For the last few months, I’ve been working with my students at UADY and the Subdirección de Atención a Migrantes (SDAM), a department of INDEMAYA (Instituto para el Desarrollo de la Cultura Maya del Estado de Yucatán). Yes, it is true that the longer your acronym is, the more prestige you have.
SDAM provides information, legal, health, and other assistance to immigrants (legal and illegal) and their families in the US, other areas of México, and in the state of Yucatán. As the Governor of Yucatán has said, they do not help or encourage people to cross the border and work in the US, but if they’re going to do it, they should be prepared for the risks as well as know the laws of the US, amongst other things. Obviously immigration takes has an impact on the immigrants as well as the families and communities they’ve left behind.
This began as a project with my students at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. Professor Ligia Carvallo of Florida Southern University stepped in to guide and assist and, with her expertise, we were able to develop an exceptionally professional solution. The draft site is online at: http://www.yucatanmigrante.miraproject.org/
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