Learn About Immigration

On This Page You Will Find…

Information and resources about the immigration issue facing our country.

You will find:

• • The Unitarian Universalist Association’s Statement of Conscience: “Immigration As A Moral Issue.”
  • A six-week introductory curriculum about the causes of migration, history of immigration in the U.S., the economics of immigration, security, enforcement and human rights, the broken system and who benefits from it and seeking solutions.
  • The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s “Report on Honduras.”
  • Understanding U.S. Intervention in Latin America

UUA Statement of Conscience: Immigration as a Moral Issue

In 2013, predicated on our core principle of “respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person” the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly adopted a Statement of Conscience entitled “Immigration as Moral Issue.”  Read the Statement of Conscience.

Leading up to its adoption, congregations were encouraged to participate in study and action through a guide that included a six-week course, the links of which are listed below.

Six-Week Introductory Curriculum

You can download the entire six-week curriculum in a single pdf file (148 pages).

Or, you can view each week’s course:
Week One: Understanding the Causes of Migration
Week Two: The History of Immigration in the U.S.
Week Three: The Economics of (Im)migration
Week Four: Security, Enforcement and Human Rights
Week Five: Who Benefits from a Broken System
Week Six: Seeking Solutions

If you have difficulty opening a specific course, you may try opening the UUA main immigration study guide page here.

UU Service Committee Report on Honduras

NEW HONDURAS REPORT

Last May, UUSC partnered with SHARE-El Salvador and Sisters of Mercy to send a faith solidarity delegation to Honduras to accompany and hear directly from Hondurans facing political repression and violence following the fraudulent re-election of President Juan Orlando Hernández. This week, as news of the Honduran migrant caravan dominates the airwaves, we have released a new report sharing our findings, “The Struggle for Human Rights and Transformation in Honduras.” We are grateful to our partners in Honduras at Radio Progreso/ERIC and Foro de Mujeres Por la Vida.

Along with the report we have a few simple resources for social media that we invite you to share:

• 2 Minute Video: Testimonies of Human Rights Violations in Honduras
• Blog Post: Four Facts You Should Know about the Central American Migrant Caravan
• Podcast & TV Interview w/UUSC’s Hannah Hafter: What is Driving the Honduran Migrant Caravan to the U.S.?

Understanding U.S. Intervention in Latin America

Daniel Kovalik currently teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He also served for over 25 years as Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO (USW).

On April 29th, Kovalik gave a talk on U.S. foreign policy at an event co-sponsored by Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia, Friends of Latin America and other local organizations in Columbia, Maryland. Kovalik argued that sanctions on Venezuela disproportionately affect the nation’s poorest people, that U.S. media coverage of Latin America has overlooked U.S. complicity in regional crimes and violence, and that U.S. policy towards the region has not significantly deviated between Democratic and Republican administrations. Kovalik also discussed recent U.S. history in the Middle East and North Africa. Links to the talk and subsequent Q&A session are below.

https://youtu.be/0CayT_btOkQ
https://youtu.be/8Z3sPSzGoFE