PHOTO/MAGDALENO LENO ROSE-AVILA
It was a sunny day on the Playas of Tijuana side of the border wall where it meets the ocean. Members of DREAMer’s Mom’s gather next to the wall under a tent that has pictures of their children and members celebrating a bittersweet day. The back of their pink shirts cry out, “HAVE YOU SEEN MY CHILDREN?”
In 2010, Yolanda Varona, now 50, was deported to Mexico leaving behind a son who is a USA citizen and a daughter who is a DACA/DREAMER. This was the most difficult moment of her life and it tore her heart into pieces.
After months of searching for an exit to all the pain and disappointment, she decided she needed to unite other mothers and fight for a bit of justice. Thus in 2014, DREAMer’s Mom’s was created to have a place for all these mothers to gather and work to build this movement for human rights.
It is clear that the American government has a policy of separating families by deporting parents, taking children away from their parents at the border, punishing the most vulnerable.
For some of these women, there is a path to have their legal status restored and groups like ACLU and others have been successful in getting this for three women, and another six have their legal appeals in process.
The organization has had about 200 women come through their office including some from Europe. Every time they get publicity, more women find our about them. They reach out to Yolanda who invites you to join them in this historic struggle for a bit of justice during a most difficult historic time. Yolanda Varona: vol.var@hotmail.com, 664-130-6144, Skype yoli2014
These mothers have suffered the racism of a USA Policy, some have been assaulted sexually and physically and some have lived on the streets as homeless persons . . . PTSD does not just reside for soldiers but also for these women who have endured so much.
DREAMer’s Mom’s unifies these women and together they provide the love and security that opens the door to healing.
On this day they sang and prayed at the wall that has metal mesh added to the steel barriers. Before the mesh was installed, family members could hold hands and put their faces close, but now with the mesh in place, they can only push through their fingertips. And these women do just that. They put their fingertips touching family friends on the USA side. I too touch one of these fingertips with mine and feel an emotional shock.
Yolanda travels throughout Latin America, speaking about the organization and USA policies and also does workshops and connects families through Skype.
Surrounded by these incredible women warriors on this Mother’s Day is a most humbling experience.
These women have not given up hope, keep that candle burning and will one day turn it into a raging bonfire of justice.
