In
her article “Between Identity and Security: Theological Implications of
Migration in the Context of Globalization,” Gemma Tulud Cruz* presents the
current situation of migrants in a globalized world, in relation to their
identity based on the sending countries, and their security in the receiving
countries. She frames her argumentations by pointing out the oppressing vis-à-vis
the liberating conditions of the migrants, particularly on the religious
dimension of their lives.
Migration
can be traced back as early as the 16th century, during the
expansion of western colonial empires to the Americas and to the east. The
migration did not only involve the western colonizers moving to their new
colonies, migration occurred too among Africans, Indonesians, Filipinos, etc.
(colonized) who were transported from their settlements (sub-Saharan
communities, Asian, etc.) to the plantations in the Americas to be
slave-workers, and else where. Along the movement of these people was the
movement of their ideologies, culture and religious beliefs and convictions
with them. Thus, Christianity arrived in the Americas and in the East through
the western missionaries who had accompanied the conquistadores. In the post colonial era, after the world
wars, migration continued with the former colonies moving to the countries of
their colonizers; Indians to England, Filipinos to America, Vietnamese to
France, etc. To this day, migration continue to be a global phenomenon, though
in a much complicated situation, such as the inclusion of skilled transients,
transnational migrants, political refugees, environmental refugees, and the
likes. Nevertheless, it remains to be motivated by the same intent as in the
past; opportunities for a better life outside one’s place of origin.
Migration
may have bring forth boon to sending countries and to the migrants themselves
through the money the earned and remittances received; however, it also has a
fair share of the negative consequences of this global movement of people and
culture. Cruz identifies these as form of oppressions on the part of the
migrants. Some of these are formation of anti-migrant political parties in the
receiving countries, treatment towards migrants as ‘exports’ by the sending
countries, brain-drain experience by the sending countries, the rise of illegal
recruiters, smugglers, traffickers, and financial institutions that prey on
migrants, to name a few.
In
the midst of these oppressing conditions, migrants find a liberation through
their religions. Religious institutions emerge as oasis of protection for the
oppressed migrants. Charismatic churches such as Pentecostal facilitates
migration through their network of churches in the sending countries to the
receiving countries. Through these churches, migrants form their congregations
enabling them to organize their own social and religious events. These events
help in the preservation of the migrants identity, though they may be away from
their homes. Filipinos in Singapore, for example, organize Simbang Gabi
reminiscing the Yuletide practices in the Philippines. But this too conceived
negative outcome, as the migrants’ differences are highlighted from the
identity of the locals. In the long run, these phenomenon between migration and
religion gives birth to new identity, integrated with the host societies; a
high breed of migrant and local practices and beliefs; transformation of identities and the redefinition as well as reshaping
of culture and religion as sources of empowerment.
With
these, migration can be a locus of a theology of redemption, comparing the
movement of migrants from their place of origin to a place unknown to them,
with the movement by the Hebrew people (Abraham, Moses, Aaron) from Egypt to
the Promised Land, of the missionaries from Europe to the Americas and Asia.
this theology of redemption in the context of migration invites the migrants to
discover a God who accompanies his people in their wilderness to wards His promised
land, who shares in their provisional life, a God who is not stationary in
a temple rather moves with His people. Furthermore, it is opportune to present
a church that is in a pilgrimage towards the heavenly home.
The
borders the migrants cross can become new frontiers of doing theology. It is in
these borders that migrants experience rejections, and changes in their
identities from being citizen of a country to being an alien, a foreigner to
another place. Such crossing of borders may involve movement from the migrants’
center to the periphery, to the margins, where they experience being dejected.
But authentic borders are places of encounters. they do not divide, in fact
they connect countries and communities. These are places where one meets the
other, and may embrace him with fraternal love in accord with the command to
love one’s neighbor. Borders, then, may become places of presence, encounters.
Migration
is a plight that the globalized world faces today; on one hand it may provide
financial stability to the migrants and their families and also to their
sending country, on the other hand their security and identity may be place to
a risk in the receiving country where they find themselves working in. But as the
Chinese adage says; Every crisis is an opportunity. In Gemma Tulud Cruz article
on migration, summarized above, she presents the theological implications of
migration en route to an emerging reality of the role of religion in the
identity and security of the migrants. Furthermore, she looked into the spaces
where a genuine religious apostolate can be in place so as to fill in the
lacuna of ministries attending to the needs of migrants, be it spiritual, legal
etc.
The
form of migration today, per se, viewed vis-à-vis the Principles of the
Church’s Social Doctrine (of common good, universal destination of good,
subsidiarity, participation, and solidarity) is a reality that is very much
contrary to these said principles. Migration involves the movement of people
likened to as commodities, being peddled for their skills and services, to
other countries (receiving) away from their own country (sending). Migrants
face uncertainty in a foreign land; can be discarded anytime if deemed not
needed. They are uprooted from their families and communities, consequently
from their identity and culture. With these, migration is a phenomenon that is
offensive to the human dignity of the migrants; to the very core of the
principles of Church’s social doctrine.
Cruz
presents the reality of migration today and an action plan that could control
the damage that this phenomenon causes. However, she fails to point out the
root cause of migration; that is the blatant disregard to the preeminent
importance of human dignity over the progress of a globalized world run by few (countries). Given a chance, migrants
would not leave their own communities, their families, their security. However,
circumstances in their (neglected) societies force them to seek for a greener
pasture that can sustain their families and communities to the detriment of
their family and their own security, their very own identity. If only the
principle of common good that give a just access to the resources of the world
can be realized, the sending countries of the migrants need not send their
people as exports to other countries for even in their country their citizen
can access to the resources that can sustain them. If only the principle of
solidarity can be sincerely applied, receiving countries can extend their help
to those sending countries in need by empowering and enabling them to stand on
their own rather than be dependent to these receiving countries (that seek
remuneration for the help they extend). If only the human dignity of every
person will be respected and honored, no dehumanizing form of migration would
take place, that treat persons as commodities subject to exportation to other
place than their own.
Migration
posits problems both to the sending and receiving countries, more so to the
human persons involved, endowed with dignity. Gemma Tulud Cruz presents
probably solution to these problems, to mitigate the effects of migration, and
to cease it as an opportunity for religious agenda. However, a more pressing
concern in the very existence of the phenomenon of migration (of people being
uprooted from their place of origin, from their security, and from their very
own source of identity). Why should persons have to be moved from their place
to another, to be exported as skilled workers? Why migrate, in the first place?
* Gemma Tulud Cruz. “Between Identity and Security:
Theological Implications of Migration in the Context of Globalization.” Theological Studies Volume 69 (2008):
357-375.
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