oregonians leaned on the issue
my life. They planned on staying for a year
and she said we generally support it.
but ended up staying here to raise their
Satisfied with her answers, I signed the
family.
petition and did my shopping. When I was
During their time here, my parents have
leaving, I asked her what group she was
worked, paid taxes, stayed out of legal
with, and she wasn’t able to tell me.
trouble, and spent time and money in their
I didn’t think about it again until a few
community. They live in a conservative state
days later when I saw one of the news
with a lot of anti-immigrant rhetoric, but
stories that Street Roots published about
most of the time they are shielded from it
Ballot Access L L C and their canvassers
because they are white, native English-
fraudulently pushing IP 22 as sanctuary
speaking immigrants from a “good country.”
state protection initiative. I learned that the
And hey, everyone loves an English accent,
title of the ballot is actually “Repeals law
right?
limiting use of state/local law enforcement
My parents remained undocumented
resources to enforce federal immigration
because they had issues finding legal
laws.” I was shocked to learn that these
documents. There was never a clear path
canvassers had completely deceived me and
for citizenship for them, and coming out
all of the other people they gathered
now when my dad is so close to retirement
signatures from that night at the Gresham
would almost certainly mean that they
Fred Meyer. I would never have signed the
would have to leave the country for a
IP 22 petition if I had been informed of what number of years before they could get a
it actually is because I have an vested
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T
O
Growing Up
green card.
Despite the privileges they experience
being English immigrants, we have had
plenty of scares. I knew from an early age
that we had to keep my parents’
immigration status a secret because telling
the wrong people could get my parents in
trouble. I was in kindergarten when my
parents tried to explain
to my younger brother
and me what
deportation was. I was
16 when my paternal
I would n e w r h a w g if » e i the
grandfather died in
England and we weren’t IP 22 petition If I had been
sure that my dad would
laioraied of what It actssallj Is
be able to get back into
because 1 have aa vested In­
the country after
terest la saaiataiaing saaeta-
attending the funeral.
ary status Bath of say parents
And I was 24 when a
are andeeaiaentedL
city bus hit my parents’
car while my dad was
driving. During this
instance, we benefited
from the sanctuary laws
that we didn’t know
existed because the law enforcement
officers who responded didn’t question my
dad about his immigration status even
though he didn’t have a driver’s license and
was clearly an immigrant.
Sanctuary laws protect immigrants who
just want the best life for their families,
whether that means reuniting with family
members, escaping dangerous situations or
cim nlv ovnlnrincr ppnmtTiir nnnnrtnm ties.
Ballot Access L L C misled me and many
other people into signing the IP 22 petition.
When I tried calling the owner of Ballot
Access L L C , Lee Vasche, I was forwarded to
another phone number and my message
hasn’t been returned. That was March 8.
The Attorney General’s Office is taking
complaints from people who were misled
into signing the IP 22, and I encourage
anyone who was deceived to file a complaint
so we can continue to protect our immigrant
neighbors.
p Ju e o J p le ’s
l food co - op
FARMERS' MARKET
WEDNESDAYS 2-7PM
by Daniel Cox
The hustle and flow of streets,
Where your environment
Is life and death.
You start your game
When you wake and hope
Now is not your last,
Where you slip up and
It could be your end.
Will anyone send you flowers?
You get your street credits by action.
Not talking, just take them down.
M y lifestyle, I had to take the fall,
Didn’t say a thing, and was welcome
Back to the family that was my own.
iin iB
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