NEWS & LETTERS, September-October 2010
Immigrants struggle
Editor's note: News & Letters carried Olivia Segura's family's story in our May-June 2010 issue. Their daughter Ashley Sietsema died serving in Iraq in 2007, and they were in danger of losing their home. Olivia's husband, Alberto, is also faced with deportation.
Chicago--I would like to thank the people who have supported my family. Partly because of the publicity we have received, we have made a new arrangement with a bank on our home mortgage. The debts from when Ashley was killed have been forgiven, and we only need to pay $7,800 for escrow and taxes by Oct. 1 to keep the house. We will be able to pay that. It gave me a lot of hope to know that people cared about our situation.
My husband is still facing deportation charges. Gov. Quinn has said that he would sign a pardon if he went through the pardon process, but he hasn't signed it yet. I believe he is waiting until after the election because of all the anti-immigrant feeling.
There's a lot of discrimination against immigrants now. You can feel the discrimination in everyday life. I have worked for the County for years, but now they are saying that my accent is a problem and telling me to take English lessons! And I notice that my son has stopped speaking Spanish with me when we go out to the store.
I am working with Juan Torres, who lost his son in Afghanistan, and others, to start a new group called Golden Families for Support and Justice. We will participate in anti-war marches and rallies. We also want to help families get information, receive their benefits, legal help and help in political organizing.
Politicians and the media are spreading fear. People like Sarah Palin are on 24-7 and, really, why should anyone care about her opinion? I am even more afraid of the Tea Parties than the Republicans. Racism is really the biggest problem this country has to face. Once you see another person as a human being, then you can change things for the better.
My way of looking at things is very different than it was two or three years ago. I realize now that my own lifespan is very short. I want to leave this world knowing that I made a difference for the better. It doesn't matter if the world knows about me. I will know.
I hope that people will come out to support my husband at his hearing on Nov. 30, 9 AM, at the Immigration Building in downtown Chicago.
--Olivia Segura
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