I wrote a diary Saturday to ask for your help to end human trafficking, human rights abuses, and indentured servitude on U.S. soil; to bring justice and political rights to the guest workers in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Thank you to everyone who responded by contacting key members of Congress, and members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the House Natural Resources Committee, and the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs to ask them to revise legislation that is pending in both houses of Congress.
In a few hours (which is Wednesday, August 15, 2007 in the CNMI) there will be a Field Hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Insular Affairs on Saipan. Donna Christensen (D-VI), Chair of the committee is leading the hearing.
Last evening there was a prayer vigil and march in Saipan organized by the guest workers. Please read on…
U.S. Congresswoman Donna Christensen attended the vigil to greet the guest workers. The SaipanTribune reported:
Hundreds of participants in yesterday's prayer vigil were thrilled when U.S. House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs chair Rep. Donna Christensen (D-VI) suddenly dropped by to greet them at the Garapan Fishing Base.
Nonresident workers of different nationalities, together with many of their children, were about to march from the Fishing Base toward the American Memorial Park at 6:45pm when a police convoy arrived, followed by a white van.
The van parked at the entrance of the road leading to the Fishing Base, its door opened, and Christensen stepped and walked straight to the crowd.
The marchers, mostly wearing white shirts and carrying lighted candles, were caught by surprise but a few immediately recognized the lawmaker. They swept toward her and word of her presence quickly spread, prompting many to yell and clap their hands.
Christensen talked briefly with some vigil organizers led by Jerry Custodio, then waved to the crowd. The workers responded with a loud of applause.
Some women hugged the lawmaker. An old Oriental woman handed a piece of paper that was received by Christensen's staff member.
Like Congressman George Miller (D-CA), Donna Christensen is one of the few members of Congress who has taken the time to actually meet with the guest workers. I spoke to two guest workers over the phone after the demonstration. There was excitement and hope in their voices. We should not stand by and allow the U.S. Congress to disappoint them again.
Even though the islands are thousands of miles from the U.S. mainland, you need to know what is happening there. There are tens of thousands of guest workers from the Philippines, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Russia, Pakistan, Thailand, and other Asian countries who went to the CNMI thinking it was the USA; looking to fill the American dream. Too many found a nightmare. Workers have fallen victim to labor and human rights abuses including unpaid wages, indentured servitude, housing violations, contract violations, and discrimination. They suffered from criminal acts such as rape, torture, false imprisonment, assault and battery, murder, and non-prosecuted criminal cases. They fell victim to human rights abuses such as forced abortion, human trafficking, and forced prostitution.
The CNMI maintains local control of labor and immigration. The current CNMI government policies make a mockery of democracy where the majority should be represented. In the CNMI the guest workers pay taxes, but they cannot vote. They are victims of crimes and can be arrested, but they cannot serve on juries. They are the voiceless majority of indentured servants on U.S. soil. They have no political rights or voice in the community that they helped to build. The last time guest workers with no voting privileges or political rights outnumbered citizens on U.S. soil it was called slavery.
Legislation has been introduced in the Senate, S.1634 and in the House, H. R. 3079. Both bills would provide improvement to the crisis in the CNMI. Yet some essential elements that effective federal immigration and labor legislation must include are lacking. They are:
• Granting an unobstructed pathway to U.S. citizenship through green cards to guest workers who had been working lawfully in the CNMI for at least five years as of January 1, 2007 and/or have been working lawfully in the CNMI for at least five years as of the date the legislation becomes law;
• Granting a pathway to citizenship for the immediate relatives of the guest workers who acquire U.S citizenship under this legislation;
• Granting immediate U.S. citizenship to parents of the U.S. citizen children in the CNMI on the date the legislation becomes law;
• Federalizing all CNMI labor, asylum, and immigration and visa programs;
• Requiring future foreign guest workers to complete exit interviews to ensure they have no unsettled labor and/or criminal cases; and
• Properly funding and staffing the U.S. Departments of Justice and Labor in the CNMI to ensure the safety and human rights of guest workers and the community.
The Field Hearing will be help on Saipan in a few hours. The panel of witnesses for the hearing are stacked in favor of the CNMI leaders and business owners who benefit from the current system that promotes corruption and abuses. However, workers believe that with the help of concerned citizens contacting leaders to request federalization and political rights, they stand a chance. Please join me in being a voice for them.
Please contact key members of Congress, members of the House Natural Resources Committee, members of the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, and members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Ask them to amend the bills to include the essential elements listed above. Thank you for your support.