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Immersions

Sorry for Coming to Your Country

October 30, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

I asked him “So where are you from?” he replied that he was born and raised right outside Tijuana, México. He told me that he first came to the U.S. when he was 14. After he got married, he decided to return to the U.S. to give his kids a better education, and a safer life. He explained to me about the danger that he experienced there daily, the fear he lived in, and how he has found so much refuge and hope in being here in the Yakama Valley. Then he looked at me and said “I’m sorry for coming to your country, but I had no choice. I had to do it for my safety.”

I’m sorry for coming to your country.

I didn’t know what to say. I teared up. Over this week we have learned so much about the constant hurdles that are thrown at people who “aren’t from around here”. We have learned about the injustices that keep people waiting for 20+ years if they want to enter the U.S. “legally”, so they are given almost no choice but to enter “illegally” if they want to give their children a safer life. We have learned about the agricultural industry, and how big businesses repeatedly take advantage of farmers, and exploit their workers. We learned the extent to which we as UP members perpetuate injustice merely by thinking of picking and harvesting as “low-skilled labor” (it is, in fact, quite difficult, dangerous, and requires a lot of skill and precision to harvest safely). We learned about how this racism and injustice is SO ENGRAINED in the development of our country that we are still endorsing systems and mindsets that unapologetically oppress.

To put it bluntly: we learned that even those of us who are well-meaning, kind, and champions for social justice are still the Whos who are oppressing. I had known this man for an hour. We were working on pronunciation and conversations in a Level 1 English Language Learning classroom. I asked his story, and he graciously and courageously told me where he was at. But he felt the need to apologize. He felt the need to justify the simple desire to live and work without fear for his and his children’s lives.

This whole week has been memorable and impactful. This particular story, however, will stay with me a little more deeply than the others. I am a college student. In my own mind I have no power, no authority, and I frequently don’t know what’s going on. For me, there is no reason anyone would ever feel the need to justify their being to me. And yet this brave, kind man called me to senses. There is something very wrong. We can’t be brushing this under the rug anymore. No one should feel the need to justify their existence.

Filed Under: Rural

Nuestra Casa

October 30, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

Yesterday we visited Nuestra Casa. It is an establishment in which English is taught as a second language to native Spanish speakers. As a group, we were invited to join them in a potluck, in which everyone would bring a dish of their choice. For these people who have endured so much, have gone through so many hardships, and aren’t making the most money – for them to invite us and cook traditional foods made me feel so grateful. Even though they don’t have the most, they are still so giving. They are also very hopeful. They are here when many people from the US want to kick them out, they live in fear of not knowing if they will get deported, and they are here away from their families and friends. And yet, besides all that this group at Nuestra Casa that we met up with was still so loving, forgiving, friendly, warm, and hopeful. To see someone who isn’t in the easiest of positions to be able to keep such a positive mentality is inspirational and really makes me think of how many little things we take for granted, when we need to open our eyes and realize everything we have. Seeing them be so loving, forgiving, and hopeful really resonates with me in that no matter what your situation, it cost nothing to be kind and loving, and to keep fighting and keeping a positive outlook. Things may be hard and they may suck, but the only way you’re going to get through that is by staying positive and digging down a little deeper. So, thank you to those at Nuestra Casa – without even knowing that you all made such an impact – for showing me what strong character looks like and with that I can work towards bettering myself.

-Zach Marx

Filed Under: Rural

Immigration and Agriculture – Interconnected

October 17, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

              This afternoon we met with Eamonn Roach, an immigration attorney in Washington. He gave a brief overview of immigration law and policy of the 21st century. One of the major points that he brought up that stuck with us was the lack of major immigration policy change since the 1980s and the Reagan administration. It is sad to see the times changing, and yet the laws of the land haven’t. This lack of adaptation has left millions of people in the dust, particularly Latino farmworkers. The lack of change and modernization of the system has also created a huge backlog for migrant applications for visas and green cards, creating uncertainly and unneeded stress in the lives of the applicants and their families for several years. This is unhealthy for the migrants that are seeking refuge, better jobs, or opportunities for better lives for them and for their families.

              Earlier in the day, we got the chance to tour Inaba Farm. This farm is owned by a third-generation United States citizen with Japanese descent. They grow both conventional and organic produce, and they even let us take home some squash, onions, and watermelon. Inaba Farm was one of the first farms in the region to build housing for their workers, which was a nice change of pace from what you hear in the news. The owner taught us that you can make a profit off your investments without ripping off or mistreating your workers. After our lunch break, we did volunteer work at the Northwest Harvest food bank distributor, and we packed nearly 2500 pounds of pears, which will feed 1861 people. We felt an overwhelming sense of joy for providing food to families in need, but we also felt disgusted by the fact that so many people cannot afford to buy adequate food for their families.

-Jordan Duran and Saron Mekonnen

Filed Under: Rural

Teaching and Learning

October 16, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

              Tonight, we went to Nuestra Casa, a nonprofit that provides ESL classes, citizenship, health and childcare services, for the local Latino community.  We were all divided into different groups where the UP Spanish-speaking students were placed into the first two levels with the locals knowing very little English. As a Spanish minor, I helped teach in the level one class, not knowing it would require the most Spanish. I was very nervous because I am very shy about speaking Spanish and am scared about making mistakes. However, after introducing ourselves to the class, the Spanish-speaking students welcomed us with open arms. They complimented us on our Spanish, the very little we already said, our majors and they were very sweet. After walking through multiple activities like weather and sickness phrases, and different dialogues like job interviews, buying a house, and more, I was not as scared of making errors or feeling uncomfortable with my Spanish abilities. I truly felt their acceptance of us and their appreciation with being there to aid them. Seeing the students struggle with pronouncing words like happened, job and throat, made me realize what a privilege it is to speak English fluently and what an advantage it is. This experience showed me what life is like for these non-English-speaking students is like and how I can be an advocate for them. They were so brave and bold with their language risks that it demonstrated that I can do the same and share the same mentality. I left Nuestra Casa feeling the impact the place left on my life, my perspective and a desire to find a way to volunteer in an ESL class in Portland. With a smile on my face and my stomach hurting from the laughter of their jokes, helped create a safe, light hearted and warm environment not only for us, the teachers, but most importantly, the students. Although, this is not the end of the immersion, I can positively say this has been my favorite part.

-Asia Gates

Filed Under: Rural

Heritage University

October 16, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

              One of the most memorable destinations we visited today was Heritage University, the only non-tribal college built on tribal land in the Yakama Nation. The statistics presented by Melissa Hill, the Vice President of Students Affairs at Heritage University, shows that 65% of their students are Hispanic, of whom the majority are women. Yet, while 90% of the Washington population has a high school diploma, the percentage drops dramatically when it comes down to the Yakama Nation and nearby towns. This makes college impractical and somewhat unreachable to many kids, since their parents, as Melissa Hill suggests, might know the value of love, hard work, and community, but not the power of education. Thus, the goals of Heritage University are not only to enrich students’ knowledge and help them pursue their dreams, but also to educate students about their rights and their potential of changing the future. We had great discussions on food insecurity and ethnicity, as well as on the “then what?” that addresses responsibilities and actions that we might take to bring positive changes to rural communities. One quote I really liked from Melissa Hill is that none of us have the choice to choose our identities, and we should be proud of who we are, of who our parents are, and of the land in which we were born and raised. We had a tour around Heritage University campus, and it was amazing to see how the university, started as an idea proposed by three women, has become a place where knowledge is valued and all identities are respected.

-Anh Nguyen

Filed Under: Rural

Wisdom from Farmer Dave

October 16, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

Bright and early, after having breakfast we headed to a farm which is not far from where we are staying but is far from what we expected, Just Living Farm. Before having a tour around the farm, we sit down and had a good conversation with the owner of the farm and a white man, Dave.

“What does justice have to do with your major?” he asked. This question seems simple but it got stuck in my head and made me keep questioning myself “what can I do with my major to make the society become more just?”, which is something I have never thought of before.

Having the discourse with Dave about theology and the history behind that had led to white supremacy, the system that has been a benefit to the White and neglect the Black and indigenous, I started to realize that there are unjust systems and policies that should have done better. I have learnt so much from Dave, the wise man, that I could not put into certain words.

After a meaningful conversation, Dave gave a walk around the farm and explained to us how his farm works. It is so interesting to me that we, humans, are made of just water and minerals. We should take care of the animals and plants as we want to be treated because we are nothing better than them. I am so fascinated by how a full land of grasses can grow from soil that seemed like nothing.

The last key takeaway before we left the farm was that instead of blaming and complain the systems that already existed, we, the younger generation, should do something to make it better and that is what we are going to keep asking ourselves throughout the immersion and after that.

-Sahas Sok

Filed Under: Rural

Final Reflections – Alessandra Coro

September 17, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

            Throughout my time in the L’Arche community, I built and nourished many relationships with the core members as well as the assistants and volunteers I was working with. One of the relationships I cherish is with one of the core members, Robbie. During my first couple weeks in the community, I did not think that we would get as close as we did. He often seemed distant and I assumed he liked being alone. As my time in the community progressed, I learned that he was the opposite. I often found myself working in the kitchen alongside him. We bonded over music, chopping fruits and vegetables, and cleaning. Robbie became one of my best friends in the community. Just sitting next to him while chopping bell peppers and eggplants made him content and satisfied. He would always hold my hand or hold my face in the cup of his hands. I think that Robbie and I bonded a lot through helping others because he and I were always helping the assistants and volunteers together.

            There were a lot of things that brought me joy during my experience in the L’Arche community. It made me really happy to sit around a big table and eat dinner with everyone. It was especially joyful when we sang songs before and after every meal. I realized that being at the table became a place where everyone would come together and just socialize and talk about their days and their plans. It was frustrating at times because I could not fully understand what all they were saying because everyone spoke very little English, but I learned to pick up some Italian here and there to somewhat understand what they were all talking about.

            One of the hardest things I had to overcome was the language. Some days were better than others, but on the days that were bad, I truly felt like I was failing on the communication part of the experience. On these days, I would go back to my room and study a little bit of Italian on my phone and learn/ memorize some phrases that I knew I would use later on.

-Alessandra Coro

Filed Under: L'Arche Bologna 2019

Final Reflections – Amanda Talavera

August 23, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

Walking in to Manna house every afternoon, I would already hear the old CD player blasting Gianni Morandi. It was an everyday event for me and Tiziana (a community member) to bond over old Italian music. At one point, we would sing loud and proud together when I started picking up the Italian lyrics. We always sat by the window listening to old Italian music while chatting away about our day and weekend. I would position her wheelchair in front of the green couch where I would sit and we’d talk until dinner was served. The relationship I’ve made with Tiziana was one that I can’t compare with anyone. We were polar opposites, I, the extroverted positive girl, while she was more introverted and tended to complain about many things (it was quite humorous though). But our love for Gianni Morandi, Gramigna pasta, and art proved how close we’ve become. I will always remember how she’d always whisper in my ear when she wanted to tell me one of her many secrets or how she’d laugh after one beer during dinner. Her presence in a room creates such a positive energy despite her being quite introverted. I’m so lucky to have formed such a strong bond with someone like her.

Besides Tiziana, other things that brought me joy in my experience was the strong bond among the whole community. Yes, L’arche was work for some people but they all treated each other like a family rather than just “work mates”. And I’m so thankful that I was treated and acknowledged as a part of their family. I’d learn so many recipes from my Sicilian “mammas”, Italian slang, and overall just absorb their “Dolce Farniente” lifestyle. The community members, assistants, volunteers, and head people all contributed to this strong familial feeling in the community. I can now gladly say that I have a second family in Italy.

Aside all the positive things, there were a few challenges I overcame throughout my experience. I believe the most major one was the Italian language barrier. Going into L’arche I only knew the names of pasta and the basic “Ciao”. I instantly regretted my decision of not going on Duolingo during my first day in the community. Thankfully, it was easy for me to pick up Italian because it was quite similar to Spanish (I studied Spanish for four years). Also, I persevered to learn Italian by getting a book and taking notes of words I heard a lot in the community and translating them right after. Now, I can say that I’m actually pretty decent in Italian. I’m continuing my study of the language but I can understand and actually get by. I’m extremely grateful that in the beginning, the assistants who spoke English helped us with the translation. They knew it was a challenging time for us and they didn’t hesitate to help us out by translating and even teaching us. I can’t thank the L’arche community enough for this amazing experience. Two months in Italy definitely flew by but the memories and lessons will always stay with me. Per l’ultima volta, arrivederci a tutti!

Filed Under: L'Arche Bologna 2019

Ciao tutti – Goodbye everybody

July 29, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

Goodbyes are always difficult…

As I’m writing this, my friend and co-volunteer, Alessandra, is on her way back to the United States. I, on the other hand, am still in the confines of Quarto Inferiore at the L’arche community trying to figure out how to fit everything in my suitcase. Thanks to a delayed flight, I still have three more days in Italy and with the community. With so much time in hand, I’d like to reflect on this amazing and life-changing experience since I think it’s the best possible way to close our chapter as Summer 2019 volunteers for the community.

On our last day, July 26, the members of the community threw us a party to say their final goodbyes. Throughout the party, I couldn’t help but remember the memories as I looked at each community member, volunteer, and assistant. It was such a fun and wholesome way to end our experience as we were able to take pictures with everyone, talk to them for the last time, and recall our favorite memories with each person. Alessandra and I each received a gift, a handmade frame with a picture. My picture was the one taken during one of my favorite days I spent with the community members I became really close with. It was the day where we had our field trip to Vergato, an Italian mountain village, where we had the best Tagliatelle Alla Ragu. Opening our gifts and knowing that we were saying our last “ciao’s” to everyone was such a heartfelt and emotional moment for me and Alessandra because we’ve grown so close to everyone here. I consider the community as my home away from home now. I can’t thank them enough for helping me grow spiritually and teaching me how to live a life filled with passion and purpose.

Not even going to lie, a few tears were shed as Alessandra and I reflected and looked back at our wonderful time in the community and in Bologna. Our little walks to get gelato with the members, our songs before we eat any meal, our “Buongiorno” greetings every day, and even our dreaded kitchen duty. Words can’t express how thankful I am to experience life in L’arche and life in Italy. I definitely feel that I’ve grown and become more open-minded as a person in the last two months as so many lessons were taught and learned. Working in a community such as L’arche, traveling all over Italy, and meeting new people from different countries (shoutout to my German girl Paula and my Brazilian girl Giuliana) made me see life in a different light and perspective. 

One thing I will say is that I will definitely back. The relationships I’ve made in the community are so close to my heart and will be with me forever. Even just stopping by to say a “ciao” when I come back to Italy will make me the happiest person because seeing the community members smile makes me smile as well. Thank you to Daniela, Michael, and Tyler for helping us organize our time here in Italy. Thank you to all the community members who I’ve gotten to know all their stories and unique personality traits. A big thanks to all the assistants and other volunteers who translated for us in the first few weeks. Thank you to Alessandra for being my sister throughout our time here and now my life-long friend. Every little memory and moment in the past two months will stay forever close to my heart. And for the last time… “Ciao tutti!”

-Amanda Talavera

Filed Under: L'Arche Bologna 2019

One Week Left in L’Arca!

July 22, 2019 By Tyler Leave a Comment

Our time in L’Arca Bologna is coming to an end. Amanda and I leave this coming Saturday, July 27. I am starting to think about the things I want to do and make time for as I reach the end of my volunteering experience here. I am also reflecting on the challenges I overcame during these past 2 months like the language barrier, learning how to communicate via body language to the core members, and even what/how to help around the house. I definitely think that I have learned a good portion of the Italian language. I am very basic when it comes to speaking it, but I can understand directions and instructions given to me. Unlike when I first came here, I was completely lost in both aspects of speaking and understanding. Living in the community with the people I work with and the core members was honestly hard at first. I lost my privacy and I had to get comfortable with becoming a family with people I barely knew but grew to know. With this, I learned to embrace the importance of togetherness. L’Arca has really taught me how to enjoy the company of others without having to do anything in particular. I have learned to enjoy sitting down with core members and just resting and relaxing. Some days, the core members and I (specifically Alessandro, who loves to sleep) would take a nap on the couch. I have made really deep connections with the assistants and the core members here and it makes me really sad to have to start preparing my goodbyes.

For my last week here, I would really like to treasure my time and the activities we do here. Over the course of the two months, I feel that the daily tasks I did started to become tedious and I overlooked them. Sometimes I feel like I wasn’t really living in the present while other times I felt like I was living too much in the present. I want to be able to spend time with the core members without focusing on things I need to do to help around the house. Although that is important as a volunteer, I would really like to spend my last days here with the core members and make more memories with them, whether that be making bracelets, dancing, or singing. During my first weeks here, I didn’t think that I could be so attached to people I would only spend 2 months with, but here I am really attached to them. I am really going to miss everyone here. They have all taught so many valuable life lessons and I am really glad to have spent my summer here learning about how to be present with others as well as with myself.

-Alessandra Coro

Filed Under: L'Arche Bologna 2019

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