Seeking Asylum

Episode Transcript

Transcript in English

Virginia Marshall Hi Borrowed listeners, I wanted to re-introduce Heyrling, my co-host on the last episode, and a librarian here at Central Library. 

Heyrling Oropeza Hello again! 

Virginia Marshall And, we have a new co-host. Damaris Olivo, Director of Communications at BPL – hi, Damaris!

Damaris Olivo Hi, glad to be here. 

Virginia Marshall So, this is the second part of our two-part episode about asylum-seekers in New York City. And, this episode is going to be a little different. This is actually our first ever bilingual episode – so, half will be in English and half in Spanish.  

Heyrling Oropeza Este es nuestro primer episodio bilingue – parte sera en inlgés y parte en español. 

Virginia Marshall For this episode, Heyrling and I will narrate in English. 

Heyrling Oropeza Y Damaris y yo grabaremos la narración en español. Este sera publicado un episodio separado en nuestro feed de podcast Borrowed. Haga clic allí si le gustaría escuchar el episodio en español. 

Virginia Marshall Since we recorded this episode, the landscape has changed. Title 42, the federal pandemic-era rule that allowed migrants to be turned away at the border, ended last week. Governor Hochul declared a state of emergency as New York City expects as many as 1000 migrants and asylum-seekers to arrive each day. Mayor Adams has suspended the City’s “right to shelter” law that guarantees every unhoused New Yorker a place to sleep and endeavors to keep families together. We're sharing these personal narratives to offer a window into the experience of migrants in Brooklyn in this moment and our communities' response to this continuing crisis. And now, we’ll get to the story. I'm Virginia Marshall. 

Damaris Olivo I’m Damaris Olivo. 

Heyrling Oropeza Y yo soy Heryling Oropeza. Estan escuchando Borrowed: cuentos que empiezan en la biblioteca. 

[music] 

Heyrling Oropeza On a grey afternoon in early April, Virginia and I stood on the corner of 4th Avenue and Bay Ridge Parkway in Brooklyn. We were there to meet Cinthya …  

Cinthya Briones Yeah, I am Cinthya Santos Briones. We are in Good Shepherd Lutheran church in Bay Ridge. I am an artist and also community organizer and I have been working as a member of the New Sanctuary Movement, but also, part of my family was undocumented, too, a long time ago.

Virginia Marshall Cinthya is one of Brooklyn Public Library’s first Heritage Ambassadors, a new library program that nurtures practitioners of folk arts in Brooklyn and provides space at the library where they can share their knowledge with patrons. 

Heyrling Oropeza Cinthya put together a program on traditional plants and art-making for the library, and brought in members of the Bay Ridge community. 

Cinthya Briones I always think about how to connect people that don't have the resources or don't, or they don't know how to approach a library because they don't speak English … you know, my role could be as a bridge, to bring those people into the libraries.  

Heyrling Oropeza We decided to meet Cinthya at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd rather than at the library because of the work that the church has been doing to support people seeking asylum. And, Cinthya has a deep connection to Good Shepherd... 

Cinthya Briones My husband, Juan Carlos, came to work as senior pastor to this church in 2018. And I would say like maybe since that period of time, the church started working around the issue of migration in different levels. He didn't cross the border but he was undocumented and all his family. So when this anti-immigrant laws and policies touch you, touch your body, your mind, your emotional cycle, at some point you have to work in this. You know, you have to be involved. 

Heyrling Oropeza We met Cinthya outside the church on a Thursday, which meant that inside, legal services were being offered to asylum seekers. And, there are many other programs and services that happen at Good Shepherd, too. Like food and clothing distribution, art and music classes, English lessons, and so much more. 

Cinthya Briones People give you the clue of where you have to go, you know, as an institution. It’s like, we need food, we need legal support, we need advice about domestic violence.  

Lily [In Spanish] Three years ago, we started handing out pantry food. It was vegetables, cold meat sometimes.  

Virginia Marshall This is Lily, a volunteer with Good Shepherd. She’s been in charge of food distribution at the church since the pandemic began. The church serves between 50 and 200 people every single day, sometimes with tacos and burritos donated by the Mexican restaurant Tacombi, and the rest of the time with food prepared in the church’s kitchens from donated vegetables and meat. Lily, as with everyone working in the kitchen, is a volunteer. 

Lily Right now there are also many migrants coming here to eat, so they cook here. They are living with the community a every day, so we help a little. We're volunteers, we're all volunteers. So, then they put me in charge of kind of delivering food in the pantry. And I've been in charge of that for … it has been three years. 

Virginia Marshall Most of the volunteers are recently-arrived migrants, helping out as they wait to get established in America. There are also long-time members of the Bay Ridge community who have greater resources and free time. There’s truly a spirit of mutual aid at the church – the sense that people are giving and receiving in equal measure, and working as community to hold each other up.  We said goodbye to Lily, and followed Cinthya inside the church. At the doorway, three adorable little kids looked up at us, giggling.

Cinthya Briones [In Spanish] Cousins? And where are you from?

Virginia Marshall Cinthya bent down to talk to them. Are you siblings, she asked? We’re cousins, they said. Cinthya continued talking with them as she held up her phone to take a picture. 

Cinthya Briones [In Spanish] Yes? Can I take a photo?

Heyrling Oropeza Cinthya has had her photographs featured everywhere from The New York Times to Greenwood Cemetery. She has documented people living in sanctuary spaces through photographs, oral histories, and other art projects. We’ll put a link to her website on our episode web page so you can see her work. 

Virginia Marshall Inside the church, there were about 150 to 200 people. Kids played with toys while their parents sat at tables, looking pretty tired. Every so often, a volunteer came around with a tray of peanut butter cracker sandwiches, cookies, or a piece of bread with cream cheese and half a cherry tomato on top.  

Heyrling Oropeza Most families were there for the legal clinic. But while they waited, this was a rare chance to rest and eat some food, talk with friends, and just be in a safe, welcoming place for a few hours.  

Juan Carlos Ruis [In Spanish] Anything else? You don't have to say your name.

Virginia Marshall That’s Pastor Juan Carlos Ruiz, Cinthya’s husband and the leader of this community. He introduced us in Spanish and said that if anyone wanted to talk with us, they could feel free to do so.  

Juan Carlos Ruiz [In Spanish] And it's not video. Only audio.

Virginia Marshall It didn’t take long for a woman to wave us over, and we sat down at her table. 

Heyrling Oropeza [In Spanish] Good afternoon. Do you want to speak with us? 

Virginia Marshall [In Spanish] Oh, thank you.

Valentina [In Spanish]  But what do you want to know? How my travels were to come to the United States?

Heyrling Oropeza This is Valentina, a small woman with careful eyeliner and short black hair. She sat next to her two children, Maria, who is elementary school-aged, and Eduardo, a teenager. We spoke with Valentina, her kids, and her friend Gabriela, for about an hour. We are not using their real names in order to protect their privacy. 

Virginia Marshall Valentina and Gabriela shared their stories of migrating from South America on foot, trains, and buses, all the way to the Mexican-American border. Both women were warm and kind, and they decided to share their stories with us so that listeners can understand what they’ve gone through to get here.  

Heyrling Oropeza And, a heads up that these stories might be difficult to hear. Valentina, Gabriela, and their kids experienced abuse, deprivation, and many other hardships to get here – and now they are trying to make a life for themselves in the United States. In order to preserve the authenticity of their narratives, we going to play parts of their interviews in Spanish so you can hear their stories in their own words and language. If you’d like, you can go to BKLYN LIB [dot] org [slash] asylum ... to read a translation of their stories in English. Up first, is Valentina. 

Valentina [In Spanish]  I went through a lot of sad situations to come here. I went through the jungle where I saw a lot of dead people, a lot of people who were suffering, a lot of people who were no longer walking. But the most painful thing is that you want to help, but since you have to follow, you have to leave them behind. … I have a child who is special. He has autism, but when I came, he had a bad knee, so he couldn't walk. A few days before we had to carry him on our backs to go anywhere like that. Then they told me not to take him, to leave him, but I had no one to leave him with. So I brought him.

Virginia Marshall Valentina talked about leaving her home country and walking through the jungle for days, passing by dead and dying people. Her son, Eduardo, has autism. He was sitting next to Valentina at the table putting together a Lego airplane. He came over to speak.  

Eduardo [In Spanish] I came here for my mom and for me and for my sister. Because here we were going to live a new life. We went through a lot, we went through the jungle which was very ugly and there were a lot of dead people. They were also screaming. We went through stones, they stung us. People shouted, they passed us. I burned my body, my arms ... We had a really bad time on the train because we had to get on. It was going really fast and then we spent three days on the train. On the first train, it was like an open wagon. I'm on the edge of the train. It was completely cold, my sister was freezing to death and I ... my mom and I only had one sheet to protect us and that didn't heat anything. 

Heyrling Oropeza Eduardo described riding on top of La Bestia, or El Tren de la Muerte, the death train. Those are the names many migrants use for a network of freight trains that travel across Mexico. Eduardo said he was freezing as he and his family rode on top of the train for three days. Next, Gabriela told her story. 

Gabriela [In Spanish] As my friend says, we are from a very poor family. Our country is a beautiful country. The thing is that before there were a little more possibilities. But right now with the president, I see that we are losing our country because the mafia has also entered. And there is a lot, a lot, a lot of corruption. I couldn't, we can't be like before. We crossed the jungle, and it was very ugly. I spent four days, four days in the jungle. Our best best company was God, Jesus. He was with us every moment, but there were moments when he really was. We were very scared. I thought that they were going to be raped, that my daughters were being taken because we were in a forest. Imagine, they armed and we with nothing.  

Heyrling Oropeza Maria also wanted to talk, and she spoke while leaning into her mother, Valentina. She described sleeping on the streets of a Mexican city during their journey north, and the cockroaches that came into their cardboard boxes. 

Maria [In Spanish] We slept there for like ten, 20 days. All the cockroaches that scared me because they were ugly, with the spiders and all that. And one day we went to bed where we slept in cardboard ... and one day we put them to bed where they would pee on us and there we had put them to bed.  

Virginia Marshall The family eventually made it to the border, and crossed into the United States. Eduardo talked about the detention centers where he and his family were held – and then separated. 

Eduardo [In Spanish] The first prison didn't separate us. It was very ugly, but they wouldn't tell us the time or the day. One of them, you couldn't tell that it was night now, or if it was daytime. They gave us just one bed. It was like a mat. They gave us a blanket that was plastic. They didn't give us any ... but that didn't heat us up because it was cold there. There was a prison where my mom and me, they separated me from her. They put me in a room a long way from my mom.  

Virginia Marshall Eventually, the two families made it to New York. Here’s Valentina again. 

Valentina [In Spanish] ​​​​​​ In New York, they're going to help you. You're going to go to a hostel. Send me anywhere, because I have nowhere to go, so send me anywhere. And God brought me here and it's a blessing and a testimony to tell … I don't have any more family, moms, dads, I don't have them. It's just us, because when I needed them most, no one helped me. When I asked for money, that they help me to go out and not sleep on the street, because I slept on the street for a long time until I got here. God gave me the opportunity to be here. But I also hope that God will bless me with many people so that our dream can come true more than mine. I just want to work and pay. I don't want a house, a roof, something material. When I die, I am not carrying the house in a coffin. Only I want them to remember me, that I did what was humanly possible and move my children forward. They give this to me as a gift, God bless him. And if I take clothes like that, it's to send my children, because we live in great poverty. So that's why if I want God to bless me and when I'm a little bit well ... I'll get a writer so that I can tell my story and so that my story can be read. It will be a reflection of many women and of many people and young people, too. A dream of the lady's son and a dream of my son, even though he has a disability. But is it possible that they could be that way? Belonging to the United States and being in the military is the dream that he also comes to achieve.  

Heyrling Oropeza Valentina said that while both her and Gabriela’s sons aspire to serve in the United States military, she and Gabriela simply want the opportunity to work hard and improve their lives for the sake of their children. 

[Music ends] 

Virginia Marshall After we thanked Valentina, Gabriela, Maria and Eduardo for their stories, it was time for the legal clinic to begin. Pastor Juan Carlos asked the kids to pick up the toys and had everyone re-arrange to make space for the volunteers. Juan Carlos is the kind of person who is constantly in motion, constantly answering questions and making decisions. He’s one of the co-founders of the New Sanctuary Movement, a network of faith-based organizations that came together in 2006 to defend immigrant families from being torn apart by deportation, and to advocate for immigration reform.

Heyrling Oropeza Despite the many demands on his time, Pastor Juan Carlos found a moment to speak with us. He said the group we saw in the sanctuary that day was actually smaller than average for a Thursday evening. At one point, the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd provided shelter to as many as 40 families at a time.

Pastor Juan Carlos You have to remember that we have gone through global pandemics. For about a year and half, we were helping about 3,000 families per week with grocery care packages. So you're talking about, you know, bags of about 50 pounds with vegetables, grains, just the basic necessities. At any given time for over a year and a half, we had about 50 to 100 volunteers working, you know, for 8 to 12 hours a day. So we haven't closed one day yet. 

Virginia Marshall Because I was just going to ask … how do you and I guess your community, how do you keep it going, like keep helping each other? 

Pastor Juan Carlos You know, COVID taught us that this self care doesn't really work. It has to be more community care, you know, because at that time, I don't know if you remember, but kind of the hospitals were collapsing and any kind of traditional health care was kind of going under. So we had to kind of change the mode. So we began having, like, sound baths therapies. We still have acupuncture. So we began kind of thinking outside of the box and doing stuff that will keep us, you know, humane and in touch and connected to the larger community and to our own families and friends. 

Virginia Marshall What is something you would want listeners to know and how they can help out? Because it looks like there's a lot of ways, but I would love to hear from you. 

Pastor Juan Carlos We work from these sense that, you know, if you want to come and help us ... stay home, then. But if you want to come and help us as a way of collaborating with us as a way of knowing that whoever comes right now, you know, it's about their liberation and they want to join us on that struggle on that front, you are more than welcome to join us. Because a lot of the people that we serve and that we work with, we accompany, are basically seeking justice. So it's not charity that we are asking people to engage in. So, it's something a lot more deeper and more humane.  

Heyrling Oropeza You know, there is so much going on at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd that it’s easy to forget that it's still a church.  

Virginia Marshall Yeah, that's so true. And, we happened to be visiting on not just any Thursday, but holy Thursday. And in addition to everything that was happening, Pastor Juan Carlos was going to have a special service, and he was actually going to officiate a wedding during that service. 

Pastor Juan Carlos It's a way to bend the law for the service of of humanity, of people. A lot of the people are not you know married, and sometimes their cases, being separated you are more at risk because there is a law nationally that kind of protects the family unity. So we are basically telling people, if you're not married and you've been living with your spouse ... hey, this is your chance. I mean, and this is a very concrete way of caring for your partner. You know, get married  

Heyrling Oropeza Before he went back up to the sanctuary, Pastor Juan Carlos led us down a hallway to meet more volunteers. 

Pastor Juan Carlos There is another kitchen. … This is where everything else happens.  

Virginia Marshall Oh, it smells good. Hola! 

Virginia Marshall In the kitchen, there were nearly a dozen volunteers at work, preparing chicken, chopping vegetables, and – most impressively, decorating an intricate pastry with real roses dipped in glitter. 

Heyrling Oropeza [In Spanish] Can you tell us what this is?

Cocinero [In Spanish] Ah, it's a raspberry dessert with pastry cream.  

Heyrling Oropeza [In Spanish] It looks delicious!

Heyrling Oropeza The pastry is called milhojas … and, it was as delicious as it looked – we got to try some. Layers of thin pastry with a sweet cream filling. The man who made the dessert was a pastry chef in Colombia. 

Virginia Marshall Yeah it was so good. I loved that. And, we met a few of the other volunteers, including a woman named Jerlay, who was very pregnant. 

Jerlay [In Spanish] My name is Jerlay … and mia. Mia, Mia.  

Virginia Marshall Very nice to meet you.

Virginia Marshall Mia, she said, pointing to her belly. Jerlay was there with her partner, Francisco, who asked us whether we knew of courses where he could get a license to drive a truck. That’s how he made his living back in Colombia. 

Fancisco [In Spanish] You have courses? Different courses?

Heyrling Oropeza Francisco and Jerlay were helping to cook. They’ve been volunteering every day, cooking multiple meals a day, while they wait to get settled in Brooklyn. 

Jerlay [In Spanish] We cook, I cook. I cook fried rice, Colombian food, sancocho ... we cook everything. Fast food. Every day, for 500, 400, 150 people, for 50 ... I cook.

Heyrling Oropeza [In Spanish]  Wow! And do you like to cook?

Jerlay [In Spanish] Yes, I like to cook.

Heyrling Oropeza [In Spanish] And do you have a dream? For example, in the future? To open a restaurant? What kind? 

Jerlay [In Spanish] Yes, traditional Columbian food. But right now I have to wait. 

Virginia Marshall Her dream is to open a restaurant with traditional Colombian food. But she has to wait, she says, pointing to her belly again. For the baby. 

Jerlay [In Spanish] After, yes, yes. Maybe later. 

[music] 

Virginia Marshall Borrowed is brought to you by Brooklyn Public Library. This episode was written and hosted by me and Heyrling. Our Borrowed team is made up of Adwoa Adusei, Fritzi Bodenheimer, Robin Lester Kenton, Damaris Olivo and Ali Post, Jennifer Proffitt and Ashley Gill run our social media. Our music composer is Billy Libby. Meryl Friedman designed our logo.  

Heyrling Oropeza Special thanks to Damaris Olivo, who helped with transcription and translation of this episode. We also want to thank everyone at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, especially Cinthya Briones and Pastor Juan Carlos Ruiz. If you want to read this episode in either English or Spanish, visit BKLYN Library [dot] org [slash] podcasts [dash]. You can also translate our website into 21 different languages. 

Virginia Marshall At BPL, we will continue to provide support to all people without a home and people seeking refuge. Our bookmobile and outreach staff have been visiting shelters, hotels and humanitarian relief centers in Brooklyn where migrants and asylum seekers are being temporarily housed. We sign folks up for library cards, provide books and connect people to services with our partner organizations. Many of these initiatives are funded by the city, so we are asking our listeners to stand up for libraries and protect our funding. You can send a letter to your city leaders or donate to BPL. Visit BKLYN Library [dot] org [slash] standup ... to learn how. As the migrant crisis evolves, there will be many people needing help pursuing their immigration cases. The city has put together a series of explainer videos in Spanish about how to navigate all of that. We’ll put a link to those videos on our website.  

Damaris Olivo If you are seeking legal help with your immigration case, you can call the city’s Office of Immigrant Affairs at 212-788-7654. Catholic Charities is also providing services and legal help to asylum seekers. Their number is (888) 744-7900.  

Virginia Marshall If you want to help, join or support your local community organizations. You can volunteer at your local library, especially if you speak more than one language. Visit BKLYN library [dot] org [slash] support ... to learn more. 

Damaris Olivo If you live in New York City, there are mutual aid groups in almost every neighborhood that you can join. If you are already part of a faith or community organization that wants to help migrants and asylum seekers, you can register with the city’s Office of Faith & Community partnerships so they can more easily connect people with the help they need. We'll put links to that website -- and a list of mutual aid groups in New York City -- on our episode web page. 

Heyrling Oropeza Thanks for listening. We’ll be back in your ears in a few weeks.