ICE OUT

 

The Rethinking Classrooms magazine titled “ICE out of Schools” carries a very relevant emphasis on the damage that immigration policy is putting on communities across the country. The initial prescript notes that the existence of ICE has been around for nearly a decade removing immigrants in rather inhuman ways. As presented by the authors, they say “For too long both Democrats and Republicans have treated immigration as a security issue rather than a human one, steadily expanding the power of ICE and Border Patrol” (Rethinking Schools, pg.6). Immigrants are not pawns in a political chess game, they are human beings who have lives inside our country. With that, it is important that members of the community know their rights. There is a large onus across the article about educating members of the school community and beyond. When ICE comes knocking on the doors of immigrants it is imperative that they know what their rights are and how they can defend themselves from unlawful arrest/capturing. 

Something that the article makes relevant is how school teachers come together to support their community in so many different ways. I think this is why we all love our profession and being able to support students and their families. The unfortunate truth is that the reason behind why teachers came together in support is through fear. When looking at the Los Angeles teachers who formed the Harbor Area Peace Patrol, it wasn’t until fear was knocking at the doorstep (their child’s daycare) when they knew they needed to take action. Through their outreach for help, they created more than just a patrol, they created a support system for so many individuals who would instead live scared and isolated not knowing what would come next for them. The systems of support allowed for families to receive groceries from the $16,000 raised helping them during rather unsettling times. Analyzing this model is remarkable and it makes me wonder how we can support families to a greater extent. A perfect example is when the teacher Ross Irons created the cooking class. She knew that individuals needed a safe space to talk freely about what was happening in regards to ICE, but she shaped it in a more inviting way. Yes, there was an opportunity to converse but it also brought members of the community together to share a fun event in a time of fear. This is powerful and we as educators should take note. 

One powerful quote that has stuck with me is the following, “It brought to mind an old expression: La maestra luchando también está enseñando — the teacher who is fighting is also teaching (Rethinking Schools, pg.12). This is a very deep statement and I want to try and unpack it from my perspective. The use of the word fight does not mean physically with fists, but rather through actions and words. The use of fight should not come across negatively, the use of fight in the context of the quote and situation is defending what you believe in. Defending may look different for everyone but I think defending means that as Dr. Bogad says “dying on that hill”. Regardless of what anyone says against whatever the belief may be, you won’t step down. This shows many things, the first being resilience which is powerful to the eyes of anyone watching. Resilience in the sense that you won’t back down and you will do anything in your power to push on and make an impact. Second, it creates an example for students to follow and a positive one at that. When we show how strong our voices can be, it enables students to feel like theirs can also be heard. This is what sparks change and the creation of genuine communities where people are there to support one another. The last segment that reads “... is also teaching”, means teaching through action. This may come in many different forms. In the article teaching was literally teaching people about their rights, but it was also peacefully protesting, raising money and creating systems of support. What the members of the LA patrol were teaching, was what it means to support in times of need. Teaching doesn’t always have to be curricular, it can be about humane topics or what it means to be a member of an equitable society. I think this is something that is lacking in the state of our world right now, teaching people how to be humane and just through action. One small ‘teaching’ moment can have a ripple effect that ends up creating a wave.