-Caveat Lector- ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 07:14:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Kari Garcia-Fisher -- > Below is a September 5 story from the Bergen Record > Online about the growing > number of Colombians who are fleeing to the United > States on tourist visas > to escape the escalating violence in Colombia. > > Walter Ewing, Program Director > National Citizenship Network > Immigration & Refugee Services of America (IRSA) > 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 200 > Washington, DC 20036 > Tel.: (202) 797-2105 Fax: (202) 797-0837 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Web Site: http://www.irsa-uscr.org/NatCitCol.htm > > > Bergen Record Online > > Sunday, September 5, 1999 > > Refugees abandon comfort, and chaos > > By ELIZABETH LLORENTE > Staff Writer > > In Colombia, she sent her children to the best > schools and dressed them in > the finest clothes. There, she was a respected > scientist and ran a thriving > catering business. In Colombia, she owned an airy > home amid rolling > pastures. There, she could electrify a room with her > oratory. > > In exile, the North Jersey mother has put her > children to bed hungry. Here, > she is an anonymous factory worker who borrows money > for basic toiletries. > She lives in a dark, musty basement. She cries when > she cannot find the > English words to answer a child's simple question. > > But the plunge from middle-class comfort to > immigrant struggle is the price > that she and thousands of fellow Colombians are > opting to pay as they flee > the chaos in their homeland. The economy has taken a > dive, and bloodletting > tied to the 35-year-old civil war has soared. > > The Colombian diaspora is streaming by the thousands > into New Jersey and > other states where their compatriots have > established communities. > > The ranks include mostly college-educated > entrepreneurs and professionals > who officially are arriving as tourists. But off the > radar, they are driving > taxis, sweeping office buildings, and laying tiles > as they build new lives. > > Leaders of old Colombian enclaves predict that soon > schools, social service > agencies, and the rest of society will feel the > impact of the new arrivals > through their sheer numbers. > > "It got intolerable in my land," said the Hackensack > woman who, like others > who plan to overstay their tourist visas, spoke on > condition of anonymity. > > She fled this spring, she said, after guerrillas > tried to extort money from > her and she witnessed the fatal shooting of a > poultry-business owner who > refused to give money to the rebels. > > "You live correctly all your life, pay taxes, do the > right things," said the > woman, who is 32, "and yet your life is constantly > threatened and the > Colombian government cannot protect you." > > Until recently, Marxist-Leninist guerrillas were > relegated to the remote > hills of Colombia. Then they acquired a brazen > visibility, even roaming > around cities. Today, the guerrillas, known as the > Revolutionary Armed > Forces of Colombia, or FARC, control nearly half the > country. > > They have embarked on a terrorizing campaign of > kidnapping and extortion to > finance their civil war, which has killed 30,000 > people. Their victims have > included Americans as well. > > Paramilitaries, funded by wealthy landowners, are > hunting down civilians > suspected of supporting the guerrillas and forcing > them from their homes or > killing them. Then there is Colombia's enduring > scarlet letter -- the drug > empire, as powerful as ever and in league with the > guerrillas. > > "To stay in Colombia today is a death sentence," > said the Rev. Hernan Arias > of St. Anthony's Church in Passaic, a Colombian > native. "The country is out > of control." > > Adding to the crisis is Colombia's ailing economy. > > The country is mired in its worst recession since > the 1930s, with an > unemployment rate of 20 percent and a $34 billion > foreign debt. > > "With all the problems, it's hard to pinpoint > people's departures to one > possible cause," said Edgar Nunez of the Fundacion > Colombia, a North > Bergen-based civic organization. > > New arrivals head for existing enclaves > > The 1990 Census put the Colombian population in New > Jersey at 56,000. > Community leaders generally agree that the > population today is about > 100,000. They estimate that hundreds -- some venture > thousands -- have > arrived in New Jersey since the spring with > intentions to stay. > > In the tradition of other immigrant groups in U.S. > history, Colombians are > streaming into areas -- such as Hackensack, > Englewood, Elizabeth, Dover, and > Morristown -- where their compatriots already have > established enclaves. > > The U.S. Embassy in Bogota issued 91,358 visas -- > mostly for tourism -- > between May and August, according to the State > Department in Washington. > During the same period in 1998, the embassy issued > 70,225. > > U.S. officials are hesitant to declare a significant > Colombian influx just > yet. Officials say that only after tourism visas > expire -- after about six > months -- will they be able to determine how many > did not return. > > Community leaders in North Jersey, however, do not > need official statistics. > Signs that the new arrivals are planting roots, they > say, are as strong as > their espresso. > > "Every day, four or five people come in asking for > work," says Wilson > Londono, owner of Los Faroles Restaurant in > Elizabeth. "It used to be one a > week, if that. I've never seen anything quite like > this in all my years > here." > > The people seeking work are "the cream of > white-collar Colombia," Londono > says. "Doctors, computer engineers, a professor of > architecture, that's what > I've seen." > > The new immigrants are evoking a comparison to an > earlier wave of middle- > and upper-class Latinos who fled upheaval. "They're > the 'New Cubans,' " said > Jose Manuel Alvarez, a Cuban-American and district > director for Rep. Robert > Menendez, D-Union City. > > Arias, too, is witnessing a community in the making > in Passaic County. > > "They come to the church looking for help," he said. > "They have questions > about where to find housing, work, where and how to > enroll their children in > school. Just today, a mother and daughter came to > me. > > "People are being run from their homes in Colombia, > and swarming into towns > there that simply don't have jobs," Arias said. > "That is creating more > unemployment, and some people don't see a choice but > to come here." > > At the office of Rep. Steve Rothman, D-Fair Lawn, > aide David Bernal is > fielding calls from recent Colombian arrivals > begging for help. > > Nearly everyone, Bernal said, wants guidance about > how to obtain a green > card, or U.S. resident-alien status. One woman in > Bergenfield just took > several relatives into her small apartment. Now she > is fighting her > landlord's attempts to evict her, said Bernal, who > is from Colombia. > > Colombian-American leaders expect that soon, perhaps > by early next year, > government agencies, communities and schools, among > others, will feel the > impact of the arrivals. > > With so many arriving and unable to work legally, > Arias said, families and > friends who offer them shelter are also feeling a > burden. > > Much of the established Colombian community is not > as prosperous as the new > wave appears to be, Arias said. ''Many of the > earlier immigrants were > working-class people -- good families, of course, > looking for better > opportunities in this country for their children," > he said. "It will be hard > for some of these families to support the people who > are arriving." > > Immigrants urge U.S. to intervene > > Colombian-Americans in North Jersey and elsewhere > have held rallies to draw > attention to the plight in their homeland. In a > telling measure of the > passion over the issue, more than 600 > Colombian-Americans from around New > Jersey attended a gathering in Elizabeth several > weeks ago. The crowd called > on Congress and the Clinton administration to offer > their fellow countrymen > "Temporary Protected Status," usually granted to > people from nations > undergoing civil unrest. Some also urged U.S. > military intervention. > > U.S. officials have said they do not plan to send > troops or grant Colombians > temporary refuge. > > Still, they are watching developments in Colombia -- > South America's oldest > democracy -- with deep concern. The United States > sends Colombia $300 > million in aid each year, making it the > third-largest recipient of such U.S. > assistance after Israel and Egypt. > > A year-old initiative by President Andres Pastrana > to make peace with the > guerrillas has shown little progress. Many > Colombians contend that > Pastrana's overtures instead have empowered the > guerrillas. > > "A hostile government in Colombia would be > disastrous for the whole region," > said Alvarez, Menendez's staff member. "What's > happening in Colombia is > important for all New Jerseyans -- because of the > impact here of a large, > illegal migration -- and all Americans, because it's > important that we help > a democratically elected government survive and > stabilize the country." > In one house under renovation in Bergenfield, the > man on his knees sanding > and polishing the floors was an economist in > Colombia. Bodyguards for drug > lords killed his younger brother several years ago, > and guerrillas shook him > down for money, he said. > > So he called an aunt and niece in North Jersey, > secured a tourist visa, and > came here. > > "I want to legalize my status," said the man, who > lives in Englewood. "Then > I'd like to bring my wife and children. I came alone > first to see if we can > build a life here. I'm in a state of anxiety. Every > time you call home, you > hear stories about another person you knew who was > slaughtered." > > The Hackensack mother's ebony eyes beamed when she > recalled the person she > used to be. > > "I wouldn't pay them," she said, her wavy black hair > framing her strong, > angular face. "I wouldn't pay those guerrillas when > they demanded money. I > decided to shut down my business rather than feed > into their demands. I > wouldn't let them take my dignity." > > She left Colombia, she said, because when her father > snubbed FARC's > extortion demands, they killed him. > > Several weeks ago, she sent her children -- a > 6-year-old daughter and > 18-month-old son -- back to Colombia to stay with > her mother. The choice > before her, she said, was heart-wrenching -- send > them back to danger, or > watch them go hungry here. The stress drove her to > chain smoke, a habit she > proudly dropped seven years ago. > > Her tourist visa expires in October. She will stay, > she said, if she finds a > better job that will enable her to support her > children. > > "I want to be legal here. I am eager to contribute > my skills to this > country. I want my children to live in peace. > > "What is my dream? It's just to be the person I used > to be." > > > Copyright © 1999 Bergen Record Corp. > > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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