Community Dialogue between Faith & Immigrant communities

Community Dialogue between Faith & Immigrant communities May 2, 2009

En Busca de un Futuro / In Search of a Future
Presentation at the Islamic Cultural Center
2111 East Nees Avenue, Fresno, CA
Saturday, May 2, 2009 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Background - What is En Busca de Un Futuro?

On the morning of April 13, 2007, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began a series of raids in Madera, California. It is estimated that ICE detained over 25 undocumented indigenous immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico, in their homes that morning, leaving their families and the immigrant community of Madera devastated. A year after the raids, a number of people from Madera - some of whom are undocumented workers - expressed their fears of being separated from their families and spoke of the trials of living in a country that resists acknowledging their contributions and that labels them as criminals.

En Busca de un Futuro, or In Search of a Future in English, is a digital story produced by the Pan Valley Institute of the American Friends Service Committee that helps us understand not only the effects that the ICE raids have on the families of those who are detained, but how such raids can affect the community as a whole. The story is told from the perspective of a local indigenous immigrant activist, who shares her story of living a quiet life in Oaxaca and then leaving that life for
the promise of better opportunities in the United States. Through her story, she helps us understand why a person would live with the apprehension that comes with being undocumented in this country and brings to light the feelings and reasons of those who risk their lives for the search of a better future here in the United States.

What are the objectives of the presentation?

The presentation will consist of a screening of En Busca de un Futuro (which is approximately 13 minutes long) as well as a follow up dialogue addressing the issues discussed in the digital story.

One of the objectives of the presentation of En Busca de un Futuro is for participants to share the challenges and difficulties that many of the Valley's immigrant communities face due to their immigration status. This dialogue will also explore means to expand the relationship between faith communities in the Fresno area with immigrant communities and will seek to gain perspective on the different faith communities' positions in respect to a much needed immigration policy reform, which is a topic that will soon be revisited in the U.S. Congress.

Who is invited to the presentation?

The screening of the DVD is open to the public. In addition, we will be inviting public officials to attend the event as well as leaders from the interfaith community.

Who can be contacted regarding this event?

For questions regarding this event, please contact the Pan-Valley Institute of the American Friends Service Committee at (559) 222-7678 or at infopvi [at] afsc.org.