FaithAction Executive Director, Rev. David Fraccaro shares the story of his journey from small town Indiana to New York City, and the events and people that inspired him to quit acting and become a minister focused on “turning strangers into neighbors.” His talk explores the tremendous demographic shifts taking place in smaller cities and towns throughout the United States, and the potential for Greensboro to become a model interfaith, multicultural and immigrant friendly city.  

“They have nothing to show, I am who I am.”

Marina Castillo came to America from Venezuela five years ago. She works at FaithAction International House as an immigration attorney.

She is documented but a majority of her clients are not.

“If someone is a victim of a crime and is so afraid, and cannot report the crime, everybody is not safe,” explains Castillo.

“There is a lot of fear,” said David Fraccaro, Executive Director, FaithAction International House.

Over the past year, Castillo and Fraccaro have worked with Greensboro Police to try to ease that fear.

“What we are doing here is unique and special,” said Fraccaro.

They want identification cards for undocumented immigrants.

“It says we recognize you, we see you as human beings, you are residents, you deserve something at the very least that says you are who you say you are,” explains Fraccaro…

Read the full article and watch the story here.

The irony of this tragedy is that the Sikh religion and culture is one that insists upon peace, compassion and a deep respect for cultural and religious difference — values that many in the Sikh community have courageously upheld in the media since the shooting.

We are fortunate to know and work with many Sikhs in the Triad and are proud to say that any words of hate or acts of violence toward our Sikh neighbors are an affront to all of us. The same can be said about the Muslims in Joplin, Mo., whose mosque was burned down, and about the 19 Christians who were murdered in their church in Nigeria, both earlier this week. Religious violence threatens the very fabric of our shared humanity, and we must respond boldly with words and actions of respect and unity.

In solidarity with all those affected by religious violence, we promise to continue building bridges of understanding across lines of culture and faith in the Piedmont Triad. We recognize that unity amid our diversity does not come easily. It requires deep self-reflection, education and a willingness to be in consistent relationships with people who are different from us.

When we are able to unite around our shared values and friendships, however, we become a more welcoming and inclusive community, and we emerge stronger and more resilient. The good news is that there is an abundance of opportunities in our region to participate in multicultural and interfaith community-building initiatives, including:

• The Piedmont Interfaith Council’s Triad Tapestry Children’s Chorus for grade-school children, beginning in September.
• The Annual Ecumenical Celebration of Thanksgiving.
• The NCCJ of the Piedmont Triad’s Anytown youth leadership institute, Interfaith Tour and ongoing community programs.
• And FaithAction International House’s interfaith and multicultural leadership training, and monthly Stranger to Neighbor Dialogues at Zaytoon Mediterranean Cafe, which connects diverse adults over food and storytelling.

We also promise to continue voicing our values and taking a stand against any words or actions that threaten any person’s basic dignity and rights. This work is not just for multicultural and interfaith organizations, however; it requires daily choices from each of us.

How often have you heard something negative said about religious or cultural minorities, or new immigrants in the past month? Perhaps you heard it at work or in school, at your house of worship or in the media.

What would it take for you to risk standing up to your peers or co-workers who are demeaning others, and to model another way to relate to the increasingly diverse environment?

The world needs you and other leaders who choose to build bridges of hope instead of hate. Join us in building an inclusive and united community at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday outside of Zaytoon’s on the Wells Fargo plaza, 301 N. Elm St., for a brief vigil in remembrance of those who lost their lives to religious violence.

This article originally appeared in the Greensboro News and Record on August 12, 2012.

This is good news for people in North Carolina who recognize the invaluable gifts our newest immigrant neighbors bring to our economy and culture. It also sends a strong message to Congress: Fix our broken immigration system so we can begin the next chapter in our history, more united in our diversity than ever.

The decision struck down three key provisions that:

• Make it a crime not to carry immigration papers.
• Make it a crime for undocumented people to hold or seek a job.
• Give police the authority to arrest people on suspicion of being undocumented

This landmark decision should put to rest concerns in states like North Carolina that special legislative committees will continue to try to copy the irresponsible road of Arizona or Alabama.

One exception remains unresolved, however: the “show me your papers” provision that gives local police the authority to check the immigration status of those they stop or detain based on “reasonable suspicion.” Such a policy opens the door to racial profiling and has devastating effects upon hard-working, law-abiding immigrant families. Until this provision is settled, communities like ours have a choice to make: Will we seek unity or distrust between our local law enforcement and our diverse immigrant communities?

On June 10 at St. Mary’s Church, Greensboro took a significant step in answering this question in the right direction. FaithAction International House facilitated a promising dialogue among four excellent members of the Greensboro Police Department and a few hundred Latino members of St. Mary’s Catholic Church that offered a striking contrast to Arizona’s SB 1070.

Congregants shared positive experiences with the GPD, as well as fears and concerns around being unfairly targeted during traffic stops, and frustrations with ID issues. Officers were clear that their job is to serve and protect all of the diverse residents of Greensboro equally, and that racial profiling is not tolerated.

They assured congregants that they can feel safe in reporting crimes, and also provided helpful suggestions for how they can be more lawful in their driving habits.

Congregants felt listened to, and many left with a greater sense of trust and respect for the challenging job of police officers; a few even expressed a strong interest in joining the force as soon as they become citizens.

June 10 was a hopeful first step toward greater trust and understanding in Greensboro at a crucial time in our nation’s history around immigration.

If we continue to move in this direction, our community will undoubtedly become safer and better for all people and set Greensboro apart as a model multicultural and immigrant-friendly city.

This article originally appeared in the Greensboro News and Record on July, 2 2012.