Charissa Zehr is the Legislative Associate for International Affairs in MCC U.S.’ Washington Office. She recently visited Casa Migrante on a trip with other MCC advocacy staff to better understand the context of migration in southern Mexico.
Sister Lucy Jimenez is running late, but once she arrives and settles in to the cozy conference space, she gives us her full attention—she’s in no rush. Her positive encounter with “the Mennonites” who came to help Guatemalans in Mexican refugee camps in the early 80’s left her with a soft spot for the work of organizations like MCC ever since; because the work of helping migrants in times of distress has become her life’s labor of love. Whether it was people fleeing civil war in Guatemala then or people leaving their beloved homeland in search of work, land or safety now, Sister Lucy has spent years offering hospitality, support and encouragement to migrants on their journey.
Anna Vogt.
We talk about the Casa Migrante shelter she runs in San Cristobal, a town tucked away in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico. Migration is nothing new to Chiapans—many people passed through the area before the 1980’s on their way to find work in the north. Refugees came during the turbulence of civil wars in Central America, and they have continued to come.
Although based in Chiapas, Casa Migrante’s recent work has been focused in Arizona, where many young people from the region have died attempting to cross the desert. After another organization is able to identify a body and deal with the legal aspects, Casa Migrante takes on the burden of trying to return the remains to family members in Mexico. It is gruesome work and not for the faint of heart. Self-trained legal experts in the Casa, Claudia Gorzo Corroy and Esperanza Arredondo Martinez, are passionate about the new project and hope to help more families find closure as forensic processes improve. They have accompanied many families who send their children north seeking better opportunities only to find out later that they didn’t make it through the desert.
Anna Vogt.
These stories, like the journey people make across the unforgiving desert, are difficult. When I ask Claudia where she can see signs of hope in this painful work, her answer is genuine: “Helping even one family, resolving even one case [of a missing migrant]…It’s doing something for at least one more person.” It’s one more family that can have some closure.
The women of Casa Migrante hope that by sharing their work with the faith community in the U.S, it can help people in the North understand just how desperate people are to find safety and opportunity elsewhere. “We see people dying in the desert;” people risking their lives every day in search of a better life. “When you see people there [in the U.S.], give them a hand of solidarity. We [Mexicans, Central Americans] aren’t bad people.”
Anna Vogt.
But beyond solidarity, Sister Lucy understands that migrants are living with a lot of discrimination under the policies of the Trump Administration. “Don’t just give them a hand – don’t be so discriminatory,” she says.Ann
There are many people seeking refuge in Mexico these days. People are looking for a place where they can live with more security, “where they can breathe.” Other migrants may only be passing through Mexico for a time, as they seek more opportunities to work and provide for their families. Regardless of circumstance, Sister Lucy and the team at Casa Migrante see the humanity of each person passing through.
As I think about taking these stories back to my work in Washington, D.C., I wonder how we can help those who are mistrustful of migrants coming to the U.S. see the same humanity in the faces of people already in our communities. Extending a hand of solidarity is important, but how can faith communities actively spread a message of non-discrimination? It seems like a tall order, but Sister Lucy believes we are up to the task.
Anna Vogt.