"Just a Thought" Column continues in La Prensa SA, 7-20

Just a Thought: Refugee Crisis
By Steve Walker

With all the coverage on the nightly news lately of the Central American refugee children fleeing to the United States to get out of harm’s way, I feel compelled to put in my two cents on the on-going crisis that is escalating on our borders.

Night after night the national and local news bombards us with visuals of thousands of unaccompanied children as young as three or four and others making their way to our country from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Admittedly, it is a diversion from my normal past columns highlighting positive contributions of Hispanics to our society to include little known inventors or well-known local performers and those who served this country in the military. 

But my heart goes out to those children.  As a retired teacher who taught in the predominately Hispanic San Antonio community with numerous students who were not citizens, it grieves me. It saddens me as a grandfather and as a fellow human being.

There is something radically wrong when masses of children are forced to travel hundreds of miles in terrible and unsafe conditions to seek sanctuary and hopefully be reunited with family and friends.

Although I have not visited Guatemala or El Salvador, I have been to Honduras many years ago on a missionary trip that included Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I spend over a week in that country between San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. Honduras is now considered the murder capital of the world with San Pedro Sula being the number one city. Last year alone in San Pedro Sula, over 1,200 citizens there were killed.

During my time there in 1987, I don’t remember it being so dangerous. Maybe that was a good thing. I remember the people being gracious and hospitable putting us up for a few days in someone’s home to conduct a revival. Other than the heat, it was a pleasant experience.

What bothers me more is some of the reaction of a select few Americans to the plight of those children. While most Americans are sympathetic and are willing and wanting to assist them in their hour of need, others to include politicians are spouting egregious rhetoric.

Murrietta, California comes to mind. Waving flags and yelling ethnic slurs and accusing the children of spreading infectious diseases and protesting and yelling obscenities for them to go home. It breaks my heart.

Closer to home, League City located near Houston recently passed an ordinance to refuse shelter and assistance to the refugees in their town. They were very vehement about it as well. Sad commentary.

Thank God San Antonio is not that way as a number of refugees are being housed at a local facility while numerous local agencies are working to ensure their needs are met and reunited with their families.

Now we await the Congress to determine if they will pass the President’s nearly 4 billion dollar package to aid the refugees and re-locate some of them here in the USA while others to be eventually sent back to their country. At this time all we can do is pray and change people’s hearts on this crisis.

As Always, I write “Just a Thought.”

Steve Walker is a Vietnam Veteran, former Journalist and Justice of the Peace.