TIFTON — Dr. Julie Weise of the University of Oregon traveled to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College to present a series of discussions on her book “Corazón de Dixie: Mexicanos in the U.S. South since 1910” which includes a section on Tifton.

On Wednesday Sept. 27, Weise gave a short presentation on the relationship between migrant farmworkers in the early 1990s in contrast with the immigration policies at the time.

A panel discussion on immigration and immigration policy ensued. Afterward, there was a student led candlelight march from Howard Auditorium to the Meadows at the center of ABAC’s campus.

The panel was comprised of Dr. Julie Weise; Pedro Escobar, ABAC nursing alumnus and current biology student; Kevin Joachin, current ABAC student and indigenous rights advocate; Adelina Nicholls, executive director at the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR); and Juan Carlos Diaz-Perez, professor at UGA Extension.

Each panelist introduced themselves and gave a brief explanation of why issues related to immigration were important to them.

Escobar told his story living for the majority of his life undocumented in the US and once being forced to return to Mexico. He described his undocumented experience as “traumatic.” Simple tasks such as driving were anxiety inducing. One ticket and he would be discovered as undocumented.

With the help of school counselors and by bearing witness to his parent’s backbreaking labor, Escobar was determined to get an education. And he did. It was reported in The Stallion in early September that Escobar received “Highest GPA Brother award across all 73 chapters of Lambda Sigma Upsilon.”

He described himself as emotionally withdrawn before receiving documentation. It was his fraternity brothers that helped him process what he was experiencing.

Having the opportunity to share his experience was powerful for Escobar.

“To me something like this is very impactful,” he said. “To me it’s a sign that we’re moving in the right direction.”

Kevin Joachin, a first generation American took the mic next. He described his first racist encounter. While walking to school other kids would push him around, calling him a dirty Mexican. He also talked about his summers working in the fields alongside migrant workers from Haiti, Mexico, and more.

“I found healing through my community,” he said.

It was in those fields that he found healing. And while he does have opportunities to work locally, he chooses the migrant field work.

“I do it to remember what my parents go through,” Joachim said.

Then Adelina Nicholls elaborated on the issues facing the immigrant rights movement and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

This is includes criminal stereotyping of immigrants as well as the challenges that come with obtaining citizenship. Without it, Nicholls said, undocumented immigrants live “under constant pressure” from law enforcement.

According to Nicholls, under the Obama administration 78,000 were arrested by police and 54,000 processed for deportation.

“Leaving more than 48,000 innocent children without a parent or without a mother or father or both because they have been deported,” said Nicholls. She said that many of those deported have no criminal record.

Nicholls described Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents sweeping through communities, demanding entry into homes and stopping people on their way to work.

“We have the right to stay,” Nicholls said. “No human being is illegal.”

She called DACA an unfair negotiation.

“DACA students are receiving the benefit and the families of those students are being deported,” she said.

For Nicholls, these issues are only escalating. She called for the Black Lives Matter groups, the LGBTQ groups and the immigration rights groups to work together to be “bigger and bolder” in a larger, united movement.

“I never want to see a south without the Latinos included,” said Nicholls.

Juan Carlos Diaz-Perez greeted the crowd in an unfamiliar language.

“Does anybody understand that?” he asked.

Diaz-Perez explained it was a greeting in the language of the Creek Native Americans.

“We have to remember where we are,” he said. “We are in Creek land, Cherokee land.”

Diaz-Perez said it was the land of the Native American’s first and that everyone in the audience were immigrants. He described Columbus’ discovery of the Americas, but said he had his doubt about the term “discovery.” He described it as a conquest.

“When we change the terms, we change our interpretation of history,” he said.

Today, Diaz-Perez said that farms need the migrant worker, but at the same time those workers live with the fear of deportation.

“One hand uses the hands and the bodies of the workers, and the other hand criminalizes them,” he said. “That’s unfair, to say the least.”

He closed by asking the audience to reflect on diversity in nature, describing it as a beautiful thing. From the rainforest to Tifton, Diaz-Perez explained, there is evidence of how diversity benefits a community. He pointed out the variety of restaurants in town as an example.

“The community is getting enriched in terms of culture,” he said.

Finally he asked the audience to remember their individual origins.

“We are guests here,” Diaz-Perez said.

The audience was then allowed to ask questions.

Student Drayton Holmes asked Dr. Weise to explain the Farmers for Trump movement. She explained how immigration support flipped political lines over the years and support for Trump may have relied less on his immigration policy than who his opponent was.

One theory, Weise said, was that farmers didn’t believe that it would be their migrant workers that would be deported.

Alfredo Munoz asked the panel how they envisioned the Hispanic community participating in these movements across South Georgia.

Nicholls answered first: “I think it’s a lot of homework.”

She said that organizations need participation from the Hispanic community and organizations like GLAHR and the SGISN.

“It is time to stand up. It is time to get in and make your voice heard,” she said. “We need to make our voices heard, but it is a lot of work.”

She encouraged those who are secure in their documentation status to speak up for those too afraid to fight.

“It is not only affecting Latinos but, as well, it is affecting the community – white, brown, black at large,” Nicholls said.

Escobar added that many think that a Facebook post alone is enough but he said, “it really doesn’t do much.”

“I really encourage you to contribute to improve your world, your city, your community,” said Diaz-Perez. “Be more active to do that. Don’t continue to make the same mistakes we have made. Make an effort to construct a better world.”

After the discussion, Escobar and Joachin invited the audience to march to the Meadows carrying lighted candles. Members of the SGISN handed out postcards addressed to Congressional Rep. Austin Scott for attendants to write on. The march and moment of silence held in the Meadows was for DACA recipients, immigrant rights and for the “true dreamers.”

“For our parents who came here with a dream for a better tomorrow,” said Escobar.