Consular recognition aids citizenship effort

For the first time in Ashland — and with no questions about immigration status — Mexican-born residents of the valley flocked to get a highly valued card called the matricula consular, a secure ID card that enables them to open bank accounts, get a driver’s license and start on the road to work and legal residency.

The optically scanned, photo ID cards were given to 200 locals by the Mexican consulate from Portland, whose officials travel to the main towns of Oregon once a year for that purpose.

The process took place at Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church and included a "carousel" of tables, connecting locals with vital information about taxes, employment, community college classes, police and driving in the United States.

"I’m very happy to get the card," said Vicente Sixtos of Medford, speaking through a translator from the state Department of Employment. "It’s very important, because the identification helps with police and getting credit started with a bank account."

The matricula card has been in use for more than a century and is how Mexico keeps track of its citizens abroad, as well as to serve as the most trusted proof of one’s identity, said Jo Murillo-Hannon, a bilingual driving teacher at Rogue Community College.

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"If anything happens (to a Mexican citizen here) and the parents in Mexico need to look for a son or daughter, they can easily trace their loved ones," Murillo-Hannon said. "Without such a card, they may not know where their loved ones are."

Claudia Guzman of Medford, speaking through an interpreter from RCC, said her three trips to the DMV resulted in widely varying requests for documents, with the matricula finally being named as the vital, missing piece of ID.

"It’s very important," said Guzman. "You can’t get a license without it. And I’ve found out that it will definitely be accepted at Wells Fargo to open an account."

Getting a bank account is key to starting a credit history, as well as sending money to relatives in Mexico without having to pay a stiff surcharge, said RCC instructor Margaret Copeland, who teaches a bilingual course about adapting to American customs, rules and necessary documentation.

Oregon, she added, is in a small minority of states that don’t require a Social Security card to get a driver’s license. California, Arizona and many other states have set up that hoop, Copeland noted, thus producing a ripple effect of Mexican immigrants to Oregon.

Richard Glimpse of Medford contacted the Mail Tribune about the consular visit, concerned that the matricula cards are issued to Mexicans "with little or no proof of an individual’s name, date of birth or address — in other words, people who are here illegally."

Consulate official Martin Alcalia from Portland, who was issuing the cards, said determination of one’s legal status in the United States is solely the job of the INS and that "it’s not a matter for us. We just care if they are Mexicans."

Applicants for the cards must show an original birth certificate, official government ID from Mexico or Oregon and formal proof of address, such as rental receipt or utility bill, said Alcalia.

Using the Internet, an applicant’s identity is immediately confirmed with records in Mexico. The card costs $27 and is good for five years.

Matricula applicants are required to attend a Friday-night class in which they learn the rules of American culture — basic information about working, renting, banking, domestic violence even how to cross the street (pedestrians don’t have the right of way in Mexico), said Ruth Kemmy, of the state Department of Consumer and Business Services, Salem.

"Coming from Mexico, some people might think we have all the same rules here. We don’t — and no one’s going to tell them how to behave except someone who cares about them," said Kemmy, referring to the mostly bilingual, Spanish-surnamed staff of helpers.

Maria Swann, minority liaison officer for Medford police, said she often holds classes for immigrants, bringing a cop to answer questions and help them get used to the idea that they shouldn’t be scared of police.

The mobile matricula process is a big event in the Hispanic community because, otherwise, applicants must travel five hours each way to Portland to get the card, said Alcalia.

Copeland said the Latino population is widely underestimated here and a better snapshot of it is obtained by reading the number of Hispanic births in the Mail Tribune.

"We are already a bicultural community," she said. "They’re our neighbors and we need to be aware of that and accept it."

John Darling is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at jdarling@jeffnet.org