“No estamos solos! We are not alone!” vowed Siempre Amigos President Eduardo Pena Saturday night, speaking to a crowd that gathered for an evening of food, music and discussion in celebration of The United Nations International Human Rights Day.
There was a warm glow in the air as around 60 community members – some smiling, others deep in thought, but all in high spirits – observed live music from the Andes and Brazil as children excitedly raced between the bright wooden pillars of the University’s Many Nations Longhouse.
Soft voices, guitars, a variety of wind instruments and a powerful drum played the ancient yet vibrant melodies, followed by a presentation by Ballet Folklorico Infantil de Mexico. Two toddlers hidden by black sombreros with flashy silver laces twirled in circles as girls with roses in their hair whipped their brightly colored dresses and danced around them. Off stage, other children danced to the upbeat rhythms.
Saturday’s event, sponsored by the City of Eugene Human Rights Commission, was put on by the Siempre Amigos Association, a Eugene based non-profit group that serves Latin American immigrants who have experienced persecution, torture and political violence in their home countries. The Oregon Health and Sciences University Torture Treatment Center Program in Eugene also hosted.
On Dec. 10, 1948, the United Nations produced the first document to address in detail that fundamental human rights exist. In doing so, the organization set an international standard in guaranteeing the basic rights of justice, equality and dignity. It also declared the right to education, marriage, fair wages and the right to participate in a fair democratic government.
While some language expressed in the declaration, such as the concept of slavery, might seem dated or distant to some, Ken Neubeck from the Eugene Human Rights City Project warns that violations are still all too common today. Furthermore, even the U.S., a country that was founded by immigrants and historically has played a central role in human rights, has not ratified many of the human rights treaties, Neubeck explained.
But he reminded the audience that human rights are inalienable; they can neither be given or taken away.
“Euphemisms cannot be used to bypass legal obligations,” he said, quoting the U.N.
Neubeck believes Eugene is the perfect community to fight for human rights. “Help us institutionalize hope and preserve it for other generations,” he said.
The discussion began not with a discussion of human rights abuse abroad, but of rights abuses here in the U.S.
Carmen Urbina, a community coordinator of Eugene’s 4J School District and a human rights activist, described her own shocking personal account with racism.
When her family emigrated from Honduras, she was immediately placed in special education simply because she didn’t speak English. She recalled living in fear and being racially demeaned.
“It is not fair for a 4-year-old to be called a dirty Indian, to be told to go back home,” Urbina said.
She remembers that her father worked night and day to provide for the family, then immigration officials jailed her parents and put Urbina in foster care for a month, after which she and her family were deported. She stressed with sarcasm her new status as an international student years later. Now a United States citizen, Urbina said the experience hasn’t changed who she is.
“I am still that girl who knows racism… I know what the stigma of being undocumented feels like.” she said. “We have issues in this community as well, with a continuation of culturally based stereotypes by color of skin, with blaming and judging our neighbors, and with generational poverty.”
She feels that the immigrant community has never come under as much attack as today. “Immigrants are seen as the new terrorists, and they are treated as terrorists… but they don’t know us… person by person, we need to start educating them.”
Still, as an activist she is hopeful. “We need to fight and destroy big lie that we don’t have a voice, not saying we will create a revolution — but yes it could be a silent revolution… right now we have the opportunity to dream, we have possibility of making Eugene a human rights city… we need help now,” Urbina said.
Siempre Amigos is one of the organizations that Urbina feels “provide so much light to our community.” The organization aims to provide education, technical orientation, language skills, and mental as well as family services.
For now, the Siempre Amigos is still young, and it is currently training management and finding grants to fund the pilot program. According to Pena, 30 to 40 percent of Hispanics in the U.S. lack health insurance, as their low wages are clearly not enough to pay for it. The organization hopes to provide basic low-cost medicine and doctor services, as well as an office of legal advice for immigrants within the next three years.
Pena will also accept help from students with open arms. While students aren’t able to handle a whole case, he explained, they can certainly help explain the complicated immigration laws and advise immigrants how to live “above ground.”
Pena stressed that the biggest problem immigrants face is learning the language. “They need English to be able to ask questions,” he said. Many go for years living an underground lifestyle and ignoring the mainstream social structure.
When asked about the adult school service that provides free English courses, Pena responded that many immigrants simply aren’t aware of these opportunities. “They are afraid… they need to be set on the right course from the beginning and they need instruction on what to expect… when they adjust to society they are in a better position to negotiate,” Pena said.
For now the activists are but a close few, but they are already celebrating their cooperation and accomplishments. One could feel the great sense of love and community during the evening potluck and entertainment, which Siempre Amigos hopes will spread the word. Community member Azra Khalidi said, “It’s a small gathering and it’s a small voice, but I hope it grows bigger.”