http://www.thepolypost.com/story.php?story=3350

Immigrant Advocates Bring Protest to Cal Poly
Students voice their opinions on Congress’ bill
BY MEGAN CAREY
2006-05-09



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Thousands of immigrants and advocates took to the streets of many U.S. cities on May 1 to protest proposed immigration laws, and Cal Poly was no exception.

Many students arrived at the Pancakes to listen to speakers and voice their own opinions on the issues of immigration.

“We originally didn’t have anything planned, but the flyers put up by the Republican Club sparked this whole movement,” said the Senior in Public Administration and Ethical Women Issues Miguel Serna.

The flyer showed the yellow marker that is visible on the 5 Freeway towards San Diego. The sign depicts a family of illegal immigrants fleeing desperately. “The flyer stated that ‘Illegal immigrants are criminals.’ We took offense to that and the reality is that these people are here to work,” said Serna. “Many work in fields and we have a second-class citizenship and many work menial labor. They are the only ones willing to work those jobs. Calling them criminals is ludicrous.”

Everyone there was in unanimous agreement that not one club was responsible for the coalition, but almost all of the cultural clubs helped put on the event.

“People saw the flyer and people started rallying around it,” said Serna. “The Republicans declined a debate so we decided to bring the debate to the campus.”

The cultural clubs answered the Republican Club’s flier with one of their own, a flyer depicting the same sign—but with a pilgrim and his wife stealing a Native American girl and her turkey.

They asked a very potent question that led to the large turnout on Monday. Their flyer asked, “Illegal Immigrants are Criminals?”

“That’s why we have a strong collation, it’s not just a Mexican issue, it’s not just an Asian issue, it’s a human rights issue. No human being is illegal,” said Serna. “From a Native American perspective who are the real illegal immigrants? It goes back historically that this country was founded on immigration. But now, for us to turn our backs on those values is turning our backs on democracy.”

President of the Muslim Student Association Alia Dada, a third-year international business student, was also a volunteer at the coalition.

She did not attend any of her classes and stayed at the Pancakes to make a point.

“It’s a human rights issue. No one owns this land. We are all immigrants here,” said Dada.

Her point of view were not only about the flyer, but about the national issues as well.

“The people that are trying to pass this bill are the people who have the money to hire us to do the work they are not willing to do,” said Dada.

The Pancakes were flooded with people representing many different cultures.

Barkada’s multicultural council representative Mike Pedro, a fifth-year behavioral sciences student, said, “We want to start a culture here on campus because right now, the culture here is stagnate.”

Not everyone agreed with the coalition, but that was the point. The volunteers wanted a debate and students sought out information to make an educated decision. “I’m in the middle. I’m trying to be realistic. I’m not trying to be a bleeding heart where I say we need to give everybody everything and we will just live off love,” said Andrew Evans, a third-year accounting student.

The protests rallied around a bill that The House of Representatives passed on Dec. 16 that prevents illegal immigrants from becoming legal and makes illegal immigration a felony.

Therefore all illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. would be felons. It also proposes building a 700-mile fence along the border.

The national protest resulted in Congress considering changes to the bill. Republicans and Democrats cannot agree on what to do with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.

A recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C. found that about 7.2 million illegal immigrants hold jobs in the United States, which is 4.9 percent of the overall labor force.

The study also found that undocumented workers make up 24 percent of farm workers and hold 14 percent of construction jobs.

The Senate is considering allowing illegal immigrants to become legal citizens.

To obtain this, they must work for six years, pay a fine, undergo background checks and learn English.

President Bush wants a guest-worker program added to the bill that will allow immigrants into the country to fill jobs that Americans are not going to do.

He supports a bill that allows people already working legally in America the right to become a citizen.

Megan Carey can be reached by e-mail at news@thepolypost.com or by phone at (909) 869-3747.