Earlier this month, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone stood before a crowd in City Hall and officially made Gaeta, Italy, Somerville's sister city.
The new relationship will strengthen economic and cultural ties with Gaeta, where Curtatone has family ties, and was part of his effort to show the Somerville's immigrant community that their city supports them.
"We want again just to put out and exclaim the point that we are a city of hope, we are a city of opportunity," he told the Daily. "If you live in this city, whether you're here on legal or illegal status, this is your city."
Two weeks after the ceremony, many Somerville immigrants say they acknowledge this commitment, but that gestures like the one above have nothing to do with it.
Ever Castro, who immigrated to the United States over a decade ago from El Salvador, said that he never even heard of the new sister city relationship.
Even so, he feels that Somerville's commitment to aiding immigrants compares favorably with other neighboring cities.
"Almost every day you hear [about officials] deporting people from Chelsea, but...[I] don't hear much [about people getting deported] from Somerville," he said.
He said that he knows very little about Curtatone, although what he has heard, he appreciates.
"He said he would not allow the police to act like Immigration," he said. "That's the only thing I've heard about him."
Castro was referring to a speech Curtatone gave on May Day this past spring, reaffirming Somerville's commitment to protecting its immigrant population.
During the speech, he said that Somerville's police force should not be used unnecessarily against immigrants.
"We're trying to reach out to these different communities...and to divert from that and become the local arm of the federal government's attempts to clean up their mess regarding immigration would really just jeopardize our attempts," Curtatone told the Daily in May.
Another immigrant working in Somerville, who asked that his name be withheld, agrees that the city has a welcoming atmosphere for immigrants, although he has never heard of Curtatone, let alone his Gaeta initiative. "I see a lot of community, [which] makes me feel comfortable," he said.
Although unfamiliar with many local immigration issues, he is aware of the failure to reach an adequate solution at the national level.
"I've been here a lot of years, and I hear the same things all [the time]...and I realize it's just talk," he said, echoing the concerns of many in the immigrant community.
According to Aru Manrique, the Multicultural Director of Somerville, a lack of specific knowledge about local politics is not uncommon among both immigrants and non-immigrants alike.
"If you don't want to know who your mayor is, you won't know. That's something that we want to change," he said.
Even so, he is not surprised to hear that many immigrants feel that Somerville is immigrant- friendly.
"Although they might not be aware of who's putting what through, they're aware that they're being treated well," Manrique said.
He said that he would like for more people to be familiar with local issues and that this can be accomplished simply by picking up a local newspaper or turning on a local television station.
"There's always pockets that don't get reached because you can only supply information so many times," he said. "People have to meet you half way. People have to seek out information too."
Many immigrants are ready to do just that. "I know how I feel about [immigration], but I need to learn more about politicians [and] how they feel," Carlos Mendes, a taxi driver who lives in Somerville, said.
Mendes, who has lived in the United States for about 18 years, also had never heard of Somerville's new relationship with Gaeta, but upon being told, was skeptical.
He feels that Italy is a random choice. "Italy, it's like going someplace...in [the] Bronx," he said. "It's kind of laughable."
He also said that Italian immigrants often face less ostracism than those from other countries.
"Nobody's going to tell [an] Italian guy 'Go back to your country,'" he said. "Even if they just got here a year ago."
Instead, he feels that it would be better to choose a country more representative of the immigrant community in Somerville.
"You should probably go someplace in Brazil, or someplace in Central America, where you find most of the immigrants [are from]," he said.
Manrique, though, said that Gaeta is only the first city in a series of cities to which Somerville hopes to extend similar relationships.
He said that there are already potential plans underway with a city in El Salvador and one in Portugal, among other countries.
Such relationships, he said, will be an important resource not only for people that want to immigrate to Somerville, but will also serve as a cultural reminder to people from those areas who already live in Somerville, including children.
"There can be a lot of cultural exchange to let those kids know ...you should learn about your culture. This is something that always keeps their community rich," he said.
Manrique hopes that the Gaeta example will encourage immigrants to push for similar relationships with their own home cities.
For now, though, any exposure to local politics is beneficial. Mendes, when informed of some of Mayor Curtatone's efforts, was very supportive. "I kind of dig him," he said.
