1 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: Try and carpool, try and shove into cars as best 2 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 1: you can, just so that we don't have a mile long. 3 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 2: Line of cars. 4 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 3: We have trash bags, we have gloves, we have things 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,600 Speaker 3: that we're bringing up there, so what we have cars 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 3: that you can get all of that out of. 7 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 4: Once we pull over. 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 2: We're also setting up a couple. 9 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 5: Of pop ups. 10 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 6: Hocumba, California, is a tiny town. You've probably never heard 11 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 6: of it. It's actually really charming. There's a hot spring 12 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 6: and a gorgeous hotel, a few stores selling our drinkets, 13 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 6: that kind of thing. There's a lovely lake fed by 14 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 6: the spring. And on this Sunday morning, there are about 15 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 6: fifty people outside an old petrol station, nervously pounding bottles 16 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 6: of water, applying sunscreen, and getting ready to head out 17 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 6: of the desert to clear up the ad hoc migrant 18 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 6: camp that has held as many as fifteen hundred people 19 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 6: out in the open when Title forty two ended and 20 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 6: Border patrol made no plans to keep them anywhere. It 21 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 6: was a diverse bunch of people hidden beneath sun hats. 22 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 6: There's an Australian film producer who was at a conference 23 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 6: in Orlando and booked a fly over a grad student painter. 24 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 6: The folks who were in the Hookumber Hotel who organize 25 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 6: this whole thing, they're friends from the hospitality industry in 26 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 6: San Diego. There were students and mums and dads and 27 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,479 Speaker 6: about the entire population of this tiny desert town. There 28 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 6: were also two form international aid workers who are in 29 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 6: a tower where you can look at the desert, which 30 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 6: is actually a much cooler thing than it sounds. And 31 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 6: there's also a museum of boulders right next to it. 32 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 6: You should probably check them out. During the area. I 33 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 6: spent the day helping out in Necumber after the refugees, 34 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 6: some of them in handcuffs, had been taken by private 35 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 6: contractors to be processed by CBP's Office of Field Operations. 36 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,559 Speaker 6: We met at a petrol station in the middle of town. 37 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 6: The space where the pumps should be was filled with tons, 38 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 6: and I do mean tons of bottled water, masks, hand 39 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 6: sanitized and other necessary supplies. When I'd arrived the night before, 40 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 6: around ten pm, the eerie green and yellow lights reflecting 41 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 6: from the roof had lit up a palace of water 42 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 6: like some kind of giant lava lamp, and driving across 43 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 6: the desert. The town looked like it was glowing. The 44 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 6: town certainly has had a bit of a glow up 45 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 6: in the last few years. Three business partners purchased their 46 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 6: Cumber hot Springs Hotel, a down in the mouth property 47 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,399 Speaker 6: that had once been a glamorous desert resort, and they've 48 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 6: been restoring the place for nearly two years. Inadvertently, they 49 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 6: also purchased a lot of land and a few other 50 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 6: rundown buildings in a town that were sold as a 51 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 6: lot with the hotel. It was in one of these buildings, 52 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 6: the old gas station, that they set up a de 53 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 6: facto mutual aid hubbo almost overnight. The hotel's not finished yet, 54 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 6: and they probably didn't make much progress on it during 55 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 6: the week when they were feeding more than a thousand 56 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 6: people in the desert. The town's lake, fed by a 57 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 6: natural spring an old bath house used to be attractions. 58 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 6: Today the bathhouse of roof have fallen off, but it 59 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 6: still makes a pretty cool concert venue, and the whole 60 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 6: town offers commanding views of the border wall, which sadly 61 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,359 Speaker 6: is only a couple of hundred yards from the main street. 62 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 6: When I arrived in Cucumber, every think was close. The 63 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:03,639 Speaker 6: mini Mark was sold out, the hotel was still being 64 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 6: worked on, and the hotel kitchen was churning out food 65 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 6: for volunteers at the clean up effort. I asked Marissa, 66 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 6: one of the volunteers I met that day, about her 67 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 6: first impressions on arriving at the meeting point. 68 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 7: I was incredibly impressed by what the people of hu 69 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 7: Kumba and the hotel group of individuals that have organized this, 70 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 7: Like I couldn't believe seeing their donation depot in that 71 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 7: old car wash, just to how well organized everything was, 72 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 7: and that they provided so much for the volunteers, and 73 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 7: just the level of love and compassion and was. Yeah, 74 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 7: it was an amazing opportunity to be part of, very humbling. 75 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 6: I've been there since late the night before after visiting 76 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 6: border crossings in California and Arizona, and Jeff, one of 77 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 6: the co owners a hotel, can you let me pull 78 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 6: up my truck in some desert behind his house. 79 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 5: Now. 80 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 6: I'm a person who enjoys sleeping outside, and I do 81 00:03:57,760 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 6: it as often as I can. I try and camp 82 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 6: police once a month. But that night I was cold, 83 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 6: even underneath my down blanket, and I couldn't help but 84 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 6: think of how desperate it must have been to spend 85 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 6: nearly a week out there with nothing but in my 86 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 6: last base blanket and some thorny bushes to keep you warm. 87 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 6: It's certainly not the welcome that one would expect from 88 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,239 Speaker 6: the richest nation on earth, which had three years to repair. 89 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 6: For the day, Title forty two ended to get a 90 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 6: bit of background out of town. I spoke to Natalie. 91 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 3: So the previous owner bought it at an auction, and 92 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 3: I don't think that the previous owner didn't realize how 93 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 3: much she was getting, and he kind of just like 94 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 3: neglected a bunch of it, you know. And then he 95 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 3: was older, and so he finally sold off the hotel. 96 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 3: He thought he was just buying the hotel, but he 97 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 3: buying all the land as well. So they when they 98 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 3: bought the hotel, they acquired all the land and they're 99 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 3: actually putting money into it and fixing everything up, which 100 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 3: is really wonderful. 101 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 6: The hotel in Lake and hot Spring really are wonderful. 102 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 6: But the scene that had played out there on the 103 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 6: eleventh of May, with anything but within a short period 104 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 6: of time, more than a thousand people of all ages 105 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 6: nationalities will be held in the open desert and left 106 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 6: defend Lardi for themselves. I let Natalie describe the space 107 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 6: there in. 108 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 3: There's lots of cactuses everywhere, so there's environmental like a 109 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 3: watch out where you're. 110 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 5: Walking that it's hot. It's hot in the day and 111 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 5: really cold at nights. It's the high desert. 112 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 3: There can be gusts of wind that can just take over, 113 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 3: get dust in your eyes, your hair, everything is just 114 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 3: you're just filthy. 115 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 5: And don't lack of food. 116 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 3: I mean there's no resources. You're in the middle of nowhere. 117 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 6: I talked to a lot of the volunteers, many of 118 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 6: whom have been in the desert for me at week. 119 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,239 Speaker 6: It'd first been made aware of the impending humanitarian crisis 120 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 6: late on Thursday night, but one of the people working 121 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 6: on the renovation of the Hot Springs Hotel got a 122 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 6: call about it. Within a few hours, the hotel zonners 123 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 6: and all this stuff running what became very nearly the 124 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 6: only source of food, shelter, and water for more than 125 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,919 Speaker 6: a thousand people trapped and held in the desert by CBP. 126 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 6: I spoke to Sam, another volunteer, to get sensor response. 127 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 5: Now. 128 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 6: Sam is a kind of guy who just looks like 129 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 6: he's a home in the desert. His wie brim hat, boots, 130 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 6: and long cleaved shirt and pants told me he spent 131 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 6: plenty of days under the baking sun out here, and 132 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 6: his readiness with an isoproble alcohol spray disinfect people's boots 133 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 6: after walking in an area that was likely covered in 134 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 6: human shit told me he'd been around one or two 135 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 6: situations like this in the past. 136 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 4: I spent a great deal of my life as his 137 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 4: second career, working for in developmental relief logistics in Southeast Asia, 138 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 4: mainly working with large ege organizations, for example World Food Program, 139 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 4: Doctors without Borders show units many many differ from their 140 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 4: place things. 141 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 6: In the context of that kind of experience, it's easy 142 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 6: to understand why people come to the United States, But 143 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 6: I asked Sam to put the situation here into perspective 144 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 6: for me. It's understandable that folks came to the US, 145 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 6: but why to a tiny desert town of five hundred people. 146 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 4: These people were radically unprepared for what they were going 147 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 4: to go through because they were sold to bill of 148 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 4: goods by coyotes on the other side about what was 149 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 4: going to happen to them, you understand so they had 150 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 4: really no idea what they were getting into at all, 151 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 4: and so there was not anything in the way of 152 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 4: life threatening situations for any of those people in any 153 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 4: meaningful way, a great deal of discomfort. It could have 154 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 4: turned very badly if these people here had not stepped up, 155 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 4: because the border patrol was completely overwhelmed, and so there 156 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 4: was never that bad of a situation here compared to 157 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 4: what I have seen in other places in the past. 158 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 6: A sound pointed out the migrants were now gone, but 159 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 6: we were still surrounded by times of supplies. But at 160 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 6: the time there was no way of knowing the scope 161 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,119 Speaker 6: or scale of the need. People reacted as best they could. 162 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 4: Actually it was overkilled, but you had no way of 163 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 4: knowing right at the time. There's just no way to know. 164 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 4: How do you know ahead of time? You always ask 165 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 4: for as much as you can get, because why would 166 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 4: you not. I mean, you never know. You don't know 167 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 4: how many of them with babies that are on the 168 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 4: other side of the wall right now might be zero, 169 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 4: might be five hundred. You have no idea, you. 170 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 6: Know, before anyone knew how if this was going to end, 171 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 6: or really what even was going on, dozens of people 172 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 6: across the county decided to help. One of them was Katie. 173 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 6: Here she is describing some of the volunteers she worked alongside. 174 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 8: There was a hard hodgepodge of people and as volunteers 175 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 8: and leading it were some of the owners of a 176 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,560 Speaker 8: hotel out there, and that was. 177 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 2: The main organizers. 178 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:38,439 Speaker 8: But who showed up were people from the town, people 179 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 8: that I knew and recognized. There were some really devout, 180 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 8: like they're twenty four hours a day, and then there 181 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 8: was some coming in and out. But I met people 182 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 8: from all over the county, and most of them answered 183 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 8: the car through instagram of the hotel. 184 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 6: All those volunteers called their friends, who called their friends, 185 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 6: who gradually coordinated response. Natalie first became aware of this, 186 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 6: as many volunteers did, through an Instagram post by Melissa, 187 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:12,680 Speaker 6: another of the three co owners of the Combo Hotel, 188 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 6: on Thursday night, just as title forty two was ending. 189 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 6: Natalie saw the post and decided to help. At first, 190 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 6: she wanted to leave right then at one am as 191 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 6: soon as she'd seen the post, but after consulting her family, 192 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 6: she decided to make her own post, asking for people 193 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 6: to bring supplies that were needed. Soon she was overwhelmed 194 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 6: by the response. 195 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean immediately, even at one in the morning, 196 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 3: I was getting messages because I posted it. That's when 197 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 3: I posted the story, I immediately got messages from front 198 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 3: say I'll bring a blanket over. What's your address. Yeah, 199 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 3: everyone just kind of rallied and started bringing supplies over, 200 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 3: collecting money as well. Some friends started collecting money and 201 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 3: then bought stuff and brought loads of food and things 202 00:09:58,360 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 3: to my house. 203 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 6: Her husband and ferried the supplies to Komba, where they 204 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 6: were joined by donations from all over the county in 205 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 6: the old petrol station. Like Natalie, Katie also saw a 206 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 6: post and immediately felt compelled to help. She called a 207 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 6: friend and some members of her family and seid about 208 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 6: raising funds and buying supplies. 209 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 8: So I met my friend at a cafe and in 210 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 8: that in the meantime, and I don't know how much 211 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 8: of this is really important. So in the meantime, I 212 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 8: text my mother and my two sisters who live on 213 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,839 Speaker 8: the East coast, and just it was late at night 214 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 8: for them, and I just said, I would love for 215 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 8: you to send prayers, because. 216 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 2: That's something that I believe in. 217 00:10:53,120 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 8: I believe in prayer or intention and thought reality. And 218 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 8: some of it was just because I felt so touched, 219 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:15,839 Speaker 8: like praying for the community that I love too. And 220 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 8: the next thing, I know, like my venmo was blowing 221 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 8: up and there was one thousand dollars in my venmo 222 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 8: sent from my family members. And so by the time 223 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,079 Speaker 8: my friend arrived, we were like, let's go and we. 224 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:32,319 Speaker 2: Filled our car. 225 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 8: With Amazingly, we found like organic, there's grocery outlet, right, 226 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 8: so we found organic soup for you know, dollars something 227 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 8: a can, and we spent a few hundred dollars. And 228 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 8: the next morning we met early and we stopped in 229 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 8: El Cone on the way and we spent all the 230 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 8: rest on We went to three or four thrift stores 231 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 8: and bought every blanket and hat and baby carrier. Because 232 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:11,719 Speaker 8: we have both focused on motherhood in our careers. 233 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 6: I asked people I spoke to about a week later 234 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 6: how the experience had impacted them. 235 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 3: It was overwhelming, just the the way the community really 236 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:23,679 Speaker 3: came around. 237 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 5: And supported. 238 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 3: The people in Hukumba that were finding help. You know, 239 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 3: after we finished cleaning up, when we were back at 240 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 3: the gas station, the Amazon driver was delivering, like I 241 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 3: think he delivered three hundred and fifty boxes, and so 242 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 3: we had to open them up and sort them and 243 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 3: it was there was so much food. I think that 244 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 3: it was insane amount of food, and it was awesome. 245 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:01,200 Speaker 3: It was really cool just to see how people stabbed 246 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:02,199 Speaker 3: up and donated. 247 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 6: I like some of the people I saw in Santa Cedro. Natalie, Katie, 248 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 6: Sam and Marissa are not part of an NGO or 249 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 6: a mutual aid collective. They're just people who wanted to help, 250 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 6: and that describes most of the people in Hucumber, although 251 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 6: some of them did have previous and regular volunteer experience 252 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,079 Speaker 6: with excellent groups like Border Kindness. I asked Katie to 253 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 6: reflect on the mutual aid approach and the absence of massive, 254 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 6: multimillion dollar organizations. Yeah, wasn't there, right. 255 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 2: No, they weren't there. 256 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 8: We were told that the Red Cross couldn't come unless 257 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 8: Border Patrol called, and Border Patrol told us that they 258 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 8: weren't allowed to call the Red Cross. 259 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 5: That's a pretty standard. 260 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 6: The one institution that did show support to people in 261 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 6: Hucumber was one that you might not expect, given the 262 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 6: support for this cruel immigration policy by almost all the 263 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,719 Speaker 6: Democrats in DC. But things are different when you can 264 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 6: see the results of these policies with your own eyes. 265 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 6: Perhaps that's why I didn't see a single elected official 266 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 6: in my entire week at the border. But one person 267 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 6: I missed, whoever won't mentioned, was a lady who worked 268 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 6: for California Senator Steve Pidia. I won't name her as 269 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 6: I don't have her permission, but hopefully one day soon 270 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 6: we'll be able to interview her. I'll let Katie describe 271 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 6: the role this woman played. 272 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 8: There was someone from Steve Padilla's team, and that's the 273 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 8: woman I rode with, and she was incredible. Her brother 274 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 8: in law is the chef at the hotel, so I think, 275 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 8: I mean, she might have came anyway, but she came 276 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 8: faster and there was true connection, and she stood up 277 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 8: to the border patrol and said, you know, said we're allowed. 278 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 8: We're here on behalf of this senator. So I mean 279 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 8: I saw some like had had like arguments about our 280 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 8: right to be there, and most of us didn't. Weren't 281 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 8: paying attention to that. We're paying attention to the people 282 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 8: that we were, you know, around and no one that 283 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 8: was out there what didn't believe that we should be 284 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 8: out there, and that more help should be out there. 285 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 6: Sadly, part of that familiarity with the system this woman 286 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 6: brought to the team also meant a familiarity with the 287 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 6: cruel and arbitrary nature of it. Katie says that they 288 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 6: had to organize for that as well. 289 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 8: So my friend and I we ended up writing in 290 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 8: her truck, so in Steve Padia's Senator Padia's. 291 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 2: Assistant truck. 292 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 8: So we had the opportunity to ask some questions that 293 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 8: probably everyone out there wanted to know, including the migrants, 294 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 8: And it was like, what will happen in what's the 295 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 8: process from here? And how do you know that these 296 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 8: people are being tended to? And I literally heard her 297 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 8: on the phone getting as many bodies on the ground 298 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 8: to start going to those centers where they're being taken 299 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 8: to make sure that they were but that we would 300 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 8: follow them through the entire process as best possible, monitoring 301 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 8: their well well cared for, that they were well cared for, 302 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 8: as well cared for as possible. 303 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 2: In a system and a process like that. 304 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 5: Yeah. 305 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 8: Yeah, but she literally said they're going to be busted 306 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 8: off and putt in cages, and that they would do 307 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 8: their best to make sure that that no one was 308 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 8: split up and that everyone was fed, showered, and they 309 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 8: weren't allowed to bring anything with them, so a lot 310 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 8: of the cleanup was all of the things that everyone 311 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 8: donated that had to be left behind, including some of 312 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 8: the stuffed animals. 313 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 6: For all the volunteers I spoke to, the chance to 314 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 6: be of service was empowering. Here's Natalie discussing that, Yeah. 315 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:24,399 Speaker 3: I mean, well, like and so many times do you 316 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:28,160 Speaker 3: like feel overwhelmed with like so much suffering in this world, 317 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 3: and like what can one person do? 318 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:31,239 Speaker 5: You know? 319 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 3: And so it did feel good that to actually see 320 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 3: an immediate impact, like I'm doing this and this is 321 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,199 Speaker 3: a result, because sometimes you can just get discouraged, you know, 322 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 3: like we're just one person. What can we really do 323 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 3: and can we really make an impact? And just seeing 324 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 3: that and being able to see directly how that one 325 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 3: person can impact, you know, can rally. Like just see 326 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 3: how my friends came together, you know when shopping, bought things, 327 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 3: gathered money, collected money. You know, my really good friend Sam, 328 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 3: she went to her local bar after she collected a 329 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 3: bunch of money, went and dropped stuff supplies off at 330 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 3: my house. 331 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 5: She was just down at her local. 332 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 3: Bar and just chatting with them and like, oh, what 333 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 3: did you do today, And so she told them, oh, 334 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,199 Speaker 3: I collected money and I bought supplies, and then the 335 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 3: people She ended up collecting about two hundred more dollars 336 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,439 Speaker 3: at the bar from people hearing her story. And so 337 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 3: then the next day she went and bought more supplies 338 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 3: and she actually ended up driving them out herself. She 339 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 3: ended up doing like three trips just from her own 340 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 3: talking to people and collecting. So just like the little 341 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:43,880 Speaker 3: impact that you know, everyone just kind of coming together 342 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 3: and making a difference. 343 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 6: Santa Sedro, a pretty diverse range of San Diegan's came 344 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,199 Speaker 6: to help. On the first night, I personally left at 345 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 6: about one in the morning, after spending almost two hours 346 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 6: trying to leave but needing to get charged phones back 347 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 6: to their owners by loudly in Spanish and French, then 348 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 6: English describing the backgrounds on the phone or the color 349 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:42,959 Speaker 6: of their case. It wasn't a great system, and by 350 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 6: the weekend, Caber and others had seen that more help 351 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 6: an organization was needed, and they decided to plan a response. 352 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:51,360 Speaker 6: Here's Caber describing how they prepared for. 353 00:19:51,359 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 5: That are maybe I'll just grabs and you know, I 354 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 5: was paying attention to people I knew who were doing 355 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 5: and what supplies they were saying was needed. The particular 356 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 5: store near me has like a wall of travel size 357 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:13,679 Speaker 5: like these giant times where you can basically just scoop 358 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 5: out one hundred deodorant, hands and to paste and things 359 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 5: like that. 360 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 6: Capan met up with some other members of a local 361 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 6: mutual aid group. I'll make sure to include donation links 362 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:24,199 Speaker 6: for all the groups I've mentioned at the end of 363 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 6: this series, so please make sure to listen right through 364 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 6: to the end. 365 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 5: I met up with him and he had just received 366 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 5: a bunch of donations through through mutually networks, so we 367 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 5: we know even more of a travel size I got 368 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:42,159 Speaker 5: some truth Troo hygiene kits and deodorant and uh and 369 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 5: and a bunch of friends and papers because because the 370 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 5: kids that are between the walls don't really have actually 371 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 5: do unfortunately, so so that those were those weren't really fast, 372 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 5: and so we got a whole bunch of bags of 373 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 5: all those kinds of supplies and then we done in 374 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 5: the way from there. 375 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 6: By the time they arrived, various organizations had organized areas 376 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 6: along the wall for different kinds of aid to be 377 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 6: passed through. Everything from clothes to food, to medical supplies 378 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:13,400 Speaker 6: and toilet paper was piled up given out. 379 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,640 Speaker 5: They renations and you know organized the toilet paper, food, 380 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 5: everything like that, and people just come up to the 381 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:20,919 Speaker 5: wall and if their family needed something, they would just 382 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 5: kind of going to it or ask us if we 383 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 5: were able to you know, if there was a common 384 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,680 Speaker 5: language there. So yeah, we just kind of you know, hey, 385 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 5: things as people needed them. I know that I helped 386 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:35,439 Speaker 5: give out some of the prints and tons of paper 387 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 5: and those were those were a big hit. Tons of 388 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 5: kids all came running over from the whole, all the 389 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 5: parts of the camp when they heard that there was 390 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 5: there were toys being given out, So that was it was. 391 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 5: It was heartbreaking, but it was also you know, it 392 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 5: made me smile to see them smile. 393 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 6: And the smile because of the need to use c 394 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 6: BP one and of course they need to stay in 395 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:00,479 Speaker 6: touch with families back home. There was a constant, an 396 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 6: overwhelming demand for phone charging. News reporters took phones back 397 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 6: to charge in their cars. Some people bought charge bricks 398 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:10,639 Speaker 6: and power strips, and mutual aid groups wrote names on 399 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 6: the back of the phones using painter's tape and sharpie 400 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 6: so they wouldn't get separated from their owners. By the 401 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 6: second day it was a better system, but on the 402 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 6: first day it was chaos. I let Kber, who spent 403 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,400 Speaker 6: a whole day charging phones, described the system that volunteers 404 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 6: came up with to mitigate that chaos a little bit. 405 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 5: And obviously they couldn't charge their phones if they're just 406 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 5: in this kind of desert gap between between these walls 407 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 5: that doesn't have any kind of minutes or anything. So 408 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 5: we had a system where they would passed the phone 409 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 5: through and we had we went, we went put a 410 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 5: piece of tape on it with their name and give 411 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 5: them a piece of tape with their name the same name, 412 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:54,920 Speaker 5: and then they would give us that if they came 413 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,400 Speaker 5: back to give us a tape back, and we would 414 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:01,840 Speaker 5: match their names and phone and and that was It 415 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 5: worked well enough. I mean, it was still extraordinarily chaotic process. 416 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 5: I mean we had we always had at least one 417 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 5: hundred phones on our side of the wallet any given time, 418 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 5: and and some people had you know, some people like 419 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 5: chargers to people didn't. Some people had Android or Samsung 420 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 5: or all the iPhones, and some people had well adapts, 421 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 5: and some people didn't have the wallet estae adapters. So 422 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 5: we kind of had to every phone that came through 423 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 5: was we had to find a way to get it, 424 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 5: you know, basically chained into the set of generators that 425 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 5: we had, which was do we have a power strips 426 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 5: and we have to write cables and and and we 427 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:41,160 Speaker 5: have space on those cables and and I think it 428 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 5: was it was a bit of a puzzle the whole time. 429 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 5: The only part of it that really overwhelmed me was 430 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 5: we did overload. Someone brought a bunch of uh USBC 431 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 5: power strips and we blew out one of them, and 432 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 5: so there was now phones attacked, sure that they had 433 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 5: to find new spaces for and I as I was 434 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 5: just frustrated by the situation. And in addition of affair 435 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 5: that charging, I think whatever happened to. 436 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 6: It, it was chaos, but it was a good nature chaos. 437 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 6: Over several days that migrants were attained in the open 438 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 6: with no shelter and inadequate sanitation, just about two miles 439 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 6: from the discount mall where you can buy cheap Ralpherend's 440 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 6: shirts if that's your jam, people showed up in ever 441 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 6: increasing numbers. The American Friends Service Committee helped organize volunteers 442 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 6: into groups to distribute food, package up wet white snacks, medicines, 443 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 6: give out tarps, and do just about anything else that 444 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,439 Speaker 6: they could or anything else that they could fit into 445 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 6: ziploc bags that could be passed through gaps in the wall. 446 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 5: At least. 447 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 6: People who had been immigrants themselves or who were the 448 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:01,080 Speaker 6: children of immigrants were notably numerous and long the volunteers. 449 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 6: I spoke to one of them. 450 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 9: My name is Lon Chai. 451 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 10: I'm part of Asian Soliday Collective grass With organization here 452 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 10: in San Diego. 453 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 9: I've been I've been coming over here since yesterday. 454 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 10: I came here around five six yesterday, and then I 455 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 10: came back through here this morning and been here since. 456 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,439 Speaker 10: I got home at twelve last night and woke up, 457 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 10: dropped my kid off, and came right back with more supplies. 458 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 10: I've been reaching out to family, friends and community to 459 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 10: help donate supplies and things. 460 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 9: Like that, food, whatever, whatever they may have. 461 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 10: And I've pretty much been driving around city and collecting 462 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 10: from folks that can't make it so I could bring 463 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 10: it down here myself. 464 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 9: So that's what I've been doing. 465 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 6: Lunchai explained to me why it was so important to 466 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,120 Speaker 6: show up my community. 467 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 10: I'm pretty sure they they they're sympathetic to this because 468 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 10: I'm coming from I'm a first generation cambody in American 469 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,879 Speaker 10: here in the US, and when my parents and my 470 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 10: family fled their country, they went through this as well. 471 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:05,639 Speaker 10: So somebody somewhere came and provided to support, provided to 472 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 10: aid the donations for them to to be able to 473 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 10: to make it to America to crossover, and and able 474 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 10: to to to provide out here for for me growing 475 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 10: up out here. You know. 476 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 9: So it's just I just sympathize with it, with the 477 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:19,679 Speaker 9: whole thing. I mean, I mean. 478 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 10: Everybody should should should feel the same way, because somewhere 479 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 10: down the line, our families went through similar situations. If 480 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 10: you're not an indigenous then then then your family somewhere 481 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 10: down down the history went through the same thing. 482 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:32,679 Speaker 9: So you know that everybody should have a heart for 483 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:33,399 Speaker 9: this and be able. 484 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 10: To come down here and and and donate or donate 485 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 10: their time or supplies whatever the case may be, you know, 486 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 10: come out in help. 487 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 6: He also explained why he feels it's important to encourage 488 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:43,879 Speaker 6: empathy for refugees. 489 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 9: Well, it's it's you have to you have to you 490 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 9: have to be keep your mind. 491 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 10: There's there's this families out here, there's this young children, 492 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 10: there's babies. I mean, it takes a lot for for 493 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,159 Speaker 10: for a mother to pick up her infant child and 494 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 10: to leave where she's coming from. 495 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 9: So that just says a lot about where what's. 496 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:02,199 Speaker 10: Going on, where she's for her to trek and to 497 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 10: go through this just to sit out here and the 498 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 10: cold and stuff, because if she would rather endure her 499 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,640 Speaker 10: endure this and take the risk and the chances that 500 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,399 Speaker 10: means where she's coming from is not as you know, 501 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 10: if she's wanted to take that risk. 502 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 6: Later that night, I saw an Afghan family come to 503 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:21,160 Speaker 6: help the other Afghan families. Their kids talk to other 504 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 6: Afghan kids separated by the border war. They passed crayons 505 00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 6: through the wall and coloring books, and the little daughter 506 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 6: asked her dad if she could give her watch to 507 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 6: the Afghan girl being held in the camp. Her dad said, 508 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:35,720 Speaker 6: of course, I don't record or photograph people's children, certainly 509 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 6: not without asking, And I wasn't about to interrupt them, 510 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,119 Speaker 6: but it was a very sweet moment. The father of 511 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 6: the family had worked in the Army Corps of Engineers. 512 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,679 Speaker 6: He'd been to the border before to build this section 513 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 6: of the war. I didn't really need to ask him 514 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 6: how it felt to see folks stuck behind it, but 515 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 6: it said a lot that he and his family had 516 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 6: taken the time to drive down, buy bags and supplies 517 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 6: and then come face to face with the people who 518 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 6: needed them and hand them out. Like dozens of other folks, 519 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,879 Speaker 6: they tried to pass whatever they could through little gaps 520 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,720 Speaker 6: in the war to make someone's day a little bit brighter. 521 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 6: Another volunteer who we heard from yesterday came from a 522 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 6: local group called Pana. Hermira, had been at the wall 523 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,159 Speaker 6: since five in the morning and it was getting on 524 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,880 Speaker 6: for five pm when we spoke. I normally ask people 525 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 6: what they ate for breakfast, just to tune in the 526 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 6: volume levels on the recorder a bit, but I'm going 527 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 6: to include it this time, just so you can see 528 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 6: how long her day had been and how hard she'd 529 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 6: been working. 530 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 2: Okay, do you know what do you want me to say? 531 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 2: So that good? 532 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:31,400 Speaker 5: I mean, we have a breakfast again. 533 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: I don't remember anymore French shast FRESD shosts, but my 534 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: name is Harmaira Yusafi and I'm with a partnership for 535 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: the Advancement of New Americans PANA, or an organization in 536 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: San Diego that fights for the full incusion of refugees 537 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: and those who come from refugee producing countries. 538 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 6: We spoke about the emergency that had kept her hair 539 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 6: all day. 540 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 1: So in terms of this morning, I mean I was 541 00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 1: I was very concerned because there was an asylum seeker 542 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: who had an emergency and was rushed out of this place. 543 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: Where now, like for example, where we are at right now, 544 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: is people who are being detained and the most inhumane 545 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: way possible. This is going against TBP's own protocols and 546 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 1: policies as to how they're being detained with No they're 547 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: not giving them food, they're not giving them bathrooms, they're 548 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: not giving them basic basic things that they need to survive. 549 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: And so that's why the community is out here today 550 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: to do that. 551 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 6: Sadly, not everyone who showed up at the makeshift detention 552 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 6: facility were showing up in solidarity. Local anti migrant activists 553 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 6: and blogger Roger Ogden showed up. 554 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 5: Now. 555 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 6: Ogden might be familiar to some listeners due to his 556 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 6: attempts to host he called a Patriot picnic and his 557 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 6: advocacy for the removal of the historic murals in on 558 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 6: A Park often organized gatherings in the park in twenty 559 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 6: seventeen and twenty eighteen, and they resulted in a huge 560 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 6: and overwhelming community response to defend the park, and this 561 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:13,479 Speaker 6: time Olden decided to keep to himself, but Natalie ran 562 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 6: into some people who weren't quite as shy about their opinions. 563 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 3: You know, a lot of the people in the Hook community. 564 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 5: Are you know, lower income. 565 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 3: You know, they are struggling in their own struggle on 566 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 3: their and so I know, you know, maybe I don't 567 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 3: know it like for those people, I. 568 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 5: Don't know, like, yeah, it's hard. I don't know. 569 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 3: I mean towards the end, like when I was walking 570 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 3: to my car, this man and this man in a 571 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 3: car like pulled up and he's like, excuse me, what's 572 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 3: going on over there? And I was like, Oh, we're 573 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 3: gathering you know, supplies for the asylum seekers. 574 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 5: And then I you know, like, if. 575 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 3: You're from here, you kind of if you're in Hookumba, 576 00:30:57,760 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 3: you kind of already knew what was going on, and 577 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 3: so him asking me that, I was kind of like, 578 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 3: m and then he just started laying into I've had 579 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:09,880 Speaker 3: illegals you know, have broken into my house a few times. 580 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 3: Why are you supporting illegals? And I'm like, we're trying to, 581 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 3: let like make sure that people don't die, and he 582 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 3: just kept going off on me, and so he, you know, 583 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 3: his the whole all the talking points that people have 584 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 3: about not allowing people to seek asylum here, and so. 585 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 6: I just walked away. Maurica didn't run into the same 586 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 6: kind of vocal opposition, but she said in her conversations 587 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 6: and attempts to process everything she'd seen, she ran into 588 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 6: some of the sort of need jate responses. So people 589 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,680 Speaker 6: can only really make about immigration when they haven't looked 590 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 6: the cruelty that they're advocating for in the face. 591 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,840 Speaker 7: It took me a little while to kind of work 592 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:54,480 Speaker 7: through just how I felt about it on an emotional, 593 00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 7: maybe a spiritual level. 594 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 5: You know. 595 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 7: I spoke with family and friends about it, about my experience, 596 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 7: and and it's it's difficult to I found it difficult 597 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 7: to explain my experience because I don't know that somebody 598 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 7: can really truly understand that unless they've actually been out 599 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 7: there and done it themselves, because the arguments or or 600 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:26,800 Speaker 7: they're kind of. 601 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 2: Debate, so to speak. 602 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 7: What they would come back at me with when I 603 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 7: was sharing that is, but we don't have enough food 604 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 7: or housing to be able to support this that many 605 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,760 Speaker 7: people coming in, And I'm like, but we just had 606 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 7: so many people and so much money put out there 607 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 7: to help in a very short amount of time. Look 608 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 7: how many donations were donated, how much money was contributed 609 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 7: in a short amount of time from not that many people. 610 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 7: I'm like, obviously we do have the money. Obviously we 611 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 7: do have the food. So where's the where's the breakdown? Like, 612 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 7: is it our system that just doesn't allow for that happened? 613 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 7: I don't know, And that that's where like I don't 614 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 7: I don't understand it enough. 615 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 2: But I feel like. 616 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 7: It just made me realize that I don't know that 617 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 7: anybody that I spoke to afterward really understands it enough, 618 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:26,959 Speaker 7: either because their arguments or their defense and what they 619 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 7: tried to share on the opposite side of me going 620 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 7: out there and supporting just felt like it was just 621 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 7: something to say, you know, and like what they what 622 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:44,480 Speaker 7: they hear from the general media out there, and they 623 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 7: also don't really they can't quite grasp it, so they're 624 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,239 Speaker 7: just kind of throwing something out there, I guess is 625 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 7: what it felt like. 626 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 6: Paper also ran into some less and charitable San Diegans, 627 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 6: this time down in Santasiedra. 628 00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 5: Yeah, so I guess My first is why they might 629 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 5: have or how they might have found. 630 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 11: Us there, which is there's a a local news organization 631 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:12,000 Speaker 11: San Diego called PSI, which is kind of a I 632 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:13,520 Speaker 11: would describe as a local. 633 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:15,880 Speaker 5: Equivalent of something like one American News, which is really 634 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 5: unfortunate because we already have more American news here. But 635 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:26,520 Speaker 5: they are are pretty well known for kind of a 636 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:32,040 Speaker 5: lot of like misinformation, kind of scare mongering about and 637 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 5: has people immigrants, vaccines and and all that sort of 638 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:38,760 Speaker 5: sort of thing, but with kind of a local news 639 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,480 Speaker 5: sort of aesthetic to it. And they were, as far 640 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 5: as I could tell, they were really the only identifiable 641 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 5: media that were there throughout the day. I read articles 642 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 5: eventually made me realize there were other reporters there, but 643 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 5: they were identifying themselves the way that Hasy was. But 644 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 5: they signed this one cameraman just shooting b role, I guess, 645 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 5: and he was walking to all the different parts of 646 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 5: the wall and like all the different sort of stations 647 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,319 Speaker 5: for aid and like trying to really trying to get 648 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:10,359 Speaker 5: as many faces as possible. You could kind of tell 649 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 5: that that's like what he was doing. Everyone who I 650 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 5: was around, I was I was kind of you know, 651 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 5: oriented mostly with kind of the like sort of like 652 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 5: analysts between people. And you know, when they saw the 653 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 5: play with that truck, they're like, okay, point, it's their masking, 654 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 5: you know, and killing in ninety five with me. So 655 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 5: I'm where that and I am you know, slightly identifying 656 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:37,440 Speaker 5: logo on my struct shirt which I take over so 657 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 5: that you know, that image wouldn't show up. 658 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:41,319 Speaker 1: Now. 659 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:44,720 Speaker 6: KUSI have drifted further and further right since twenty twenty. 660 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 6: Along with their relatively miniscule viewership. These days, they engage 661 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:51,280 Speaker 6: in fake news culture war stuff, like repeating the recent 662 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,800 Speaker 6: false accusations at Target was making tuckable swimming costumes for kids, 663 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:58,799 Speaker 6: or labeling everyone in the asylum process illegal immigrants. It's 664 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:02,400 Speaker 6: sadly pretty standard for right news organizations now. Okay, but 665 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 6: thinks that some of the people who saw footage on 666 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:07,400 Speaker 6: k USI, or perhaps found the location posted on Obten's blog, 667 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 6: came down to the border like. 668 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:12,280 Speaker 5: Several hours later that stuff when we started to see people, 669 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 5: you know, kind of go buy and and and we 670 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 5: could tell that they weren't volunteers because like peop when 671 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:23,399 Speaker 5: people like playing people who weren't even necessarily vounteer which 672 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:24,959 Speaker 5: are buy and so like, hey, I just heard watching, 673 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 5: and I brought a pace of water, and they bring 674 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:29,279 Speaker 5: up the water and then they drive away. But the 675 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:31,759 Speaker 5: people who are doing who are like cute where I think, 676 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 5: you know, kind of do some kind of intimidation where 677 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:37,239 Speaker 5: you know, they wouldn't approach directly. They would just kind 678 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:41,880 Speaker 5: of get out of their exceptionally large entivies and and 679 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 5: just kind of just kind of watch, and they would 680 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 5: kind of, you know, get a little bit closer at 681 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:49,600 Speaker 5: a time, and then you know, a little bit closer 682 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:52,840 Speaker 5: and kind of whisper to each other and you know, 683 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:54,920 Speaker 5: point at things, and you know, it's just kind of 684 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:57,759 Speaker 5: they were just watching, and you know, they got close 685 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 5: enough that I could read their shirts, and and the 686 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:05,280 Speaker 5: shirts had a slogan that's associated with a Christian nationalism slogan. 687 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 5: So as this whole family is kind of kind of 688 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 5: sad that the kids were wearing the shirts too, and 689 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 5: and so I kind of, yeah, I figured out that 690 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 5: that's what was going on, and I never talked to them. 691 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:21,239 Speaker 5: I didn't approach them, but I stood when I was, 692 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 5: you know, seeing they closer clos or I kind of 693 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 5: positioned myself in between the rest of the volunteers and in 694 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 5: this group and and just kind of, you know, didn't 695 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:34,480 Speaker 5: really start at them, just kind of looked at them 696 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:37,280 Speaker 5: and and just made it clear with my body language 697 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:39,640 Speaker 5: that I, like, I knew, you know, they were doing 698 00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 5: like they weren't, you know, they weren't doing any kind 699 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 5: of secret agent thing or whatever, like they were being 700 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:47,240 Speaker 5: really really obvious, and and I just you know, stood 701 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 5: and positioned myself in a way that indicated that you know, 702 00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:51,400 Speaker 5: I know what you're doing, and you're not going to 703 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 5: get close, You're not going to interfere with you know, 704 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:56,319 Speaker 5: what we're doing, and you're not going to contact any 705 00:37:56,360 --> 00:38:01,000 Speaker 5: wine drill anyone or like what everyone did. And eventually 706 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,239 Speaker 5: one of the people who is either volunteer or work for, 707 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:06,080 Speaker 5: like one of the engineers, can definitely tell there was 708 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:09,279 Speaker 5: something going on. So she went over and had a 709 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:11,920 Speaker 5: conversation with them that I could hear, and eventually they 710 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:15,799 Speaker 5: decided to move. And I think she was just kind 711 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:17,880 Speaker 5: of trying to be diplomatic but just sort of like 712 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:19,799 Speaker 5: asked them if they wanted to help, and if they 713 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:23,560 Speaker 5: don't want to help, and you know, yeah, go be 714 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:29,440 Speaker 5: somewhere else, I suppose, And and it was I mean, 715 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:33,400 Speaker 5: the sort of one amusing part of people like that 716 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:37,160 Speaker 5: was that they apparently complained to this person about me 717 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 5: because they said that I had been watching them and 718 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:45,960 Speaker 5: I was I was racially profiling them because they were white. 719 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:49,200 Speaker 5: And I realized now that this is an around this interview, 720 00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:52,320 Speaker 5: but just for the listeners, I am very very white myself. 721 00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:55,880 Speaker 6: I think it's important when we discuss volunteering to honor 722 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 6: how hard this kind of experience could be on people. Obviously, 723 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 6: the trauma associated with seeing people brutalized by the state 724 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:04,279 Speaker 6: and capital. It's not the same as being brutalized by 725 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,400 Speaker 6: state and capital yourself. But that doesn't mean it's easy. 726 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,440 Speaker 6: I asked an athlete to reflect a little on children's 727 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 6: toys we found in the shelter when we were cleaning 728 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:13,160 Speaker 6: up the camp. 729 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 3: Like as a mom, like I have my own children, 730 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:18,480 Speaker 3: and it just really it was emotional. 731 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:19,839 Speaker 5: It's like it's just. 732 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 3: Like I'm like, who's who what child was playing with this? 733 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:28,480 Speaker 3: You know here in this space, and you know that 734 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 3: no child should be ever in, you know, an encampment 735 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:36,240 Speaker 3: like that or it just no one should be living outside, 736 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:38,960 Speaker 3: no one should be doing that. But also it's like 737 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 3: kind of like the humanity in a way like that. 738 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:45,360 Speaker 3: You know, even a child's going to play wherever child's 739 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,480 Speaker 3: going to play, and like that little toy of little 740 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 3: hopefully it brought that kid some joy in that moment, 741 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:54,759 Speaker 3: you know, if it was there a little piece of 742 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:58,319 Speaker 3: home or someone gave it to him or what, you know, 743 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,680 Speaker 3: it was Yeah, the reality, it was like it was 744 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:04,759 Speaker 3: like a person, you know, like a little artifact of 745 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 3: someone who was actually there. You know, like it was 746 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:10,279 Speaker 3: a little more tangible than you know, a sock. You know, 747 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:12,359 Speaker 3: that's not that's not I'm not think you know who 748 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:15,720 Speaker 3: wore that sock, but think of who who was playing 749 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:16,400 Speaker 3: with that dooy? 750 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:18,359 Speaker 5: You know? Was it a little boy a little girl? 751 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:18,800 Speaker 5: At hold? 752 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 3: Were they did they bring up home? Are they missing it? 753 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 3: When they When I saw they have that, she needed 754 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:26,799 Speaker 3: people to clean up. It was like Okay, I took 755 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:30,680 Speaker 3: a day off of work and went out there and 756 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:36,000 Speaker 3: just felt overwhelming almost. I mean, just one day of 757 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:40,520 Speaker 3: me working out there was really emotional. I can't imagine 758 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 3: how you know, Melissa and all the people that were 759 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:43,880 Speaker 3: on the ground just dealing with it, and I know 760 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:47,960 Speaker 3: they're just struggling a little bit and just processing it 761 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:52,680 Speaker 3: all has been really hard, you know, really hard. It's 762 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:56,560 Speaker 3: just just just how how privileged we are. You know, 763 00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:58,759 Speaker 3: like no one leaves their country because they want to. 764 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:02,640 Speaker 3: They leave because they have to, but they feel like 765 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:07,480 Speaker 3: they have to. And you know, it's I mean, it's 766 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:11,480 Speaker 3: respecting and honoring and understanding the privilege that you're in 767 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:16,320 Speaker 3: and not taking for granted because it's very. 768 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:20,240 Speaker 6: Easy to both. Katie Marisa said they don't really identify 769 00:41:20,239 --> 00:41:22,600 Speaker 6: as political, and that they wanted to be there as people. 770 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:27,600 Speaker 6: Sometimes often politics can become a complicated game of numbers 771 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:30,040 Speaker 6: and statistics, but it's important to remember that what this 772 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:32,520 Speaker 6: is really about is organizing in such a way that 773 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:34,719 Speaker 6: we can take care of one another, and that the 774 00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:37,280 Speaker 6: most important politics of war is the politics of feeding 775 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 6: hungry people and maybe bringing a sad child of stuffed animal. 776 00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:43,800 Speaker 6: Here's Katie talking about the community response. 777 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 8: I think I'm a really compassionate person and I'm not 778 00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:52,719 Speaker 8: very political in the sense that, like, I don't. 779 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 2: Really participate. 780 00:41:56,320 --> 00:42:02,120 Speaker 8: My life, in my community's life is solution oriented. So 781 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:09,520 Speaker 8: I saw like that on a large scale, the like 782 00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:16,360 Speaker 8: when people come together, we create solutions when and you 783 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:21,520 Speaker 8: don't wait for someone like the government to show up 784 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:27,759 Speaker 8: and fix it, because then people will die. Yeah, you know, 785 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:32,840 Speaker 8: I mean that's the reality is if that community didn't activate, 786 00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:35,120 Speaker 8: there would have been a lot of dead people in 787 00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:35,680 Speaker 8: the desert. 788 00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:38,799 Speaker 6: Katie shared with me that she's been having a difficult time, 789 00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:41,600 Speaker 6: feeling guilty for not having the language skills to do 790 00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:44,160 Speaker 6: more and questing her own worthiness to be there helping. 791 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:47,360 Speaker 6: But in the end, she said she felt that what 792 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:50,600 Speaker 6: she'd done was right and important. I'll leave you with 793 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:53,120 Speaker 6: her thoughts and tomorrow I'll be back to talk about 794 00:42:53,120 --> 00:42:55,200 Speaker 6: the people who put everyone in this situation in the 795 00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:58,360 Speaker 6: first place, the Department of Homeland Security. 796 00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 8: I think an important thing is like so many times 797 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:08,240 Speaker 8: we hear about things and we say, isn't that awful, 798 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:12,400 Speaker 8: and we kind of shut down because we don't feel 799 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:16,879 Speaker 8: empowered or we don't know how to help. 800 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:21,080 Speaker 2: And literally a smile. 801 00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:28,080 Speaker 8: Makes a difference, a feeling of like I see you 802 00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:32,719 Speaker 8: and you belong on this planet makes a difference. And 803 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:39,920 Speaker 8: you know, little kids packing up canned goods and fruit 804 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:44,200 Speaker 8: snacks for other little kids. They didn't see those kids, 805 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,959 Speaker 8: but when the adult said they're going to be so 806 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:51,160 Speaker 8: happy to get that package, they felt like they made 807 00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:51,800 Speaker 8: a difference. 808 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:53,839 Speaker 2: And those little girls are. 809 00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:57,759 Speaker 8: Gonna grow up and not be afraid to step up 810 00:43:57,840 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 8: and make a difference. I think a lot of people 811 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:04,560 Speaker 8: think like they can't do enough, so they don't do anything. 812 00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:09,359 Speaker 8: And if we all just do a little bit or 813 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:15,640 Speaker 8: what you can, then I think we would see a 814 00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:20,200 Speaker 8: very large impact. Hakumba is a town of five hundred 815 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:28,160 Speaker 8: and they just fed thousands, house thousands, closed thousands, hugged 816 00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:35,680 Speaker 8: and welcomed thousands of human beings. And those people in 817 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:41,759 Speaker 8: that town don't have much excess and they made a difference. 818 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:48,200 Speaker 2: And I was proud to be a part of. 819 00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:52,440 Speaker 8: That community in a way that I'm on the fringe 820 00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:55,920 Speaker 8: of it, and it made me want to be even 821 00:44:56,000 --> 00:45:00,800 Speaker 8: more a part of it. My feelings an intuition about 822 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:09,279 Speaker 8: that town, we're confirmed by watching the simplest action make 823 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:15,399 Speaker 8: an incredible impact on real lives and real people, and 824 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:26,880 Speaker 8: that this isn't demographics. It's real bodies that have beating 825 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:31,279 Speaker 8: hearts and breathe and we all share the same air, 826 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 8: in the same water. 827 00:45:33,239 --> 00:45:35,680 Speaker 2: And we're all connected. 828 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:40,240 Speaker 8: And when you make one little drip in the bucket, 829 00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:44,640 Speaker 8: it actually does make a difference. And I think that 830 00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:48,720 Speaker 8: stops us sometimes when we think what we have isn't 831 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:53,960 Speaker 8: enough to give, but when someone has nothing, what you 832 00:45:54,120 --> 00:45:59,560 Speaker 8: have is more than what they can imagine. 833 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:06,480 Speaker 6: It could Happen here as a production of cool Zone Media. 834 00:46:06,560 --> 00:46:09,240 Speaker 4: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 835 00:46:09,280 --> 00:46:11,520 Speaker 4: cool zonemedia dot com, or check us out on the 836 00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:15,000 Speaker 4: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 837 00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:17,680 Speaker 7: You can find sources for It could Happen Here, updated 838 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:20,760 Speaker 7: monthly at coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. 839 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:21,800 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening.