Summary of Key Points/ Table of Contents

This a summary for those of you who don't want to read everything on this blog.  If you are only going to read one thing, read this to get a sense of what I'm talking about in the rest of the blog.  If you just want to read a couple entries read "Postville: A Story", "Notes from Rigoberta Menchú's visit to Postville", and "Camayd's Lecture on Postville: A Commentary".  

I have been volunteering in Postville for several months now and the experiences that I have had have changed the way I look at the world.  I realize that in order for our country to function, there must be laws and people must abide by them.  However, if this is to be upheld, our laws must be just, and I no longer believe this to be true of all of our laws.  It is not just that immigrants are treated like criminals for coming here and trying to provide for their families.  It is not just that our policies focus on keeping people out and deporting them rather than asking why they are coming here in the first place and acknowledging the role that the U.S. has played in driving Latin American countries into poverty.  But these are just general ideas.  It becomes much more important when you realize, truly realize, that real people are the victims of our unjust laws.  Real people who so desperately want a chance to live in safety and provide for their children and who faithfully serve their God.  Real people who are being sent all across the country and world, unable to contact or be with their families.  Real people who have to plug themselves into the wall for two hours every day.  These are the people we are hurting when we don't reevaluate our laws.  This is why politics matters.  It is where oppression and prejudice have the potential to become institutionalized.  I hope you read my words and hear the people of Postville and immigrants everywhere crying out for justice and asking for a chance to have a better life.  I hope you use your voices to speak out for the voiceless. 

Here is a list of posts and a summary of each one.

Why I am writing this blog: 

My original intention for writing this blog was to explore the ways that structures of oppression are at work in the lives of the people of Postville.

My First Trip to Postville:

During my first visit to Postville I asked the group of women with electronic shackles that I was supposed to meet with the simple question "What happened?"  This spurred some meaningful conversation.  They told me that it is hard to make ends meet and provide for their families with the small stipend the government has given them.  They also told me about the stress of many women who do not know where their husbands are or did not know for a long time.  We decided to work on English in the future.

The Language Barrier:

During my second visit to Postville, I became very aware of the challenges that immigrants face while trying to learn English in America.  It took a lot of time for the people I was teaching to learn basic phrases like "What is your name?" and even if they had it right, they would usually forget by the next week.  This makes it seem ridiculous that immigrants must pass a complicated test in English in order to become American citizens.  The women also commented on how dangerous their home countries are and were shocked that I had visited Guatemala and Mexico when they are so dangerous.

Community and Global Awareness:

It was surprising to learn that many of the women were happy when they found out that their husbands had been deported, because their husbands would no longer have to endure the horrors of prison.  However, one woman only knew her husband was back in Guatemala because his name was mentioned in a Guatemalan newspaper in connection to Postville, not because the government had informed her of it.  We also talked about politics and the candidates for the next presidency and I realized that these women are more informed about American politics than many Americans are.  The strong sense of community among the people of Postville has also been evident to me in the time that I have spent there.  

Thankfullness:

The people I work with in Postville have a profound gratitude for the things that they do have, even though they have been deprived of so much.  However, they are not complacent.  They know that they have been treated wrongly and they know that things need to change.

Camayd's Lecture on Postville: A Commentary

Erik Camayd-Freixas, a court interpreter, came to Luther to talk about what he witnessed as an interpreter and what he heard in a series of interviews of incarcerated Postville workers.  He explained that many of the Postville immigrants are orphans of the Guatemalan Civil War, largely caused by the U.S.  He also explained the damage that the U.S. has done to Latin American countries with the trade agreements NAFTA and CAFTA.  He also talked about a Homeland Security's "Operation End Game", a plan to deport all illegal immigrants and stop the entrance of any new immigrants by 2012.  He also detailed many violations of due process that occurred during the Postville trials.  

Transcript of Erik Camayd-Freixas' Lecture at Luther (10/23/01):

Self-explanatory.

Domestic Violence vs. Family Separation:

One of the women that I have been working with told me that her husband beats her and abuses her in other ways as well.  She told me about the difficulties she had finding a lawyer who was willing to help an illegal immigrant.  She said that everyone pays attention to the fact that families are being separated, but they forget about the women who wish that they were not with their husbands.

Being an Outsider: Language is Power / Church Involvement and Relief Efforts:

I was able to get a glimpse of what it is like to be in a place where people are speaking a language other than your first language, when I was surrounded by the Spanish-speakers that I teach English.  You are very vulnerable when you are surrounded by people whose language you don't understand and they understand each other.  In addition, churches have be the sole source of resources and relief for the victims of the raid.  This is good, except for the fact that that pastors/priests and lay-workers are often under-qualified to address issues that should be taken care of by lawyers and social workers.  The churches have been stretched beyond their limits and their attention has understandably been taken away from other areas that need attention.  

Media Coverage of Postville: ICE and the response of politicians:

In archiving newspaper articles about the Postville raid and its aftermath, I learned that ICE used undercover operatives in Agriprocessors, the site of the raid, before the raid occurred.  They witnessed several abuses and illegal actions of the company.  ICE also used a fairgrounds to hold the immigrants.  Iowan politicians have responded by saying that illegal immigrants must be prosecuted or have been indifferent, although some have asked that Agriprocessors be investigated.  

Last Visit to Postville for the Semester:

During my last visit to Postville for the semester, I helped the people I have been working with write a letter to Obama.  They said that they want opportunities to work, to enroll their kids in school, and to live in a safe place.  They want answers to why the government allowed the raid to happen.  

Media Coverage of Postville: Agriprocessors:

Agriprocessors has been charged with many abuses of their workers.  They have been charged with not allowing their workers to unionize, child labor, sexual harassment, and unacceptable and unsafe working conditions.

Notes from Rigoberta Menchú's visit to Postville:

Menchú is a Nobel Peace Prize winner from Guatemala who came to Postville to hear the testimonies of those affected by the raid.  She heard the testimony of a woman who asked Menchú to speak for them to the U.S. government and shared her frustration with not being able to work and send money to her husband.  She heard a testimony of a single mother who wears a tracking device or bracelet that she must plug into the wall for 2 hours a day to charge, and that burns while it's charging.  She heard the story of a 16-year-old boy who did not understand what prison officials were telling him and received contradictory messages.  She heard the story of a boy who's mother was imprisoned and deported because she was afraid to tell ICE that she had kids.  She also heard the stories of a man who was imprisoned for several months, strip searched several times, held in isolation, did not know how his family was doing, and was ridiculed by prison officials.  

Postville: A Story

This is a "children's" story I wrote to explain what has happened in Postville.