The Rio Grande Valley: A place where grief and joy walk hand in hand

Have you ever had an encounter that so profoundly moves you that you feel a foundational shift in your soul? I have. Two weeks ago, I attended a Young Center border educational experience in the Rio Grande Valley, and simply put, it changed me as a person.

Repeatedly, I felt contradictory emotions: fear, sadness, beauty and hope that will forever be imprinted in my heart.

When I left the airport after first arriving, I was shocked with how incredibly hot southern Texas can get during July. Stepping outside was a shock to my midwestern-bred body. It is the kind of heat that sucks the breath out of your lungs. Within seconds I could feel sweat pouring down my back.

However, as I rode in the back of an airconditioned Uber, I noticed how green the surrounding landscape appeared. I saw sprawling fields dotted with wildflowers. As scorching as the weather is during the day, I found out how beautiful Texas can be during the evening, with the breeze providing a reminder that there can be gentleness everywhere.

Days later, as I stood two feet away from a section of the 18-foot border wall in Brownsville, Texas, I saw the drones, cameras, border patrol and militia that scan the desert looking to interdict and turn back desperate families and children. This militarization of the border scared me, a white American. I cannot fathom how vulnerable and exhausted immigrants must feel when approaching the border checkpoints.

As I grappled with my raw fear, I also witnessed the best of human nature. While visiting the border, we met people who work tirelessly as Waymakers to provide safety, security, and a way forward to arriving immigrants.

We visited with Felicia Rangel-Samponaro, co-director of The Sidewalk School. Felicia recognized that as children and young adults are awaiting verdicts of their asylum applications and living in tent communities or shelters on the Mexico border, they are growing up without access to education. So, she started The Sidewalk School for Asylum Seekers which offers school five days a week, during which the children receive lunch. She saw a problem and she decided to find a solution.

We also visited La Posada Providencia, an emergency shelter for men, women and families who flee to the United States due to political oppression, natural disaster, and other life-threatening actions in their native counties. The shelter offers stabilizing support for immigrants and asylum seekers while considering their next resettlement steps. While I am sure the residents are experiencing uncertainty and anxiety as they navigate the immigration process, at La Posada Providencia, they can explore next steps in a beautiful environment with supportive and kind staff and volunteers who are committed to offering help. I was so moved to see a small child running and playing with his brothers and father- his laughter and smile touched my heart, and his face will remain in my memory for a long time. He felt safe and secure and that is so important.

Finally, I was honored to meet the Young Center’s Harlingen staff. They work day and night for immigrant children and youth. I learned that 70% of unaccompanied children spend time in the Rio Grande Valley during their journey. Although the Harlingen staff have heavy caseloads, I witnessed the commitment in various environments- the office, courts and shelters. And though the roles within the Young Center are incredibly time-consuming and most likely emotionally draining, the staff remained hopeful, kind and joyful.

The day I flew home from Harlingen, Texas, I felt grief: I was not ready to leave such a beautiful community. I learned so much in four short days, yet I knew there was more to learn and explore. I was excited to return home to my family and friends, and even my daily routine, but the gravitational pull to remain in Texas for just few more days- to visit with community members and staff members from the Young Center’s Harlingen office, to eat a few more amazing meals, or to experience the gentle evening breeze after enduring grueling heat all day- was so strong.

I will forever treasure my border educational experience as a lesson on the importance of contradictions. So often associated with death, the border is a wellspring of life. From our staff at our Harlingen office to the folks at the Sidewalk School, the Rio Grande Valley holds countless examples of kindness despite the border’s militarization. While there is grief, joy is never far behind

My border journey awakened a part of my soul dampened by sorrow and discouragement. I know that to keep this feeling alive, I need to feed the part of me that strives to want immigrant children to feel safe, free and make sure they are with their families and communities. I know that my commitment to serve as the first Chief Development Officer at the Young Center was the right decision. And I can’t wait to share this work with the rest of the world.

Written by Meghan Jorgensen, Young Center Chief Development Officer

Want to be a Waymaker for immigrant children and their families? Sign up for our Elizabeth Frankel Waymakers Race, happening September 1–30!