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EDWARDS - A 15-year-old Mexican girl clutched a microphone and fought to swallow her tears. If the United States was the land of opportunity, Estefania Moron wasn't buying it.
"Here, the opportunity is like nothing," she said in halting English to a gymnasium full of people. "I'm a junior in high school now, and soon I will be a senior. In Mexico, I would be planning which college to go. Here there are a lot of really good colleges that I would like to go, but I have no papers."
Behind a podium at the front of the room, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput nodded sympathetically.
"It's a problem, but it's an issue that could also exist in Mexico," Chaput said. "But it raises the question: How are we better served? With policies that educate or frustrate and anger?"
Chaput arrived at the St. Clare of Assisi Parish on Monday to host a dialogue about immigration. Spanish-speaking attendees who made up about half the audience were given headsets though which English was translated in real time.
"There needs to be common sense in what we ask for," Chaput said.
But whose common sense are we working with, attendee Patricia McGuire wondered.
The laws aren't working
The official stance of the Catholic Church is that immigration laws in the United States have sorely missed the mark.
"Something's not working," Chaput said. We don't think people should break the law, but if the law is continually broken, it means there's something wrong with the law."
About half the room nodded their agreement while the other half shook their heads frowning.
"I firmly believe that people should follow the law," said Edward Powers, a Texas native who spends about half his time in the Vail Valley. "A good Catholic will do the right thing, but bishops aren't telling their congregations to follow the law."
But the laws just aren't sensible, the priest shot back.
"What are you going to do with the family whose been here for 15 years, that has three kids?" Chaput said. "Send them back and make them wait in line?
"The laws around getting visas are almost impossible," he said.
Ana Maria Vergara Schaefer, who immigrated from Chile as a girl, recalled the pride Latinos had for their homelands. But because they were illegal, many never took the chance of returning home.
Chaput suggested a guest working program that would allow foreigners to come and go. That way, they'd be documented, pay taxes and still be allowed to return to their homelands, where most of their earnings go anyway.
"Most illegal aliens intend to go back, but most of the laws we have make people stay," he said.
Becoming American
Both Anglos and Latinos voiced the usual gripes - illegal aliens take American jobs because they'll work for less, they drain resources, they don't assimilate ... But Chaput was ready to deflect them all.
"I haven't heard of a single immigrant who doesn't want to learn English," he said.
However, some are old and can't learn a new language, he said. Others are working so hard, they don't have time, and still more are illegal aliens and don't want to risk any more exposure than necessary. The fear also compels them to stay close to their own, slowing down assimilation into the American culture, Chaput said.
One women accused illegal aliens of smuggling drugs, and stormed out when Chaput contended it wasn't fair to tie illegal aliens to drugs. The Hispanic community at the meeting agreed with him.
"We're people who have come to this country to work very hard," said Daniel Miramontes, who has lived in the United States for 16 years, in Spanish. "I'm Mexican, and I know some people come here to steal or to sell drugs, but most of us are here solely for the idea of working hard."
Miramontes added the federal government ought to look at individual records of illegal aliens and give visas to those who have a history of being law abiding.
Hit or miss
Several self-proclaimed illegal aliens spoke out Monday evening, sharing how the United States has improved their lives.
"I was touched by the workers and their courage to speak," said Janette Fayloe, who traveled from Denver to hear the archbishop speak. "I thought it was very good. I like that the Catholic Church is taking such a loving and compassionate stance on this issue. It reinforced my own beliefs about immigration."
While many thought the dialogue was a step in the right direction, others, who wouldn't give their names, thought little was accomplished or flat-out disagreed with Chaput. But that's OK with Chaput. He's used to people agreeing with the church's views.
"We're all still brothers and sisters under God," he said.
Catholic Church's immigration principals
— Everybody has a right to a living wage in their homelands and the right to have means of both defending and supporting their families.
— If they can't make a living wage in their homelands, they have the fundamental right to go somewhere where they can.
— Counties have the right to secure their borders and their citizens.
— Those seeking asylum should have immigration priority.
— Human dignity and family life ought to be protected in all immigration decisions.
- Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput.
For more information, visit www.archden.org.
"Here, the opportunity is like nothing," she said in halting English to a gymnasium full of people. "I'm a junior in high school now, and soon I will be a senior. In Mexico, I would be planning which college to go. Here there are a lot of really good colleges that I would like to go, but I have no papers."
Behind a podium at the front of the room, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput nodded sympathetically.
"It's a problem, but it's an issue that could also exist in Mexico," Chaput said. "But it raises the question: How are we better served? With policies that educate or frustrate and anger?"
Chaput arrived at the St. Clare of Assisi Parish on Monday to host a dialogue about immigration. Spanish-speaking attendees who made up about half the audience were given headsets though which English was translated in real time.
"There needs to be common sense in what we ask for," Chaput said.
But whose common sense are we working with, attendee Patricia McGuire wondered.
The laws aren't working
The official stance of the Catholic Church is that immigration laws in the United States have sorely missed the mark.
"Something's not working," Chaput said. We don't think people should break the law, but if the law is continually broken, it means there's something wrong with the law."
About half the room nodded their agreement while the other half shook their heads frowning.
"I firmly believe that people should follow the law," said Edward Powers, a Texas native who spends about half his time in the Vail Valley. "A good Catholic will do the right thing, but bishops aren't telling their congregations to follow the law."
But the laws just aren't sensible, the priest shot back.
"What are you going to do with the family whose been here for 15 years, that has three kids?" Chaput said. "Send them back and make them wait in line?
"The laws around getting visas are almost impossible," he said.
Ana Maria Vergara Schaefer, who immigrated from Chile as a girl, recalled the pride Latinos had for their homelands. But because they were illegal, many never took the chance of returning home.
Chaput suggested a guest working program that would allow foreigners to come and go. That way, they'd be documented, pay taxes and still be allowed to return to their homelands, where most of their earnings go anyway.
"Most illegal aliens intend to go back, but most of the laws we have make people stay," he said.
Becoming American
Both Anglos and Latinos voiced the usual gripes - illegal aliens take American jobs because they'll work for less, they drain resources, they don't assimilate ... But Chaput was ready to deflect them all.
"I haven't heard of a single immigrant who doesn't want to learn English," he said.
However, some are old and can't learn a new language, he said. Others are working so hard, they don't have time, and still more are illegal aliens and don't want to risk any more exposure than necessary. The fear also compels them to stay close to their own, slowing down assimilation into the American culture, Chaput said.
One women accused illegal aliens of smuggling drugs, and stormed out when Chaput contended it wasn't fair to tie illegal aliens to drugs. The Hispanic community at the meeting agreed with him.
"We're people who have come to this country to work very hard," said Daniel Miramontes, who has lived in the United States for 16 years, in Spanish. "I'm Mexican, and I know some people come here to steal or to sell drugs, but most of us are here solely for the idea of working hard."
Miramontes added the federal government ought to look at individual records of illegal aliens and give visas to those who have a history of being law abiding.
Hit or miss
Several self-proclaimed illegal aliens spoke out Monday evening, sharing how the United States has improved their lives.
"I was touched by the workers and their courage to speak," said Janette Fayloe, who traveled from Denver to hear the archbishop speak. "I thought it was very good. I like that the Catholic Church is taking such a loving and compassionate stance on this issue. It reinforced my own beliefs about immigration."
While many thought the dialogue was a step in the right direction, others, who wouldn't give their names, thought little was accomplished or flat-out disagreed with Chaput. But that's OK with Chaput. He's used to people agreeing with the church's views.
"We're all still brothers and sisters under God," he said.
Catholic Church's immigration principals
— Everybody has a right to a living wage in their homelands and the right to have means of both defending and supporting their families.
— If they can't make a living wage in their homelands, they have the fundamental right to go somewhere where they can.
— Counties have the right to secure their borders and their citizens.
— Those seeking asylum should have immigration priority.
— Human dignity and family life ought to be protected in all immigration decisions.
- Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput.
For more information, visit www.archden.org.
