Jesus as a migrant in pro-immigration street theater
Traffic on Mexico City’s Paseo de la Reforma was blocked briefly last Friday afternoon by an actor in the role of Jesus.
Wearing a long white robe over jeans and sneakers and carrying a cross fashioned roughly out of wood, ”Jesus” took a tumble on a pedestrian crossing on the traffic artery in front of the U.S. Embassy while on his way to Calvary Hill.
But Friday’s performance wasn’t part of Mexico’s traditional Semana Santa (Easter week) activities, which are now in full swing. The depiction of the crucifixion of Christ in the tradition known as the Stations of the Cross, or Via Crucis, had a cross-border purpose.
Organized by pro-immigration activists, the street performance depicted Jesus as a Mexican migrant, and as the actor walked around dragging his cross, others wearing T-shirts emblazoned with ICE (U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and INM (Instituto Nacional de Migracion, Mexico’s national migration agency) flogged him from behind shouting, “Walk, wretch, walk!”
One of the organizers was Elvira Arellano, who shot into the spotlight in both the United States and Mexico in 2006 after she took refuge in a Chicago church to avoid being deported back to Mexico. Click here to read more about Arellano’s case.
Arellano was eventually deported, leaving behind her 10-year-old son Saul, who was born in the United States after she had crossed the border illegally from Mexico.
“It’s very sad that the migration policies treat us as though we were basically terrorists or criminals,” Arellano said in an interview after the protest.
“We’re just families looking for a better life. We want to live better and we all believe we have the right to look for work opportunities. Unfortunately, we don’t find those opportunities here in Mexico, which is why we go looking for those opportunities in the United States.”
Arellano, who was accompanied by protesters carrying signs that said “Stop the Deportations” in English and Spanish, implored Mexican as well as U.S authorities to show more respect for migrants’ human rights. As we reported last year, tens of thousands of Central Americans traverse Mexico illegally each year on their way to the U.S. border. Migrants have been maimed or killed hopping aboard freight trains. Others are robbed or raped.
Often, they are arrested and held in squalid cells or denied medical care. In hundreds of cases, Central American families never hear from their relatives again.
“Mexico’s National Migration Institute is complicit with the U.S immigration authorities because here in Mexico they ignore the rights of migrants who come from Central America,” Arellano said.
Thousands of Mexicans and Central Americans cross the U.S. border with Mexico illegally every year.
See the video for more.
– Deborah Bonello in Mexico City for La Plaza
Image: A Mexican man playing the role of Jesus takes a tumble in front of the U.S embassy Friday during a street theater performance depicting Jesus as a Mexican migrant. Click here for more images on Flickr.
[...] She said that the fact that many migrants don’t know their rights combined with the indifference of the majority of the Mexican population compounds the problem. [...]
Thank you so much for sharing. It is becoming increasingly rare to find quality material. Appears lots of posts are putting out nothing unique ?
Want to get FREE high PR backlinks? Complete the offer and download the guide at http://www.usbhubreview.net/get-a-free-backlink
Hey, I think your social media blog might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your social media blog in Firefox, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, amazing social media blog!
I’m a video game tester and I absolutely love what I do. If you want to find your way in the game testing world, then check us out at how to become a video game tester and you’ll find all the information you need.
Really compeling information, thanks!
*Hello! I just would like to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you have here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.
*Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift.
When I initially commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added – checkbox and now if a comment is added I get three messages with the similar comment. Is there any way you are able to remove me from that service? Thanks!
Really liked reading this. Keep it up!
I was looking for this. Really refreshing take on the information. Thanks a lot.
Really interesting piece of information, I loved it!
Thanks for your writing. I would like to say a health insurance brokerage service also works best for the benefit of the coordinators of a group insurance policies. The health insurance professional is given a list of benefits needed by a person or a group coordinator. Such a broker will is find individuals or maybe coordinators which usually best match up those needs. Then he offers his suggestions and if all parties agree, the broker formulates legal contract between the two parties.
Really interesting piece of information, it was really enjoyable!
I was trying to find this. Really refreshing take on the information. Thanks a lot.
Really liked reading this. Keep it up!
Cheers for ones marvelous posting… I genuinely enjoyed looking at Jesus as a migrant in pro-immigration street theater | MexicoReporter.com, you could be a wonderful source. I will be sure to book mark ones blog site and will revisit from now on, I wish to encourage you to carry on this terrific posts, have a nice morning! Moreover my thoughts to anyone close by Tsunami we hope your are healthy plus safe
Thanks Flash Website Builder
I calculate a lot of number gathering for these types of games because I think that the past will usually give us an idea of what will happen in the future. As you know it may be impossible to figure out the winning team in professional football. This is the main reason why I consider using trends for football.
I do tons of number crunching for these types of games because I think that the past can give us an insight of what can happen in the future. As you know sometimes its really hard to figure out the winning team in the NFL. This is why I recommend using trends for sports.
One thing: I do not exactly know what do you mean in the second paragraph. Could you please exmplain your opinion? Regards, Nasze Mazury to cud natury.
Enjoyed going through this. Keep it up!
You should check this out…
[...] Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated data, nevertheless really worth taking a look, whoa did one learn about Mid East has got more problerms as well [...]……
Found this on MSN and I’m glad I did. Well written article.
This year, the 3 top AFC East teams all appeared better than they were because they feasted on the NFC West.
I love your blog, you should add an RSS feed feature so I can get automatic notifications of new blogs. If you set one up please email me! i will bookmark you for now. Again Excellent Blog!
Dear webmaster: I see you have blogging skills, but are you taking advantage of them? You could be making hundreds of dollars every single month out of it! Take advantage of your skills and add an extra income every month. http://lnkgt.com/7qs
I think it is a very valid point about the comments with a valid point to make. If all you are trying to do is build a truck full of backlinks with nothing to offer, what will make the reader come to your site whether no1 comment or no102. The idea of commenting has become a single battlefield for pro marketers to build their backlinks without using any brain power against people who are genuinely interested in getting their point across in a constructive way so the reader wants to visit their site to see what makes them tick.I have only been involved in the blogging sphere for a very short time, and I must say, I find the comments part of increasing frustration when just spammy trash is entered. However I think it works both ways.The blogger has to have the same comitment to reading the replies as to the original blog post, and to that end should ensure the replies are as valid as the content. The atmosphere is changing rapidly out in the consumer search arena, and if the bloggers don’t run with the virtues extolled, then they will find themselves disappearing as quickly as they rose.
Thank you for taking the time to write this article. It is been rather useful. It couldn’t have arrive at a better time for me!
I surely have ended up within advertising for a a long time but my own partner continues indicating to all of us that we will need to have a go with (blank) voice broadcasting in the form of a fabulous way to be able to bring in qualified prospects. I actually really think this hard to be able to believe the fact this truly works best. Everytime My spouse and i receive 1 of these kinds of voice messages I personally merely hang up the phone instantly but he boasts the fact it provides for a incredibly economical strategy to bring in potential customers. I am still on the fence nonetheless I realize that our other methods we have been using are just turning out to be a whole lot more (blank) expensive.
Loved reading this. Keep it up!
There’s noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain good points in features also.
Found this on Google and I’m glad I did. Well written article.