The Journal of the Baptist Peacemaker October-December 2016 - 12

sTorIes oF Peacemakers

Undocumented
continued from page 11
I'm always frustrated when people say, "we are giving a
voice to the voiceless." Here's what goes through my head as
I hear this:
Why are people so unwilling to share the "stage" with other people? Why do people tightly grasp the "microphone" with their very
own hands and don't let other people use the microphone as well?
We can all have a seat at the table. We can all have our
turn at the microphone. We can all speak on our own behalf.
But guess what? We live in a society that's very selective and
particular about what things are put under the spotlight and
how. If my voice is the one that is being heard, I believe I have
a responsibility to look around me and make sure that all the
other voices that need to be there are there, too.
For many years in the undocumented youth movement,
many voices have gone unheard. This is the case for our parents, our UndocuQueer, our UndocuBlack and our UndocuAsian brothers and sisters. There are many more identities
among the undocumented youth, but these are the ones that I
was particularly very personally inspired by. Seeing the diversity
firsthand was a learning and reflective experience for me.
The strength, resilience and power of all of these individuals truly touched me. Some of them shared their stories
from the stage. I strongly identified with most of what they
were sharing, but the most important connection I felt was
with their spirit of perseverance.
Being undocumented in the United States is not easy.
Our experience differs from state to state, and even from city
to city, but there seems to be a common denominator among
us-the fact that we don't give up. We have reached a time in
history where we have to look after ourselves. In the past, we
trusted politicians to do justice on our behalf, but it seems we
have become just another piece in their political game.
We are tired of people playing political football with us.
We are taking our power back. We can no longer blindly trust
either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party to do
justice for our communities. We are now getting our seats at
the table. We are getting our turn at the microphone. We are
speaking on our own behalf. We have left fear behind and are
making our own political plays.
Above all, I don't want to forget that we still have a long
way to go. I don't want to forget that not everyone in the undocumented youth movement has equal representation, equal
voice or equal presence-in our own undocumented spaces,
as well as in political spaces and in the media. I don't want to
forget the reality that my undocumented status is political in
itself. As long as my life is subjected to political scrutiny and
manipulation, I will continue to stay in the fight for true justice
and liberation.

12 Baptist Peacemaker

OCT-DEC 2016

I am only one undocumented individual among many
thousands who are present in the United States. I can only
speak for myself and about my own experience. Therefore, I
urge you to not forget that there are many thousands of voices
that also need to be heard. My story is no one else's, but my
own. We each speak our own truth.
Undocumented is not a black-and-white issue. Undocumented...It's complicated!
-Josué Saldivar has just joined the BPFNA board as a TYAYA (young
adult) representative, and has attended several BPFNA summer conferences. He was born in Agua Prieta, in the Mexican state of Sonora, and
currently lives in Tucson, AZ.

Born in Sin,
Upended in Grace:
a new book by George Williamson

Born in Sin, Upended in Grace is the autobiographical
story of former BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz President
and founding member, george Williamson. Born and raised
in a church environment promoting several -isms (sexism,
militarism, racism, and elitism to name a few), george experienced a phenomenon he calls a "Breakthrough of god."
This breakthrough opened his eyes to the suffering
happening in the US and around the globe and propelled
him into the world of social justice. Readers will be inspired
by george's fascinating story of transformation and will gain
insight into his personal journey as well as insight into the
history and founding of BPFNA.

Order your copy today from the BPFNA store at
www.bpfna.org/equip/store.

http://www.bpfna.org/equip/store

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of the Baptist Peacemaker October-December 2016