«THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND» (Ruth 1:1) Why do they leave? Where do they come from? Where do they go? 1.- OPENING PRAYER Page 2 2.- REVIEW OF HOMEWORK Page 3 3.- OBJECTIVES Page 3 a) To analyze historical migration patterns to the Americas b) To identify the causes and typologies of present migration flows c) To discuss the social, political, economic, cultural and religious consequences of immigration today 4.- INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Page 4 5.- STUDY SESSION Page 5 1) Basic migration terminology 2) Chart major migrations 3) Video 4) Causes of migration: read and discuss 5) Consequences of migration 6) Ideological, economic, and political context of migration Page 5 Page 6 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 6.- HOMEWORK Page 10 7.- EVALUATION Page 10 8.- CLOSING PRAYER Page 11
1.- OPENING PRAYER Reading: The Flight to Egypt (Mt 2:13-15, 19-21) When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, «Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.» Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, «Out of Egypt I called my son.» When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, «Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child s life are dead.» He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. Reader 1: Reader 2: Reader 3: Reader 4: Reader 5: Reader 6: Reader 7: Because we care about the brotherhood and sisterhood of all, we pray: OUR FATHER Because our task is never accomplished and our longing does not diminish during our lives because Christ does not take away our thirst but makes it more acute, we say: WHO ART IN HEAVEN Because we live in places where some may have a say over others in factories, offices, and schools; and because we know that tyranny is the most common offense in the name of God, we say: HALLOWED BE THY NAME Because we are not without fear or doubts ourselves, we say: THY KINGDOM COME Because we fear the vicious circle of production, consumption, and profit, we say: THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN Because we talk about daily bread and give importance to the low prices of imports from poor countries, we say: GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD Because we confess our guilt as one of the wealthiest countries in a world full of starving people, as citizens intent on order in a country full of desperation, we say: FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES 2
Reader 8: Reader 9: Reader 10: Reader 11: Reader 12: Because we forgive our debtors who rob us of a life that respects human dignity, and because we are citizens of the Americas, we say: AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US Because we ignore the existence of entire countries and refuse to accept borders of peace, we say: AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION Because we have not learned to contain tyranny and limit the powerful, and because we give ourselves up to resignation and pain, we say: DELIVER US FROM EVIL Because we need faith for the kingdom we are, and that we build and for encouragement for our work so that we don t plan in vain, we say: FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY And because we count on the fact that God IS, we pray: FOREVER AND EVER. 2.- REVIEW OF HOMEWORK Report on the homework of Formation Unit #1 (Can be done in small groups) a) Participants presentation of family tree. b) Share what we learned in this experience. c) Discuss different cultures in our community. 3.- OBJECTIVES a) To analyze historical migration patterns to the Americas b) To identify the causes and typologies of present migration flows c) To discuss the social, political, economic, cultural and religious consequences of immigration today 3
4.- INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Read: Ruth Chapter One: «There was a famine in the land.» Divide participants into four groups, each discussing one of these questions: 1.- Elimelech, Naomi, and their family had to leave their land because of a famine. What caused your family to migrate? Which other reasons do you think cause migration? 2.-Naomi s sons married Moabite women. How does migration affect the encounter or clash of cultures in your community? Can you give examples? 3.-Ruth embraced the Jewish religion and culture, thus creating a new family. The evangelist Matthew mentions Ruth as one of Jesus ancestors (Matthew 1:5). Scalabrini says: «While nations fall and rise and renew themselves; while races mingle, spread, and fuse; above the roar of our machines, above all these feverish activity, over and beyond all these gigantic achievements and not without them, a much vaster, nobler, and more sublime work is developing: the union in God through Jesus Christ of all people of good will.» Do you see God s plan and a new human family result from the mingling of nations and cultures caused by migration? 4
4.- Naomi says: «I parted full and Yahweh has brought me home empty.» For her and many migrants the «American dream» turns into ashes. Share your thoughts and feelings about the sufferings and failures of migration: deportations, family separations, deaths at the border, etc. 5.- STUDY SESSION 1. PRESENTATION OF BASIC MIGRATION TERMINOLOGY Hello! My name is Salvador. I am a MIGRANT because I move around voluntarily and involuntarily, looking for better conditions to live in dignity. I knock on doors and am rejected. Sometimes I find work but am not paid well. If I want, I can return to my country of origin. My situation is different, says Maria. I am an EMIGRANT. I left my community and my family, whom I love most. I wanted to find a better life and give them the basic necessities because in my country I couldn t make a living anymore. I am José, and I became an IMMIGRANT when I came to the United States. I evaded the migration authorities, with dreams of one day obtaining legal permanent residency. In the meantime, I go quickly to my work, and I don t dare go out on the streets even to take a walk. I spend my time running the risk that they ll deport me for not having any temporary immigration documents. Salvador: I have had many experiences. I was DEPORTED three times, and they returned me to my country because I didn t have documentation and I came without a permit or visa. 5
Maria: After I moved North, within a few years I returned to my country to be with my loved ones. A conflict arose between two different groups, mine and a nearby group. They threatened me and I had to leave my country again. I was a REFUGEE in another country, because if I didn t flee then they would have killed me and my family. When things calmed down in my country, I could return there after many years of absence. José: There are so many that have happened to me that I wouldn t want others to go through. I am still an INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSON, because I have a job in another state that is not my own, but it s in my own country. At least I can move around in my own place without authorities mistreating me since I have my documents with me. It s the same for my children: as students, they travel every day in order to continue move forward because in my town they couldn t do so. Salvador: After my deportation, I decided not to try to cross the border again, and this way I can be close to my family. Sometimes they hire me as a SEASONAL WORKER in farms that are close to my town, giving me work for only 3 or 4 months. Other times I work as a DAY LABORER and they also pay us our salary per day worked or accomplished task. There are other terms nowadays in immigration terminology, such as: minutemen, amnesty, xenophobia, and Sanctuary Movement. 2. MIGRATORY MOVEMENTS Using a world globe or a map (for everyone to see): Mark with arrows the migratory movements of each region in general terms, indicating general statistics. (To do this activity you can review the following Internet websites: www.un.org/esa/population/publications; www.migrationinformation.org/ datahub/wmm.cfm; Google Earth; www.conapo.gob.mx; www.inm.gob.mx) 3. VIDEO 1. «El Norte» (Drama - 139 minutes). 2. «Dying to Live: A Migrant s Journey» (Documentary - 33 minutes). 3. «Strangers No Longer» Video of the U.S. Bishops (The DVD has two versions, one 16 minutes long and the other 22 minutes long.) 6
4. CAUSES OF MIGRATION. READ AND DISCUSS a) Economic inequality existing in many countries and the inability of their governments to guarantee a decent life for their citizens, together with the persistence of impunity and the lack of social justice. b) Prevailing economic conditions with the expansion of poverty in the world, and the penetration of neoliberalism with its negative consequences for the local economies of Third World countries. c) The salary gap existing among nations and the high level of unemployment. d) The individual decisions and choices motivated by the desire to have a decent life that could satisfy basic needs. e) The urgent need for workers in specific areas or countries that are experiencing economic growth. f) The development of transportation systems that make it easier, faster, and cheaper to travel. g) Networks of friends and relatives in the destination countries. h) Families influencing the decision, when they send a member abroad with the goal of balancing or improving the finances of the group. i) Information spread by the mass media that talk about the opportunities and the wealth existing in other parts of the world. j) Armed conflicts and the problem of security. k) Environmental disasters. Millions of people have to leave their countries because the land in which they live has become uninhabitable or is no longer able to support them. In some cases the cause is a natural disaster; in others, humans cause the catastrophe. Environmental damage causes poverty, but poverty also contributes to environmental degradation. Conflict over scarce resources is also an important cause of war. Warfare does terrible things to environment. l) An historical relationship among countries, especially because of the processn of colonialism. In relation to refugees, we have to emphasize: A) Political factors: when governments undertake a systematic persecution of certain groups in a country. In these cases the main reason of forced migration is the massive violation of basic human rights. 7
B) Ethnic conflicts: it is happening in nation-states that are multiethnic. Members of groups other that the dominant one may be exposed first to discrimination, and then forced assimilation, persecution, expulsion, or even genocide. Religion could become an important factor in this context. c) War: the great majority of today s armed conflicts in the world are internal wars. Often in these kinds of conflicts, mass population displacement has become an objective of the warring parties. Wars not only kill people and displace them from their homes, but they also seriously damage the primary resources of a country. The case of internally displaced people is particularly tragic. They are people who had to flee from their places of origin (usually rural areas) because of internal conflicts, to migrate mostly to urban areas. They are particularly vulnerable because they have not received enough attention from governmental and non-governmental agencies. This is because their status is not included in the concept of refugee, and as a consequence, is not officially recognized by governments and other international organizations. 5. CONSEQUENCES OF MIGRATION NEGATIVE: Family disintegration Loss of identity and of good customs Loss of moral and religious values Racial discrimination Deteriorating health Unemployment and underemployment Labor exploitation Personal insecurity Violations of human rights on the part of migratory authorities Loss of life POSITIVE: Better economic conditions Cultural exchange Valuing cultural richness Better opportunities to live with dignity Construction of new communities More supportive mentality Presence of the Church among the migrants Evangelization of the new culture 8
6. IDEOLOGICAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL CONTEXT OF MIGRATION. GLOBALIZATION: Key characteristic of capitalism, of the neoliberal system, and the fact is that it covers all the Earth s geography. It tries to impose a unique thought that is presented as the best, without another alternative. The globalization of the market also carries within itself cultural homogenization, the molding of minds and hearts under the same mindset. NEOLIBERALISM: «Neoliberalism is the world converted to a market at the service of the Capital become God.» It began in times of the Industrial Revolution that was took place in European countries in the 19th century. The motto of neoliberalism is the market being free and following its own laws (the big fish eats the little one). The only importance is capital, the economic good. Private property and individualism are also principles of Neoliberalism. Neoliberalism promotes privatizations. «The markets are free, free trade and competition without governmental or international regulation, where the fundamental thing is the commerce, the production and the consumption; this is the solution to the welfare of the world» Neoliberalism has as its bases: Exaltation of false «freedom» Imposition of a superficial democracy Political, religious, and social sectors at the service of the economy Materialism and money above the person Elevation of private property over the common good Revealing signs of neoliberalism: A salary that is not enough Businesses are privatized Ever-stronger presence of foreign businesses Sudden, massive layoffs Similar politics in spite of the great ideological diversity of the political parties Globalization of the economy Strong, new migratory flows of people Presence of products from other countries: free movement of goods and the blockade for people (NAFTA) 9
6.- HOMEWORK (Divide the two tasks among participants). I. Investigate the meaning of the following terms: minutemen, amnesty, xenophobia, Sanctuary Movement. II. Search for articles or videos on migration in newspapers, magazines, Internet, and television. Analyze the way in which the mass media presents migration. 7.- EVALUATION Each participant is primarily responsible for his or her formation. Therefore, all members of the group have the responsibility to help with and actively participate in the formation meetings. They might suggest new ways of presenting the topics, emphasize certain parts of the content, or propose activities or additional readings. At the conclusion of each unit, the leader of the group will open a space for dialogue to elicit and discuss suggestions and observations about the unit. The leader will write them down and send them to the redaction committee within ten days of completing the unit. Example: a) General evaluation of the unit. What did you think? How did you feel? b) Unmet expectations c) Content d) Additional resources used e) Suggestions 10
8.- CLOSING PRAYER Reading: Luke 10: 29-37 «And who is my neighbor?» Jesus replied, «A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. «But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back. «Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers victim?» The man answered, «The one who treated him with mercy.» Jesus said to him, «Go and do likewise.» Respondent: Rise, take the boy and his mother and flee to Egypt. The majority of migrants do not leave their country as tourists. They flee because the situation they live has become intolerable. We are conscious of how fortunate we are to live in a free society. We can find in our hearts a welcome for the migrants, take care of them, and help them find a place in our society. Respondent: The tempter approached him and said, «If you are the Son of God, order for those stones to become bread.» How easy it is for migrants, confronted with poverty injustice, to succumb to temptation. God, grant us the gift of strength, so that we can overcome the temptations of wealth and see with compassionate hearts the condition of migrants. Respondent: When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. For Jesus, Galilee was a foreign land. It was considered the land of the pagans. The people there did not have a well-defined identity. This is the condition faced by all migrants in a new land. God, remind us that Jesus chose to live among the foreigners, ignoring the human concepts of racial purity, nationality and socioeconomic status. Help us continue his journey of love. 11
Respondent: When they took Him, they sought to a certain Simon and they placed him behind Jesus, to help Him carry the cross. Simon accepts his role quietly. This simple act reminds us that many people live their faith helping others without much publicity, in secret. God, Father of Mercy, do not allow us to leave the migrants in solitude, abandoned and desperate. Teach us to act in solidarity and compassion. Respondent: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Jesus died between apathy and disdain. Let us remember the thousands of migrants who have died or have been murdered in their journey of hope. God of life, welcome in your arms all the migrants who have died in their journey. Console their families and give them hope. Help us to promote life and reject the unjust and inhumane laws and politics that cause their deaths. The Way of the Cross of the Migrant Jesus, Gioacchino Campese, c.s. 12