Minerva Mendoza's grandfather, Albino Mendoza Aguilar, was a Bracero. AFSC
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Pan Valley Institute (PVI), Fresno
“My grandfather was a Bracero.”
In 1961, Albino Mendoza Aguilar migrated to work in Gilroy, California as part of the Bracero Program, designed to bring Mexican workers to fill the labor shortage during and after World War II. His granddaughter, Minerva Mendoza of AFSC PVI, writes about how such history informs our push for Citizenship for All and why advocates should work for long-term solutions rather than piecemeal legislation. Learn more by watching this discussion about a new book of memoirs of the Bracero farmworkers—and take action today.
La Posada Sin Fronteras - photo: Pedro Rios
US-Mexico Border Program, San Diego
Binational celebration recalls biblical command to welcome the stranger
A venerated Christmas tradition across the Americas, La Posada is a re-enactment of the biblical story of Mary and Joseph who, while sojourners in Bethlehem, were forced to seek shelter on the night of Jesus' birth. In our time, when the idea of welcoming the stranger—and migrants themselves—is under attack, AFSC’s 28th annual binational celebration, La Posada Sin Fronteras, took on added significance.
Brenda Verano, R4P Youth Facilitator
Roots for Peace (R4P) Program, Los Angeles
Youth create signs for their community garden
Over a series of five Fridays, young people with R4P gathered at AFSC’s Corazón de la Gente community farm in South Central Los Angeles for laid back, fun art sessions where they created signs for the garden’s plants, trees and community space. Check out more—including visits from pollinators—on Instagram. Please share the news of this Youth Farm Intern opening; applications due January 14.
AFSC New Mexico farmer-to-farmer learning circle
People of the Land Program, Albuquerque
Farmers discuss innovative ways to feed their communities
Building on the model of AFSC New Mexico's Farm to Food Bank program, local farmers Joseluis Ortiz of Dream NM Farm and Casey Holland of Chispas Farm recently shared—through a virtual AFSC farmer-to-farmer learning circle—their projects for feeding their communities. AFSC NM Co-Directors Patrick Jaramillo and Sayrah Namaste write about the gathering and share this video.
Rally at the Oregon Capitol for Citizenship for All
Project Voice Immigrant Rights Program, Oregon-Washington
Oregon rally calls for Citizenship for All
Pedro Sosa of AFSC is quoted in this article about the need for a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants, including farmworkers who maintain our nation’s food supply. Pedro adds, “Indigenous people from Central America come to this country for new opportunities because when the Europeans arrived, they stole everything, and they still do.”
67 Sueños, Oakland
Listening to the wisdom of youth
From Instagram: “In honor of the Black Panthers and the Young Lords, some hyphy [Help Your People, Help Yourself] town youth created a 10-point plan of their own! It’s featured on our Radio 67 Episode 4 podcast dropped on International Migrants Day, December 18.”
Immigrant Rights Program, Denver
AFSC and Together Colorado successfully lobby senator
US Senator John Hickenlooper's office hadn't recently articulated support for a path to citizenship in the reconciliation package prior to an event AFSC hosted with Together Colorado and the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition. AFSC’s Not1More and Together Colorado members met with his staff to express the importance of his voice in this moment right before our event. After the event, Senator Hickenlooper issued a statement to NoticiasYa Colorado in support of citizenship in the reconciliation bill.
photo: KTVU
Healing Justice Program, Oakland
Focusing on militarized equipment for police and sheriffs in California
AFSC is supporting activism for fully implementing a new state law, AB 481, which provides an important state-wide transparency and civilian control requirement for militarized equipment used by law enforcement. Pushing back against police narratives of militarization, AFSC is putting together a large database of police militarized gear and tools for activists and elected officials to challenge this equipment. Stay tuned!
Arizona Program, Tucson
AFSC Arizona to become Just Communities Arizona in the new year
On January 1, 2022, AFSC-Arizona will transition to an independent, non-profit organization called Just Communities Arizona (JCA). “As our new name implies, this new organization will build on our successful work by uplifting and strengthening community-led solutions that create safety completely outside the punishment system,” Executive Director Caroline Isaacs says. “We will build a reverse pipeline that frees people and resources from the punishment system and delivers them back into the hands of their communities.” We thank the staff and volunteers of AFSC Arizona and wish them the very best.
Economic Activism Program, Oakland
Progress on data sharing with ICE, prison phone industry
Along with movement partners, AFSC’s Economic Activism Program’s Investigate project learned that Equifax, one of the three large credit reporting companies, has stopped sharing certain information with ICE. Equifax receives and aggregates data from the largest utility and telecom companies about their customers in order to help them locate people with missed payments.
But Equifax was also selling these data to Thomson Reuters, which allowed ICE and other law enforcement agencies to use it to find people they want to arrest or deport. In October, the utility companies directed Equifax to stop selling their information to third parties like Thomson Reuters. Unfortunately, Thomson Reuters still holds its existing data and is still providing it to ICE and other law enforcement agencies, and Equifax is still sharing other types of information, for example on jail bookings.
In addition, through its ongoing research, the Investigate project found that the third largest provider of telecom services to U.S. prisons has left the industry. Lumen Technologies, previously known as CenturyLink, finished selling off its prison phone business back in August. The company did not make any public statements about its divestment, demonstrating perhaps that it understands its former role in this exploitative industry can damage its future business. Following Lumen’s divestment, almost the entire prison phone industry is in the hands of a few private equity firms, with no publicly-traded companies involved.
Short takes
Tell the US Senate to pass the Build Back Better bill….AFSC urges the Senate to reject the Parliamentarian’s ruling and create a pathway to citizenship for all….Joyce Ajlouny of AFSC is quoted in this press release opposing sanctions and ensuring Covid vaccine access for everyone….AFSC’s Under the Mask project has released these ten best practices for governments to take during and following pandemics.
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