New Haven Independent

There are 14,000 residents in Fair Haven, according the most recent census, and above half are Latino. But precisely from which countries do they hail, and how many are undocumented, and how many therefore do not have ID acceptable to open bank accounts, are unknown statistics. “We suspect very many do not,” said Huizar.

Mexican consular official Eduardo Penalosa presented a kind of workshop in how to obtain the MCAS. The MCAS (Spanish initials for matricula consular de alta seguridad), Huizar, explained, is recognized by hundreds of cities, police departments, and financial institutions across the country as a valid ID. It’s the Mexican government’s official ID for its nationals living abroad, incorporating holograms and other embedded technology designed to prevent forgery. Which is why JUNTA has been cultivating a relationship with the Mexican Consulate; in past visits to Fair Haven in 2004 and 2005 the consulate provided approximately 400 Mexican nationals with these consular IDs. However, many other applicants were turned away. After such informational sessions, Huizar hopes the consulate will return in the months ahead and many more consular IDs can be issued.

Guadalupe Montiel, a longtime volunteer with JUNTA, knew many of the people in the audience for the MCAS. “She’s got the best phone contacts in Fair Haven,” said Huizar, “and gets a lot of credit for this great turnout.” Montiel said the Mexican consulate must do more in New Haven. “They have too few people,” she said (translation provided by Huizar), “and you have to go to New York for everything. They need to serve people in New Haven better.”

The consular visit was part of an ongoing effort by JUNTA to advance the economic development of Fair Haveners, including offering courses on financial literacy. However to do that, JUNTA needs to know just how residents conduct their financial affairs? Which is one reason why other Junta volunteers, including Spanish-speaking Yale students, such as Julondre Brown (from Flint, Michigan) and Chandler Coggins (from Jacksonville, Florida) have been helping to conduct a financial survey, which has been ongoing for several weeks at stores and laundromats in the neighborhood. It was also being conducted, in conjunction with the consular meeting. The sign the guys are holding says: “Participe en nuestra encuesta? Solamente 2 minutes.”

The surveys, which Felipe and Sylvia Araujo were answering with assistance of Maria Richardson, a Yale sophomore and JUNTA volunteer who hails from Monterey, Mexico, asks, among other questions, “Como recibe su sueldo,” that is, how do you receive your salary — check, cash, direct deposit? There are inquiries about savings, about whether and how much is sent to friends who do not live in New Haven, and so forth. JUNTA, which has as one of its goals economic development, needs to know these things in order to fine-tune the financial literacy services.

Nicholas Mana, a New Havener who has been working in construction for five years, was explaining to volunteer Ted Palenski (from Nantucket, Massachusetts) that he had a particular interest in the consular ID. “I have ID now,” he said. “But the consular ID can have my local address on it, and that makes the difference.” While the MCAS has no bearing on immigration or visa status, it can make nothing less than the hugest difference for undocumented workers; it can save their lives.

For more information about the MCAS, and JUNTA’s financials services, or to participate in the survey, contact Huizar at this e-mail address.