wfn.org | MARCHA members face security challenges at airports

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Nov. 28, 2001 News media contact: Linda Green7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.
10-21-32-71B{557}

NOTE: This article may be used as a sidebar to UMNS story  #554.

By Michael Wacht*

MIAMI  (UMNS) -- Physical similarities between Latinos and people of Middle
Eastern descent are causing problems at airport security checkpoints,
according to people attending the annual meeting of the Hispanic caucus of
the United Methodist Church.

"Latinos have a tendency to look Arab or Middle Eastern," said Emma Lozano,
a member of Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago. Lozano discovered
how inconvenient her looks could be in the security-conscious atmosphere
following the Sept. 11 airline hijackings.

Lozano traveled from Chicago to Miami Nov. 15 to attend the annual meeting
of MARCHA, the United Methodist Hispanic caucus. After checking her bags at
O'Hare International Airport, she headed for the metal detectors. She said
she put her laptop computer through the x-ray machine, but was then pulled
out of line and told to take her computer out of its bag.

"I was surrounded by National Guard with rifles ... four of them," she said.
"They didn't make any explanation. They just said to take it out of the
bag."

The airport security personnel yelled at her to hurry up and were angry when
she put the computer in the wrong place on the table. Her two children were
also pulled out of line and had their bags searched.

Lozano, who attended the MARCHA assembly primarily to lobby on behalf of
undocumented people living in the United States, said her experience was an
inconvenience, but the heightened security is a real hardship for people
without proper documents.

"Before, they were invisible. Now they're restricted," she said. "Imagine
the life of an undocumented person ... who can't get a license or move to
another state to look for work."

The Rev. David Ortigoza found himself in a similar situation at Miami's
airport on Sept. 11. 
Ortigoza is a native of Brazil and former general secretary of the Council
of Evangelical Methodist Churches in Latin America and the Caribbean
(CIEMAL). He recently moved to the United States to serve as director of
Hispanic Ministries for the church's Southeastern Jurisdiction.

It was Ortigoza's work as a missionary that caused his problems with
security personnel.

While in line to enter the terminal area of the airport, Ortigoza was
singled out and asked to step out of line and asked to produce his
documentation.

"They saw the number of stamps on my passport that I've received while
working for CIEMAL," he said, adding he had stamps from all over the world.
"They asked me, 'What do you do? What are you doing here?' They searched the
documents and bags. I told them I'm a missionary, but they didn't believe
anything."

After about 40 minutes, the security personnel called the South Carolina
Annual Conference where Ortigoza's wife is coordinator of Hispanic
ministries and confirmed his identity.

Ortigoza said he understands the need for security, but he still felt
uncomfortable being singled out. "Why me when other Latinos were there?" he
said. "I don't have an Arab name and I don't look Arab. I understand - it's
OK to check on people, but it's hard for people."

# # #

*Wacht is the assistant editor of the Florida Annual Conference's edition of
the United Methodist Review.

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United Methodist News Service
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