Thread: ‘We are workers, not terrorists’

"We do work that gringos will never do,"

How come we're "racist" if we're against illegal immigration, but yet the illegals are the only ones flinging racial slurs around? I'm not sure what the technical definition of "gringo" is, but I know it's not flattering. And for the record, gringos have done and do do the work that illegals do when they're not being pushed out by illegals undercutting their wages and willing to work sans taxes, benefits, etc.

A couple of more articles.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... 10359/1006

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Rally backs citizenship for immigrants

By TERESA SICARD ARCHAMBEAULT
Courier-Post Staff

TRENTON
Nearly 2,000 people gathered Monday in front of the State House to urge Congress to find ways to make it easier for undocumented immigrants to get U.S. citizenship.

Those in attendance included community activists, clergy, politicians and immigrants who now live in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

"These people need to come out of the shadows and start living a life that they deserve as contributors to this country," said Maria Juega, chairwoman of the Latin American Legal Defense & Education Fund.

The protesters urged lawmakers to look for better channels to address immigration issues and rallied against legislation such as the so-called Sensenbrenner-King bill, which would make illegal immigration a felony.

"We want to make it clear to our lawmakers not to underestimate the determination of the immigrant people and our movement," said Carlos Avila of the Immigrants Public Advocacy Coalition of Trenton.

Immigrants are tired of living in the shadows of outdated immigration policies and also "are tired of being a scapegoat for terrorism," Avila said.

Owners of nearly a dozen stores on Federal Street in Camden's business district closed on Monday as a show of support for the rally.

Not everyone believes that undocumented immigrants should be granted citizenship.

Mariann Davies of Latino Americans for Immigration Reform said she opposes guest-worker visas or any amnesty that would benefit undocumented immigrants.

"There are many people who comply with the law and they've been waiting for a long time to come to this country. This is a very fundamental fairness," Davies said.

The House bill -- called the Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act -- passed the House on Dec. 16. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the measure on March 27.

Reach Teresa Sicard Archambeault at tsicard@camden.gannett.com


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http://www.northjersey.com

Immigrants just want to be heard
Tuesday, March 21, 2006

By SAMANTHA HENRY
HERALD NEWS


More than 1,000 immigrant workers, many with children in tow, rallied in front of the Statehouse Monday, in the first mass effort in New Jersey to weigh in on the immigration reform debate under way in Congress.

Participants, draped in flags from their home countries and clutching American flags, chanted, sang and held signs which read "We are Workers, Not Terrorists" and "Our Children Fight for the Nation on the Front Lines."

The protest was dubbed "A Day Without an Immigrant" to coordinate with similar actions that have taken place across the country, highlighting the importance of immigrant labor on local economies.

Immigrant workers, advocacy groups and churches have been speaking out against measures under consideration in Congress that would criminalize illegal immigrant status and penalize organizations that assist undocumented aliens.

Congress is now considering several pieces of competing legislation, from bills that focus heavily on border security and law enforcement measures to ones that would create guest worker programs and give undocumented immigrants a chance to regularize their status. Congress is expected to vote on the issue by the end of this month.

Despite Monday's large turnout on a work day, rally participant Oscar Hernandez of Camden said the coalition would have to grow beyond immigrant advocates to legal immigrants and foreign-born citizens, as well as elected officials and business leaders of industries that rely on immigrant labor.

"The Hispanic community alone cannot do it," he said. "We need to integrate with other immigrant groups so the scream is louder. You need a broad-based coalition of the melting pot in order for this pressure to be felt."

Manuel Segura, a Dominican-born Councilman-at-large in Trenton, wondered where the state's Latino political leadership was on an issue that has direct impact on their constituents.

"I told (Paterson Mayor Jose) Joey Torres if 400-some municipalities say 'no' to all this injustice at the local level, guess what? It's going to escalate to the state level, and pressure the federal government to do something."

Neither Mayor Torres nor Mayor Samuel Rivera of Passaic returned calls for comment by deadline.

J. Carlos Avila of the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, which helped organize Monday's rally, said politicians often ignore immigrant workers, because many aren't eligible to vote.

"We want to make clear to our lawmakers not to underestimate the determination of the immigrant people," said Avila, who emigrated from Ecuador as a child. "Those who disregard us will face a rude awakening...Our involvement is growing everyday."

Monday's rally included priests, nuns and immigrant advocacy organizations that would be penalized for aiding illegal immigrants under a Republican-backed version of immigration reform passed in the House of Representatives.

As protesters chanted slogans and sang, Carlos Santiago, 21, an immigrant from Guatemala, pushed a large garbage can across the State House Plaza next to where the rally was taking place.

Santiago said he wanted to join the rally, but did not have permission to leave his job cleaning the hallways and offices inside the State House.

"What is up with these people that they don't even see us in front of their eyes?" he asked in Spanish of the lawmakers he observes in the State House each day.

"Without us, so much of this country wouldn't function, without the contributions we make," Santiago said.

"We have a right to have some kind of say."


Reach Samantha Henry at (973) 569-7172 or henrys@northjersey.com.

We are workers, not terrorists’

I am a worker, not Santa Clause