Separating Families 分離家庭

American History of Separating Families 美國分離家庭的歷史

Over recent weeks we have heard the news of the current federal administration separating children as young as 18 months from their parents when they attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, frequently to flee violence in their own country and provide a safer and better life for their children.  For example, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported that the wife and children of Elmer Oliva fled Guatamala after three of their family members were killed in their home country.  His children were released from custody, but his wife has not.  Most families are not so lucky to have their kids be reunited with at least one of their parent.  Currently, there are over 2300 children who have been separated from their parents and held in custody sometimes hundreds of miles away from their parents.  Most parents do not know where their children are and how to find them if they are ever released.  Thankfully, the U.S. federal court ruled yesterday that the government must reunite families with children under 5 in 14 days and all families within 30 days.  After tremendous pressure, President Trump said they will no longer continue the practice of separating families.

在最近數週，我們聽到了有這樣的消息，當人們試圖穿過美國墨西哥邊境時，聯邦政府會把孩子從父母手中分開，就算他們只有18個月大。他們之所以逃離自己的國家，是為了避開經常的暴力，為他們的孩子提供更安全和更美好的生活。如伍斯特電報和公報報導，Elmer Oliva的妻子和孩子們逃離瓜地馬拉，是在他們的家鄉，有三名家人被殺後。他的孩子獲釋，但他的妻子則沒有。很不幸，大多數家庭的孩子，都不會與他們其中的一個親人團聚。目前，有2300多名兒童與父母分散，有時，是離父母被關押的地方幾百英里以外。大多數父母不知道他們的孩子是在哪裡，以及如果他們獲釋，也不知如何找到他們的孩子。幸好，美國聯邦法院昨天裁定，政府必須在14天內，將5歲以下的兒童與家庭團聚，在30天內，與全部家庭團聚。在這巨大的壓力下，特朗普總統表示，他們將不再繼續實行分離家庭的做法。

Yet, it will prove a large challenge to reunite families.  Small children may not know their parents’ names or speak an indigenous language that there may not be an interpreter for.  In the meanwhile, they are suffering emotional and traumatic effects of being suddenly ripped away from their families and placed in shelters with no knowledge of where their parents went.

然而，這只會證明家庭團聚面臨巨大挑戰。小孩子可能不知道他們的父母的名字，或只能說他們的母語，可能沒有翻譯。與此同時，他們正遭受著情感上和創傷性的影響，他們突然間從家人身上被強行搶走，放在收容所裡，而不知道父母去了哪裡。

This heart-wrenching practice of separating children from their families is a deep part of American history that highlights how the humanity of people of color is disregarded.  The earliest example of this started with the very founding of the United States where people from Africa were captured and enslaved to work in the United States.  African Americans were beaten, tortured and legally classified as property, not human beings.  This meant families, including babies and children, could be separated from their parents.  They were bought and sold with complete disregard for their humanity.  After slavery ended with the Civil War in 1865, thousands of African Americans placed ads in newspapers trying to find lost family members they were separated from.

這種讓孩子與家人分離令人痛心的做法，是根深蒂固美國歷史的一部份，突顯了對有色人種人性的漠視。最早的例子是從美國立國開始，非洲人被抓獲，並在美國做奴隸。非洲裔美國人被毆打、拷打和合法歸類為財產，而不被當是人。這意味著家庭，包括嬰兒和兒童，可以是與父母分開。他們被販賣，完全不顧人性。在1865年內戰結束後，奴隸制取消了，數以千計的非裔美國人在報紙上刊登廣告，試圖尋找失散的親人。

This practice of separating children from families did not stop with African Americans.  Thousands of Native American children were also taken away from their families starting in the late 1800s and placed in boarding schools to strip away their culture and taught the superiority of whiteness.  Native American children were not allowed to speak their native language, use their own names, wear their own clothes or practice their own spiritual beliefs.  They had to take on English names, practice Christianity and were taught that their culture was inferior.

這種將兒童與家庭分離的做法，並不止於非裔美國人。成千上萬的美洲原住民兒童，也從1800年 代末初，被帶離他們的家庭，並被安置在寄宿學校，剝奪他們的文化，傳授白種人的優越性。美洲原住民的孩子，不允許他們講母語，不得使用他們自己的名字，穿自己的衣服或實踐他們自己的精神信仰。他們必須接受英國的名字，被迫信奉基督教，並要接受，他們的文化是次等的。

While Chinese American families did not have their children forcibly taken away, United States law essentially separated families through the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred women to immigrate to the United States.  Men were separated from their families by thousands of miles and may only see them once every few years.  Children grew up without ever really knowing their father.

雖然，華裔美國家庭的孩子，沒有被強行帶走，美國法律基本上是分隔家庭的，通過《排華法令》，禁止婦女移居美國。男人與家人相隔千里，可能每隔幾年只能見到他們一次。孩子們從小就沒有真正瞭解他們的父親。

On Saturday, June 30^th there is a national day of action to stand against family separation.  Not only is current U.S. policy separating families on the U.S.-Mexico border, but also families from some predominantly Muslim countries.  This week the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Trump administration’s Muslim immigration ban.  As immigrants and people of color, we must stand up for our families and against their mistreatment and dehumanization.  Please join us at 11AM at Boston City Hall to march to the Boston Common to keep families together.

在6月30日星期六，有一個全國行動日，反對家庭分離。美國目前的政策，不僅將美國和墨西哥邊境的家庭分開，還有一些來自主要穆斯林國家的家庭，也是如此。本週，最高法院裁定維持特朗普政府的穆斯林移民禁令。作為移民和有色人種，我們必須站起來，為我們的家庭，反對他們受到非人的對待。請與我們一起，在上午11時，由波士頓市政廳，遊行到波士頓大眾公園，讓家庭團聚在一起。