IMAGE: CNS photo/Ruby Thomas, The Record
By Ruby Thomas and Jessica Able
SPRINGFIELD, Ky. (CNS) — In
response to Pope Francis’ call for Catholics to “Share the Journey” of
their lives with one another under a two-year program introduced in September,
the following stories relate the experiences and hopes of young Catholic
immigrants who worship at St. Dominic Church in Springfield, Kentucky.
For now, they are protected by
the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, but that program is set to
end in March unless Congress passes the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act.
Yuliana Ortega, 15, is a student
at Washington County High School. Ortega came to the U.S. from Jalisco, Mexico,
when she was just a year old.
Ortega said she fears having to
leave her friends and family in Springfield once the DACA program ends.
“I don’t know anything about
Mexico. I don’t know where I would go to,” she told The Record, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Ortega, who juggles school and
work at the restaurant her family manages, said she wished she wasn’t judged
because of her race. Following high school, she hopes to work one day as an
interpreter.
“We have goals and things
in our lives we want to reach,” she said.
–
– –
Wendy Hernandez, 21, is an
English language tutor for Washington County Schools. Hernandez, who
came to the U.S. when she was 6 years old with her mother and two siblings. She
said her mother fled Cuernavaca, Mexico, to escape physical abuse.
She considers the U.S., and
Springfield, in particular, her home.
Since Hernandez learned of
President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel DACA, she has found her future to be
uncertain.
“It’s kind of scary because I
don’t know what is going to happen,” she said. “My career, everything, is in
their (lawmakers) hands.”
Hernandez said there are several
misconceptions concerning Dreamers, as DACA youth are sometimes called.
“We don’t get all the benefits
everyone believes we do. We have to work harder than others to be able to go to
school or to get a job sometimes,” she explained.
She said she worries about being
forced to return to a country she does not know. If she could speak to
legislators, she would tell them to “get to know us.”
“Get to know a little about us
and see how we are trying to help our community. We have ambition and goals in
our life for our future.”
–
– –
Carlos Guzman, 26, is owner and
operator of Longview Roofing in Lebanon, Kentucky. Guzman, said ending the DACA
program would have a devastating ripple effect in his life.
Not only would he be taken away
from his home, family and faith community, but he would be stripped of his
livelihood, a business he has worked hard to build, he said.
“I think a lot of people don’t
realize we work hard to have a better future. We try our best to contribute to
this country. We pay our taxes, we create jobs and we contribute to the
economy,” he said.
Guzman, who was brought to the U.S.
from Sonora, Mexico, at 14, said people should not judge each other solely based
on what others are saying.
“I’m sure every parent wants a
better future for their children. Some may think it was probably wrong (for our
parents) bringing us here, but what would you do for your child?” he said.
Guzman’s parents decided to
bring him and his three brothers to the U.S. to avoid the constant violence
they faced.
“It’s a big sacrifice because
they left behind their parents and family. When family members die, it’s hard
for them not being able to go back,” he said.
–
– –
Dora Lozano, 18, is a student at
Elizabethtown Technical and Community College, where she is studying Spanish
and special education. Lozano said she has no memories of her native Mexico
City, which she left with her family for the U.S. when she was 3 years old.
“I’m scared to lose everything.
This is all I know,” she said.
If given the opportunity, Lozano
said, she would ask legislators to try to understand the situation from her
point of view.
“We didn’t come here to harm
anyone; we came here to have a better life. This program (DACA) helps us to
reach our goals. We don’t want it to be taken away.”
–
– –
Juan Saucedo, 16, is a junior at
Washington County High School and wants to become a diesel mechanic. He came to
the U.S. from Aguas Calientes, Mexico, when he was 4 years old.
Saucedo applied for DACA status
earlier in 2017 and was in the application process when the Trump
administration announced the end of the program. He is unsure of the status of
his application.
“Our future is in their hands,
but there’s nothing we can do,” the teen said. “We have goals like everyone
else. Just because we’re Hispanic or a different race doesn’t mean we don’t
have goals.”
–
– –
Manuel Hernandez, 25, is a
senior at Eastern Kentucky University where he is studying computer networking
and security. He came to the U.S. with his two siblings, including sister
Wendy, and their mother, when he was 13 years old.
Hernandez said he and other DACA
youth contribute “to this country in many ways.”
“We’re students; we have jobs,”
he said. “This is our home; I don’t think any of us want to go back.”
He said it’s difficult to fight
against a narrative that depicts immigrants as ones who take jobs from others
and demeans them.
“We’re not just a stereotype. We
don’t steal jobs. We’re not criminals. We’re trying to contribute as much as
possible.”
–
– –
Thomas and Able are on the staff of The
Record, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Louisville.
– – –
Copyright © 2017 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.
