Date: 2008-04-28
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Thirteen people from Purdue University and the surrounding community will experience life at the U.S.-Mexico border next month as part of the Purdue Latino Cultural Center's inaugural Humanigration trip. LCC director Maricela Alvarado said the goal of the May 11-17 trip is to immerse participants in the immigrant experience and other issues such as globalization.
(Media-Newswire.com) - WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Thirteen people from Purdue University and the surrounding community will experience life at the U.S.-Mexico border next month as part of the Purdue Latino Cultural Center's inaugural Humanigration trip.
LCC director Maricela Alvarado said the goal of the May 11-17 trip is to immerse participants in the immigrant experience and other issues such as globalization.
"With immigration so highly focused in the media today, we would like to provide participants with a firsthand look at immigration in relation to Mexico," Alvarado said. "We hope that participants will help us build momentum in educating the broader community on the immigration issue and encourage others to critically think about it rather than being fed information through media outlets that only reveal part of the story."
LCC program coordinator Gilberto Corral said he hopes participants gain a fresh perspective on the immigration issue.
"It's important to bring back the human aspect to the debate," he said. "So much of the time we just hear about big numbers and opinions, but human beings are affected. It's good to let students and community members see the people and see that what happens has a long-lasting impact."
BorderLinks, a nonprofit organization that offers experiential educational seminars along the boarder focusing on immigration and global economics, is working with LCC on the trip.
"We've been wanting to do a cultural/educational trip for a while and just haven't found the right fit," Alvarado said. "The collaboration with BorderLinks works so well in providing not only a cultural experience but also a truly educational one that hits so many issues related to the growth of the Latino population in the U.S."
After an orientation with BorderLinks on May 11, Humanigration participants will meet with representatives of the Border Patrol and the Minuteman Project. The Border Patrol is part of the Homeland Security Department and guards U.S. borders. The Minuteman Project is a private organization begun in 2005 to monitor the flow of illegal immigrants from Mexico into America at the border.
The group also will:
* Stay in a squatters' settlement in Nogales, Mexico.
* Perform volunteer work and community organizing.
* Visit an immigrant liftoff point and meet with Mexican border officials, called Grupo Beta, Mexico.
* Meet with representatives of Humane Borders and visit with the Tohono O'odham nation about Native American reservation border concerns. Humane Borders is an interdenominational faith organization that offers humanitarian assistance through more than 70 emergency water stations on and near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Alvarado said the center has worked to keep the cost of the trip low.
"Trip costs are actually $1,300 to $1,400 per person, but we've provided some assistance to make it affordable, especially for students," she said. "Students are only paying $400. It's expensive, and we're eating a lot of the costs, but we think it's worth it to make it more affordable so more students can participate."
The group has been preparing for several weeks.
"We've had a few sessions to help answer questions for participants and also to help them get better oriented with the information so they are able to ask good questions and process some information prior to the experience of the trip," Alvarado said. "A requirement for each participant is to read 'The Devil's Highway,' by Luis Urrea. Luis has spoken several times at Purdue, and we were surprised to see that BorderLinks was also using the book as a reference for their participants."
"The Devil's Highway" is a nonfiction work that tells the story of several people crossing the Sonoran desert and their experiences.
Purdue students, alumni, staff and faculty, community and LCC staff will make the trip. LCC staff, the Latino Faculty and Staff Association, the Purdue Latino Alumni Organization, and the Office of the Provost nominated trip participants.
Those participating in the trip are Purdue students Alejandra Roman, a junior in consumer and family sciences; Luis Balcazar, a sophomore in liberal arts; Melissa Fontanez, a senior in liberal arts; Abelardo Molina, a senior in aviation technology; Eduardo Ontiveros, a senior in consumer and family sciences; Chelsea Hayes, a freshman in liberal arts; Ivy Tech student Ivan Hernandez; Purdue alumna Christa Wessells; Purdue staff member Mike Piggott; Cathy Potter, co-chair of the Tippecanoe County League of Women Voters Immigration Reform Study Committee; and LCC staff members Corral, Oliver Beatty and Alvarado.
Alvarado said the LCC is planning a second Humanigration trip next year over spring break, March 15-21.
Writer: Greg McClure, (765) 494-9394, gmcclure@purdue.edu
Sources: Maricela Alvarado, (765) 494-2530, alvaradm@purdue.edu
Gilberto Corral, (765) 494-2530, gcorral@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu