The Wall

The Berlin Wall came to represent all that offended American notions of human dignity. As a child, I remember hearing stories of the brave people who were killed trying to cross into West Berlin and the Promised Land of Freedom. I remember the villains well--the guards who manned that wall and kept those brave people out. During the 28 years of its existence, 239 people died trying to cross it. (Photo: Jay Johnson-Castro)

We are building our own wall now, well-designed to keep out those who are seeking the promised land. The wall is not a new idea--we have been building it since the 1993 Operation Hold the Line. During those 14 years--half the time of the Berlin Wall--more than 2,500 have died trying to cross it.

There is something macabre and fascinating about this wall we are building--an obviously wrongheaded idea that we Americans stubbornly cling to. Here at San Felipe we have had reporters from Radio France and German television visit us. They all ask the same question: why are you doing this? We all have the same answer: "We don't know."



Schematic for the Berlin Wall.







Schematic for the proposed border wall.

The Dream Act

Theresa (not her real name) is 22 years old. She is an “illegal alien” as people are wont to say.

Theresa’s mother brought her to the United States from Mexico when she was a seven year old. Theresa was a bright and hard-working student. She became a sensitive young girl and over time realized that she wanted to work in medicine. She finished in the top ten per cent of her high school class and began the University of Texas at Brownsville’s Nursing program.

Apart from the grueling academic program, Theresa had to scrimp and save to afford tuition. Her mother made
$100 a week working as a maid (for 60 hours a week). Theresa could not work, as she was undocumented, but through the generosity of friends and of people who believed in her, she made it through the program, graduating with honors and ready to take the state board exams. But since the exams were given in Corpus Christi, which meant that Theresa would have to pass by the Border Patrol, she couldn’t take them. While she is finishing up her course work for her Bachelors in Science, she languishes, wanting to practice her trade, but unable, unwilling to return to Mexico, as this would separate her from her mother and her sister.

Meanwhile, Valley Regional Hospital, a mile up the road from Theresa’s small home, pays up to $10,000 in signing fees from RN’s. Many of them come from as far away as the Philippines. Hospital officials grind their teeth as they await some sort of change to the immigration laws that would allow young people like Theresa a chance to serve their communities.

Such a change has been introduced time and again in Congress. It is called “The Dream Act”, a piece of legislation that has bi-partisan support and is a way for our country to include students that we have educated and whose skills we need in our work to build a great nation. The Act is only for the students themselves, excludes anyone with a criminal record, and has been praised by Republicans and Democrats.

Those who oppose the bill call it an “amnesty” (which is inaccurate and unfair, as it makes it seem like children could have chosen NOT to have come with their parents).

Please write your congressional representatives and encourage them to support the Dream Act.
(Photo by Michael Seifert)