Senior Kamilah Roca-Datzer traveled to Washington D.C. Nov. 6-8, 2021, to present her talk “Closed Borders: Reality of Migration in a COVID19 World” to more than 1,000 students attending the Ignatian Family Teach-In. Staff from Campus Ministry and the Center for Service and Action took students to the annual conference for high school and college students from around the country who are passionate about “putting faith into action to build a more just world.”
Roca-Datzer’s presentation highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic has created even more of a divide between those who are privileged and those who face economic hardships. She recalled that last year, on a virtual De Colores trip, Roca-Datzer met a woman, Eluteria, whose family fled Nogales, Mexico, seeking asylum after her parents were killed by a drug cartel. For over one year, Eluteria has been hoping for her trial but the government has put a hold on all asylum hearings. “Wealthy foreigners are flooding to the U.S. to get vaccinated, said Roca-Datzer. “And, in the meantime there’s people who are in very real danger and face life or death situations outside of our borders, who have been waiting over a year to get the opportunity to feel safe,” said Roca-Datzer.
Born in Bolivia, Roca-Datzer is an immigrant herself, and said, although she became a U.S. citizen three years ago, she still feels afraid. “There’s always a fear that any policy that’s overturned could take my citizenship away from me,” said Roca-Datzer. “It’s something that’s never going to go away, even though I know I am a citizen, I should be as equal, as everyone else but I don’t feel that way.” Roca-Datzer aspires to go to medical school and be a doctor to serve underprivileged communities. She said the Ignatian Family Teach-In was rejuvenating to hear from students and professionals who are committed to social justice issues.
Alyssa Perez with the Center for Service and Action and Josh Mayfield, a campus minister, each said this experience has a lasting impact on students. “Our Jesuit tradition offers so many tools for those seeking to truly live out a faith that does justice,” said Perez. “We are all called to care about the people around us and the teach-in reminds us not only about how to do that, but why we do that in the first place — because we belong to each other and are called to love one other.” Mayfield said that while the presentations are exceptional, to him, the best part is having the students to see they are not alone in their work for justice. “They see professionals, peers and high school students who really care about social justice,” said Mayfield. “It’s a recharge that they are not alone in this battle for social justice and this can really continue to be a part of their life’s work.”
While in Washington, D.C., the students visited several historical sites to historic and cultural sites including the African American Civil War Memorial, Carter G. Woodson Memorial Park, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. LMU students also participated the annual Ignatian Family Teach In Public Witness in front of the Capitol and a vigil in front of the White House, joining peers from Jesuit high schools and colleges around the country to show their commitment in advocating for more just and humane immigration and environmental policies.
