Community leaders demand better schools, immigration rights
www.the-tidings.com
Published: Friday, July 22, 2005
Community leaders demand better schools, immigration rights
By R. W. Dellinger
In the bare-knuckles, confrontational style of legendary community organizer Saul Alinsky, some 1,000 church and community organizers gathered July 17 in the asphalt schoolyard of St. Rose of Lima Church, Maywood, to confront city, county, state and federal officials about their community problems and needs.
The grassroots leaders from the South East Cluster of One LA-IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation) zeroed in on four broad areas --- consulate identification, education, safety and immigration rights --- affecting seven cities, including Lynwood, South Gate, Huntington Park and Maywood.
Public school problems and proposed solutions drew the loudest applause from the crowd, sitting on folding chairs under a huge green tarp during the sizzling afternoon. Parents and children told stories of overcrowding, low expectations for students, bad nutritional lunches and federal laws like "No Child Left Behind" setting academic bars inner-city public schools can't meet.
Particularly moving were the words of a recent fourth grade graduate from Miles Avenue Elementary School, who characterized her cafeteria's food as unhealthy because it was high in sugar, salt and fat. From a makeshift stage, Jamila Cervantes declared, "When I eat there, what I need are fresh fruits and vegetables, clean water and entrees that are not fried or certain meat that is difficult to identify," drawing laughs. Then she added, "Now it is time to reevaluate what comes out of my school's cafeteria and into our bodies."
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Roy Romer agreed to immediately work to improve the quality of meals in his schools. "I want to be sure that we're bringing the very best nutrition, the most tasty food --- and we'll be on that issue this week," he said. "That is a pledge."
Personal stories on safety and law enforcement also drew laud applause. Ofelia Olivares of Presentation Church spoke of her son's "assassination" on the street. Later, when she inquired at the nearest sheriff's station about how the investigation was going, the mother was turned away because no one on duty spoke Spanish.
"I brought three captains here today so that we would commit to One LA to sit down and meet with you to discuss opening up a substation in the Firestone area, and that we will have a chance then to have a stronger dialogue with all community members," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Lea Boca.
Community leaders praised Well Fargo Bank for being the first local financial institution to let individuals use consulate identification to open accounts. And Chris Rommel, a Wells Fargo officer, reported that more than 500,000 checking accounts using matriculas consulares as a valid form of identification had been opened to date. Then, to cheers, he presented a blown-up check to the community organization.
"One LA is doing fantastic work in the community, and we want to make sure that we're supporting that," he said. "To help them continue their work this year, I brought with me the contribution in the amount of $25,000 to help One LA continue to have mobile matriculas events."
The "Mouse Garden Players" from St. Rose of Lima School made their own presentation --- a skit featuring human mice and a pesky cat showing that seemingly different groups can get along and work for the greater good of everybody. And in her concluding remarks, co-chair Imelda Nava, a parent at Bryson Avenue Elementary School, stressed the obligation of human beings to roll up their sleeves to better their neighborhoods.
"Now we're going to see what we can as people do," she shouted to the now-standing and clapping audience. "This is our community, this is my community. And we have an obligation to it. Today we have gotten commitments from officials. But we want more than services and needs. We want to build a relationship where we are collaborators and co-creators --- where we sit at the table and are involved in the formation of policy."
After the 90-minute rally, Msgr. David O'Connell, who's been involved with IAF community groups for 15 years, told The Tidings that Latinos and African Americans all over South and Southeast Los Angeles share the same concerns about education, safety, identification and immigrants' rights.
"The people here are suffering a lot because they can't get driver's licenses, and their cars are being taken in by the police and kept for 30 days, and they're being charged $1,000 to get them out," reported Msgr. O'Connell, pastor of St. Michael Church in South Los Angeles.
"The families are good, hard-working families. But they're not getting a fair shake because of the fact that they can't keep their cars, the schools are failing them, and many times there's a lot of negative things that happen in their relationship with the police. We're trying to change that."
