Divinity School Hosts Immigrant Vigil

At an emotional vigil last night, speakers, some of whom were undocumented immigrants, said that such individuals live in a state of fear and that newcomers to this country—whether undocumented or not—continue to face cultural obstacles upon arrival.

When entering Braun Room of Andover Hall at the Harvard Divinity School, attendees were greeted by flickers of light from the more than 100 candles placed around the windows and tables that dimly illuminated the room.

Mats and pillows were set on the floor along with an altar in the center of the room, on top of which were placed items recovered from a student’s trip to the desert near the U.S.-Mexico border, including a hat and backpack.

"We wanted to create a community which would allow us to discuss these issues in depth," Kye S. Flannery, one of the organizers, said.

During the vigil, a number of people participated in sharing their testimonials, poetry, and other spoken word.

"I’m undocumented, I’m unafraid, and we’re going to do something about it," said one of the speakers. He was one of three speakers that mentioned that they were in the U.S. without legal documentation currently or at some point in the past.

One of the performers, Daily Guerrero ’14, said that "despite pledging allegiance, they face the fear of deportation," in reference to illegal immigrants in the U.S.

Another participant, a woman who immigrated from Iraq a year ago and is currently a volunteer at the Boston Children’s Hospital, said that "the biggest challenge for me today is the cultural barrier" and that in Iraq, her family faced "the risk of being killed by a roadside bomb."

The vigil, organized by the Divinity School’s Borderlinks group, centered around the issue of immigration and the difficulties that follow the introduction into a new culture that in many cases can be hostile to newly arrived immigrants.

Around half of the vigil attendees were students from the Divinity School and surrounding universities. Earlier this year, the students from the Divinity School took a trip over winter break to Nogales and Tuscon, Ariz. near the U.S.-Mexico frontier to hear first-hand the experiences of people who worked at the border and individuals who have made the journey into the U.S.

"During the trip, we had to put everything else aside and reflect on the current situation of these immigrants," said Katherine F. Hagan, one of the Divinity School students that went on the trip.

Organizers said that they chose to hold last night’s vigil out of a desire "to bring these stories and experiences to the Greater Boston area."

Following the main vigil service in the Braun Room, guests at the vigil were asked to carry candles to the chapel on the floor above where they all sang and placed the candles in the center of the room after a moment of quiet reflection.