A Mothers' Day Prayer for Immigrant Mothers

I've been thinking lately about immigrants in my life: their resourcefulness, their love of family, the loss they carry with them.

I don't know what to do with the frustration, sadness and anger I feel when I see reports of separated families, immigrants pulled from their homes, children suddenly parentless without warning or plan of care in place. 

What would you do it you saw a gang of masked men grab someone from the street, without explaining why, without showing ID, threatening anyone who intervened? In Worcester, Massachusetts last week, a crowd attempted to intervene. The case involved a mother, her teen daughter, her teen daughter's baby. 

Who decides who to grab without warrant? What legal protections exist when unidentified agents can wrestle people into vans or cars without explanation? 

The attorney for Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, arrested on March 25, "encouraged Americans to watch the video of her client being detained by masked, plainclothes people who bundled her into an unmarked car.

As you can see in the video, DHS agents grabbed at her clothes, her hands, and her backpack before detaining her and taking her to an unknown location, in an unmarked car," Khanbabai said in a statement. "Nothing in this video indicates that these are law enforcement agents and from which agency. This video should shake everyone to their core.

I stumbled across a short blog post from MIRA, (Massachusetts Immigration and Refuge Association) A Letter To Our Immigrant Mothers – by Farah Jeune:

This Mother’s Day we’re thinking about all the immigrant mothers: The immigrant mothers who made the brave decision to start new chapters in a foreign environment. The immigrant mothers who nurture and guide their children through the challenging transitions of assimilating in America. The immigrant mothers who aren’t afraid to talk with their thick accents. The immigrant mothers who made sure their children knew where they came from and the richness of their culture. The immigrant mothers who work several jobs. The immigrant mothers who still mother their children, even past the age of 18.

This Mother's Day I'm thinking about, and thankful, for the immigrant mothers who have helped shape my life and faith.

One, Mrs. Warrick, was the first Sunday School teacher I remember. She and her husband had strong German accents. They shepherded our small group of pre-teen girls, hosted us for breakfast on Easter mornings, spoke softly about their faith. And never explained how they came to New York, in mid-adulthood, with those strong German accents. 

Another immigrant mother from my childhood church was Mrs. Alejandro, an Argentinian with not much English and a strong accent. Her daughter Violet was my older sister Rachel's friend. Some weekends Rachel and I were invited to the Alejandros', where Rachel and Violet huddled in Rachel's bedroom, talking, while Mrs. A and I cooked empanadas in their little kitchen. Ever since, empanadas have been a comfort food for me. 

Years later, I spent time with Tran, who helped lead camping trips with our daughters' Junior Girl Scout troop. Tran was Vietnamese, left Saigon as it fell to North Vietnamese forces in 1975, spent several years in a refugee camp. Once our campers were quiet in their tents, she told me stories as we sat by the dying campfire. In the dark, I could hear the pain of memory in her voice. 

There was another mother in those years of young children, whose name I never mastered and can no longer find. She was from a Muslim country that had splintered with ethnic unrest. When her family's small storefront business was smashed, she and her young husband gathered their two tiny girls and started walking. Her story was one of disruption, repeated ethnic violence, multiple refugee camps. 

And then, miraculously, they were given asylum in the US, and found themselves with work, and housing, and help. I met her when her oldest daughter was placed in my youngest daughter's fourth grade class. I invited her and her daughters for tea after school, but she was uneasy about being in someone else's home, so invited me to hers instead. 

Some conversations linger. That afternoon in her home is one of those. She told me her story: the difficult decisions, the dangers, the losses, the new starts, the abrupt ends. It all poured out, in a heavy accent and long pauses while she searched for words. At the end, she said

Those were all Muslim countries. They hated me because of my ethnicity. Even though we say we believe the same things. They would have killed me if they could. But now here we are in a Christian county. And we are treated with kindness. We are helped to find a home. We are helped to find work and all we need. Teachers welcome my daughters. I don't understand it but I want to know more. 

Just yesterday I saw two immigrant mothers who are part of a small group I've been meeting with for years to pray. They have strong ties to their families in their countries of origin. They've made sacrifices to be here so their daughters have more opportunity. They are women of hard work and strong faith. One, in her limited free time, helps manage a large community food pantry. I pray for them and their families. I know they pray for me. 

In the current deportation frenzy, any of those mothers could be picked up without warrant, held without bail, deported without a hearing. According to a recent Intelligencer article, 

It’s not a matter of if U.S. citizens are getting caught up in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and mass-deportation efforts but rather how and how many. 

On this beautiful May Mother's Day, I'm thankful for much. Yet I'm also thinking of immigrant mothers. Wondering what I can do. And wondering what it means to our Christian witness when so many among us are celebrating harsh treatment of immigrants and refugees while others are fearful and grieving.

My Mother's Day prayer: meaningful, just immigration reform, a pause on hurried, harmful deportation, and open hearts toward strangers God has placed among us. 

And a Mother's Day confession: I grieve when I see Christian friends post  misinformation about immigrants on social media pages, stir anger and fear about immigrants without checking statistics, and start from a position of loyalty to party rather than faithfulness to God's word.

To quote a Baptist Press First Person Response to Immigration:: 

Think before you speak. Is what you are posting on social media regarding immigration destroying your Christian witness?

More importantly, is what you are doing, saying and posting reflecting the attitudes in your heart? Jesus talked about that too (Matthew 12:34).

Could it be that the reason so many of the world’s people have found their way to the United States is because God knows the only hope they have of hearing the Gospel is from people who claim to know Christ?

For a belated Mother's Day gift (early Father's Day gift?) or further reading on a difficult subject, I recommend this immigration booklist from Hearts and Minds Bookstore. (Sorry - I'm guessing the discount has expired).