The Future is Now

How many times have you heard it said of you and your generation? "Young people are our future." "Youth are the future of the. . ." Fill in the blank: church, nation, community, industry, marketplace. Whatever. And of course, in a sense it's true: You will most probably live longer than those who are older than you. When those who are older than you retire or lose their ability to do certain things, you will undoubtedly inherent responsibilities, institutions, promises and problems.

But do you think that sometimes such statements about you being "the future" ignore or at least don't recognize all that you already contribute to. . . .fill in the blank: the church, the country, the community, this or that industry, field, marketplace and so on?

Being teen-aged doesn't mean that you are all potential. You're a valuable and necessary contributor now, actually. Sometimes older adults overlook the fact that the stirring speech you gave today, or the event you organized now, or the cause you are struggling for at present do not simply mean that one day, you will make a great orator, organizer, activist. Maybe so. But these things also mean that you are a powerful orator right now, a skilled organizer as we speak, a devoted activist today.

Maybe it was this presupposition about young adults your age that lead a lot of people at the 11:00 AM Mass at St. Nicholas Church in Evanston to assume that Jaime was in his 20s and not 17. When he stepped into the ambo (the spot from where the scriptures are read and the homily preached) he was poised and ready to talk to the 300 or so people, most older than he and you.

He spoke passionately and eloquently about being born in Mexico and being brought to Chicago by his parents when he was 1 year old. He explained how that one year makes all the difference in the world, and will complicate and maybe even ruin his plans to attend college. You see, Jaime--whose full name we aren't using to make sure that telling his story here doesn't cause him any problems--Jaime is an undocumented resident of the United States. (Some would call Jaime and those in the same situation an "illegal." But really. How can a person be "illegal"? Even if someone breaks a law, they are still a human being who has broken a law. Actions can be illegal but people are people.) Although Evanston is the only town he's ever known, even though the United States is the country in which he has lived all but one year of his whole life, because he was born in Mexico and brought to the U.S. without the permission of the U.S. government, Jaime is subject to arrest and deportation at any time.

Why doesn't he just get papers, regularize his situation? Don't think he wouldn't if he could. But as things stand, immigration laws in the U.S. work against people from Mexico and the countries of Central Mexico from being admitted into the U.S legally. Sure, if you're an anti-communist Cuban, or if you fought Ronald Reagan's dirty, secret war in 1980s Nicaragua, you have a chance of being admitted to apply for refugee or resident alien status, maybe even citizenship. And of course, you can swear allegiance to the United States government, join the army and be killed for the U.S. in which case being made a citizen after your death sure does you a lot of good. But otherwise, forget it. You can "wait your turn in line" like the anti-immigrant activists like to say, but you'll wait forever and never be let in legally.

Jaime's parents brought him to the U.S. not to break any laws, not to take anything that belongs to U.S citizens. They came to the U.S. 16 years ago because like your parents, like all good parents, they wanted their children to have a better life than they did: more education, more choices, good healthcare, safe streets. They were willing to break laws and take risks out of love for their children. Wouldn't most of us?

Jaime's been a great student. He recently earned a scholarship for college next year. But not having documents may exclude him from using that scholarship. He explained all this to us in perfect English, although he grew up speaking Spanish at home and is bilingual. He didn't want us to feel sorry for him--he doesn't feel sorry for himself. He was using his life story to urge us to do one and only one thing: to stand up for what is right, to do what is fair and just. He didn't even want to tell us what that would be specifically. He knew that we are citizens of this great country built by all kinds of immigrants with and without the proper papers. He realized that some of us vote and some of us don't. That some of us would care about his situation and some of us might not. That some of us might write a letter, attend a protest or rally, make a phone call to Congress and that some of us would feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the issue and not be able to do anything.

With great moral clarity, with a genuine authority that no diploma or speech class or on-the-job experience could give him, eloquently Jaime urged us to do what is right, to do what is fair, to stand together and work for justice. So sure, like you, Jaime shows lots of potential, holds lots of promise, has a bright future. But that future starts now.

Catholic Connection:

Young pilgrims, Christ needs you to enlighten the world and to show it the "path to life" (Ps 16:11). The challenge is to make the Church's yes to life concrete and effective. The struggle will be long, and it needs each one of you. Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion, and your fortitude at the service of life.

At this stage of history, the liberating message of the gospel has been put into your hands. The Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm, your youthful ideals, in order to make the gospel penetrate the fabric of society, transforming people's hearts and the structures of society in order to create a civilization of true justice and love.
--Pope John Paul II, Address at World Youth Day, Denver, Colorado 1993

Reflection Questions

What is one thing you are doing (could be doing) right now to make a difference right where you are now?

Join us in our Forum to discuss these questions!