Call for Healthy, United Families Draws 400 supporters

Health Care Access | Immigration Reform

Peninsula Interfaith Action (PIA), July 20, 2009

On July 18, volunteer leaders from Peninsula Interfaith Action, a PICO affiliate with 30 member congregations on the San Francisco Peninsula, held a town hall meeting with California State Assembly Members Ira Ruskin and Jim Beall to seek policy changes in health care and immigration in California and the nation.

Despite protests by two dozen Minutemen who attempted to disrupt the meeting, the PIA leaders stayed on track with their message, stated by meeting co-chair, Thomas Atwood of Redwood City, that, "We face two broken systems that are causing great suffering in our families.  Health care costs too much, covers too little, and excludes too many. Immigration policies are tearing families apart and treating honest people like criminals."

Several community members told their stories of having or not having affordable health care and having or not having legal immigration status.

• Jacinto Hernandez, a restaurant worker from Half Moon Bay, told of the great improvement in his life when he began receiving health care for physical and mental health problems from a local health coverage program in San Mateo County - ACE - which PIA sees as a model for national reform.
• Diane Wakeham, a Redwood City resident who is a professor at a local community college, told of her inability to afford private insurance, particularly because of a pre-existing health condition.
• Hulda Muaka, an Kenyan immigrant from Palo Alto, spoke of the fear that she experienced from an immigration system that threatened her for several years with separation from her children.
• Finally, Yvette Jimenez, a 17 year old American citizen from San Mateo, told of the hardship of having her father deported and her mother at risk of deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after living in the US for 24 years.

Assembly Members Ruskin and Beall expressed support to the crowd and United States Congresswoman Anna Eshoo sent a video recording stating her position as well. More than 200 of those in attendance signed cards, to be personally delivered to the California offices of Congresswomen Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier and US Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein on August 11 by a PIA delegation, stating the signer's commitment to working for affordable health care and comprehensive immigration reform and asking the elected official to do the same.

Watch Congresswoman Anna Eshoo's comments here: