In the early 1980’s as a law student in the Pico Union neighborhood of Los Angeles, I noticed several times a week people gathering in the neighborhood to march and rally. I was curious and wanted to learn about their cause. The people who had gathered were refugees from Central America – Salvadorans and Guatemalans protesting the brutality of the military dictatorships that were killing their people. The Salvadoran refugees gave testimonies about how the military would come into the classrooms and kill teachers in front of the students, how priests, nuns, youth, union leaders and teachers were kidnapped and disappeared. We learned about Archbishop Arnulfo Romero who was killed while giving mass and other horrors.
The refugees welcomed me with open arms and invited me to join them in their struggle to let the American people know about the
situation. As I translated their testimonies from Spanish to English and made them public, I was amazed by the compassion and welcoming spirit of the American people. Hundreds of churches opened sanctuaries for the refugees, saving hundreds of lives, as deportation was a death sentence for many of them.
In 1986 the refugees organized a caravan that travelled across the country. It was called, “No Human Being is Illegal,” a term introduced by Eli Wiesel. Wherever they went, they were greeted by thousands of people who welcomed them with open arms. Three decades later the refugees have become part of the social, political, cultural and economic fabric of Pico Union and the United States.
Welcoming people who are experiencing hardship can be a transformative experience for a country and individual, as it was for me.
