VOA慢速英语2014 一个女人做 900个移民孩子的监护人

 

AS IT IS 2014-10-28 Woman Is Guardian¹ for 900 Immigrant Children 一个女人做 900个移民孩子的监护人

Last year, the federal government removed 240,000 people from the United States who had entered the country illegally. Pew Research says that is 20,000 more than were deported³ in 2012.

The children of some of those expelled⁴ stayed in the country. That is because they were born in the U.S. and are U.S. citizens. Some of these children lost both their parents to deportation⁵.

A woman in Miami, Florida, is now legally responsible for more than 900 of these children. Their parents signed documents giving Nora Sandigo what is called guardianship⁶. Every day she provides supplies to the children. People donate the supplies to Ms. Sandigo’s non-profit organization.

Ms. Sandigo also holds celebrations for the children at her home on Saturdays and Sundays.

One room in her home holds bags of fruit, canned food and other supplies. There are also records on each child, including photographs and government documents.   

“If you do it for one or two, you have to do it for everybody.”

Ms. Sandigo plans to help an additional child and mother soon. Francisca will have a baby in about three months. She already has two daughters. Recently, a judge ordered her husband to be returned to Guatemala.

Francisca says, in Spanish, that she does not know what will happen to her family. So she has given Nora Sandigo guardianship of her two daughters and her unborn baby.   

Parents ordered for deportation can choose to take their children with them. But many do not do so because they believe their children will have a better life in the United States.

“I don’t want to take my children because here is where their future is.”

The federal government will provide the children with financial support if they stay in the United States. But Ms. Sandigo says sometimes caregivers of these children left in the U.S. are afraid to seek help from government agencies.

Carol Emig operates Child Trends, a child research and information center. She supports Ms. Sandigo’s efforts. But she says Ms. Sandigo cannot provide all that the children need.

“She is not able, in her situation I think, to provide the kinds of protection that a well-functioning child welfare system would provide. So, there isn't a case worker who is checking on the well-being⁷ of the kids with the foster⁸ parents or the guardian.”

Ms. Sandigo’s cellphones ring all the time. Someone always needs something. She says the demands will not end. She blames the government.

“Who is doing the separation of the families? It’s not me. I don’t have any power.”

Ms. Sandigo was so angry with the government that she recently rented a bus and took 38 children to the White House, where President Barack Obama lives and works.

Elena Marquez cried as she told about her father working in farm fields in Florida before he was deported. She says she is now alone with her mother and younger sister.

“Please stop the deportations now. Not just for my dad but for the other kids.”

Jason Garcia is ten years old. He also cried when he said in Spanish that his sister and mother are worried for their father, who was deported.

President Obama has said he will not make any changes to immigration policies until after congressional elections next month. Ms. Sandigo believes he made the decision for political reasons.

Words in This Story 

deport² – v. to force (a person who is not a citizen) to leave a country

guardian – n. someone who takes care of another person or of another person's property

afraid – adj. feeling fear

well-being – n. the state of being happy, healthy, or successful

rent – v. paying money to use property

delay – v.  to decide to do something at a later time; to postpone⁹; to cause to be late

“The politicians asked him to delay the decision until after the elections. And he did. It’s sad because he exchanged the cry and the suffering of the children in a political game.”

Both Democrats¹⁰ and Republicans¹¹ accuse each other of making political decisions about immigration.

 

1 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

2 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。

3 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 expelled   

驱逐( expel的过去式和过去分词 )； 赶走； 把…除名； 排出

参考例句：

• She was expelled from school at 15. 她15岁时被学校开除了。
• After the outbreak of fighting,all foreign journalists were expelled. 战斗开始后，所有的外国记者都被驱逐出境。

5 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

6 guardianship   

n. 监护, 保护, 守护

参考例句：

• They had to employ the English language in face of the jealous guardianship of Britain. 他们不得不在英国疑忌重重的监护下使用英文。
• You want Marion to set aside her legal guardianship and give you Honoria. 你要马丽恩放弃她的法定监护人资格，把霍诺丽娅交给你。

7 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

8 foster   

vt.收养，培养，促进；adj.收养的，收养孩子的

参考例句：

• Nowadays young couple sometimes foster.现今年轻夫妇有时领养别人的孩子。
• The captain did his best to foster a sense of unity among the new recruits.队长尽力培养新成员之间的团结精神。

9 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

10 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 republicans   

拥护共和政体者，共和主义者( republican的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Republicans got shellacked in the elections. 共和党在选举中一败涂地。
• The latest poll gives the Republicans a 5％ lead. 最近的民意调查结果表明共和党领先了五个百分点。