Bridging the Border Bulletin

Bridging the Border

November 2021 | Issue 9

A U.S.-Mexico collaboration bringing factual news and critical resources for families on the border. Click here to view our past issues!

Who will build the future?

With this 9th issue of the FESAC Bridging the Border Bulletin, we pay homage to the months of hard work, much of it by volunteers, that has brought education, hope and the prospect of new possibilities to many of the asylum-seeking families who are sheltered in Nogales. In only a few months teachers have been trained and are at work in local shelters, there are 25 iPads to help students gain access to online education, over 250 students are back in school while close to 100 families are active participants. Amazing – and yet there is more.

In July of this summer (link to Emergency Bulletin) there was a dramatic demonstration of the power of partnership in community service that the network of border region NGOs that FESAC and its US partner BCA (Border Community Alliance) have created. When a rampant pandemic, a rapid surge of refugees arriving in Nogales and a frightening flood of the city due to a historic rainstorm all converged on this beleaguered border city – overwhelming all resources for sheltering and caring for these vulnerable families - FESAC put out the cry for help, BCA picked it up and amplified it. In just a few days, this combined effort yielded over $50,000 in donations! An unprecedented effort that enabled the shelters to weather the storm and care for those who had fled to them for safety and support.

As the FESAC border project moves towards growing its work in 2022, it is with the full knowledge that more trials certainly lie ahead. FESAC is confident that this tried and tested coalition of border NGOs and the heroic individuals that serve them will rise to these new challenges. The families who will continue to shelter on the border need that support, and their children deserve it. When it is asked, “who will build the future?” your participation gives the answer.

Bob Phillips, FESAC Sr Advisor

Above, the facade of Casa de la Misericordia’s office boasts a colorful mural painted by director Angelica Macias and asylum-seeking youth. Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones (CMTN) is one of the sites implementing the educational program funded by FESAC Nogales.

The Miracle of Migration: Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition which celebrates the souls of the deceased. The holiday lasts from October 31 to November 2. During this time, the border between the spirit world and the living world disappears, allowing souls to cross over and be reunited with their families. To honor the souls of the dead, ofrendas, or offerings of food, drink, candles, marigolds, and photos are made and displayed on the gravestones or in the homes of the families of the deceased.

For people from Michoacán and the State of Mexico, Monarch butterflies hold a special place in this tradition. To the indigenous peoples in these two states–the Purépecha and the Mazahua –Monarchs represent the souls of dead family members come back to visit during el Día de los Muertos. The holiday coincides with the Monarch’s winter migration from the United States to the forests of Michoacán. They travel thousands of miles to find refuge in the forests of Central Mexico, a place they have never been in their lives. The forests of Mexico offer a safe place for them to survive the winter. So where do these Monarchs belong-- Mexico, the US, Canada? It exemplifies the migrant experience.

There are many beautiful traditions that come from Día de los Muertos, but to me, the coinciding of the holiday with the Monarch migration is a beautiful reminder that Earth has no borders. Watch the video below to learn more about Día de los Muertos and the Monarch migration.

Mariposa Monarca el Día de Muertos en Michoacán (Narrado por Will Smith)

The Monarch butterfly is a well-known symbol of migration. The culmination of their journey south coincides with Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Mexican tradition celebrated on November 2nd. Casa de la Misericordia's executive director, Angelica Macias, shared this video with the attendants of the shelter's celebration.

How Nogales greets, cares for and supports asylum-seeking families

Asylum is desperately sought and so very difficult to obtain. According to a report published by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), 8.5% of the affirmative and defensive asylum applications submitted in 2021 were granted (source). Ten years ago, the grant rate was 23.7%, or almost triple today’s rate.

The chart above indicates the US refugee admissions in orange and refugee resettlement ceilings in blue from 1980 to 2021. Click the chart to be taken to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) site and view more data on immigration over time.

Asylum in Nogales: FESAC’s partner organization Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones (CMTN) has sheltered 580+ asylum seekers since January of 2021. CMTN accepts complete families, single mothers, and women seeking asylum in the US. Approximately 64% of the individuals who pass through Casa de la Misericordia obtain permission to enter the US and start the asylum process.

FESAC’s Tablets and Teachers program makes a difference to asylum seeking families. Selene Maldonado, her husband, and their three children – a Mexican family of five – arrived at CMTN in 2020, having fled from Mexico City due to an increase in violence. They found refuge in various shelters in Nogales before arriving at CMTN, where they spent 11 months waiting for asylum. Selene expressed her deep gratitude for the comfort and hospitality she experienced at CMTN. Other shelters had not treated them as well and did not have any programming for the children. The educational program that made all the difference to Selena and her family came about because in February of 2021, FESAC Nogales launched the Teachers and Tablets campaign to fund an education program for migrant and asylum-seeking children at the border. Selene’s children participated in the program at CMTN. She describes it as “the best opportunity her children could have, in all aspects.”

The mural above resides at the asylum shelter, Casa de la Misericordia, in Nogales, Sonora. The map depicts the route migrants travel to find refuge in the US.

The entire family was going through an emotionally trying time, and the school was a haven for the children. As shelter staff have noted, many of the children do not fully understand why they have fled home. Moreover, the jarring transition results in them losing many of their academic gains. Relearning and strengthening their understanding of concepts in math, science, and language is critical for their transition into US schools.

Selene especially notes the patience of teachers Yesi and Lupita, who are funded by CMTN and FESAC Nogales’s Teachers and Tablets campaign. Currently, all three of Selene’s children are enrolled in local public schools. Her 8- and 10-year-old children are in 2nd and 4th grade; her oldest is enrolled in high school. The positive atmosphere of the school and the FESAC education program helped them recover emotionally from the traumatic events they experienced on the tortuous journey they endured coming to Nogales.

Selene Maldonado (middle), her husband Erick Martínez (right), and their three children (Alyson (top left), Zoe (bottom left), and Kalet Martínez) found refuge at Casa de la Misericordia for 11 months, and are now settled down in Kentucky.

In May of 2021, the family was granted asylum in the US. They were relocated to Kentucky and had to adjust to a new place, language, and culture. Anxious about what they might find, Selene was pleasantly surprised by the successful adjustment her children made to this new environment. Her only regret is that very few people know about Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones and the program that opened the door to a new life for her family. She hopes that word spreads about this place of refuge resting atop a hill in Nogales.

Selene’s interview was conducted in Spanish by Nancy Lopez-Alvarez, FESAC Bulletin Editor, and Lupita Moreno, CMTN educator.

Angelica Macias's Journey to Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones

Angelica Macias (“Lika”), executive director of Casa de la Misericordia (CMTN), is known for her infectious smile.

Angelica Macias was born and raised in Tecalitlán, Jalisco. Her father was a farm laborer and activist who founded the first union in the region’s sugar industry. Her mother was an artist and skilled seamstress, crafting everything from swimsuits to quinceañera dresses. Angelica, also known as Lika, attributes her civil conscience to her father and her spirit of improvement to her mother.

Lika attended a Catholic preparatory academy until she was 14 years old, during which she was exposed to socialist and populist theory. She then studied computer science in university for one year. At 18 years old, she had a transformative experience while on a service mission with a parish in a very impoverished area.

It was Holy Thursday, Lika’s duty was to wash the feet of the townspeople. An older man with bloodied, wounded feet that were missing toes approached her. Hesitant to wash them, she worried the soap and water would sting his wounds. Per his wishes, Angelica washed them carefully. Noticing tears in his eyes, she asked him if he was in pain. “No,” he replied. “This is the first time in my life that I feel God’s presence.” She kissed the tops of his feet and later discovered that he was a leper.

Since that moment, she has committed herself to a life of service. Against her family’s wishes, Angelica joined the Missionary Sisters of the Eucharist that April. She has completed over 20 international mission trips in Mexico, Italy, Russia, and more over the course of 30 years. While in the convent, she studied communications, social work, pedagogy, iconography, and gilding.

Children who previously resided at the shelter helped Lika paint this mural by the driveway of the asylum shelter. The premises are decorated with many colorful murals such as this one.

Her missionary work led her to Casa de la Misericordia where she is now executive director. In 1998, she arrived with her fellow sisters to work with Borderlinks A.C., the parent organization of CMTN. Having been sent to other service missions in 2000, Lika returned to the shelter in 2015 and was soon after named executive director of the shelter.

Unfortunately, what followed was a 5-year legal battle between CMTN and a corrupt organization. Borderlinks would have lost the shelter if it was not for Lika’s perseverance and the surrounding community’s determination to support her. Lika says “the neighborhood believed in me” when recounting the events of those five years. For instance, close friends gave her refuge when she was prohibited from setting foot at the shelter.

Once they won the battle, the donations came pouring in to rebuild what had been lost. Electricity, food, and construction labor are just a few of the in-kind donations CMTN received from organizations Alight and Cruzando Fronteras, who were critical for CMTN in this time. Many past residents also contributed to the shelter’s transformation through the building of bunk beds, outdoor ovens, and grills that are used by asylum seekers today. The shelter is also currently supported by FESAC Nogales, BYTE, and Save the Children.

Lika is embraced by students of the shelter’s education program, funded by FESAC’s Teachers and Tablets campaign. We use happy emojis to protect the identity of asylum-seeking children at CMTN.

This year, FESAC Nogales’s Tablets and Teachers campaign raised more than $13,000 to meet the educational needs of asylum-seeking children at CMTN. The shelter’s education program has also received STEM funding from the Sonoran Ministry of Education. Lika’s inspiring journey to Casa de la Misericordia is a moving testimonial to this community’s tremendous ability to overcome and rebuild against all odds.

Angelica’s interview was conducted in Spanish by Nancy Lopez, FESAC Nogales bulletin editor.

Why Volunteering at the Border Matters

“The thing about volunteering,” Charlie Cutler says, “is that it sometimes leads to a bigger opportunity, and it provides you with experiences in some really cool stuff.”

Left: Charlie Cutler is the executive director of Border Youth Tennis Exchange (BYTE), started in 2015.

In the summer of 2015 Charlie was a Border Community Alliance (BCA) intern. A Master’s student at the University of San Francisco (USF), he was working on his thesis on refugee asylum processing while teaching free tennis classes at two local asylum shelters in Nogales, Sonora.

Deeply inspired by his experience at the border, Charlie worked on a Fulbright application that would allow him to continue providing the free tennis classes to asylum seekers in Nogales, Sonora. Although his 5-year strategic plan was thorough, detailed, and well researched, the application was not approved.

That did not stop Charlie. He used the Fulbright application to fundraise his vision. By 2016, Border Youth Tennis Exchange (BYTE) was running in asylum shelters across Nogales, Sonora. Today, BYTE operates in 9 sites in Ambos Nogales[1] and provides tutoring, virtual courses, and elective courses such as stop motion.

When discussing the Nogales community, Charlie says: “I have a lot of admiration for the groups doing such fabulous and dynamic work that nobody really knows about.” BYTE is one of the 100+ partner organizations that work with FESAC Nogales to make a positive impact in the lives of locals, migrants, and asylum seekers at the border. To learn more about our partner organizations, visit our website.

View Our Website

Click the button above and you will be navigated to a new site, where you can learn more about the partner organizations FESAC Nogales collaborates with.

[1] Ambos Nogales (Both Nogales) refers to the town of Nogales, which rests on both sides of the US-Mexico border. Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora comprise a community that cannot be separated by the wall.

How To Support

Given that this crisis will go on for months, a regular monthly contribution will give FESAC a predictable income stream. If you know people who may be interested in this cause, send them to the FESAC contact on this bulletin or direct them to FESAC Sr Advisor Bob Phillips at rtp1844@gmail.com for further information. Your contribution is tax deductible. It will make the families at the border know that they are not forgotten and that their lives matter!

To support the asylum seeker education program at CMTN, click "Donate Now" and review the instructions below. You will be directed to FESAC's partner organization, BCA. This partnership allows donors to make tax-deductible contributions to Mexican organizations. We work closely with Border Community Alliance (BCA), a US Nonprofit based in Tubac, Arizona, to bring resources, education and hope to the Nogales community.

How to donate to the education program:

You do not need an account to donate through BCA, so you can close the pop-up window
Indicate "asylum seeker education program" in your donor note
Under Campaign, select "Mexican Pass Thru"
Under Mexico Pass Thru select "FESAC Sonoran Community Foundation"

Help us provide quality education to children in border communities so that they can recapture their future!

Donate Now