Homecoming

My temporary job at Conexiòn Amèricas ended September 30, and while I was very grateful for the opportunity to work there and disappointed that it had to end, I am also grateful that the end of that chapter allowed me to begin the next chapter by going back to Guatemala to visit family and friends there who I hadn't seen in over a year. It still amazes me sometimes how much I love and miss people I only knew and lived with for ten months, but I do.

I went to Guatemala with my good friend from Maryville College, Hannah. We arrived in Guatemala in mid-October and stayed until mid-November. While we were there we traveled to several places in Guatemala I hadn't been before--Livingston, Rio Dulce, and Copàn Ruinas in Honduras--and we stayed about 10 days in both Antigua and in Xela with my family. It was fun to share and experience Guatemala with Hannah, who had never been and who was seeing everything with new eyes. Hannah is also a very flexible and curious person, which makes her easy and enjoyable to travel with.

It was strange, though, to go back and visit my family as a visitor. I was always and will always be an outsider there, but as a YAV I wasn't a visitor per se, even though we all knew my time there was limited. It was bittersweet, for sure. I was sad to be back and for it not to be the same as it was (and to know that it never will be the same again), but I was also so happy to be with Bethi, Karin, Enrique, Mileni, Carmelina, and all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. And even though I will always be an outsider, it did feel like a homecoming, and lots of people in the town remembered me and came by the house to say hi or sent their greetings through my host mom.

I also got to say "yes" to everything. As a YAV I sometimes said "no" to favors or experiences because I was trying to set boundaries (and because sometimes I was just exhausted), but since I was only there for a few days this time I said yes to everything. We went to a wedding, a funeral, an inauguration of new classrooms at the school where Bethi teaches and Mileni attends, a birthday party, Dìa de los Muertos, made paches, and Hannah and I threw a Halloween party for all the cousins with games and a piñata (we just didn't tell the pastor).

(left) Hannah and I folding paches (right) Hannah and me at a wedding with Karin, my host sister, two aunts, and cousin

Carmelina at her son's grave on Dìa de los Muertos

A woman in the market who makes this delicious pan de quesadilla (sweet corn bread).  She remembered me and remembered that I loved her bread :) (This bread is one of the reasons I wanted to visit Guatemala in the fall--it is made right before the corn is harvested in mid-November)

Still in Nashville...

My second YAV year came to an end just a little over a month ago on July 31. I like to think that I take most of life in stride, that I look to the next horizon, and I think for the most part I do. But that doesn't mean that sometimes the transitions are bittersweet and a little difficult. My transition from Guatemala to Nashville was certainly difficult and was for several months. The transition out of my second YAV year, however, was not nearly so abrupt. I decided to stay in Nashville and am living with my roommate from last year, Sally, and another YAV who served in Nashville from 2009-2010 (when I was in Guatemala). So we're still a little YAVA (Young Adult Volunteer Alum) house. Until September 30 I am also still working at Conexiòn Amèricas as a receptionist while they are looking for someone permanent to fill the position. So a lot has stayed the same. But a lot has also changed Most of the other YAVs moved away--to grad school, back home, or on to another YAV year (Allison is doing a second year in New Orleans). And I'm not actually a YAV anymore. It's been my life for the past two years, and it feels weird some days that's it's not anymore, but I am so glad to be in Nashville still where I have a community of YAVAs. So now I am starting to look to the next horizon. I'm still figuring out what my life will look like after September 30 when my time at Conexiòn comes to an end, but I am planning on applying to seminary for the fall of 2012 and hoping to make it back to Guatemala for a visit at some point. But for now, I'm just happy to be where I am.

Catching up to God

On Thursday, Vic, Allison, and I went to Clarksville with Susan to the Middle TN Presbytery meeting. We had about 5 minutes to speak after lunch during the "celebrations" time to tell people about the YAV program and, more specifically, what each of us are doing this year.

I used my minute and a half to tell a story about one Conversemos pair this semester who have been meeting at a Nashville public library since January. The native Nashvillian partner has become interested in and passionate about immigration issues now that she has sat down and talked and shared with a Guatemalan man and heard about his experiences living in the US without papers--how difficult it is to advance in his job, even though he is a responsible and dedicated employee who has 8 years with his company. It is very hard to hate someone once you've sat down and talked with them, and when you've begun to be friends with and care about someone, listened to their stories and experiences, it's difficult not to care about the issues and injustices that affect them. The Conversemos program is a language exchange program, but it is also a relationship-building program, and I am honored to be a part of something that is doing Christ's work building bridges between people and communities and reconciling us to one another.

I have to admit, though, that while I was being completely honest in my story, I chose the story and the angle with some ulterior motives. Not that I think that I would sway anyone in that meeting with my minute and a half story about Latinos and Gringos in a language exchange program, but the themes of hospitality, acceptance, and reconciliation were at the front of my mind that day.

On Tuesday, Middle Tennessee Presbytery voted on amendment 10-A. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about but are interested, click here. Basically, though, amendment 10-A would amend the Book of Order (our constitution) to say the standards for ordination are based on the "candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of the office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements." As it is currently written, the ordination standards set in G.6.01.06 include this requirement: "to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness," thus excluding LGBTQ persons from ministry in the PC(USA).

It was a tense, but very civil day at Presbytery. When the moderator announced final vote, 93 yes-86 no, a few people made some kind of noise (what I assumed was disappointment), but the moderator moved the discussion right along to the next item, and there was very little deal made of the whole thing, but the mood afterward was joyous. With Middle Tennessee Presbytery's vote, we only needed 2 more affirmative votes to pass 10A, one of which we got today.

I am embarrassed to admit it, but I still watch Grey's Anatomy from time to time, one of those times being yesterday. On this episode, two of the female doctors are planning to marry, despite one very unsupportive mother who refused to attend the ceremony. One of the brides-to-be is upset and confides that she things maybe she shouldn't get married after all since her mother and the government and the Church don't approve. The other character replies that God is in you and me and here between us, where there is love. God is already here, she says, the Church just hasn't caught up yet.

But I hope and I think that it will. And if--when--we pass 10A (maybe as soon as Tuesday) it will be a momentous step on the journey toward full inclusion of all members of the body of Christ. We are slowly but surely catching up to God.

Stand Against Racism Day

Yesterday (Thursday, April 21), was Stand Against Racism Day sponsored by the YWCA. So yesterday morning, those of us who were in the office gathered to "stand against racism." We did actually stand, because we didn't really know what else to do, but we also shared stories, both positive and negative, dealing with racism.

Several of the Latinas said they had not felt discriminated against in Tennessee. One said she had felt it in Miami, where she lived when she first came to the US, but not really in Tennessee. Another chimed in that when she was planning to move to Tennessee friends warned her of how racist a place it is, but she hadn't felt it either.

Ginny and me listening to Bori talk about her experiences with racism both in the US and Puerto Rico

As I stood there I was reminded (as I am daily if I pay attention) of how much a part of the "center" I am that I cannot even see it at times. Like my supervisor (and former YAV) pointed out, there are so many things, like flesh-colored band-aids, that white people don't have to even think about, but that are subtle and not-so-subtle ways of defining "white" as the norm.

Even in Guatemala, I definitely felt noticed because of my race, but it wasn't usually negative attention (it wasn't always welcome, though). Little girls with shiny black hair and dark round eyes told me my skin was pretty and white and that they asked how they could make their skin and hair look like mine. When I went to China in June 2005 I was also struck by how much the women I spoke with there wanted to look like white North Americans--from having lighter skin to rounder eyes. Even though I have gotten a lot of attention because of my race and/or nationality when I travel, it will never be the same as being a minority--whether by race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or any combination--in the US.

Happy Poem-in-Your-Pocket Day

Today is Poem-in-your-Pocket-Day. So here's one of my favorites. My grandmother, Gran, was the first one to share this poem with me several years ago:

God Says Yes To Me

Kaylin Haught

I asked God if it was okay to be melodramatic
and she said yes
I asked her if it was okay to be short
and she said it sure is
I asked her if I could wear nail polish
or not wear nail polish
and she said honey
she calls me that sometimes
she said you can do just exactly
what you want to
Thanks God I said
And is it even okay if I don't paragraph
my letters
Sweetcakes God said
who knows where she picked that up
what I'm telling you is
Yes Yes Yes

¡Rumba!

Last week some of my co-workers formed a band and competed in the Arts and Business Council Band Challenge (basically a Battle of the Bands for organizations and businesses located on Music Row who aren't professional musicians) and made it to the second round, which was last night. 8 bands competed and there was a lot of talent (being in Nashville, any karaoke, battle of the bands, etc is usually pretty good), but Conexòn Amèricas' band, Rumba, won first place! They won $1000 and they get to perform at CMA fest in June!

Rumba on-stage performing

Rumba and other Conexiòn staff members celebrating after winning

New American Day on the Hill

I have had the chance twice in the past several weeks to go to Legislative Plaza to meet with state senators and representatives about several anti-immigrant bills that are currently in sub-committees in the House and Senate. I went first with Conexiòn Amèricas' Board of Directors and a few others from the office who went to meetings with legislators, and I stood at a booth with information on our organization. I was relieved that I didn't have to go to any meetings, because the truth is that I was very intimidated.

I had read about the Arizona copycat bill (HB1380/SB0790) and thought it was both unconstitutional and an irresponsible move economically for our state, especially in light of all the money Arizona has spent defending SB1070 in court (3 months after the AZ bill was made law, they had already spent $1 million in litigation costs). However, talking about it with people--legislators, no less--who most likely would disagree with my position and who might ask me question I couldn't answer was daunting, even if I was going with groups of people who could do most of the talking.

But that day I enjoyed getting to see everyone running around, and I got to talk to a few legislators and aides who stopped by our table about the work of Conexiòn Amèricas, which is something that I feel pretty comfortable doing at this point in the year. The sub-committee was supposed to vote on HB1380 that afternoon, but it got pushed back, perhaps in part because a demonstration had been organized for that afternoon in response to the bill.

The next week, on March 29, I got another opportunity to go to the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) New American Day on the Hill that is their annual lobbying day. Over 100 immigrants, refugees, and friends showed up for the event. We were placed in groups to go and speak to legislators about several bills, including the Arizona copycat bill (see the end of this blog entry for a list of other TN bills that would affect immigrants and refugees).

This time I did go to meetings, but I was with a group of about 12 people, so I didn't have to speak, but once we got going, it was hard not to. It turns out, one of the senators we spoke with had never even heard of most of the bills we were talking about. I think it was a powerful witness, though, to have a group made up of 3 US citizens born in the US, 1 Vanderbilt student with dual citizenship with the US and Mexico, 2 Guatemalan high school graduates who came to the US at a young age with their families, one Mexican high school senior planning to go to Lipscomb University in the fall (one of the few universities that accepts undocumented students), four Somali refugees, and one Iraqi refugee.

This is a picture of some of our group speaking to Senator Douglas Henry about an anti-refugee bill (SB1670 sponsored by Tracy and HB1632 sponsored by Dunn) that would give local government councils the authority to determine if a community is beyond "asborptive capacity" for new immigrants and refugees, and the discretion to prohibit new refugees from resettling there.

The next afternoon, on March 30, the State and Local Government House Sub-committee "recommended for passage" the Arizona copycat legislation and passed it up to the State and Local Government committee, where it is now scheduled to be voted on April 12 (this week). (You may remember that Curry Todd, the chair of this committee, is the legislator who referred to Latina women as "rats" in November). If you are a TN resident, I encourage you to contact the members of the State and Local Government committee and encourage them to vote "no" on HB1380. For more information about some of the bills and talking points, check out this page on the TIRRC webiste (and sign up for their e-mails!)

If you are interested in the status of some of the other bills that would affect immigrants and refugees in Tennessee, go to the TN General Assembly web page and type in the number of the bill.

Here are a few that might be of interest:
Arizona copycat bills and local enforcement of federal immigration law: HB1380/SB780, HB1578/SB770, HB1582/SB1567
English-only driving test bill: SB0010/HB0454
Anti-refugee bill (the one I mentioned above): SB1670, HB1632
Bills that affect immigrant students' access to education: SB170/SB1469, SB09, SB0681, HB335