Over the Borderline

Rafael and Castro Were born on the same day On the beautiful isle of Cuba Just several miles away Both born in the countryside The exact time isn't clear Both full of Cuban pride... 1926 was the year Rafael was born dark Of the Afro-Cuban race Castro had light skin... And a smooth Spanish face Rafael Canivaro used to play drums He hung out in bars Drove American cars...and Chomped on cigars with his barrio chums They spoke of politics And the working mans pain Laughed at the USA's dirty tricks And played futbol in the rain That was before Castro Antes de la revolucion When Cuba was free Though life wasn't perfect Prosperity was on the rise And a certain lady... Had that look in her eyes He now lives north of Havana In a west coast Florida town While its not his little isle There are Cubans all around And they sit on a bench Under a Banyan tree Consumed by a game of chess Dreaming of 1943... At the age of 20...he was rolling ciga

Sonoran Barbacoa Sizzling peppers send smoke signals Carne asada sears over mesquite A hungry traveler lurks in the brush And dreams of something to eat On the road so long Himself grilled by the sun Nearly out of water And not out to harm anyone As a tendril of smoke fills his nose And a bastard buzzard circles overhead Smells from his youth tickle his soul And coax him back from the dead From menudo to adobo With rice and beans Con mas frutas y dulces He smells it all… it seems He thinks about Durango And cool mountain air And fresh roasted corn At the village town square He wishes he was there Or just up the arroyo Where blazing ranchero music Mixes with the smoke of grilled pollo And so off he goes With his hat in his hand Where he’ll join with those gringos… For his first meal in this land By: Jesse Alberson Tucson, Az

Shadow Rock United Church of Christ - Phoenix, Az       I recently visited a local Phoenix church as part of a fieldwork exercise for my Anthropology class in which we were tasked with observing church rituals, practices, and symbols. I chose a church nearby and found it more interesting than I bargained for. This particular church, Shadow Rock United Church of Christ, is a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants, providing a safe harbor for those in need. With lots of talk by Donald Trump about building a wall along the southern border, a major piece of his presidential bid, its worth noting the dilemma many undocumented immigrants face after being released from ICE custody. Occasionally they're cleared of any wrong doing and need a place to go, lest they be left to wander the streets. Some undocumented immigrants, many I imagine, are being accused of crimes they didn't commit and face extradition before their cases can be heard in a court of law. These immigrants are forc