By Juan Estrada
“They are not our friend, believe me, they’re bringing drugs. they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
-Donald Trump
Living in San Jose comes with benefits for those who are undocumented. San Jose being a sanctuary city has provided safety for those who fear of being arrested for not having an “identity” by reducing cooperation with the national government that deals with immigration. In this case, the Latin community in San Jose are strength in numbers and support one another through the discrimination.
But the fear of having everything you have worked for taken from you in a second is what many undocumented people of San Jose have in mind. Trump has insulted Mexico and Mexicans many times in his speeches. The truth about these people is that they came here to have a better life for themselves and their children without causing any harm to no one.
In a recent article by The Mercury News on immigration,talks on San Jose’s endeavor to rebuke Trumps hard talk on sanctuary cities and addresses the rumors of federal raids being imminent. San Jose’s Vice Mayor Magdalena Carrasco, states “We are prepared and you are not alone” addressing the following rumors of ICE in San Jose. Our mayor being a voice for those who are undocumented and most vulnerable has a great impact on our Latin community since we feel that safety from someone who has authority.
In order to pay bills, working seven days a week is the only option to maintain their stability for some. Looking for a decent job is very difficult since many jobs require an official social security number to apply. The jobs that some undocumented people have are very grueling and require lots effort compared to other jobs a US citizen can get.
Lupe Rodriguez, a mother of three and a San Jose resident for twenty years, has feared getting deported and losing her job for being undocumented since she has been in the United States.
Lupe says “the three things I fear the most on a daily basis is losing my job, getting sent back to Mexico, and being discriminated by society. The discrimination against Mexicans is very alive in the United States but I feel like our community does a good job of blocking those negative ideas of us.”
She says “moving to San Jose from Mexico has provided me a job that pays me enough so that our family has the basic necessities. Overall this city has benefited me and my family by providing me a job to maintain family and have a roof over my head.”
Local programs in San Jose like De-Bug helps and gives advice to undocumented on what to do when encountered by the police. Elizabeth Gonzalez, an administrative at De-Bug, is motivated to fight for her people due to the historical struggles for freedom in the United States.
Liz says “We have created a model here at De-Bug after years of work with families called Participatory Defense. It is replicated in multiple cities across California and multiple states across the country.” De-Bug defends people usually with a public defender and protects them against injustice.
When asking Liz on how San Jose being a sanctuary city benefits the people, she replied with “Being a sanctuary benefits the entire community because it means that we don’t draw a distinction on who deserves to feel safe-we all deserve that regardless of our status.”
I believe that the Trump Administration has generated a lot of hatred compared to when other republicans ran the office. Racism has always existed but now it seems a bit more visible. Much of the undocumented community in San Jose came here to leave the corruption and violence from their home country and actually make a living off their labor, like Lupe Rodriguez. Overall, the Latinx community in San Jose has been a huge part of the city and have blocked off the negative stereotypes stirred up by the Trump Administration.
“They are not our friend, believe me, they’re bringing drugs. they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
-Donald Trump
Living in San Jose comes with benefits for those who are undocumented. San Jose being a sanctuary city has provided safety for those who fear of being arrested for not having an “identity” by reducing cooperation with the national government that deals with immigration. In this case, the Latin community in San Jose are strength in numbers and support one another through the discrimination.
But the fear of having everything you have worked for taken from you in a second is what many undocumented people of San Jose have in mind. Trump has insulted Mexico and Mexicans many times in his speeches. The truth about these people is that they came here to have a better life for themselves and their children without causing any harm to no one.
In a recent article by The Mercury News on immigration,talks on San Jose’s endeavor to rebuke Trumps hard talk on sanctuary cities and addresses the rumors of federal raids being imminent. San Jose’s Vice Mayor Magdalena Carrasco, states “We are prepared and you are not alone” addressing the following rumors of ICE in San Jose. Our mayor being a voice for those who are undocumented and most vulnerable has a great impact on our Latin community since we feel that safety from someone who has authority.
In order to pay bills, working seven days a week is the only option to maintain their stability for some. Looking for a decent job is very difficult since many jobs require an official social security number to apply. The jobs that some undocumented people have are very grueling and require lots effort compared to other jobs a US citizen can get.
Lupe Rodriguez, a mother of three and a San Jose resident for twenty years, has feared getting deported and losing her job for being undocumented since she has been in the United States.
Lupe says “the three things I fear the most on a daily basis is losing my job, getting sent back to Mexico, and being discriminated by society. The discrimination against Mexicans is very alive in the United States but I feel like our community does a good job of blocking those negative ideas of us.”
She says “moving to San Jose from Mexico has provided me a job that pays me enough so that our family has the basic necessities. Overall this city has benefited me and my family by providing me a job to maintain family and have a roof over my head.”
Local programs in San Jose like De-Bug helps and gives advice to undocumented on what to do when encountered by the police. Elizabeth Gonzalez, an administrative at De-Bug, is motivated to fight for her people due to the historical struggles for freedom in the United States.
Liz says “We have created a model here at De-Bug after years of work with families called Participatory Defense. It is replicated in multiple cities across California and multiple states across the country.” De-Bug defends people usually with a public defender and protects them against injustice.
When asking Liz on how San Jose being a sanctuary city benefits the people, she replied with “Being a sanctuary benefits the entire community because it means that we don’t draw a distinction on who deserves to feel safe-we all deserve that regardless of our status.”
I believe that the Trump Administration has generated a lot of hatred compared to when other republicans ran the office. Racism has always existed but now it seems a bit more visible. Much of the undocumented community in San Jose came here to leave the corruption and violence from their home country and actually make a living off their labor, like Lupe Rodriguez. Overall, the Latinx community in San Jose has been a huge part of the city and have blocked off the negative stereotypes stirred up by the Trump Administration.