Fear and anxiety have become a recurring theme in the conversations of thousands of homes in the Bay Area, especially those inhabited by undocumented or mixed-status immigrants, all in the face of threats from Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States who will take power again in January. For this reason, organizations in the Bay Area have joined together to protect the rights of those who see their future uncertain in the "land of opportunity."
Among those organizations is Coastside Hope, a non-profit foundation that serves as the Central Coast's human services agency to benefit residents of coastal San Mateo County through support in the form of food, clothing, housing assistance, online application for government benefits, referrals and other support when neighbors need it most.
In turn, it provides opportunities in the form of free citizenship classes, free tax preparation services and connections with programs and services from other organizations, and even in the support of some immigration services such as DACA permit renewal, green card renewal or knowing your status to apply for citizenship.
This is what Judith Guerrero, executive director of Coastside Hope, told in an interview for Por La Libre, the mobile community radio station Peninsula 360 Press, noted that the organization he leads has already begun to work with others such as BRIDGE, AT and Faith in Action, with the creation of workshops so that immigrants in the community know their rights.
"I think it's very important for the community that we serve to know that they're not alone, that they don't feel alone. To a certain extent we can't give them a concrete answer and say that they're going to be okay, but I think it's very important for the community to know that they're not alone," Guerrero stressed.
"Apart from being organizations that provide you with services, we are also organizations that will advocate for your rights to be respected as immigrants," he added.
Judith explained that it is important for people to understand that, as leaders or employees of these organizations, they are also dealing with the same situations as their clients, because, like many families, they are not strangers to the situation where a family member is an undocumented immigrant, or where there is one who is and others are not.
In light of this, he said, "it is important that organizations like Coastside Hope, PUENTE and ALAS be at the forefront, because that is what will bring a little peace and tranquility to the community."
Judith knows firsthand what it is like to live in fear of retaliation from the government, just for being an immigrant. Although she has been living in the country for more than 20 years, she is originally from Jalisco, Mexico, and like many, she was an immigrant who came to the United States with her family in search of a better future.
"I have lived in this country for over 20 years and I remember the time of the Proposition that did not want to give education to children, and the only thing I remember at that time was being very scared at that age. I don't know if my mother understood that point enough, but at that age I had my own ideas that this could not happen. I can imagine how people feel, because we have that same situation again," she said.
That is why the three organizations mentioned have joined forces and called for two workshops for immigrants living in the Bay Area to learn about their rights: one on December 10 in the city of Pescadero and another on December 11 in Half Moon Bay, with exact locations still to be confirmed.
"We hope that people will come to know what to do if they find themselves in a situation, to know that they have rights and how to face them, how to protect themselves," said Guerrero, who does not doubt that other organizations will join in various actions to support this community that contributes so much at the local, state and federal levels.
She also said they are working on a letter to be sent to San Mateo County supervisors to ask them to continue protecting the services and rights of immigrants in the Bay Area.
"I think that's just the beginning, I think there's going to be more, like our organization, PUENTE and ALAS, that are ready to raise their voices and protect the rights (of immigrants), I think there are many more in San Mateo County, and I think that, despite the fact that the elections turned out the way they did, there are many people who individually are supporting organizations like us."
The community leader also called for unity in the face of so much hatred and division before, during and after the elections on November 5.
?After days of the results, I think we have all been reflecting, but I think the most important thing is that we remain united, because that is what will help us get through these next four years; yes, there is a lot of division in the state or in the country, but it is important that we remember that immigrants, and I include myself because I am a migrant in this country, are your neighbors, we are the people who are giving you services, we are the parents of your children's classmates at school, and we deserve respect, because we have built many buildings in any community where we live, and it is important that the government, whether local or state, values and recognizes that.?
"It's time for all of us to unite and show that we are worthy and that we are here, that we are not going anywhere and that we belong here," he concluded.
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