Rev. Dr. Daisy L. Machado from the Union Theological Seminary in New York speaks at Thursday evening’s Migration Matters lecture in Prothro Hall. (Kathleen Strauss/The Daily Campus)

On Thursday, the Migration Matters series continued in the Great Hall of SMU’s Perkins School of Theology. SMU students, professors, local north Dallas residents and high school students filled the Great Hall to listen to the presentations regarding issues concerning immigration at the U.S./Mexico border.

The speakers at the event were Dr. Daisy L. Machado, the current dean of academic affairs of Church History, and Dr. Evelyn Parker, an associate professor of practical theology.

The topics presented were ecocide and femicide on the border, ecofeminism, and the Maquiladora Murders.

Dr. Machado began the lecture covering issues with the theological and ideological theories of women and society.

“Everywhere and in every known culture women are considered inferior to men,” Machado said. “This attitude is often ignored and question is often left unanswered.”

Machado also spoke about the religious aspect of feminism and the ideological values of Christianity and women.

The Ecological Church believes that, ” We are all in God’s household,” Machado said. “We are all created by God regardless of race, gender, we are all in his household.”

The way we get to the understanding of equality of humans we must become, “Ecologically literate” Machado said.

Machado also spoke about the Maquiladora Murders. The Maquiladora Murders are the murders of women in the Juarez region of Mexico. There have been over 2,000 women murdered since 1993, involving sexual assault and rape.

“The views of women in this region and treatment issad,” Machado said. “The torture, hatred, rape, murder, of these women is a result of their rights being taken away from them.”

The next speaker was Dr. Evelyn Parker.

“I wont us to focus our attention on the age, class, gender, and intersexuality of the women in the Maquiladora murders,” Parker said. “These murders are ‘Femecide’. Femicide is the murder of women and girls found on a gender power struggles.”

Once the presentation was completed there was a question and answer session, along with an open group discussion.

Esperanza Munez is a sophomore at Hillcrest high school in Dallas. She attended the Migration Matters series with her friends.

“I think it’s important as young Hispanic-Americans, especially young girls like us to attend forums like this to hear today’s issues,” Munez said. “All of the series are very interesting and you don’t have to be only Hispanic to appreciate them.”