Posted by Jennifer Pietropoali, Domestic workers health Center intern

It’s no secret to anyone who’s been following the news lately that Arizona’s newest attempts to control their national borders, Senate Bill 1070, has caused controversy amongst all levels of society: from families in Arizona, to activists around the nation, all the way up to the politicians in Washington.  The question around the country is, “How do we build enough support to have an effect on this bill? From what angles can we build strength to end up with a positive outcome?”

On Thursday June 10, 2010, four Latina women and children from Arizona took the opportunity to address their testimonies regarding SB1070 to members of Congress as a summons to take action.

 Katherine Figueroa, age 10, made her plea on behalf of children who fear the deputies breaking up their families.  Her parents were jailed four three months and she says that the experience has left her anxious to go to school for fear of returning to an empty house again.

Silvia Rodriguez, age 22, supported her plea based on her accomplishments as a student. She told the story of her parent’s relocation to Arizona on work visas when she was two.  Despite the fact that until she was sixteen and attempting to get a driver’s permit she did not know that their visas had expired and she was not allowed to pursue her permit without documents, Silvia revealed that she still managed to graduate cum laude from Arizona State University (which, she says, made her pay out-of-state tuition because they refused to accept her as a resident of Arizona - regardless of the fact that she had spent 16 years of her life there) and obtain an acceptance to Harvard for a master’s program.

Alma Mendoza presented her testimony of being a mother of three and a survivor of domestic violence that lasted over 15 years.  She called on the congressmen and women to consider the fate of a woman she knew who had been killed by her husband due to her fear of approaching local law enforcement because she was undocumented. 

Finally, Celia Alejandra Alvarez presented a story to those gathered about her time as a detainee in an Arizona jail after having been arrested during a workforce raid.  She told of having her jaw broken by an officer, being called names by male and female officers alike, and suffering ongoing medical problems due to her experience in the prison.  Celia postulated that detaining parents in such a way is dangerous to children because they do not have access then to proper care.  She explained that in her case, her five-year-old son suffered gravely from his asthma because only she knew how to treat him.

The hearing was arranged by the National Domestic Workers Alliance in conjunction with the Domestic workers health Center. The women presented their testimonies under the sponsorship of Congressmen Raul Grijalva of Arizona.

Those wishing to read more about the efforts to protest SB1070 as well as 287 g may find the following useful:

Information regarding the Puente movement can be found at www.puenteas.org , 

www.90daystophoenix.com offers additional testimonies and videos, and

www.azwomenrise.com covers the women’s movement against the bills.