Week 2 REFLECTIONS FOR ADVENT IMMIGRATION REFORM In his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Francis says: Not infrequently the arrival of migrants, displaced persons, asylum-seekers and refugees gives rise to suspicion and hostility. There is a fear that society will become less secure, that identity and culture will be lost, that competition or jobs will become stiffer and even that criminal activity will increase. Does this quote match your experience? (Pope Francis message is included in this week s packet of resources.) In Week 2, we are considering Myths and Misunderstandings when speaking about immigrants. In your conversations what attitudes do you encounter regarding the presence of immigrants in our community and in our nation? Do you hear comments as found on the sheet entitled: Countering the Myths/Misunderstandings? The document, Unity in Diversity: A Scriptural Rosary, was developed by the Committee on Migration of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. We offer it to you as you pray the rosary this week and/or to complement the Scriptural quotes received last week. Finally, we invite you to reflect on the life of someone from among your ancestors who was an immigrant. What struggles, obstacles, or experiences of discrimination do you imagine he/she encountered while adjusting to life in this nation? Immigrants today also face many struggles and obstacles. Here is a site with video testimonies of young undocumented immigrants. http://ayuda40yearsandcounting.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/5-ethralling-videos-on-immigration/ If it be possible, we encourage you to reflect, pray, and discuss with others as a way to integrate some perspectives on immigration presented to you this week. May Week 2 of Advent be Blessed! The Members of the USA Social Concerns Committee
Countering the Myths/Misunderstandings Includes U. S. Catholic Bishops and Justice for Immigrants website Immigrants don t want to learn English FALSE The development of English proficiency among non-english speaking immigrants today mirrors that ofnineteenth and early twentieth century immigration, when masses of Italian, German, and Eastern European immigrants came to America. While first generation, non-english speaking immigrants predictably have lower rates of English proficiency than native speakers, 91% of second generation immigrants are fluent or near fluent English speakers. By the third generation, 97% speak English fluently or near fluently. (Source: Shirin Hakimzadeh and D Vera Cohn, English Usage Among Hispanics in the United States, Pew Hispanic Forum, Dec. 6, 2007.http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=82; Janet Murguia and Cecilia Muñoz From Immigrant to Citizen, The American Prospect (Oct. 23, 2005), http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?articleid=10487) Immigrants Don t Pay Taxes FALSE Undocumented immigrants pay taxes. Between 1/2 and 3/4 of undocumented immigrants pay state and federal taxes. They also contribute to Medicare and provide as much as 7 billion dollars a year to the SocialSecurity Fund. Further still, undocumented workers pay sales taxes where applicable and property taxes directly if they own and indirectly if they rent. (Source: Immigration Policy Center, Undocumented Immigrants as Taxpayers, (November 2007), http://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/docs/undocumented%20as%20taxpayer%2011-29-07_0.pdf Eduardo Porter Illegal Immigrants are Bolstering Social Security with Billions, New York Times, (April 5, 2005), http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html?ex=1270353600&en=78c87ac4641dc383&ei=5090&par tner=kmarx) Immigrants Increase the Crime Rate FALSE Recent research has shown that immigrant communities do not increase the crime rate and that immigrantscommit fewer crimes than native born Americans. While the undocumented immigrant population doubledfrom 1994 to 2005, violent crime dropped by 34% and property crimes decreased by 32%. Furthermore,Harvard sociologist Robert Sampson has found that first generation immigrants are 45% less likely to commit violent crimes than Americanized, third generation immigrants. (Source: Immigration Policy Center, Immigrants and Crime: Are They Connected, December, 2007, http://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/docs/crime%20fact%20check%2012-12-07.pdf; Robert Sampson, Open Doors Don t Invite Criminals, The New York Times, March 11, 2006, A15; Executive Office of the President: Council of Economic Advisors, Immigration s Economic Impact, June 20, 2007, http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html) Immigrants Take Jobs Away from Americans FALSE A recent study produced by the Pew Hispanic Center reveals that Rapid increases in the foreign-bornpopulation at the state level are not associated with negative effects on the employment of native-bornworkers. In fact, given that the number of native born low-wage earners is falling nationally, immigrants areplaying an important role in offsetting that decline. The Urban Institute reports that between 2000 and 2005 the total number of low-wage workers declined by approximately 1.8 million while the number of unskilled immigrant workers increased by 620,000, thus offsetting the total decline by about a third.
(Source: The Urban Institute, Trends in the Low-Wage Immigrant Labor Force, 2000-2005, March, 2007, http://www.urban.org/publications/411426.html; Rakesh Kochhar, Growth in the Foreign Born Workforce and Employment of the NativeBorn, Pew Hispanic Center, August 10 2006,http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.phpReportID=69) Immigrants Are a Drain on the United States Economy FALSE The immigrant community is not a drain on the U.S. economy but, in fact, proves to be a net benefit.research reported by both the CATO Institute and the President s Council of Economic Advisors revealsthat the average immigrant pays a net $80,000 more in taxes than they collect in government services. For immigrants with college degrees the net fiscal return is $198,000. Furthermore, The American Farm Bureau asserts that without guest workers the U.S. economy would lose as much as $9 billion a year in agricultural production and 20% of current production would go overseas. (Source: CATO Institute, CATO Handbook for Congress: Policy Recommendations for the 108th Congress, http://www.cato.org/pubs/handbook/hb108/hb108-63.pdf; Executive Office of the President: Council of Economic Advisors, Immigration s Economic Impact, June 20, 2007, http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html;derrick Z. Jackson, Undocumented Workers Contribute Plenty, The Boston Globe, April 12, 2006, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/04/12/undocumented_workers_contribute_plenty/) Undocumented Immigrants Are a Burden on the Healthcare System FALSE Federal, state and local governments spend approximately $1.1 billion annually on healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants, aged 18-64, or approximately $11 in taxes for each U.S. household. This compares to $88 billion spent on all health care for non-elderly adults in the U.S. in 2000. Foreign born individuals tend to use fewer health care services because they are relatively healthier than their native born counterparts. For example, in Los Angeles County, total medical spending on undocumented immigrants was $887 million in 2000 6% of total costs, although undocumented immigrants comprise 12% of the region's residents. (Source: The Rand Corporation, RAND Study Shows Relatively Little Public Money Spent Providing Healthcare to Undocumented Immigrants, November 14, 2006, http://www.rand.org/news/press.06/11.14.html; Dana P. Goldman, James P. Smith and NeerajSood, Immigrants and the Cost of Medical Care, Health Affairs 25, no. 6 (2006): 1700-1711)
Unity in Diversity: A Scriptural Rosary The Joyful Mysteries The Annunciation Luke 1:29-32 Do not be afraid, the Angel Gabriel told Mary. When we are confronted with change in our lives, it is hard not to be afraid. For the immigrant and refugee, change may require leaving behind family, friends, and home. When we make room in our lives to welcome newcomers, we change as well. We pray for the grace of love, which casts out all fear. The Visitation Luke 1:39-45 During her pregnancy, Mary was a woman on the move, going to visit her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country. Today, millions of women often pregnant or with young children are forced to flee their homelands. We pray for the grace of hospitality, to welcome them into our country and our homes as Elizabeth welcomed Mary. The Nativity Luke 2:1-7; Matthew 2:13-15 Jesus was born a migrant. Bethlehem had no room, no welcome for the outsiders, so Jesus was born in a stable. The wrath of King Herod turned Jesus and his family into refugees. Today, migrants and refugees are still forced from their homes by poverty, war, disaster, or oppression. We pray for the grace of charity, to offer them comfort and consolation. The Presentation Luke 2:22-38 Simeon and Anna created a welcoming community when the Holy Family came to the temple. They were rewarded with the recognition that they had seen God s Holy One. We are challenged to create welcoming communities in our own churches. We pray for the grace to recognize Jesus present in each immigrant and refugee. The Finding in the Temple Luke 2:41-50 How frantic Mary and Joseph must have been to discover that the child Jesus was missing, and how relieved they were to recover him. Many thousands of refugees today are unaccompanied minors lost children with no parents to seek and reclaim them. We pray for the grace to find loving homes and families for them, as we would for Jesus himself.
The Luminous Mysteries The Baptism in the Jordan Mark 1:9-11 When John baptized Jesus, the heavens opened, the Spirit descended, and a heavenly voice proclaimed: You are my beloved Son. Yet many still refused to recognize Jesus as the anointed one of God. Today, many still fail to recognize the signs of our Christ s presence in our immigrant sisters and brothers. We pray for the grace to open ourselves to welcome Christ. The Wedding at Cana John 2:1-12 Jesus initially resisted beginning his public ministry at Cana, saying, My hour has not yet come. Yet in the face of need, he could not fail to respond. We too have many reasons why we do not have time to get involved in public issues such as immigration. In the face of our sister s and brother s need, however, how can we refuse? We ask for the grace to act on behalf of others when God calls us. The Proclamation of the Kingdom Matthew 5 7 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed a Kingdom that turns the world s traditional wisdom on end. In the Kingdom of God, it is the poor, the meek, the peacemakers, and the oppressed who are blessed, while the rich and powerful turn away sad. We pray for the grace to create this Peaceable Kingdom in our age, by welcoming the poor, oppressed migrants who turn to us seeking a home. T he Transfiguration Luke 9:29-36 When the dazzling brilliance of the transfigured Jesus was revealed to the disciples, they saw not only a prefiguring of the Resurrection, but also the change they themselves would undergo when the received the fullness of the Spirit at Pentecost. We pray for the grace of transformation of ourselves and of our nation into the welcoming Body of Christ. The Institution of the Eucharist Luke 24:19-27 Even as Jesus gave his own body and blood to the Apostles, they persisted in quarreling over who was the greatest. Christ s last instruction to them was that the greatest is the one who serves the lowliest. We ask for the grace to serve those who come among us as aliens, unwelcome and spurned.
The Sorrowful Mysteries The Agony in the Garden Mark 14:34-42 Part of Christ s suffering was that he endured it alone. The Apostles slumbered while his persecutors approached. Are we asleep as well? Do we recognize the injustice of current immigration policy? Do we speak on behalf of asylum seekers? We pray for the grace of solidarity with those who are denied welcome in our country. The Scourging at the Pillar John 19:1 Pilate used torture to try to force a confession from Jesus. Today, asylum seekers and torture victims who flee to the United States are often deported or imprisoned for failing to possess proper documents. We pray for forgiveness for our silence and the courage to speak out on their behalf. The Crowning with Thorns Matthew 27:27-30 Jesus captors were not content with torture; they humiliated him, crowned him with thorns, and mocked him. Racism, prejudice, cruel stereotypes, and verbal abuse are the thorns that pierce many new migrants as they seek work, housing, and education for their children. We pray for compassion and for the grace to heal the wounds that divide us. The Carrying of the Cross Luke 23:26 The burden of the Cross was so great that without the help of Simon of Cyrene, Jesus would have been crushed by its weight. Often, refugees bear crushing guilt from having survived when their children, parents, and spouses died horribly. Who can endure this alone? We pray for the grace to be present to their suffering and help them carry their burden. The Crucifixion Mark 15:37 And with a loud cry, he breathed his last and died. Do the illegal aliens cry when they die of dehydration in the western desert, or drown in the Florida Straits, or suffocate in a cargo container? We pray for the grace to understand that no human is illegal, and that every life is sacred.
The Glorious Mysteries The Resurrection John 20:18 I have seen the Lord! With these words, Mary Magdalene answered the call to evangelize, to share the Gospel of new life with others. We are also called to share the Good News that Jesus is alive and among us today. Like Mary, however, at first we may not recognize him. We pray for the grace to recognize and proclaim the Body of Christ, alive in each person we meet. The Ascension Acts 1:11 Why are you standing there looking at the sky? the angels asked after Jesus was taken up. Why indeed do we stand waiting for Jesus to miraculously create a welcoming Kingdom? We are the ones who must seek the grace to change our hearts and our society. We are the ones who must create the welcoming community here on earth. We pray for the grace of conversion. The Coming of the Holy Spirit Acts 2:5-11 At Pentecost, people of every nation were in Jerusalem, yet each heard the Apostles proclamation of the Spirit in their native tongues. Today we experience the same diversity of language and culture in our land. We pray for the grace of true communion: the appreciation of the richness and beauty that each tradition brings to God s table. The Assumption Luke 1:46-55 Mary glorified the Lord, and her spirit rejoiced in God her savior, and God raised her up and exalted her. In her Assumption, the lowly are raised up, the hungry are fed, and mercy is bestowed on God s children. We pray for the grace to follow Mary s example by our tender care for the stranger in our midst. The Coronation of Mary Revelations 12:1-6 It is a radiant Mary, clothed in the sun and crowned with stars, who reigns as Queen of Heaven and battles the dragon who would destroy her child. As her children, we are called to battle the dragons of fear, prejudice, intolerance, and exclusion that separate us from our sisters and brothers. We pray for the grace of courageous, loving hearts.
24-September-2013 -- ZENIT.org News Agency Pope Francis' Message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees Vatican City, September 24, 2013 (Zenit.org) "Migrants and Refugees: Towards a Better World" Dear Brothers and Sisters, Our societies are experiencing, in an unprecedented way, processes of mutual interdependence and interaction on the global level. While not lacking problematic or negative elements, these processes are aimed at improving the living conditions of the human family, not only economically, but politically and culturally as well. Each individual is a part of humanity and, with the entire family of peoples, shares the hope of a better future. This consideration inspired the theme I have chosen for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees this year: Migrants and Refugees: Towards a Better World. In our changing world, the growing phenomenon of human mobility emerges, to use the words of Pope Benedict XVI, as a "sign of the times" (cf. Message for the 2006 World Day of Migrants and Refugees). While it is true that migrations often reveal failures and shortcomings on the part of States and the international community, they also point to the aspiration of humanity to enjoy a unity marked by respect for differences, by attitudes of acceptance and hospitality which enable an equitable sharing of the world's goods, and by the protection and the advancement of the dignity and centrality of each human being. From the Christian standpoint, the reality of migration, like other human realities, points to the tension between the beauty of creation, marked by Grace and the Redemption, and the mystery of sin. Solidarity, acceptance, and signs of fraternity and understanding exist side by side with rejection, discrimination, trafficking and exploitation, suffering and death. Particularly disturbing are those situations where migration is not only involuntary, but actually set in motion by various forms of human trafficking and enslavement. Nowadays, "slave labour" is common coin! Yet despite the problems, risks and difficulties to be faced, great numbers of migrants and refugees continue to be inspired by confidence and hope; in their hearts they long for a better future, not only for themselves but for their families and those closest to them.
What is involved in the creation of "a better world"? The expression does not allude naively to abstract notions or unattainable ideals; rather, it aims at an authentic and integral development, at efforts to provide dignified living conditions for everyone, at finding just responses to the needs of individuals and families, and at ensuring that God's gift of creation is respected, safeguarded and cultivated. The Venerable Paul VI described the aspirations of people today in this way: "to secure a sure food supply, cures for diseases and steady employment... to exercise greater personal resonsibility; to do more, to learn more, and have more, in order to be more" (Populorum Progressio, 6). Our hearts do desire something "more". Beyond greater knowledge or possessions, they want to "be" more. Development cannot be reduced to economic growth alone, often attained without a thought for the poor and the vulnerable. A better world will come about only if attention is first paid to individuals; if human promotion is integral, taking account of every dimension of the person, including the spiritual; if no one is neglected, including the poor, the sick, prisoners, the needy and the stranger (cf. Mt 25:31-46); if we can prove capable of leaving behind a throwaway culture and embracing one of encounter and acceptance. Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity. They are children, women and men who leave or who are forced to leave their homes for various reasons, who share a legitimate desire for knowing and having, but above all for being more. The sheer number of people migrating from one continent to another, or shifting places within their own countries and geographical areas, is striking. Contemporary movements of migration represent the largest movement of individuals, if not of peoples, in history. As the Church accompanies migrants and refugees on their journey, she seeks to understand the causes of migration, but she also works to overcome its negative effects, and to maximize its positive influence on the communities of origin, transit and destination. While encouraging the development of a better world, we cannot remain silent about the scandal of poverty in its various forms. Violence, exploitation, discrimination, marginalization, restrictive approaches to fundamental freedoms, whether of individuals or of groups: these are some of the chief elements of poverty which need to be overcome. Often these are precisely the elements which mark migratory movements, thus linking migration to poverty. Fleeing from situations of extreme poverty or persecution in the hope of a better future, or simply to save their own lives, millions of persons choose to migrate. Despite their hopes and expectations, they often encounter mistrust, rejection and exclusion, to say nothing of tragedies and disasters which offend their human dignity.
The reality of migration, given its new dimensions in our age of globalization, needs to be approached and managed in a new, equitable and effective manner; more than anything, this calls for international cooperation and a spirit of profound solidarity and compassion. Cooperation at different levels is critical, including the broad adoption of policies and rules aimed at protecting and promoting the human person. Pope Benedict XVI sketched the parameters of such policies, stating that they "should set out from close collaboration between the migrants' countries of origin and their countries of destination; they should be accompanied by adequate international norms able to coordinate different legislative systems with a view to safeguarding the needs and rights of individual migrants and their families, and at the same time, those of the host countries" (Caritas in Veritate, 62). Working together for a better world requires that countries help one another, in a spirit of willingness and trust, without raising insurmountable barriers. A good synergy can be a source of encouragement to government leaders as they confront socioeconomic imbalances and an unregulated globalization, which are among some of the causes of migration movements in which individuals are more victims than protagonists. No country can singlehandedly face the difficulties associated with this phenomenon, which is now so widespread that it affects every continent in the twofold movement of immigration and emigration. It must also be emphasized that such cooperation begins with the efforts of each country to create better economic and social conditions at home, so that emigration will not be the only option left for those who seek peace, justice, security and full respect of their human dignity. The creation of opportunities for employment in the local economies will also avoid the separation of families and ensure that individuals and groups enjoy conditions of stability and serenity. Finally, in considering the situation of migrants and refugees, I would point to yet another element in building a better world, namely, the elimination of prejudices and presuppositions in the approach to migration. Not infrequently, the arrival of migrants, displaced persons, asylum-seekers and refugees gives rise to suspicion and hostility. There is a fear that society will become less secure, that identity and culture will be lost, that competition for jobs will become stiffer and even that criminal activity will increase. The communications media have a role of great responsibility in this regard: it is up to them, in fact, to break down stereotypes and to offer correct information in reporting the errors of a few as well as the honesty, rectitude and goodness of the majority. A change of attitude towards migrants and refugees is needed on the part of everyone, moving away from attitudes of defensiveness and fear, indifference and marginalization - all typical of a throwaway culture - towards attitudes based on a culture of encounter, the only culture capable of building a better, more just and fraternal world. The
communications media are themselves called to embrace this "conversion of attitudes" and to promote this change in the way migrants and refugees are treated. I think of how even the Holy Family of Nazareth experienced initial rejection: Mary "gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Lk 2:7). Jesus, Mary and Joseph knew what it meant to leave their own country and become migrants: threatened by Herod's lust for power, they were forced to take flight and seek refuge in Egypt (cf. Mt 2:13-14). But the maternal heart of Mary and the compassionate heart of Joseph, the Protector of the Holy Family, never doubted that God would always be with them. Through their intercession, may that same firm certainty dwell in the heart of every migrant and refugee. The Church, responding to Christ's command to "go and make disciples of all nations", is called to be the People of God which embraces all peoples and brings to them the proclamation of the Gospel, for the face of each person bears the mark of the face of Christ! Here we find the deepest foundation of the dignity of the human person, which must always be respected and safeguarded. It is less the criteria of efficiency, productivity, social class, or ethnic or religious belonging which ground that personal dignity, so much as the fact of being created in God's own image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26-27) and, even more so, being children of God. Every human being is a child of God! He or she bears the image of Christ! We ourselves need to see, and then to enable others to see, that migrants and refugees do not only represent a problem to be solved, but are brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected and loved. They are an occasion that Providence gives us to help build a more just society, a more perfect democracy, a more united country, a more fraternal world and a more open and evangelical Christian community. Migration can offer possibilities for a new evangelization, open vistas for the growth of a new humanity foreshadowed in the paschal mystery: a humanity for which every foreign country is a homeland and every homeland is a foreign country. Dear migrants and refugees! Never lose the hope that you too are facing a more secure future, that on your journey you will encounter an outstretched hand, and that you can experience fraternal solidarity and the warmth of friendship! To all of you, and to those who have devoted their lives and their efforts to helping you, I give the assurance of my prayers and I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing. From the Vatican, 5 August 2013