Many stories of the disparities and inequities experienced by Latino immigrants go overlooked, but a new documentary, The Immigration Resident, shines a light on these experiences and the consequent advocacy occurring in Spokane.
"It's been convenient for our society to have this invisible presence of immigrants because it has been convenient for corporations, for people that are hiring child labor, for people that are not providing health benefits," says Jennyfer Mesa, founder and executive director of Latinos en Spokane, a nonprofit dedicated to creating systemic change and providing services to empower Latino immigrants in Eastern Washington.
"We need to be seen," Mesa says. "We are here, and we are more than essential."
The Immigration Resident, made in partnership with On the Horizon Films, was funded by the Empire Health Foundation's Amplifying Community Stories grant, which Latinos en Spokane was awarded in 2021 with the objective of developing a film highlighting its work.
The documentary is set to premiere at Latinos en Spokane's first major fundraiser on Oct. 20, which includes cocktails and dinner prior to the screening. Event proceeds are marked for establishing an immigration legal department within the organization.
The Immigration Resident highlights the work done by Latinos en Spokane, which was founded in 2017 by Mesa, Misael Vences and Alberto Alberty, alongside interviews with local scholars, Latino immigrants and immigration advocates.
To director Fernando "Nando" Galarza Carter — also the founder of On the Horizon Films — these are stories that continue to affect many Latino immigrants in the region but often don't receive widespread attention, something he hopes The Immigration Resident accomplishes.
"Sometimes when you watch something on the news it kind of comes and goes, like you only see it for like a couple of seconds," he says. "These stories are important because you get to follow their story."
Carter adds that although immigration issues seem to have fallen to the sidelines compared to a few years ago, they were never fully resolved.
"It's important to know what's going on and that these things are still happening," he says.
Mesa adds that many national stories about the challenges and barriers Latino immigrants face are occuring in Spokane as well.
"We tend to think that these issues are far from us because they're at the border, they're far away, or we just see them in the news media," she says. "But a lot of the issues that we see in the news are impacting us here."
Dania Salgado came to the U.S. with her three daughters from Honduras, seeking treatment for her youngest daughter's leukemia. Salgado and her daughter were rejected from numerous hospitals throughout the southern U.S. for lacking legal permanent resident status.
Some states, however, provide health care to children who aren't legal immigrants, including Washington. Salgado's daughter was able to receive treatment upon moving to Spokane.
Even so, Mesa says stories like theirs highlight unjust systems creating barriers for many Latino immigrants.
"Latinos and immigrants are systemically excluded from so many systems in our community," she says. "If you are undocumented here in this country, you don't have access to health care."
The Immigration Resident also tells local stories of children being detained and separated from their families for weeks to months on end.
"There are kids from here, they are neighborhood kids, they're not just at the border," Mesa says. "They continue to be separated from families, and there continue to be these camps that are there detaining children and imprisoning children. We heard about it for a little while, but where did that news go?"
Mesa and Carter also hope The Immigration Resident showcases the accomplishments of Latinos en Spokane and other community advocacy groups here, and that it inspires more people to take action and raise awareness of the experiences of Latino immigrants in the city.
"Locally and here in the state, we've done a lot to protect immigrant families over these last five years," says Mesa. "I think that the more we share these stories, the more we share about these realities, facts, data, the better we can do.
"I hope this film can open people's perspectives of these realities." ♦
The Immigration Resident Premiere • Fri, Oct. 20 from 5-9 pm • $150 • Montvale Event Center • 1019 W. First Ave. • latinosenspokane.org • 509-558-9359
