May 14, 1999

Loyola Border Witness Program

by Joy Christina DeMatteo, A’99, a student who participated in the Loyola Border Witness Program

Love in abundance

As we approached the front doors of Casa Amparo, I was captured by the affection of three girls as they latched onto me. We entered as strangers, having never met before. There were nearly 30 little girls, embracing us. The language barrier that had originally concerned me was replaced with the blessed distraction of unconditional love from precious Mexican girls.

One seven-year-old girl, Citllyi, became my shadow for the entire afternoon. I was carrying two cameras–one for black and white film and one for color. At one point, Citllyi pulled one of the cameras from my neck. Even with my lack of Spanish, I could sense the enthusiasm in her eyes to possess a material item. I followed her around the center for nearly an hour as she randomly shot one roll, then asked for another. She was shooting away like a machine gun; understanding the mechanics of the camera was not a concern, the camera was her connection to others. Citllyi began to imitate me as I knelt to capture her charm on film.

Alternative spring break

On Saturday, March 27, a team of Loyola students, professors, and staff members traveled to the Texas-Mexico border to observe life as it is there. When most students were journeying to celebrate spring break on America’s coastlines, a select few from Loyola opted for an alternative spring vacation. The Loyola Border Witness Program offers students the chance to gain an understanding of the conditions facing immigrants and families on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border. Elisa Strathman, a freshman at Loyola, explains her decision to participate. “I wanted to do something that involved both giving and receiving.”

Tracing its roots to August 1984, the national Border Witness Program developed as a primary project when the Rio Grande Defense Committee was initiated in response to the arrests of several sanctuary workers and two Salvadorian refugees. The committee served as a support system by networking with sanctuary groups and with the media. In 1984, witnesses came from around the United States to the Rio Grande Valley to learn about the trials and the legal process for asylum seekers and the activities of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. border patrol. They also came to hear the testimonies from Central Americans who were in detention centers or shelters in the area. As a result, the Border Witness delegations began to be officially known as the Rio Grande Border Witness Program.

The Border Witness Program, directed by Jesuit seminarians Christopher Lockard and Ronald Schmidt, has been part of the Loyola community since 1993. Lockard and Schmidt recognized the importance of sustaining this program when its former coordinator left Loyola. Lockard, a lawyer, became committed to continuing the program when he recognized how it paralleled with the Jesuit tradition. Through this program, he has identified where his religious beliefs merge with his legal experiences. “The Border Witness Program historically provided the opportunity for outreach. Any chance I have to accompany people and to be a participant myself in encountering God in others is part of the Jesuit tradition of working toward social justice,” explains Lockard.

First-hand experience

As participants in the program we visited orphanages, health clinics, Immigration Service detention centers, impoverished colonias on both sides of the border, and maquiladoras which are industrial parks where many U.S.­owned factories operate in Mexico. We were in contact with local churches that take an active role in achieving conflict resolution. Through interacting with officials, community activists, and local neighborhoods, the Border Witness Program provided us with a communal experience to encounter the impact that immigration and welfare legislation has on legal and undocumented immigrants. We also witnessed the effects of the Mexican economy on the poor and learned of the changes on both sides of the border brought on by NAFTA.

On our first day, we visited Casa Amparo a la Mujer in Reynosa, Mexico. Casa Amparo is a shelter that specializes in school age girls from 6 to 17, although there are no age limits. While the shelter is commonly referred to as an orphanage, most children have parents. The reasons for their admissions vary and are carefully guarded. Many have suffered from sexual abuse; however, most of the younger girls come to Casa Amparo because their fathers have abandoned the family and their mothers are consequently forced to be self-supporting, which often means prostitution. Because most of the families are so poor, the mothers cannot provide for them.

The Reynosa shelter is managed by Catholic nuns from the order of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, founded in 1641 by St. John Eudes. It was originally designed to provide shelter for the Magdalene of Canes, France (women forced into prostitution). Today, there are 16 shelters, eight located in the United States and eight in Mexico. In Mexico, each shelter must be self-supporting, which means no assistance from the church, the order, or from the Mexican government. They must exist on funds they earn and the generosity of the surrounding community.

During our visit to the orphanage, the children sang and performed for us. We danced with them and we celebrated the fiesta with Klondike ice cream treats. After spending the afternoon there, many students found it difficult to leave the children behind. Lauren Wannemuehler, a Loyola sophomore, illustrated the impact of visiting the orphanage in one of her journal entries. She wrote, “It was so amazing to visit the orphanage today. I really loved those girls.…They were so precious. They have so much love and they just don’t have anyone to share it with. I just wanted to take them all with me.”

Over the next few days, we spent a large portion of time observing living conditions in several colonias and were able to enter into one of the maquiladoras. We were the first student group to receive a tour of this particular factory. Working conditions were satisfactory, but many of us were disappointed to learn these employees received on average 75 cents an hour. The majority of people who work there were young women between the ages of 16 and 25. A typical work week consists of approximately 10 hours a day, for five or six days. If employees request a Christmas vacation, they are required to work extended hours to earn those days off.

While observing the colonias, our tour guide explained the lengthy process families undergo to build a house. An individual family first purchases a lot. Construction begins when the family has all of the money needed to complete the building. On average, construction could stretch from two to five years. I saw many houses where cement and brick had been used to complete the outside walls, but the windows had not yet been installed. Once a house is completed, the family has a gathering to celebrate. Becoming a homeowner is a turning point in the family’s life and is a visible increase in status in the community.

Outreach efforts

There are many people in the communities who are pulling together to help the immigrants integrate into life in a new country. One group, ARISE, has taken an active role by establishing programs in education, early childhood development, and personal development. ARISE’s primary goals include helping enhance the community by helping each resident realize his or her individual strength and the community realize its collective strengths.

As we journeyed down the paved main road of one of the colonias, I noticed several unpaved side streets. I saw children playing barefoot and stray dogs roaming in those streets. Once I was clued into the lack of an effective sewage system in the area, I understood the many dangers faced by those children and their families. However, many positive steps have been taken to improve living conditions in the colonias and address community concerns. Action is being sought with city officials to provide pavement, proper utilities, and public service to rectify this situation. Schmidt, who was in Mexico four years ago, says he witnessed firsthand progress. “I was surprised by the improvement the colonias have made and were making. There were some things that were completed that I didn’t think would have been finished. There is a sense of community and improvements are being done at the grassroots level.”

Legal challenges

One challenge within these communities is the transitional process of obtaining U.S. citizenship. There are many documented immigrants and those working toward obtaining residency; however, the obstacles of inclusion often result from restrictions on certain ethnic and national groups to becoming citizens.

Isabel Medina, an immigration law professor at Loyola, was attuned to this issue. “My impression of the border is that it is an area that seems to stand all on its own. While there, we had a feeling that it is not quite the U.S., but not quite Mexico either. It is almost a different country. Going there brought this home to me, a way to experience real examples of how national boundaries are fictions. In a sense, it is meaningless to just draw an imaginary line and determine boundaries.” Medina says her experience was beneficial, and she will incorporate it into her future classroom discussions.

On our final day, we decorated a church for Holy Thursday and participated in the liturgy. The focus of the liturgy was the ceremony of washing feet. “Serving with the people at the church brought on the feeling of Lent into perspective by allowing us to participate instead of just observing,” explains Raul Navarro, assistant director of the Loyola Express Card Office.

Education and service can help Mexican immigrants

Hopefully, this interaction can serve as an example for future service projects. The Rio Grande Border Witness Program aims to educate citizens about the contributing factors that have resulted in present-day conditions in the border region. Through this program, we can better understand our neighbors in Mexico and Central Americas. In that region, there is a merge between Latin and North American languages and culture. As a result, the Rio Grande Valley is the first area in the America to experience the effects of United States foreign and economic policies toward Latin America. Loyola students were able to experience this firsthand.

The Loyola Border Witness Program intends to make a commitment to increasing awareness about conditions on both sides of the border. Lockard and Schmidt point out the importance of maintaining the educational component with the intent of incorporating more service. Several students have suggested increasing service to four or five days. Future plans are being organized to build community with residents in the colonias through volunteer development projects such as Habitat for Humanity or assisting in the orphanages. The coordinators intend to incorporate more input from students, encouraging active participation. Schmidt assesses the benefits of integration, “Students will have more ownership of the program and be responsible for recruiting others on campus and, hopefully, the program will grow in scope and numbers.”

For more information on how to become involved in the Loyola Border Witness Program, contact the Office of Campus Ministry at ext. 3226.