Los Migrantes February 25, 2019
When we arrived in San Miguel, I wondered if we would see the train that heads north, with desperate people clinging to the tops and sides of the cars. No. We heard the faint rumble of a train passing through another part of town, but it does not stop here and we never saw it.
Our first brush with an immigrant was at last week's Unitarian Universalist church service. One of the American members had brought a Mexican man with her. He had lived in Seattle for 30 years, had a wife and children, a painting business there - and one day he was snatched up by ICE and deported. Back in his home village in Mexico, his life was soon endangered by gangs. He had no way to make a living. The UU member had encouraged him to come to San Miguel and was appealing for job and housing connections for him.
Later that week, we happened upon a gallery show featuring the work of Enrique Chiu, a young Mexican-American artist whose ambition is to enlist community members to help him paint the whole border wall - on the Mexican side! Citizens come together to paint messages of hope and humanity on this structure that separates families. Included here are a few photos, including the first photo above, which I took from the video that explained his work. I'm also including below a link to a short video that I found online. (At the website, you'll need to scroll down to come to the video.)
https://esbarrio.com/trending/enrique-chiu-pinta-muro-fronterizo/
The most compelling encounter that we've had with this issue was a film called Walk With Us. It tells the story of Rev. Ignacio Martinez, a local minister in nearby Celaya, who is helping migrants as they pass through town. Most are men from Honduras, escaping gang violence or hoping to provide for their families in el norte. Some arrive on foot, exhausted and dehydrated and dusty and hungry, with blistered feet. Others are riding the train that passes through Celaya, a most dangerous endeavor. A group has sprung up in San Miguel to support this work. They travel to Celaya with fresh clothes and shoes and food for the migrants. Through Rev. Martinez' organization, called ABBA, the travelers are invited to spend 3 days in a safe house, which he has rented to serve their needs. The film begins with him massaging and bandaging the feet of one migrant. It struck me as very Biblical. The screening of the film was sold out in politically liberal San Miguel. The discussion afterward featured three speakers, one of whom was a dynamic 80-year old former kindergarten teacher who brings lip balm, playing cards, and hugs to the travelers, among other things! I was fortunate to be able to purchase a copy of the film which I hope to share with our missions committee at First Parish, Gorham.
Just this morning at church (only our second Sunday there) we heard from an American woman who was forced to move to Mexico to keep her family together when her husband was deported.
The perilous plight of los migrantes is being played out close to San Miguel. Our brief experience here has made more real the news that we've been hearing for months at home. We wonder what our responsibility to our brethren is as fellow human beings.
https://esbarrio.com/trending/enrique-chiu-pinta-muro-fronterizo/
Thank you for this insightful report from the other side. I look forward to seeing the 'Walk With Us' film when we visit you next.
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