Caminando Juntos September 2024 Newsletter

Dear friends,

Why do migrants come to the US? As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 through October 15, we try to answer that question. Since there is so much rhetoric on immigration, it is hard to know what the truth is anymore. The political viewpoint is one of many viewpoints on the matter. For some, demonizing immigrants makes them less human and the scapegoat for economic problems today. Others are allies welcoming the migrant and tending to their immediate and ongoing needs as they settle into their new home.

Most immigrants would rather stay in their homeland and live in the safety and security of what they know. Leaving the only place they have known is not an easy decision. Many have no choice … they are forced to leave due to political, economic or social instability. When facing a life-or-death situation, a parent must choose between these two realities, staying in their homeland and possibly dying, or migrating to a new land, hoping they survive the trip and then be able to start over in a new place with a new language. Many immigrants come to South Dakota alone, with no family support.

If one looks at the North America of the past, it was seen as a new canvas from which to paint a new reality. Due to European's craving to expand and "discover" more land, Native peoples on both continents were either killed, subjected to slavery, or limited to reservations.

Today as in yesteryear, migration is a global reality. People are moving and migrating continuously. Finding a pathway to citizenship is a long and arduous road.

Migrant News

"Migration to the US has been happening steadily for years. In 2022, nearly 46.2 million immigrants lived in the US. In 1850… 2.2 million immigrants."

(Migration Policy Institute: Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States. March 13, 2024)

A young man came to the office and asked Sister Janet for help to get his citizenship. Then unannounced to him, his girlfriend arrived without documents. The young man returned to Caminando Juntos to seek help for his girlfriend. Sister Janet assisted with filing a waiver and the young woman had to return to her home country for nearly 2 years as the waiver was being processed. After the waiting period, she returned, and Sister Janet assisted with obtaining a green card and then citizenship. This past spring, Sister Janet met the woman's parents at the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. The mother was tearfully expressing her appreciation to Sister Janet for all the help she had been in making it possible for their family to be together, here in the United States. One family member, a teenager, remains in their home country awaiting his turn to be reunited with the family.

How do we bring hope and dignity in this type of situation? We offer hospitality by listening, by treating each client as a beloved human being, and by resourcing the client with professional and empathetic assistance. At Caminando Juntos, we live out the call and respond to the Gospel mandate to "welcome the stranger".

When we welcome Latino immigrants, it is ministry work and work that often is in contradiction to societal feelings on immigration. It is upside down Kingdom of God work. Sometimes, immigrants are seen as different and unwanted … often by the ones who have forgotten that their own ancestors were immigrants as well, leaving their homelands for similar reasons.

We thank you for your prayer support and financial contributions that help us to continue the ministry. Immigrants are human. Immigrants are people. Immigrants are you and me and our ancestors. We are a nation of immigrants, sharing space with the Sovereign Native Nations. At Caminando Juntos, we will remain a welcoming presence for the Latino migrant for years to come.

With a servant's heart,

Matthew Tschetter, Executive Director