This interview originally ran in the June 2022 issue of The Simmons MPH Monthly. Dora Rodriguez is the Director of Salvavision, a Tucson, AZ based non-profit focused on providing aid and support to asylum seekers, migrants, and returnees.

What type of social issues do you work with? Why do you think the work is essential?

My mission is immigration and to support our border towns in the area where I live, Tucson Arizona. In Arizona alone, we have about five border towns that require our attention. With immigration, there’s discrimination and we’re trying so much to be present in advocating for equal rights for people of color because we’ve seen how the treatment is different, not only in the United States but also in Mexico. People are crossing to seek asylum in the United States, and if they are from Africa or from Haiti, [Latin America], they are treated horribly. These people are not even welcome in restaurants in Mexico. So that is why we are advocating for human rights and to just be there for people. 

It is essential because the humanitarian piece is missing. Our political people are missing that piece when it should be number 1. 

It is important for us to bring our stories, our narratives, to bring some humanity to this cruelty. The policies are killing people. The laws are killing people. 

What are your experiences with immigration?

It’s pretty broad. I started with my personal journey – that was an experience – a long time ago. But every time I hear these stories of cruelty, and not only around our borders in Mexico, but in Africa, in the Mediterranean, anywhere, it hits home. My experience is not so much with the law, but I am an advocate who will fight with other advocates for basic human rights. People have the right to seek safety if they are not safe in their home countries. They deserve to have food on the table for their children because of the devastations of climate change. That is huge! It has displaced thousands and thousands of people all over the world. 

Why do you think these problems exist?

It’s been around for so many years. If you go back to the Clinton years, to the 80s, etc.

I do not believe it is a broken system, this is how they want it. This is how they fixed it to be. People who wrote the laws wrote them how they want to see it all play out. Even when we look at 9/11, there was a switch. 

Not only in our border towns but in our airports with the conception that we had to “stop terrorists” and it has not changed. So for us here in our borders, what it did was create a more dangerous path for people that are trying to get to this country in the only way they can. It starts way back in their home country where a person has no job, no bank account, no wealth, and will not be given a visa. So they don’t have any other option. They don’t have any other options, so they will either journey on their own or hire a smuggler who will put them in the most dangerous places. Many times they die and people just don’t care. 

[Regarding money] everyone makes money from migrants. Starting from the person at the grocery store who sells them the backpacks they need to carry in the mountains, to the billion-dollar organized crime organizations, to our government. Everyone makes money from immigration except migrants.

Do you think your work addresses the cause of the problem? If so, how?

Yes, and especially with Salvavision. Everybody talks about the root of migration and its causes and why people leave their countries. Well, we know why people leave their countries. My country of birth, El Salvador, they were stuck in their ways of not providing opportunities to youth, to people, leaving them in danger. People leave because of violence, people leave because of poverty, people leave because of displacement. In Salvavision, we try to get to the bottom of this by supporting people the best we can. We are a small organization, but we know the reasons for immigration, and we know what we need to do. 

For example, in some areas where the crime is not so high, but poverty is very high,  we're trying to create jobs and opportunities. For example, some embroidery work with the community in a small community in the town of San Marcos Guatemala. We have about 20 women in the community doing their beautiful pieces of art. We buy from them and then we sell them here in the States. Even $100 for that family is good revenue because, with $100, they can put more food on the table. My hope is that if it’s not a life-threatening situation, that we are providing some relief to them so they don't have the need to migrate, you know, and then eventually someday they can grow their own business and survive from that. But I do wish we could do more.

How did you become involved in this type of work? What inspired you to continue working for social change?

I have always been a person that speaks out, you know when things are not right or when I see so much injustice going on around me, and of course, I landed on the immigration issues because of my own experience. You know, my own journey in 1980 when I came to the town of Tucson, Arizona seeking refuge, because we were in the civil war and El Salvador. I was rescued and welcomed in this town by the Movement of the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary was initiated in Tucson, Arizona with Reverend John Fife and he's still around, so I don't see myself doing anything different than what I do because I have been doing this work for almost 35 years. 

For some reason, it was not my time to die. I survived and first of all, I do it in honor of the 13 people that died around me in that tragedy and also to be the voice. I try to be the voice of so many that are robbed of their voice. With my tragedy, they robbed the voice of all of these young people when all they wanted was safety. We're talking about 12 or 14 or 16-year-olds. So I can see myself doing nothing else. I'm passionate about it – it’s my mission and I don’t wanna stop. And I hope that someday when I’m gone, my children or people like you, continue this work because it’s sad to say, but we’re not seeing anything get better at this moment. 

How do you maintain motivation and strength in the face of hopelessness?

I give space to my feelings. I try to be aware of what my body's telling me. I try to be aware of what my body is feeling and when it gets really heavy emotionally, I disconnect for an hour or a day. I take a walk, read a book, and listen to music. I have to do that because it’s very heavy to carry around all the time. I don’t want to get to a place where I don’t have feelings. I’ve also found a lot of strength and support in the community. I am very glad and thankful to have a community around me that care about this issue as much as I do, or maybe more sometimes.

How long have you been involved in this work?

I have been involved for about 35 years and it’s been on and off with different organizations. I have been Samaritan in Tucson; these are the people who go and put water in the desert. I have been involved with them for about 10 years. 

But with The Sanctuary, I did a lot of work, back in the middle 80s, to the 90s. With them, I did a lot of work being a sponsor [which was] having people come to live in my house for families in need of shelters. So if you look at the timeline, I was found in 1980 during my tragedy so by 1985 like five years later I was ready to be involved. And I started my own organization in 2015, Salvavision, and that work has been non-stop. Every day I work,  I do this voluntarily so I don't get paid and I don't want to get paid because this is my choice. So all people in our organization do so voluntarily.

What are some of the approaches and methods you use in your work?

I like to work with the community and I think it’s important because I cannot do this work by myself. We approach our work with the community. No hierarchies; we keep it simple. 

I set healthy boundaries, but I like to be personable so that [people] feel like it’s a safe space to talk to me. 

What do you like best about this work? Least?

The best is meeting people from all over the world. I meet with migrants that tell me their stories and I just love that experience. I love to be there for them, I would like to transmit to them a little hope from a hug, from words of encouragement. I really do love the human touch because these people have been through so much and people expect us to give them money, but sometimes the human touch is the most important. 

The thing I like the least is that I don’t like fighting this government because it can take a huge toll on me. 

How can young people take effective action for change in the community?

We need voices and expertise in areas that you’re comfortable with. We need a new generation to speak up and not be silent anymore. Send letters to congress, to senators, if you see an opportunity to help please take advantage of it. We need volunteers. If young people live around us in the area, or some areas, where they can do the physical work, people are more than welcome. We always need extra hands. We always need young people to go out in the desert and leave the water to save a life, or to collect clothing for us, or to have a shoe drive. So there are many ways for people, both close and far away, to engage. 

What organizations or individuals do you interact with in the community?

No More Deaths, Tucson Samaritans, Humane Borders, Casas Alitas 

How can people living away from the border support and advocate for your work?

Awareness, awareness, awareness. Reaching out and having conversations with people about these issues. Gathering people to help write letters to elected officials. A lot of movements, like women’s movements, and African-American movements, are all based on that. People getting together and saying that they must speak out. 

We recently went to DC for the People’s March, which was a great experience. I went with a group of nuns – that are wonderful people –  they are fighters and they're fighting for human rights and justice, so I was very thankful to be with them. They gave us the space to share our stories of the trauma in the desert in these areas. We have issues with the Proud Boys and QAnon within our borders. They’re armed and they’re scary, and we don’t carry guns. We carry gallons of water, you know, so we brought that to DC, and a lot of organizations needed to hear that.

What haven’t I asked you that you’d like to speak about?

We don’t talk enough about the death that’s happening in our deserts. The deterrents that are put in place for our people. They have to walk very far distances, so there are about 250 deaths a year. Everyone needs to know that our border towns are dangerous. 

I want people to know that we are next to Tohono O'odham nation and they won’t allow us to put water in their areas. They have their own reasons for not allowing humanitarian aid, but then Border Patrol goes through their lands and destroys them. The government built the border wall where their ancestors are buried. We try to help because there is no water, no help. The majority of people who have died and are never found, die in that area. 

I would encourage people like you to share what we know and get this voice very loud. They have to hear us. There are so many issues and we have to tackle them. Take what you’re passionate about and work on that specifically,  otherwise, it gets too broad and you don’t do anything.

We thank Dora so much for her time speaking with us!