Immigration Consciousness

Hear Coralie's story about how she came to the US from Haiti and is now the owner, marketing strategist, web project manager and content creator for CBG Media.  She is also the host of her blog called CBG Media.  cbgmedia.agency

She tells a story like many from other countries of how she was forced to leave her country because of what happened after the big hurricane in 2010, and how the government did not support her and her family.  

Her story is just like that of many others and why people often come to the country.

Miguel Pro Mission is a non-profit in Denver, Colorado that raises money to help families on the border in Juarez, Mexico as well as providing scholarships for students in Juarez.  MPM has been around for about 20 years and overseen by Father Peter Urban with St Anthony Church De Padua in Denver, Colorado.

What makes their mission different is that they empower those families by giving the families the materials and they build their homes as opposed to building them for them.  That is a much better method for empowering communities anywhere.  Bravo for what you are doing Miguel Pro Mission.

His story underscores why many people from Mexico and other countries come here to the US based on the conditions they live in.

Father Peter Urban is 93 years old and has been a priest for 65 years.

Miguel Pro Mission is hosting a Bazaar this Sunday, October 30, 2022 from 12pm tp 8pm at the St Anthony Church de Padua.

3801 W Ohio St., Denver, CO 80219

If you would like to make a donation for the funding please go to this website https://www.miguelpromission.com/donations

It costs about $2,000 per family to give them the materials to build their own homes. It costs $1,000 per student for their scholarships.

Rosa is a native from Venezuela who tells her story about how she came to the US about 7 years ago.  She has reinvented herself as an immigrant to the US and knows what it is like to struggle with the immigration system.  There are thousands who have gone through the same type of story.  Rosa is here to talk about not only her journey to the US, but to also promote her book this is now available.  She will be doing a book signing on June 15th at Mi Casa Resource Center, 345 S Grove St, Denver, CO 80219

Serge is a musician from Kyiv, Ukraine.  He has recorded many songs as a solo artist, but also he is member of the band Leonid & Friends.  Leonid and Friends have toured the US as recently as about 2 months ago.  I found our about Serge and Leonid & Friends as a long time fan of the band Chicago.  They tour as a Chicago cover band, as well as doing some Earth, Wind & Fire, Steely Dan, and Blood, Sweat & Tears.  They have a huge following in YouTube and were interviewed on 60 Minutes a couple of years ago.  The purpose of this Podcast is not for the music, although the music helps bring people together and helps to heal.  The purpose is to educate people in the US and worldwide about why people migrate, immigrate and become refugees. The Ukraine has about 2 million refugees who have left the country and are now considered refugees.  Refugees are those who are forced to leave their country because of natural disaster, persecution or to escape war.  The approximately 2 million plus Ukrainians are seeking refuge from the horrible atrocities of the Putin and his command.  We ask that whatever you can do to help these refugees to please contact the IRC at help.rescue.org.  If you would like to help Serge's family directly go to https://sergeukrainefamily.org.  You can also listen to Serge on YouTube, Facebook, on Twitter at @serge_ti also check out his EP titled UnAnNounced

Ricardo is the manager of the Aurora Office of Immigrant and International Affairs.  Listen to hear about the 10-year plan that the city of Aurora has started.  Aurora is only 1 of 20 cities in the entire US with a plan to help immigrants. Find out how the OIIA came about and what its' role is in making Aurora, one of the most immigrant friendly cities in the US and Colorado.

The goal of the Aurora Immigrant & Refugee Commission is focused on these basic goals: to promote immigrant entrepreneurship and leadership, home ownership, job skills, language learning, and encourage citizenship, as well as other goals that support immigrants and refugees.  Julie and Kevin have been on the AIRC since 2018 and continue to work for immigrant integration into the community of Aurora and the Denver metropolitan area.  They are both strong advocates for diversity and a community that supports all people.  You can find out more about the AIRC by visiting the Office of Immigrant & International Affairs with the city of Aurora, Colorado at auroragov.org.

Minsoo Song is from Korea and has been an employee of the Office of Immigrant and International Affairs since 2015.  She is also a member of the Aurora Immigrant and Refugee Commission.  She is talking about how the mass influx of immigrants into Aurora has made it necessary to provide services for language acquisition.  Aurora, Colorado has approximately 160 different languages that are spoken, and those people need help integrating into our communities here in Aurora and all over Colorado.

The Aurora Public Schools created the Welcome Center in 2015 to help support the growing number of immigrants moving into Aurora.  The mission of the Welcome Center is to help integrate the refugees and immigrants into the school system and the community.  You can find out how you can help by donating clothing, shoes and school supplies for the students, as well as providing support for parents.  You can visit the website at welcomecenter.aurora12.org.

Reading from a New York Times article from May 17, 2021

Sarah has been an immigration attorney since 2003 and has been with David N. Simmons since 2016.  She spent over a year studying Spanish in Ecuador and currently works with many Central American clients to help them receive asylum.  She is also a volunteer with RMIAN (Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network).  She believes that what she does for families and many single moms is to perform an Act of Hope for those seeking justice, asylum and to help them make a better life.

Susan L. Yarbrough, JD, has a compelling story through her book Bench-Pressed (A Judge Recounts the Many Blessings and Heavy Lessons of Hearing Immigration Asylum Cases).  She recounts the inhumane treatment of 5 individuals from 5 different countries.  

Raquel Lane-Arellano is Policy Manager at (CIRC) the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and is here to tell a little about her story and talk about the history of US Immigration Policy and share how that history has shaped where US Immigration is now.  Listen for insight and a new perspective on US Immigration and where it is headed in the future.

For more information on CIRC go to coloradoimmigrant.org

Interfaith Immigration Network is a group for religious organizations and people of faith ready to become more involved in immigration issues.  This episode touches on Vecinos - a 7-week virtual training course in accompaniment with our immigrant neighbors.  The 90-minute per week training program begins on February 4th and finishes on March 25th, 2021.  Please contact Mark Wideman at ImmigrationConsciousness@gmail.com for more information.

The 7-week course is designed to educate, challenge, train and inspire participants to become allies of our undocumented neighbors.

***If you listen to this or any of our episodes on Anchor, you may leave messages to me the host.

If you need any information on Interfaith Immigration Network visit Interfaith Immigration Network on Facebook.

Mark Wideman

Host of Immigration Consciousness

Angelica was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico and moved to Colorado with her mother at the age of 12.  Angelica has dedicated her undergraduate career to expand higher education access and resources for undocumented students and their families in Colorado.  She believes that every human being deserves to have equal access to health care, education and a healthy and safe environment, regardless of status, skin color, gender or ability.  She has experienced a number of challenges and bears witness to the many injustices that our immigrant community endures everyday.  She is dedicated to advancing transformative public policy and social change through organizing alongside other community members.

Rev. Wayne A. Laws is an ordained Pastor in the United Church of Christ Serving as the Minister of Social Justice and Mission at Mountain View United Church of Christ in Aurora, Colorado.  He is a member of (CFIR) Coloradans for Immigrant Rights and a project of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).  Listen to hear his story of why he decided he needed to help immigrants and those oppressed by our society.

Andrea was born in Mexico City and came to the U.S. when she was 3 years old.  In 2005, here family settled in the U.S. permanently.  Here her story of how she overcame the anxiety and struggles of moving to another country and how she has created a new life here in the U.S..  Get a new perspective on what people coming from other countries go through.

Sarah Jackson is the founder and executive director of Casa de Paz, a hospitality home in Denver, Colorado, serving families separated by immigrant detention.  Her book, "The House That Love Built", will be available to purchase on July 14th through Book Bar and also on her website casadepazcolorado.org.  To RSVP to her virtual event on July 14th, RSVP to events@bookbardenver.com for the Zoom link.

In her book she shares tender stories of opening her heart and home to immigrants and engages these questions through profound and tender stores, placing readers in the shoes of individuals on every side of the issue - asylum seekers torn from their families and the guards who oversee them, ordinary people with lapsed visas and families left to survive on their own.

Tom Kowal is one of the founders of CIRC (Colorado Immigrants Rights Committee) has also been a member of AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) for almost 40 years.  He has worked with immigrants in Colorado and Arizona as well as other places in the US.  Tom's ancestors came to the US at the turn of the 20th century.  He talks about how we are called to help all people receive respect, mercy and justice in our society.