Enlaces News #8 (November 2004)

Coalition Impacts Public Policy in Guatemala; Advocates for inmmigrants in the United Staes
By Maricela García

The commitment from Latino immigrants to improve the living standard of their communities transcends borders. Upon arriving in the United States, immigrants often organize themselves in clubs or fraternal associations, which allows them to join with others from their native home towns in supporting their communities, both in the country of arrival, as well as in their country of origin. This unity results in a new model of civic participation that ultimately benefits both countries. The experience of Guatemalan immigrants portrays this new paradigm in the political, economic and social relations of our transnational communities.

The National Coalition of Guatemalan Immigrants in the United States, (CONGUATE), started in 1998, and is currently formed by 25 organizations. CONGUATE’s mission is to promote the integration of Guatemalan immigrants into the political, economic and social fabric of the United States, as well as working towards economic development and the strengthening of democracy in Guatemala. In order to accomplish these objectives CONGUATE pursues a bi-national agenda that allows them to influence policy development in both countries.

The chief concern in the agenda of CONGUATE for the United States is immigration law policy reform. The monetary remittances sent home by Guatemalan immigrants have become the largest source of foreign revenue for the Guatemalan economy. However, of the 1.5 million Guatemalans living in the United States, it is estimated that more than half are undocumented immigrants. Therefore, a program allowing them to legalize their immigrant status would translate into social stability and better work opportunities for this community. Guatemalans are trying to accomplish this goal by joining efforts with other Latino immigrant communities, especially the recently formed National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC). The strategies to achieve the legalization of immigrants and other public policy changes are: community organizing, leadership development, lobbying of Congress and working with the media.

The work of CONGUATE in Guatemala has also made significant advances. Through a clear agenda and concrete policy proposals, CONGUATE has managed to keep the debate about immigrants and immigration current, engaging multiple sectors of Guatemala. As a result, the Guatemalan government has created a Deputy Ministry for Human Rights and Migrant Affairs, the Guatemalan Congress formed a Commission for Migrant Affairs, and the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman, signed an agreement with CONGUATE to monitor and protect migrant’s rights. More over, an intergovernmental team was formed in Guatemala, which includes representatives from all government branches involved in any way with migration, in order to draft the first set of public policies on the subject. The Guatemalan government also agreed to the creation of a modest fund of $50,000 that will pay to repatriate the remains of immigrants who die in the US, whose families can not afford the bill. The most prominent topics CONGUATE’s work in Guatemala are: Garnering support from the Guatemalan government for immigration policy reform in the United States; promoting economic and social development policies to abate emigration; and passing legislation that would allow Guatemalans to vote abroad.

The work of CONGUATE reflects the experience of Latino immigrants who make a positive contribution to the country they work in, as well as to their country of origin. A new awareness of a global citizenship is born from these transnational relationships. This awareness is the foundation of solidarity, and eventually, of economic and social development of many peoples across borders.