Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2015)
September 16, 2015 Page 7 O PINION Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. Literacy Volunteering in your Community Reading changes lives! B ENTLEY DE B ARDELABEN My grandmother used to say, “Be- ing blessed by God is wonderful, but being a blessing to others because God blessed you is more important.” While I was not raised in a house- hold where attending Sunday morn- ing worship was highly valued, it was still important to my parents that they raise children who understood that service to those less fortunate was a an essential part of being a good, responsible, and educated person. Because of this, I began tutoring students in reading and math skills when I was 12 years old. It was something I enjoyed and had the temperament to do. Approximately 30 million adults in the United States can’t read. They can’t understand their own SUHVFULSWLRQERWWOH¿JXUHRXWDEXVVFKHGXOHRUHYHQ order off a menu – actions which many of us take for granted. The consequences of this silent epidem- ic are profound. There is a 66 percent chance that a BY SHUVRQZKRFDQQRWUHDGDWDSUR¿FLHQWOHYHOE\WKH 4th grade will end up on welfare or in jail. Approxi- mately 85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate. Understanding the importance of this issue, he United Church of Christ began developing an all- church initiative to bring awareness to the challenge of multigenerational low literacy levels. The pro- gram was appropriately called “Reading Changes Lives.” This robust campaign launched in the fall of 2014 ZLWKDQ³DOOFKXUFKUHDG´RIWKHERRN³+RW'RJVDQG +DPEXUJHUV 8QORFNLQJ /LIH¶V 3RWHQWLDO E\ ,QVSLU- ing Literacy at Any Age,” written by Rob Shindler. The next step on the journey occurred on March 4. It was a day of dialog on social media where people shared how they were addressing illiteracy in their communities. Finally the campaign culminated on June 29 with a daylong training for adult literacy tutors and a school supply drive during the UCC General Syn- od in Cleveland, Ohio. All together UCC members stuffed 1,000 backpacks with school supplies that will be given to local elementary school students DQGGRQDWHGHQRXJKDGGLWLRQDOVXSSOLHVWR¿OODQRWK- er 1,500 backpacks. 'XULQJ WKH WUDLQLQJ 5RE 6KLQGOHU VKDUHG WKH LQ- spirational story of his son who had been labeled severely disabled, an experience that ultimately led him to identify his call as a tutor. “You can teach someone to read in less than 2 and ½ days,” Shindler said. “All it takes is one hour a week for 52 weeks.” Recently, I began tutoring adult students who ZDQWWRWDNHWKH*('WHVW)RUWXQDWHO\WKHUHDUHVWDII and teachers’ guides onsite to assist when I’m unsure about the subject material. I’m learning much from my students, as I hope they are learning from me. Those values instilled and embodied in my child- hood household continue to shape me in adulthood. You can learn more about literacy volunteering in your community by visiting literacydirectory.org. I hope you too will join this campaign to help change lives through reading. The Rev. Bentley de Bardelaben is executive for administration and communications for Justice and Witness Ministries in the United Church of Christ. 5RXWLQH7UDI¿F6WRSV6KRXOGQ¶W5LS)DPLOLHV$SDUW Scapegoating immigrants isn’t the answer C ECILIA V ELASCO About three years ago, my dad was driv- ing the truck he uses for his landscaping business in Phoenix, Ariz. when he was pulled over. Two pa- trol cars cornered him f for mak- k ing a wide right turn. Yes, you read that right: 0XOWLSOH SROLFH RI¿FHUV ZHQW out of their way to stop my dad for supposedly making a right turn too wide. 7KH WUDI¿F FRSV JULOOHG P\ dad and his coworker about their immigration status. They let my dad, a Mexican immi- grant and U.S. citizen, go on his way without even issuing a warning. Then they arrested his coworker, who happened to be an undocumented immi- grant. What seemed like a normal drive to work turned into a nightmare. 7UDI¿FVWRSVWKDWRIWHQEHJLQ ZLWKWKLVNLQGRIUDFLDOSUR¿O- ing, along with parking tickets BY and other minor offenses have led to two-thirds of the record 2 million deportations during the Obama administration. These daily expulsions have instilled a culture of pain and fear among all our nation’s immigrant communi- ties. tie When some of those communities th urged their local gov- ur ernments to do some- er thing about it, about th 300 30 cities responded by becoming some- thing hi called ll a “sanctuary city.” Maybe you’ve heard a lot about these places lately but don’t know what a sanctuary city is. It’s a term for localities ZKHUH SROLFH RI¿FHUV GRQ¶W have the added responsibility of acting as federal immigra- tion authorities. As a result, people won’t be deported without a compelling reason, more families will remain XQLWHGDQGSROLFHRI¿FHUVZLOO get to focus on the already tough job of policing real criminals instead of racially SUR¿OLQJGULYHUV Sanctuary cities serve ev- eryone’s interest. They boost public safety and foster trust between local law enforcement and immi- grant communities. Undocu- mented immigrants can work, go to school, and live their lives without constant fear of deportation. They’re no longer afraid to report crimes or as- sist in a police investigation. This restores a bit of the hu- man dignity that immigrants are too often robbed of. Studies have shown that sanctuary cities are actually safer than other places. But one tragic incident has ignited a debate in Congress and the 2016 presidential race. Earlier this summer, Kath- ryn Steinle was shot and killed in San Francisco. Juan Fran- cisco Lopez-Sanchez, the al- leged shooter and an undocu- mented immigrant, had a long criminal record, including drug charges and several de- SRUWDWLRQV +H¶G MXVW EHHQ UH- leased after serving time for re-entry into the country, an act that’s considered a felony. Presidential candidates and politicians are taking advan- tage of this incident to justify their extremist anti-immigrant views. But studies show that native-born Americans com- mit crime at a higher rate than LPPLJUDQWVDQGDUH¿YHWLPHV more likely to be serving time in prison. There’s no reason to pre- sume that undocumented immigrants are a menace to society. Yet before starting LWV $XJXVW UHFHVV WKH +RXVH passed a bill that would deny federal law enforcement fund- ing for sanctuary cities. This measure would reverse years of progress by immigrant rights organizations, local governments, and local police associations. Steinle’s death was a terrible tragedy. But scapegoating un- documented immigrants won’t make San Francisco or the rest of the country any safer. What became of my dad’s co-worker? Following that WUDI¿F VWRS DUUHVW KH ZDV GH- tained by local authorities for a couple of days and then handed over to immigration RI¿FHUV+HVSHQWWZRPRQWKV in an immigration detention center. A compassionate judge granted his release because his eldest son was on the brink of becoming a U.S. citizen, and the man obtained a temporary ZRUN SHUPLW +DSS\ HQGLQJV to stories like these would be- come rarer if anti-immigration +RXVH ODZPDNHUV JHW WKHLU way. Cecilia Velasco is a Fel- low at the Institute for Policy Studies. Distributed by Other- Words.org. The Law Offices of Patrick John Sweeney, P.C. Patrick John Sweeney Attorney at Law 1549 SE Ladd, Portland, Oregon Portland: Hillsoboro: Facsimile: (503) 244-2080 (503) 244-2081 (503) 244-2084 Email: Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com
