Turning over a plate

As a Catholic, every year I make a commitment to honor the Lenten season by making a sacrifice. This time, I will be fasting on Ash Wednesday both for my faith and for immigration reform.

My decision to fast came from my involvement in the Fast for Families Tour, which is a nationwide campaign to raise awareness for immigration reform. The tour across the country will stop in 100 congressional districts, including Houston on March 6.

This cause and the timing for the fast is particularly symbolic to me, as I feel there is no cause more deeply rooted in the fiber of humanity than immigration. And to me, religion is all about teaching us how to be better neighbors and better human beings.

Now, I know immigration reform is seen as a politically charged subject, but when you stop and think about immigration reform, it is really more of a policy decision about how we, as a country, will decide to treat our neighbors.

Some of my friends who engage in immigrant-bashing are often the ones who like to use religion as a litmus test for their votes and stance on various subjects, but frankly, to me this is the ultimate test.

By choosing to support fair, humane immigration policy, we are actually epitomizing the teachings of the Catholic Church, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and so many other religions.

I hope that Congress will act quickly and pass immigration reform that will make it possible for so many hard-working families to live and prosper in the United States. This country was founded by immigrants, so why not find a solution to the backlog and outdated systems we currently have in place?

Texas State Sen. Sylvia Garcia Houston-area Texas Senate District 6.