11th Annual Farmworkers Tribunal
Community to Community Development and Familias Unidas por la Justicia organized 120 farmworkers to speak at the 11th annual Farmworkers Tribunal in Olympia on January 23rd. In this event, farmworkers shared their personal work experiences with legislators and their staff. Listen in on an excerpt from the Farmworker Tribunal and about some of the bills many farmworkers in these organizations supported.
For more from the Farmworkers Tribunal and to listen to other topics concerning farmworkers in Washington state, you can check out the podcast and radio show, Community Voz on KMRE.
Producer: Yuko Kodama (Special thanks to Sofia Garcia, Elias Lopez and Liz Darrow for permission to broadcast excerpts of the Farmworkers Tribunal)
Photo: Community to Community Development
Poor People’s Campaign – Washington State
Reverend Dr. Kelle Brown, Senior Pastor of Seattle Plymouth United Church of Christ and faith tri-chair of the Washington Poor People’s Campaign discusses the history and spirit of the Poor People’s Campaign with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama.
The Washington State Poor People’s Campaign March to Stay Alive will be Saturday, March 2, 2024 at the State Capitol in Olympia at noon. They recommend an RSVP and to view their Covenant of Nonviolence.
Asylum Seekers in Washington State
Border Angels Water Drop
Back in 2019 (like today) immigration was one of the most pressing issues in the United States. There was an often-proclaimed humanitarian crisis at the southern border. And, while the Trump administration was implementing a remain in Mexico policy, those who crossed the border faced life threatening heat and long walks. Border Patrol recognized that 283 people died attempting to cross into the US through the desert in 2018. In the calendar year ending in October of 2021, US Customs and Border Protection recorded 568 deaths, over twice as many.
Mari McMenamin Dana Schuerholz Yuko Kodama met the then Executive Director of the immigration non-profit, Border Angels back in November of 2019. The organization supports mobile schools and shelters at the border for migrants waiting for their asylum claims to be processed. They also lead water drops, trips through the desert where volunteers leave jugs of water to help people survive on their journey through the desert. Here’s their story from a water drop in the Sonoran desert.
Producers: Hans Anderson, Mari McMenamin, Yuko Kodama
Photos: Dana Schuerholz and Mari McMenamin
Your skin color is power!!
Marian Ruiz
Dulce Garcia
James Baldwin
KBCS Producer Kevin Henry brings you a short reflection on the contribution of Writer and Civil Rights Activist, James Baldwin.
Producer: Kevin Henry
Photo: – Own work
DREAMers Moms Tijuana – Yolanda Varona
In 2011, Yolanda Varona was unexpectedly separated from her children at the end of a trip across the border. She was deported to Mexico.
As Varona found ways to connect with her children and worked toward being with them again, she helped other deported mothers to find services and resources. Varona became the Founder and Director of DREAMers Moms in Tijuana, Mexico, as many of the women, Varona worked with were mothers of children with US citizenship or qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), otherwise known as DREAMers.
In 2019, Mari McMenamin, Dana Schuerholz and I traveled to San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico to cover border stories and listened to Varona’s story of deportation and efforts to connect with her daughter.
Producers: Mari McMenamin, Laura Florez. Special thanks to Magdaleno Rose-Avila of Building Bridges for inspiring us to pick up this story and for connecting us to the speakers.
Photos: Dana Schuerholz, Mari McMenamin
Deported Veterans Support House – Hector Barajas
Hector Barajas grew up in the Los Angeles as a lawful permanent resident noncitizen in the United States. In 1995, Barajas enlisted in the Army. During his service he won numerous awards including the Army Commendation Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal. He was honorably discharged in 2001.
In 2010, Barajas who was still a noncitizen was deported to Mexico after he had served a sentence for a crime in 2002. In Mexico, Barajas established the Deported Veterans Support House in Tijuana to offer help to other veterans who’ve been deported.
With significant effort, Barajas was able to gain United States citizenship from Mexico. Today, Barajas still runs the Deported Veterans Support House while he works in the United States. Barajas is also featured in a documentary, Ready for War, which highlights the struggles of deported veterans. Barajas also heavily advocated for deported veterans, leading to the launch for the Biden administration’s Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative in 2021. The program works to make Veterans Administration benefits more accessible for non-US citizen veterans, and to help more deported veterans return to the US if they were deported. The program also works to lessen the number of deported veterans
KBCS’s Mari McMenamin, Dana Schuerholz and Yuko Kodama interviewed Hector Barajas at the Deported Veterans support house in Tijuana, Mexico in 2019.
Producers: Mari McMenamin, Dana Schuerholz, Jesse Callahan and Yuko Kodama. Special thanks to Magdaleno Rose-Avila for inspiring us to take on this story.
Photos: Dana Schuerholz
Deported Veterans Support House and Dreamers Moms Offices
Deported Veterans Support House kitchen
Hector Barajas with photo of his grandfather
Border wall portion painted with names of deported veterans
Ijeoma Oluo – Be A Revolution
Writer, Speaker and Internet Yeller, Ijeoma Oluo spoke with ACLU Washington Executive Director, Michele Storms at Town Hall Seattle on February 9th, 2024.
This event is a Town Hall Seattle Production. KBCS thanks Town Hall Seattle, Ijeoma Oluo and Michele Storms for permission to broadcast and post this event.
Producer: Town Hall Seattle
Bebe Moore Campbell
KBCS Producer Kevin Henry brings you a reflection on the work of Author, Journalist and Educator, Bebe Moore Campbell.
Producer: Kevin Henry
Photo: – Original publication: 2004 Immediate source: http://aalbc.com/authors/bebe.htm
Deported DREAMer Mom – Tania Mendoza
Tania Mendoza was born in Mexico. She was brought to the U.S by her family when she was 3 years old. Mendoza grew up in the U.S, had a daughter and a stable job. Tania Mendoza was deported from California to Tijuana When Mendoza’s daughter was 5 years old,.
KBCS reporters Mari McMenamin, Dana Schuerholz and Yuko Kodama interviewed Tania Mendoza at the border wall in Tijuana’s Friendship park in November, 2019.
At the time of the interview, Mendoza’s daughter was 14 years old.
Producers: Mari McMenamin, Laura Florez, Jesse Callahan, Yuko Kodama Special Thanks to Magdaleno Rose-Avila for inspiring KBCS to take on this story.
Photo: Dana Schuerholz
Magdaleno Rose-Avila standing in front of the border wall at Friendship Park. An image of Tania Mendoza is featured as part of the mural
mural on the Border Wall at Friendship Park in Tijuana, Mexico