{"id":17584,"date":"2018-04-04T09:35:57","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T16:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=17584"},"modified":"2018-04-04T09:49:56","modified_gmt":"2018-04-04T16:49:56","slug":"video-get-to-know-a-dreamer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/video-get-to-know-a-dreamer\/","title":{"rendered":"Video: Get to know a Dreamer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jose Enrique Hernandez is a member of Dios Viviente United Methodist Church<\/a> in Seattle, Washington\u00a0and a ‘Dreamer.’ In this video, Jose reflects on what the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program means for him and his friends and family.<\/p>\n

Transcript (English)<\/strong><\/h5>\n

My name is Jose Enrique Hernandez Zapotitla. I am originally from Mexico City, but I arrived here in 2006. It was the month of March. I remember that because Mexico was hot at that time of year but here it was cold. I was trembling from the cold but my cousins here were wearing shorts. I said \u201cThey\u2019re crazy, what\u2019s going on with them?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a big change for me and my family. I had to leave my friends and grandparents behind in Mexico, and my uncles that I loved so much but I knew that my parents brought me here because they had an objective. They didn\u2019t want to live any longer in the violence and insecurity that characterized life in Mexico City.<\/p>\n

All the dreamers share similar histories. Some left their countries because of violence, others left because their families believed in the American dream of a better life. Some left because their parents brought them, not because they chose to leave.<\/p>\n

Now with the program called DACA, we are coming out of the shadows. We\u2019re being recognized. We have an opportunity not just to work to build a better future for ourselves and our families, but to build a better future for this country.<\/p>\n

What do the dreamers offer to this country? it\u2019s not just economic, it\u2019s also cultural. And what will happen to the United States if we\u2019re all sent away? The economy will suffer from our absence. Many of my friends are studying in universities like the University of Washington or Stanford, because they have a vision, a vision that is difficult to realize in the countries they come from.<\/p>\n

One person alone cannot change the world on their own, but we can change the community where we live if we can work together as brothers and sisters, because we\u2019re all equal. That\u2019s what the Constitution says, we are one, we the people are one. And we are equal. It\u2019s not important if you\u2019re Mexican or Salvadoran or Honduran or from somewhere else, it\u2019s not important what language you speak or if you\u00a0 come from Africa. What\u2019s important is that you can make a contribution to this country. This country is formed by immigrants, each of us contributing who we are to build this country, which is distinct from other nations.<\/p>\n

We know that President Trump is not happy about the immigration situation in this country. I know he says we who come from Mexico are \u201cbad hombres,\u201d he says we are murderers and thieves and rapists. This has affected me and my friends a lot. Racism has emerged from the shadows. Racists who were once afraid and hidden now feel that the president supports them. The white supremacists are claiming that this is their country. Hatred is growing and it\u2019s innocent people, including many immigrants, who suffer. In my home we say that we live in a cage of gold. It\u2019s beautiful, but we\u2019re limited in what we can do. I was in the process of asking for permission to go back for a visit to Mexico. But then President Trump canceled the program, and I couldn\u2019t leave.\u00a0 I had wanted to go because my grandfather was dying. He died, but I couldn\u2019t go and be with him.<\/p>\n

One of my dreams is to serve God. I\u2019ve always wanted to serve God. When I was a kid I was Catholic. I would tell my mother that I wanted to be a priest. I wanted to serve God by being a priest. But my mother would tell me I could never be a priest because I flirted too much with the girls. \u201cYou\u2019ll be one of those priests that chases after the nuns,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Later on when we came to this country, my brother brought a toy, but I brought the Bible I received for my first communion. When we crossed over the border, though, my Bible got lost. And I eventually got to a point where I had to leave the church because I didn\u2019t feel comfortable anymore in the Catholic Church. My uncle invited me to an evangelical church, and it was there that God called me. God said I want to use you. It hasn\u2019t been easy. It\u2019s not like God says you\u2019re going to be a preacher and tomorrow you\u2019re a preacher. It\u2019s a process where we are the clay and God is molding us, and it\u2019s hard at times because we have to pass through the fire to emerge as what God wants us to be today.<\/p>\n

I am now serving as a youth leader in the Dios Viviente United Methodist Church. This experience is helping open doors for me to study to be a pastor, taking classes in theology and leadership.<\/p>\n

I am single you can find me on Tinder. Swipe right!<\/p>\n