Southside Mission

We have almost made our first month milestone in the big city. It is amazing how quickly routines become second nature. I get up early, make coffee and eat breakfast, catch the train to school or to my internship in Williamsburg. My weekdays are completely full, three days of school, and two at the Southside Mission working in the immigration services office. I am learning the legal side of immigration, which means a lot of paperwork, but also a lot of interaction with people who are trying desperately to understand said paperwork. This office helps people to apply for naturalization as well as petition to bring family members to the States legally. Separation of families because of immigration was a huge source of pain for the Nicaraguans I worked with in Costa Rica as well, thus I believe I have happened upon my senior thesis topic. Last Thursday I sat in on a counseling session with a man who was petitioning to bring his son from Nicaragua. Although the man was a legal resident, it will still take 4 to 4 and a half years for his son to get his visa. It is difficult to imagine poverty and bureaucracy deciding when and where I would be able to see my family. I am hoping to have the chance to interview some people here about their experiences, expanding on the project that I completed last semester.