Is Life a Bowl of Cherries?

Fidel "Butch" Montoya


Far beyond the headline news of the largest Federal immigration raid totaling close to 400 individuals in the history of the United States, there is another important story not getting near the attention it should.

It is the sad story of lies and abuse of immigrants on the harvest trail. A story of expectations and hope promised, and nothing but uncertainty and fear delivered.

The United Farm Workers are trying to raise awareness about the plight of the workers and their families who recently left Washington State and who were promised jobs in the cherry orchards near Shafter, California. They left Washington State after Stemilt Growers Company promised them jobs in California. They packed what belongings they had, and traveled expecting to the find the jobs promised and to be able to provide for their families.

Now what would you do if you were promised a job in another state by the world’s largest supplier of freshly picked cherries? If I didn’t have a job, and Stemilt Growers Company promised me a job, I would take the company’s word and promise of a job and move to where I could take care of my family.

The problem is when they arrived in California, the jobs promised didn’t exist. There was no housing, places to shower or bathe, unless you wanted to bathe with the ducks and fish in a water hole?


As for sleeping arrangements, they did’t exist either. Some workers slept in their cars, others found cardboard boxes, and others simply slept out in the open. If you were lucky, you might have spelt in a tent.

To make matters worse, only a handful of the immigrants were hired and the rest were told to hang around and maybe more jobs would open up.

Now with no jobs, no expectation of getting one, little or no money left over from their trip, no housing, and nothing but uncertainty left, they were told they could camp out in the orchards.

They went public with their plight and complained to the news media which covered their story. Backed by the United Farm Workers, the news media exposed the problems facing the unemployed immigrants.

Angry and upset,representatives from Kyle Mathison Orchards/Stemilt Growers Company called the sheriff department to get the migrants out of the orchards. Now with the cherry growers throwing them out, there was no hope.

Now imagine this, this company claims to treat workers fairly. What is fairness when you provide no housing, no jobs, and broken promises and the company calls the sheriff department to throw you out or have you arrested?

This is what is wrong with companies that claim to take care of workers. First off, Stemilt Growers Company claims to take care of workers? When Kyle Mathison Orchards promises more jobs than they know they will be able to fill, yet they continue to promise jobs, when in fact, they knew there are really not enough jobs.

This is an abuse and the lack of very basic worker’s protections just allows companies to take advantage of workers with little or no regard for the worker. This is wrong, and in the scope of issues facing migrant workers, this one is very real to the workers traveling a great distance only to find out the promised jobs simply do not exist.

So while the nation watches the ramifications of the largest immigrant raid in our country in disgust and awkwardness, not knowing what to do, farmer workers far from the national headlines and public awareness, are left in a hopeless situation as well.

The sad part of this story is, that as long as immigration reform is ignored and worker protections laws are not put in place, immigrant workers will continue to be displaced in society, and will continue to suffer in a climate of fear, hatefulness, prejudices, and racism.

It is time for a reasonable resolution for comprehensive immigration reform. We cannot keep playing games with immigrant workers lives. We need a new national affirmation to work together to find a solution to this disgraceful stain of injustice on our Constitution.

Or maybe we need to start a boycott of cherries from the Mathison Orchards/Stemilt Growers Company – supposedly the “largest shipper of fresh-market sweet cherries in the world.”

Fidel “Butch” Montoya
H. S. Power & Light – Latino Faith Based Initiative

Hispanic Christian leaders in Denver pray in unity against racism

Francisco Miraval

Dozens of Hispanic Christian leaders, as well as Christian leaders from different ethnicities and nationalities, and more than 200 brothers and sisters from several local congregations, gathered on Monday, May 5, during the evening at a church in west Denver to pray in unity for God’s intervention against racism and to confess and ask God’s forgiveness for the racism and the discrimination that still exist among Latinos and inside the churches.

“Only when we put the Kingdom of God’s culture above our own culture and language, only when we recognize and confess our own sin of racism, and only when we ask God for His supernatural intervention, only then there will be a solution to the immigration crisis in our country,” said Pastor Arturo Vargas, of Centro Cristiano Amistad, and member of the advisory board of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC).

The meeting began with a meditation brought by Pastor Mario Mencos, of Ministerios Internacionales El Shaddai, where the event took place. After reading selected verses from Isaiah 60, Mencos urged the congregation to realize “we have our responsibility to build the Kingdom.”

Then, Pastor Jude del Hierro, of Confluence Ministries, led the congregation in a time of worship. And Pastor Dennis Rivera, District Superintendent of the Central Latin American District of the Assemblies of God (headquartered in Denver) spoke about “the reasons why we are here tonight.”

Rivera emphasized the need to acknowledge racism for what it is, a sin, and to acknowledge that “we, as Hispanics and as Christians, should confess and repent from the racism in our community and in our churches.”

Rivera also explained that earlier that same day, Christian men and women from the United States and from Mexico, representing many different races, prayed together at the international bridge between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, under the leadership of Dr. Cindy Jacobs, as a symbolic act of asking God to put an end to racism.

Pastor Michael Walker, of Church in the City, in Denver, brought the message from the Word of God. Walker, born in a Jewish family (his grandfather was a rabbi), spoke about Galatians 3:28, reminding the congregation that “we are one in Jesus Christ.”

Walker shared his own experience of being discriminated against, first for being a Jew and later, after accepting Christ as his Lord and Savior, by the Jewish people. But, he said, “He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.” (Ephesians 2:14)

Pastor Vargas then led the congregation during a time of prayer and consecration, asking publicly forgiveness for racism, discrimination, and ungodly attitudes Hispanics and Christian Hispanic people show against people from other ethnicities and nationalities.

Vargas asked Pastor Joseph Nsabimbona, of Burundi (Africa), and assistant pastor at Church in the City, to come to the pulpit and asked him to forgive the discrimination from Hispanics to African and African American people.

“I have been discriminated many times in my life, but this is the first time anybody ask for forgiveness. Today, you, the Hispanic people, lifted a heavy load from my back,” Nsabimbona said.

Vargas then asked for forgiveness form Pastor Scott Carranza, of Crossroads of the Rockies, representing the White people; from Pastor Rivera, representing Mexican-American people; and from Pastor Walker, representing the Jewish people.

After an intense time of consecration with the whole congregation kneeling at the altar, asking for God’s forgiveness and for His guidance for the future, Pastor Walker closed the service reciting in Hebrew the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:22-27).

“Today has been a historic day for the people of God in Denver. Today, in unity, we have pierced the darkness,” Walker declared.

Such was the blessing and the movement of the Holy Spirit at the meeting, that local Hispanic Christian leaders are already working to organize similar events in the near future.

Francisco Miraval is the director of Hispanic Group of the US Christian Chamber of Commerce and a member of the NHCLC board.

Dirigentes cristianos hispanos de Denver oran en unidad contra el racismo

Francisco Miraval

Decenas de dirigentes cristianos hispanos, acompañados por más de 200 hermanos de distintas congregaciones y por representantes cristianos de varios grupos étnicos oraron en unidad el pasado lunes 5 de mayo para pedirle a Dios que intervenga en contra del racismo y para confesar y pedir perdón por el racismo y la discriminación que aún existe dentro de la iglesia y dentro del pueblo hispano.

“Solamente cuando pongamos la cultura del Reino de Dios por encima de nuestra cultura y de nuestro idioma, cuando reconozcamos y confesemos nuestro propio pecado de racismo, y cuando pidamos unidos en oración la supernatural intervención de Dios, entonces tendremos una solución para la crisis inmigratoria”, dijo el Pastor Arturo Vargas, del Centro Cristiano Amistad, y miembro del consejo asesor de la Conferencia Nacional de Líderes Cristianos Hispanos (NHCLC, en inglés).

El encuentro comenzó con un meditación del Pastor Mario Mencos, de Ministerios Internacionales El Shaddai, donde tuvo lugar la reunión. Sobre la base de versículos selectos de Isaías 60, Mencos exhortó a los presentes a recordar la responsabilidad que nos compete de construir el reino.

Tras un momento de alabanza bajo la dirección del Pastor Jude del Hierro, de Ministerios Confluencia, el Pastor Dennis Rivera, superintendente del Distrito Central Latino Americano de las Asambleas de Dios (con sede en Denver), compartió “las razones por las que estamos aquí”.

Rivera enfatizó la necesidad de reconocer que el racismo es pecado y que, como hispanos y como cristianos, debemos confesar y arrepentirnos por el racismo dentro de nuestra comunidad y dentro de nuestras iglesias.

Rivera también explicó que ese mismo día, por la mañana, hombres y mujeres de Dios tanto de Estados Unidos como de México, y de distintas razas, habían estado orando en el puente internacional entre Laredo y Nuevo Laredo, bajo la dirección de la Dra. Cindy Jacobs, como un acto simbólico de clamor a Dios para que se termine el racismo.

La predicación de la Palabra de Dios estuvo a cargo del Pastor Michael Walker, de Iglesia en la Ciudad, en Denver. Walker, de origen judío, tomó el versículo de Gálatas 3:28 para indicar que “todos nosotros somos uno en Cristo Jesús”.

Walker compartió su propia experiencia de discriminación, primero por ser judío y luego, tras entregarse a Cristo, por su propio pueblo. Pero, dijo Walker, “Cristo es nuestra paz, derribando la pared intermedia de la separación” (Efesios 2:14).

El Pastor Vargas dirigió entonces a los presentes en un momento de oración y de consagración, pidiendo públicamente perdón por actitudes racistas, discriminatorias e intolerantes de los hispanos y de los cristianos hacia personas de distintos grupos étnicos y nacionalidades.

Vargas invitó al Pastor Joseph Nsabimbona, de Burundi (Africa) y pastor asociado de Iglesia en la Ciudad, para pedirle perdón por la discriminación de los hispanos hacia los africanos y afroamericanos.

“Me discriminaron muchas veces en mi vida. Pero ésta es la primera vez que me piden perdón. Hoy ustedes, los hispanos, quitaron de mi espalda una pesada carga”, comentó Nsabimbona.

A continuación, Vargas hizo lo mismo con el Pastor Scott Carranza, de Crossroads of the Rockies, en representación de los blancos; el Pastor Rivera, representando a los méxico-americanos, y con el Pastor Walker, en nombre de los judíos.

Luego de un intenso momento de consagración en el que toda la congregación se acercó al altar para, de rodillas, pedir perdón y buscar la dirección de Dios, el Pastor Walker concluyó el servicio recitando, en hebreo, la bendición sacerdotal de Números 6:22-27.

“Hoy ha sido un día histórico para el pueblo de Dios en Denver. Hoy, en unidad, hemos quebrado las tinieblas”, declaró Walker.

Debido a la bendición y al movimiento del Espíritu Santo que trajo esta reunión, ya se están planificando eventos “de unidad” similares para el futuro cercano.

Francisco Miraval es el director del Grupo Hispano de la Cámara de Comercio Cristiana de Estados Unidos y miembro de la mesa directiva de la NHCLC.

Marriage, The Democratic National Convention and Latinos

Marriage and family advocates to rally during DNC
By Electa Draper
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 05/13/2008 04:13:29 PM MDT


The Alliance for Marriage Foundation and the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders announced today they will host a rally in support of traditional marriage and family in Denver during the Democratic National Convention.

The Catholic Latino association's executive board, which includes Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput and San Antonio Archbishop Jose Gomez, is working with prominent national Latino leaders to encourage the Democratic Party "to stand up for marriage."

The Democratic Party has deviated from its commitment to the institution in the last 20 years, said Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Jr. of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

"When mom and dad are in the home it is the primary antidote to the Latino dropout rate, proliferation of gang activity, drugs and a number of social ills," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez, an adviser to Alliance for Marriage, said that while the groups are in favor of every single American's civil rights; the party needs to affirm that the institution of marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman.

"We don't want anyone touching that because it works for our community," Rodriguez said.

The Virginia-based Alliance for Marriage and CALL, founded in September and based in San Antonio, say they are nonpartisan coalitions that include religious and business leaders, civil rights advocates and legal experts.

Rodriguez said that Democratic candidates are expected to receive a greater percentage of Latino votes than in past recent elections. It could be more than 60 percent, he said.

The planned rally would encourage Latino voters to urge leaders to protect marriage, he said.

Where are the Mighty Men of Valor?

There is another story in the Arizona Republic today (May 8) about the ICE raid on April 12 against a group of men out on a religious retreat. But even after the April 12th arrests of the men who were part of a Christian men's retreat...the Latino Evangelical Church outside of Arizona remains outrageously silent.

Oh Church, where is the righteous indignation and condemnation of the injustice toward God's mighty men of valor?

Can we hear from churches from across this nation that will take a stand against the arrests and deportations...and the jailing of the Pastor Maldonado for almost two weeks in jail?

What about the pastor's 12 year old who witnessed the insensitive work of law enforcement and ICE? What a nightmare for this young man to have see. To watch ICE agents mistreat and disrespect his father...who is a Man of God? How can we not be shocked and angered?

Yes, they have the authority to arrest, but where is the discretion these officers could have used?? When we allow these agents to interfer with our religious worship, prevent others from singing and praying in public, and arresting and deporting the men straight from the campground and we remain silent and hidden from the authorities, something is terribly wrong?

What about the families that expected the fathers, husbands, brothers in the Lord to come back excited and inspired to serve the Lord? Instead the shock and fear of their loved one being detained and deported must have been a horrific shock for the families.

Now the whole valley of churches in this part of Arizona are stunned and afraid of further police action against them. And can you blame them? Not one other church outside of this valley that I have read has taken a public stand against this police action.

If it can happen in Arizona, it can happen to any church, in any city, or in any state in the Union!

We are facing perilous times...and with the silence of the good people against the evil committed against the Church, this is not acceptable anywhere!

I say stand up now and stand against this injustice and insane action by the county law enforcement and ICE in Arizona against the Church.

What has to happen to our Church before we stand up and say enough? Do we understand the ramifications this has across the country? We need to send the message loud and clear to ICE that they stay away from our Churches which represent the House of God.

Where are the mighty men of valor that will stand and be ready to defend the Gospel with the Churches in Arizona?

Pastor Maldonado said they were "terrified." We should all say we are "TERRIFIED and "rightiously angered and opposed" to this injust treatment of good people...good Christian people!

Wake up Latinos! Wake up Church!

Read the news story down below....after the SAVE Act news article,

Fidel "Butch" Montoya
H. S. Power & Light - Latino Faith Based Initiative

SAVE ACT Perpetuates Immigration Debacle

Please read this Op Ed piece written by Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, America's Preeminent Hispanic Christian Organization. The OP-Ed piece appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and subsequent papers, blogs and sites.

SAVE Act perpetuates, rather than reforms, our immigration policy
By Samuel Rodriguez Jr. - San Francisco Chronicle, Op-ed
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - Web Link
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April 14, 2008

Expressions of hatred and xenophobia toward immigrants, at an all-time high, are producing widespread fear in the Latino community. Unfortunately, the echo of a hate-filled climate is now making its way through Congress. Anti-immigrant forces in the House are capitalizing on fears and stereotypes to push the SAVE Act, a bill that would throw more money at our broken immigration system instead of engaging in the hard work of meaningful reform.

The SAVE Act is touted by proponents as an "enforcement" bill, but it would in fact put us on a slow, painful path toward detention and deportation. The bill is championed by hard-line groups that advocate a strategy called "deportation by attrition." As it sounds, this philosophy espouses making the lives of immigrants and their families so difficult that they simply give up and self-deport.

This approach is inhumane and unworkable for a variety of reasons. First, the SAVE Act would require local police to enforce immigration law, a policy that deters immigrants from reporting crimes and diverts police time away from serious threats to public safety. It would allocate millions of dollars for the construction of 8,000 additional detention beds for immigrants awaiting deportation.

Second, the legislation drastically expands an employer verification system that is wrought with errors - 17.8 million, according to the Social Security Administration itself. Forcing employers to verify eligibility status of their workers before this database is updated could jeopardize the jobs of millions of U.S.-born and immigrant workers alike, whose information has been entered incorrectly in the system.

Enforcement of our nation's borders is essential, as is holding employers accountable for hiring undocumented workers. However, if enacted without a legalization program for workers already here, these measures would seriously threaten the livelihoods of immigrants and their children around the country. What is more, the SAVE Act does not realistically address our labor needs and makes no attempt to provide a legal workforce for employers who want to do the right thing.

In an election season where vulnerable politicians fear looking soft on immigration, the SAVE Act already has a hefty 151 co-sponsors, 10 of whom are from California. In the Latino community, we regret that politicians are attempting to score political points at the expense of immigrants who have come here only to work and create a better life for their families.

We can do better. At a time when all remaining presidential candidates promote humane and effective approaches to fix our immigration system, it is time that Congress recognizes that scapegoating immigrants is not the right approach. It plays to the fears of Americans, instead of our past as a nation of immigrants and our capacity to build strong communities together.

This country was built on the contributions of generations of immigrants. We should not allow Congress to turn our backs on this legacy and take us down a road that would create more fear in our communities and push immigrant families further into the shadows. Our leaders should pursue legislation that embodies our best values - reuniting families, strengthening the economy and restoring the rule of law.

Samuel Rodriguez Jr. is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, America's largest Hispanic Christian organization

ICE Crackdowns on Churches

ARIZONA REPUBLIC: Illegal-immigrant crackdowns have Valley churches on edge
Worshipers deported after retreat

by Daniel González - May. 8, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Once a month, Manuel Maldonado leads a group on a spiritual retreat to the mountains in central Arizona, where out in nature members feel closer to God.

But an April 12 retreat to a campground near Prescott was devastating to the group.

A camper complained the group was making too much noise. Yavapai County sheriff's deputies arrived, questioned the church members about their citizenship and called federal immigration officials. Nine church members, including the pastor, Maldonado, were detained; seven were later deported to Mexico.

"We are brothers who went there to praise God, and they treated us like delinquents," said Maldonado, pastor of Iglesia Cristiana Agape in west Phoenix.

The deportations have sent a shock wave through the large and fast-growing network of Latino evangelical churches in Arizona and across the nation, many of which are filled with undocumented immigrants.

Local pastors fearful of stepped-up immigration enforcement are canceling retreats north of the Phoenix area. Some national church leaders are concerned the deportations could open the door for immigration raids at churches.

The Prescott deportations echoed incidents in the Valley that have raised tensions between church leaders and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. A crime sweep by sheriff's deputies in September resulted in arrests of undocumented day laborers near a church sanctuary in Cave Creek, and another on Good Friday led to arrests of illegal immigrants in east Phoenix.

"We don't feel safe for the Latino people," said Hector Ramirez, pastor of Iglesia Wesleyana in Phoenix. He canceled a trip this weekend to the Assembly of God Camp in Prescott that involved seven Valley Latino evangelical churches and 80 members. The retreat will be at one of the churches.

"We are afraid not only that our undocumented members could be deported but that members with papers could be hassled about their immigration and detained," he said.

Authorities say they aren't targeting church gatherings or churches. The Prescott incident was in response to a noise complaint. The deportations, however, show how local police, even in rural areas, are becoming more aggressive in calling federal authorities when they encounter suspected illegal immigrants.

Retreat plans changed
The men from Maldonado's church originally planned to hold their spiritual retreat near Sedona. They changed plans after hearing that police in northern and central Arizona were cracking down on smugglers transporting loads of illegal immigrants.

They decided instead to hold their retreat at the White Spar Family Campground.

Maldonado said there were 11 men in his group. One also brought his 12-year-old son.

The group arrived at the campground in three vans about 3 a.m. He said some members set up tents; others slept in their vans.

Maldonado said the group started singing and praying around 6 a.m. One member played a guitar.

The church's worship style is loud and animated. But at the campground, Maldonado said, they kept their voices down.

"We were praying and singing very peacefully," he said.

A little after 7 a.m., Yavapai County sheriff's deputies arrived and said someone had complained about noise.

Deputies asked members for identification and, after several showed Mexican ID cards, began asking church members whether they were in the country illegally. After they said yes, a deputy called Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"At this point, we were terrified," Maldonado said.

An ICE official questioned each member over the phone and determined that nine of the 12 were possibly in the country illegally. Deputies handcuffed them and drove them to the Prescott jail in vans, Maldonado said. ICE officials then transported them to Phoenix for processing.

Solitude important
Alfredo Aragon, a Latino Christian missionary, said spiritual retreats are an important aspect of church life. They provide members a chance to worship in solitude away from the distractions of the city, he said. Many congregations hold a retreat once a month in places such as Sedona, Flagstaff, Payson and Prescott, especially during the warmer months, he said.

"(Now), the ones who don't have papers are not going to want to travel to these places," Aragon said.

Local and national church leaders say they are afraid the deportations may open the door for law-enforcement officials to begin conducting immigration raids at churches. Along with schools and hospitals, they have generally been regarded as off-limits.

"The federal government basically had . . . an unstated agreement with the church, with clergy that said, 'We are never going to go into your churches. We are not going to go and ask you to identify who is undocumented. We respect your constitutional right . . . to exercise your religious convictions,' " said Samuel Rodriguez Jr., president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

Rodriguez contends that spiritual retreats are considered by law an extension of churches because, under the U.S. Constitution, people have the right to worship freely.

ICE officials would not comment about Rodriguez's claim that ICE has an unofficial policy not to question people in churches about immigration status.

Rodriguez said he is mobilizing the organization's network of 18,000 Latino Christian churches to call on the three presidential candidates to condemn the deportations.

"If they were all White, and they were making noise and they were celebrating with Celtic music and the local authorities were to come in, would they have asked for proof of citizenship? My inclination is absolutely not," Rodriguez said.

Dwight D'Evelyn, a spokesman for the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, denied deputies racially profiled to question the church members about their citizenship. He pointed out that the deputies were responding to a noise complaint.

D'Evelyn said it is standard procedure for deputies to ask for identification while investigating crimes.

"Whether it is a church group or a bunch of bikers, it doesn't matter," he said.

The Sheriff's Office has a policy against asking crime victims or witnesses about their immigration status. But deputies have discretion to call ICE if they encounter someone they suspect is in the country illegally, D'Evelyn said.

Fighting deportation
Meanwhile, Maldonado is back living with his wife and five children in a trailer park off Buckeye Road and preaching at his 70-member church.

He is the only one of the nine church members detained who is fighting deportation. The last of the nine detainees was released after ICE officials determined he was in the country legally with a work permit.

Maldonado was taken to a federal detention center in Florence, where he spent 17 days.

He was released April 29 after pastors and church members raised $4,000 for his bond. He is awaiting a deportation hearing.