Mar

22 2015

Coming to America - Immigration Now and Then

1:00PM - 4:00PM  


Contact Wendy Bayor
860-526-8920 (Phone)
860-526-8918 (Fax)
bethshalom@snet.net
http://www.cbsrz.org

An Immigration Program and Forum at CBSRZ (Chester)

Hear their stories . . .
Jose was nine years old when his parents brought him to the U.S. from Mexico, not by plane or bus, as Jose thought, but across the desert on foot, through thirst and contact with “coyote’s.”

Amparo and her husband brought their two sons to the U.S. legally on a tourist visa 12 years ago but stayed. Her sons are protected against deportation and now consider themselves “Americans” but the parents are now deportable - both Amparo and her husband would like to return to Ecuador but because their tourist visa expired, they would then have to wait 10 years before returning.

Patricia came to the U.S. from Mexico twenty years ago with her four children. She worked as a home care worker, which she enjoyed, but when she asked to work less than 60 hours a week, they cut her to 4-6 hours a week, which forced her to find other work. Paty’s son was also picked up by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), held and then deported back to Mexico, even though he knew no one in Mexico, because he came to the U.S. when he was one year old.

Mariano came to the U.S. from Mexico at an early age and remembers little or nothing about his home country. Educated in the New Britain school system, while attending Capital Community College, Mariano was put in a detention center when he was unable to produce documents to local police investigating an unrelated crime suspect. Mariano was on the verge of being deported when Sen. Richard Blumenthal stepped in and persuaded immigration officials to grant a rare stay of deportation.

On March 22, you will hear these and other immigrants.

Part of this program will include attendees participating in an exercise where you will “walk in the shoes” of a new immigrant, Pablo, taking you through challenging problems facing today’s immigrants - before and after they get to America.

And come tell your story . . .
We hope you will share your family’s story of coming to America – however many generations ago. We all know part of this story. The hope of freedom and a better life has always been the driving force for immigrants entering the United States – for all our families as well. A discussion on immigration reform will follow.

There is no cost for this program, but we are requesting RSVP to 860-526-8920. Refreshments will be served. Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek is located at 55 East Kings Highway in Chester.

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