WHY DO I CARE
ABOUT IMMIGRANT JUSTICE?
For seven years from 2007 to 2014 I taught senior Capstones with a focus on women and international development at Portland State University. One term a Latina woman asked me, “Why are you an activist, Professor Rumer? You sound like a 60’s radical!” “Yes, damn right and proud of it!” I responded. She paused and then quietly asked, “How did you become an activist? And how do you sustain yourself in the struggle for justice?” I laughed and replied, “It would take a long time – in fact, a lifetime-to share the experiences that created the activist that you see today.”
I am a P.K., Preacher’s Kid from a liberal Protestant family, so I grew up with the teachings of Christian social ethics that emphasized social justice and involvement in the world to address inequalities. I am also a child of the 1960’s civil rights, feminist and anti-war movements. I
came to believe that meaningful social change was possible but not inevitable. I found that organizing, marching, protesting and commitment were essential to make changes. One seminal experience was my work in the late 1960’s with Head Start, an early childhood education program, in the South where I was confronted directly by courageous Black and White teachers who worked to transform the legacy of racism among poor children.
I am a P.K., Preacher’s Kid from a liberal Protestant family, so I grew up with the teachings of Christian social ethics that emphasized social justice and involvement in the world to address inequalities. I am also a child of the 1960’s civil rights, feminist and anti-war movements. I
came to believe that meaningful social change was possible but not inevitable. I found that organizing, marching, protesting and commitment were essential to make changes. One seminal experience was my work in the late 1960’s with Head Start, an early childhood education program, in the South where I was confronted directly by courageous Black and White teachers who worked to transform the legacy of racism among poor children.
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However, my eyes were opened in Guatemala itself to economic inequality and racist treatment of the indigenous majority population by the local elites. Most importantly, I was outraged to learn about the role my own government played in the CIA-backed military coup of 1954 that overthrew a democratically elected president. The effects of this action undermined democratic values and devastated local community organizations’ efforts to bring about greater economic equality.
My two years in Guatemala changed my life and set me on my activist path working for social justice. My book and blogs are my way of sharing this path with you and other activists. Pat is in the white dress with dark hair, AFSC apartment, Guatemala City, 1971 |
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About Patricia Rumer
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I am a social justice activist with 50 years’ experience focused on Guatemala and immigration
issues in the United States. My book shares intimate stories of the people and places that have affected my justice journey. One reader has said, “She lifts up the voices of people she has encountered along her way.” I have a passion for justice for women, for victims of war and gender violence, and for racial and economic inequality. I began my career in Guatemala as a community development volunteer with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) working in a rural highland, Quiche-speaking community. I have returned frequently to unite with a part of the heart that still lives there. I participated in a Guatemalan Human Rights Commission/USA delegation to Guatemala in 2013 with a focus on women human rights defenders. I continue to be transformed by what I have learned from the Guatemalan people. I am fluent in Spanish. |