At the end of January this year, I left my employment as a nonprofit executive in Wyandotte County.
Since then, I have determined to renew efforts with my consulting practice during the coming months, as well as seek other professional opportunities.
For more information regarding my consulting practice, please click on the Business page of this blog. Thank you.
Missouri Bishops Issue Statement on Immigration Policy 108-22
January 28, 2008, JEFFERSON CITY, MO “ The Missouri Catholic bishops issued a statement today delivered to Governor Matt Blunt and state legislators calling for an end to rhetoric in which political candidates vie to see who can be tougher on illegal immigrants. The statement urges a more positive discussion of immigrant-related concerns and how our state might best address these issues.
In the statement the bishops recall the Gospel story in which a lawyer asked Jesus “Who is my neighbor?” In response Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, who recognized the neighbor in distress while others ignored him. Even those lacking legal status in our country merit our compassionate response, according to the bishops.
While respecting national sovereignty, the bishops stated “that each person has a basic human right to migrate when faced with circumstances such as persecution, drought, famine or pervasive poverty.” Poverty in Mexico and Central America is so severe, the bishops note, that many people live on one dollar a day or less. Immigrants who cannot support themselves or their families in their home countries often come to find work and to send money back home to their families. The bishops asked “Would we, in their shoes, not do the same?”
The bishops express concern that pending legislation could hinder humanitarian assistance offered by the Catholic Church and other churches to immigrants. Several pending bills would require social services agencies operated by churches but receiving government funds to screen all of their clients to ensure only those with legal status are served by the agency. Such restrictions would work a tremendous hardship on church social services agencies, which generally serve all applicants for assistance from either other government or other sources of funds.
Other bills propose to penalize businesses that unknowingly hire illegal immigrants. There are also bills that direct local law enforcement to enforce national immigration policies as part of their duties. The bishops indicate that this may discourage immigrants from reporting crimes thereby undermining public safety for all.
Several bills require officials at Missouri’s public colleges and universities to certify to legislative appropriations committees that they have not knowingly admitted students unlawfully present in the country. Instead of penalizing these students, the bishops urge that they be allowed to attend Missouri’s public colleges and universities while they seek to obtain permanent legal status. The bishops note that these children have been brought into the country by their parents and the state should not turn its back on them because they lack legal status through no fault of their own.
The bishops call on public officials to consider scriptural values, including openness to immigrants and newcomers to the country, in seeking to further the common good of all people.
–30–
Bishop’s statement
January 28, 2008
Dear Governor, Statewide Officials and State Legislators:
As the 2008 session of the Missouri General Assembly convenes, we take notice that many bills have been filed relating to immigration, while some political candidates vie to see who can be tougher on illegal immigrants. We are deeply troubled by the tone and substance of this debate and urge a new and more positive discussion of immigration-related concerns and how our state might best address these issues.
In the Gospel according to Luke a lawyer, seeking to justify himself and limit his moral responsibility, asked Jesus “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied by telling the story of the Good Samaritan who, unlike the priest and Levite, is moved with compassion to stop along his journey to care for a victim of robbery who has been stripped, beaten and left half dead. (Lk 10: 25-37). The Samaritan recognizes his neighbor.
In Matthew’s Gospel the interlocutors failed to recognize Jesus in the less fortunate and asked “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink.” (Mt 25: 31-46). Most illegal immigrants come from countries where poverty is deep and pervasive. In rural Mexico and Central America many families subsist on one dollar a day or less. The poverty is so severe that people leave their families and homes and even risk death to come to our country. They come to find work and to send money back home to their families. Would we, in their shoes, not do the same?
While respecting the need for national boundaries and orderly migration, the Catholic Church recognizes that each person has a basic human right to migrate when faced with circumstances such as persecution, drought, famine or pervasive poverty. In recognizing this basic human right, the Catholic Church joins with many other churches and organizations in reaching out to immigrants, both legal and undocumented, to provide legal, pastoral, social and emotional support. But this is not solely a responsibility of churches, but of all of society. In this regard, we are reminded of the admonition in the Book of Leviticus: “The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the Land of Egypt: I am the Lord.” (Lv 19: 34).
The current federal immigration system is badly in need of reform. There is a large backlog of pending visa applications, and the federal government often takes years to process individual applications. Applicants often wait for years before they can join the rest of their family in the United States. Even though employers in agriculture, food processing and the domestic service industry have great need for unskilled labor, very few visas are granted for unskilled workers. Despite the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with its promise of greater economic integration and prosperity for the nations of this continent, great disparities in wealth remain between the U.S. and Mexico, spurring a steady migration into our country.
Some have expressed frustration waiting for the federal government to address these issues, but premature action by states and localities will do more harm than good. Requiring local officials to enforce federal immigration laws will discourage immigrants from reporting crimes thereby endangering the entire community. Government intrusion into religious ministries will undermine pastoral and humanitarian aid to immigrants, both legal and undocumented; and it will also spur a host of problems for local communities, such as creating more homelessness. Aggressive campaigns to round up unauthorized immigrants can lead to racial profiling by individuals and businesses seeking to avoid government intrusion and create ethnic tensions in our communities.
The U.S. Catholic bishops have joined with many others in calling for comprehensive reform of our nation’s immigration laws. First, our country must seek to mitigate the causes of international migration by working with poorer nations to improve the economic and living conditions of their citizens. Second, we must recognize that it is neither humane nor practical to deport the estimated 12 million unauthorized immigrants already within our borders. Our country should establish a process whereby immigrants can earn their citizenship. Our immigration allotments need to be more realistic and meet the labor demand of U.S. businesses. By undertaking these steps, our country can replace illegal immigration with an orderly and legal immigration that can improve the ability of government to track people who may truly pose a threat to our national security.
These steps are appropriately addressed by federal legislation and policy rather than by piecemeal enactments by the states. But there are steps that Missouri can take, too. We favor adequate funding to help people learn to speak, read, and write English. We recommend allowing in-state tuition rates for the children of unauthorized immigrants. These children have been brought into our state by their parents or others. They have attended our elementary and secondary schools. We should not turn our backs on them because they lack legal status through no fault of their own. Our state should also offer basic humanitarian assistance, such as food and health care, without regard to legal status.
While you consider immigration policies in the 2008 session of the Missouri General Assembly, we ask that you recall the compassionate response of the Good Samaritan. Our laws and policies should be designed to encourage charity like that offered by the Good Samaritan and thereby further the common good of our state.
Yours in Christ,
the Missouri bishop’s
When I was growing up in the ’50’s, my mother refused to teach me Spanish. Her reason for doing so stemmed from a confrontation that she had with a teacher of one of my older siblings. My siblings solely spoke Spanish in the home. When they went to school, they knew very little English. My mother had come to this country when she was a child and had learned English on her own when she went to school, so she figured her children would do the same. Apparently, the teacher thought different and scolded my mom harshly when the youngest of my older siblings went to school speaking only Spanish. The result was that my mom immediately set down a new law in our home. No one spoke Spanish except her and my dad. We could only speak English. Talk about bilingual education!
Today the New York Times published an article essentially stating that not much has changed in 50 years, although stereotypes and nativist extremist groups espouse an entirely different belief.
For more info click here or copy and paste the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/us/30immig.html?th&emc=th
By the way, I finally learned to speak Spanish in college, from professors who came from Germany and studied in Spain, from a Cuban, a Peruvian, a Bostonian and a Spaniard! The dialects and pronunciations that I learned were confusing! (added to the Spanish I knew from my “bilingual” conversations with my mother)
When I went out to the community and began to speak Spanish, the comments and responses were deflating, so I had to start over and learn it again as it is spoken here in the Midwest.
Think I do okay, all things considering, ¿que no?
Over the past several months, I have read numerous quotes attributed to me, seen snippets of interviews that I gave to the local media and heard myself reviled by local and national radio commentators (Thank you Darla J, Shanin, Parks, Stigall and Boortz) and even by a “rising star” in my own community (who, incidentally, still has a lot to learn - do I sound old or what?)
Really, guys, thanks! I can feel the love.
At one point, fed up with having my statements and opinions manipulated and misquoted, I submitted an editorial to the Star… that they chose not to print. I was told that I had been interviewed “too much”
Hmmm….I guess it is okay for others to frame what I believe, to use what makes their story, to manipulate and sometimes exploit my words and use my statements for their own purposes….but to give me equal time - why that would be unAmerican! Okay, okay…let me point out that this part of the world is America - North and South. America doesn’t have the Rio Grande as its border, ok?
Now, I know what public figures go through…I apologize to every public figure I ever misunderstood. It is hard living in a glass house. Those of you who haven’t experienced it really can’t even imagine.
Any way, below is the editorial that I submitted to the Star for publication. I also submitted an unedited version to the Call, the Globe, KC Hispanic News, and to Dos Mundos. They printed it. Gosh, I love my people! Unfortunately, The Star didn’t see fit to publish it, guess they felt that it wasn’t worth the ink - strange when you consider the large number of hate mails that did see fit to print.
I try not to read the Star that much, except for Lewis Duiguid. I respect Lewis, he knows what principles really are and he stands up for them. It is difficult to be a minority in this town, those who aren’t minority wouldn’t understand. Lewis and his calm demeanor never cease to amaze me! In fact, he is the only local columnist that I read regularly, except for my son. Their words help me bear life as a person of color in the Midwest.
Oh and yes, I love my son very much. I don’t apologize for him, I raised him to have strong opinions. I don’t always agree with him. I respect his right to voice whatever opinion he has - not to sure that I approve of the pix he posts, but - hey! - he’s not a kid anymore and as long as he and his monkey keep the place clean and share the snack cakes - they are can stay in my basement as long as they like. They are great company!
So - here is what I stand for - I am passionate about civil rights and social justice issues. Having been a child of the 50’s, I experienced discrimination first hand in downtown KCMO, at school, on the part of some of the teachers, parents of schoolmates, on the bus, in my neighborhood, when we traveled and when I tried to go swimming or play in the park. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 came when I was entering my teens, Segregation, civil unrest, fear of total world annihilation by Russia and the Vietnam War framed my youth.
It is hard to explain this to those who are younger and never had to really experience discrimination, fear or injustice. You had to live it to believe it. Man’s inhumanity to man is something… I heard that it makes angels weep.
So here is my editorial, I will post other things on this blog soon - it has been dormant too long. I think that education and advocacy are the best weapons available to me at this point. Perseverance helps too.
Mahatma Ghandi said: “What you do might seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it.”
Cesar Chavez said: “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read, you cannot humiliate the person who feels pride, you cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future and the future is us.”
So here is my editorial, submitted to the Star on 9/18/07. I cut off opinions, comments and links. I really don’t want to see them. You have a right to your opinion, I have mine. If you don’t like what I think - then offer it up, keep your comments to yourself and / or stay away from this this blog. That is what the nuns and my mom taught me. “If you can’t say anything nice, keep quiet.”
If you do like what you read and see me out and about, let me know. I appreciate positive feedback and constructive criticism.
Mil gracias!
Editorial that the Star wouldn’t publish…
In just a few months, Mayor Mark Funkhouser has broken several campaign promises he made to the Latino community of Kansas City.
Earlier this year Mayor Funkhouser came to us
seeking support for his campaign. He stated that he was sensitive to the issues we face as a community and hateful immigration laws which profile Latinos were not on his agenda. He stated that municipalities must serve all residents regardless of immigration status. He promised to appoint a “kitchen cabinet” inclusive of people from all segments of our city. He promised to consult with community leaders regularly to ensure his responsiveness.
Yet time and again, he stifled discussion by choosing to hear only those who support him. In effect, he effectively compromised our community by refusing to heed concerns expressed by residents and voters he promised to serve.
The furor regarding Ms. Frances Semler’s appointment
to the Parks Board exposes very real differences regarding diversity and immigration. Illegal immigration is routinely cited in response to our concerns about Minutemen-promoted hatred and divisiveness. While Ms. Semler has a right to her opinions regarding immigration, the ensuing furor over her appointment isn’t about immigration – legal or illegal.
The outcry over Ms. Semler’s board appointment concerns her continued association and active membership in a nativist, extremist organization.
The Minutemen are not Boy Scouts - they carry guns. They are not deputized. They harass those who look different. They engage in ethnic profiling. Their continued focus is only on Latino immigrants from the Southern border. President Bush has decried the group.
Many in our community fear that Ms. Semler’s appointment will be used as a platform to promote racism and bigotry in an arena that affects all Latino families who use KC parks.
Ms. Semler fueled this when she invoked the Minutemen’s mission statement in her recent “As I See It” column. Many Latinos share her views about immigration, but work from within to fix the problem – writing congressmen, lobbying senators and organizing to take positive actions – working on the campaigns of those they believe will lead this country to an inclusive stand on immigration reform. The Mayor painted himself as one of those candidates during the city elections.
By clinging to Ms. Semler’s appointment even after she offered her resignation, the Mayor demonstrated his endorsement of an extremist viewpoint and organization. He failed to fulfill assurances he made to the local Latino community.
The National Council of La Raza, the NAACP and other
civil rights, church and union organizations should not reward bigotry with their dollars.
I hold the Mayor responsible for the image of our city now projected nationally. By refusing to acknowledge or value his Latino constituents’ voices, by failing to bring forth any true resolution, he has shown inept leadership.
Therefore, I apologize to Mr. Brooks for supporting the wrong candidate. We pray for change in the hateful and negative image that Mayor Funkhouser, and the situation he created, has given our city.
Just want to thank all the many people in Kansas City, MO who voted for me on February 27th. I do appreciate your support and want you to know that we did make our voices heard.
When I entered the race so late, I was pretty sure that it would be an uphill battle, but I knew that I would surely lose if I didn’t try at all! I did learn a lot during the process and it is always good to learn something! The next part is take that learning and make change happen as a result.
As for votes and my showing in the race: I believe that for an election race that had all of 45 days to make a dent, we made a valiant effort and left a mark on the political scene in KC, a mark that will only grow more vocal as time goes on and our numbers increase. By this, I am referring to those community members who want experienced people in elected positions and want true diversity at the helm of our city government.
So again, thank you to all those who supported, voted and helped in my campaign. I especially want to thank my son Tony for all his hard work (he really knocked himself out!), my sister Theresa for her moral support (especially for knocking on doors and getting signatures on my petitions), my friends who made donations (small and large), my advisors (who were always there to talk and help strategize) and my faith community (who offered up prayers, helped with signs and really got out the vote!)
¡Que Dios les bendigan a todos!
PS: I do want you to know that since the primary elections, I have been coordinating a Mayoral and City Council Candidate Forum which will be held tomorrow evening Monday 3/12/07 at the Guadalupe Center from 6pm - 8pm in the auditorium of the Center.
COHO — The Coalition of Hispanic Organizations — is sponsoring the forum along with Dos Mundos, KC Hispanic News, La Raza Political Club and the Westside Political Forum Committee. Please come!
I have been involved in community service in Kansas City for my entire adult life, 34 years. I have 14 years experience in city government as an employee, 15 years experience in the nonprofit arena as a nonprofit executive and 34 years as an involved community advocate and activist.
Over the years, I have seen a number of instances where there was a need for change to occur. I am running for City Council because I believe that this position will enpower me to affect positive changes in our city. I believe that I have the experience and knowledge that is necessary to function successfully in this effort.
My three priorities, if elected, are to:
Here is the latest video featuring Rita addressing issues related to crime, community policing and cooperation with the local authorities. During her 34 years of community involvement Rita Valenciano has been proud to work with police in order to make Kansas City a safer place.
Rita decided to have a bit of fun with this video and invoking one of her favorite movies that relates to her campaign quite a bit.
Hope you enjoy the video!!! If you really like it, please share it with a friend.
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