A short documentary about the owners of Harrisonburg’s , co-directed by peacebuilding grad Mariana Martinez ’21, will premiere next week at Court Square Theater. 

The 20-minute film, titled ¡Hola, Paisano!, follows the owners, Hugo Hernández and Berenice Rodriguez, two immigrants from Mexico, as they build a life, family, and a business through baking. It traces their beginnings, introduces their family, and places their experiences within the broader context of today’s national conversations about immigration.

“In short, it’s a slice of life,” said Martinez. “It touches on themes of family, the immigrant experience, the American dream, and what it means to run a bakery in Downtown Harrisonburg. It feels like a niche environment to document in, but it truly is a channel where you can see the life of Hugo and Berenice, their story, and their life.”

Martinez is originally from Honduras and moved to Harrisonburg with her family when her father, Luis Martinez SEM ’15, began attending Eastern Mennonite Seminary to earn a master of divinity. She graduated from Eastern Mennonite School and attended Hesston College for two years before transferring to 91����Ƶ. 

Along with Jess Daddio, co-director and director of photography for ¡Hola, Paisano!, and Sarah Golibart Gorman, producer, the filmmaking trio met for the first time and began hashing out the idea in March 2024. Gorman, a writer for Edible Blue Ridge who runs the popular Instagram account, had written a about Latino restaurants in Harrisonburg and had interviewed the owners of El Paisano.

“She had a connection there, which helped create a rapport with them and allowed them to tell their story,” Martinez said.

¡Hola, Paisano!  will screen with English and Spanish subtitles and will be shown at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the screening are pay-what-you-will and can be reserved online at .

A panel discussion with the documentary team and bakery owners will be held after the film, followed by cake to celebrate the bakery’s seven years in business. Afterward, attendees can continue the celebration at Broad Porch Coffee’s Latin Dance Night, which lasts until 11 p.m.

This bold statement appears on that students from the Latinx Student Alliance (LSA) have been handing out to citizens and noncitizens alike. The cards also state a refusal to let officers enter a person’s home without a warrant or to search any of their belongings. Should Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers approach someone they wish to question, the cards remind everyone involved that the United States Constitution provides these rights to anyone living in the U.S. 

LSA has printed hundreds of red cards in languages such as Spanish, Arabic, and Russian and distributed them around campus and other places. One recent event where LSA members distributed these cards was during the on Feb. 8. On this Saturday afternoon, several hundred people gathered to march in protest of recently enacted immigration policies. They started from the parking deck near Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and marched to the Grace + Main Cafe at the Hotel Madison and then back again. Members of the LSA not only passed out red cards but also marched and carried signs.

What inspired the LSA to get involved? Yajaira Acuapa, co-president of LSA, said she saw the idea of handing out red cards on TikTok. She wanted the LSA to join other advocates in showing support for the immigrant community and ensuring they know their constitutional rights. 

Cristal Narciso, co-president of LSA, agreed. “It’s important to know that, regardless of your status, you do have rights,” she said. “And no matter what others may tell you, those rights still exist.”

Speaking up for immigrant rights during a time of anti-immigrant rhetoric aligns with 91����Ƶ’s mission to “cross divides, seek peace and justice, and shape communities and a world where all can thrive.” 

One of 91����Ƶ’s staff members who supports the LSA in this initiative is Celeste Thomas, director of multicultural student services. She said receiving the cards “gives some empowerment to people who, right now, are feeling very disempowered and afraid.” She applauds the LSA’s proactive gesture, especially because she knows that ICE agents have been working in Harrisonburg. 

Allies of immigrants also find these cards useful, especially if they are with someone who is pulled over, stopped on the streets, or visited at home. Thomas voiced the need for support from allies within the 91����Ƶ and Harrisonburg communities. “This is a difficult time for immigrants to put their bodies on the line,” she said.

Anyone wanting red cards can request them from cecilia.rafaelcastelan@emu.edu.

On October 6, 2010, Dick Gordon – host of NPR’s The Story – interviewed 91����Ƶ grad Kara Hartzler, attorney and playwright, about her original work . Read on and listen to Kara’s story.

The following is excerpted from NPR’s The Story website.

Kara Hartzler has a unique perspective on the immigration debate.

She has worked with immigrants and heard their stories both professionally as a lawyer and creatively as a writer. Her play No Roosters in the Desert has its American premiere tomorrow in Tucson, Arizona.