In January, a new friend that E and I made through Buddhist Peace Fellowship (a POC-led, buddhist-based, social justice organization) reached out to a group of us to ask: would you consider sponsoring a queer/transgender asylum seeker from Latin America?
E and I have talked at length about how easy it is to look back at the sins of the past and say "If I had been alive, I woulda...." Hidden my Jewish neighbors; protested our involvement in the Viet Nam War; marched with MLK, Jr; etc etc etc. Looking backwards is easy. Standing here, in the present moment, with eyes open is not so easy. There is still injustice. We can act for justice and compassion.
Here's the reality of acting for justice and compassion: it isn't always easy. It's often inconvenient. It's often uncomfortable. It can be pretty thankless. You will make mistakes. Others will make mistakes. You will see how fucking messy healing can be. If you like feeling like you've got it all figured out, this might seem unbearable.
Here's another reality: you will meet the most amazing people. You will discover how huge and generous people's hearts are. You will learn a lot. You might feel like you're swimming upstream and like your actions don't really matter, but then you'll turn around and see that 1,000 people are doing it with you, that you've got each other's backs, and you'll start to understand that working together is really powerful, that the narrative of the sole hero swooping in to save the day is a troublesome mythology best left behind.
We don't have to do it alone. So here is my ask:
Every day I see stories and photos of families separated at our border, people seeking asylum from violence and poverty. Children are being kept in cages; children are being traumatized. People entrusted with their care are sexually abusing them. People entrusted with their care are failing to seek medical attention when it's clear children are sick. People entrusted with their care are allowing them to die.
Are you willing to reach out to 1-5 of your friends and community members to form a collective willing to sponsor an asylum-seeking family?
My wife and I have been sponsoring Dennis, a queer 19 year old from El Salvador. We are learning a ton. We are part of a nationwide group of sponsors who have been an invaluable resource (emotionally, informationally, etc). We are becoming part of a local community of sponsors, asylees, and immigrants' rights activists in our area. Spending time with these folks restores all of my faith in the goodness that people are capable of.
I am happy to answer any questions you might have about what this endeavor entails. I know that there are church and faith-based groups doing this who would be able to speak more about how they've divided responsibilities among themselves.
I haven't been involved in Freedom for Immigrants, but it looks like they do good work. We were matched with Dennis via the Santa Fe Dreamers Project.
Please consider it, and if you do take action, please let me know so we can celebrate your becoming part of an amazing team.
