Thread: Immigration-reform advocates ready to act

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My opinion Maria Elena Salinas : Immigration-reform advocates ready to act
My opinion Maria Elena Salinas
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.29.2006
Immigration activists haven't exactly been vacationing during the summer, sitting back, relaxing and waiting for House Republicans to decide if they are going to give immigration reform the time of day.

While immigration hearings were being held across the country during the congressional summer break to try to determine the impact of a possible reform, activists were carefully planning the next move in their attempt to pressure Congress into passing a new, comprehensive immigration law. But now the break is over, and beginning the first week of September, the marches, rallies and protests will be back on.

The massive protests of last spring across the country really shook things up. Millions of people marched in hundreds of cities. Up to half a million in both Dallas and Los Angeles, 100,000 in Chicago, 60,000 in Atlanta, 50,000 in Denver, 20,000 in Phoenix, 30,000 in Seattle. Even in Madison, Wis., where you would not expect a large immigrant community, an estimated 25,000 participated in the peaceful protests.

It was the political awakening of the immigrant community, the moment when immigrants — legal and undocumented — finally realized that they can no longer sit back and expect others to speak for them. Fortunately for them, hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens joined in the spontaneous show of force, demanding not only fair and realistic legislation but also respect.

The protests made the mainstream media take notice. They roused the immigrant-bashers, causing a bit of backlash. But at the same time, they brought to light the fact that the immigration issue can no longer be ignored. It can be delayed, like House Republicans have been doing this summer, but it cannot be ignored.

As part of the new set of protests being planned across the country, activists, civic leaders and religious and labor groups are asking House Speaker Dennis Hastert to hold legitimate hearings that allow different viewpoints of immigration to be heard, as opposed to the one-sided hearings that have been held up to now.

Just like the marches in the spring, organizers are hoping that thousands will come out to tell the American people and our elected leaders that it is time to recognize the contributions immigrants make to our economy, doing jobs that Americans won't do. It is time to stop the raids, deportations and separation of families. It is time for legislation that will lead to legalization.

This time around, the show of force will be even more ethnically diverse. For example, the events planned for the Chicago area on Labor Day weekend by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights will include members of the Rainbow Coalition, the Chinese American Service League, and Korean and Irish community groups. As some members of the Asian community have pointed out, this is not just a Latino issue — it affects many Asian families who have been waiting long periods of time to be reunited.

In the meantime, the We Are America Alliance, a national coalition of immigration-reform advocates, is planning similar events across the country for the first two weeks of September. In Phoenix, there will be a rally at the state Capitol on Labor Day asking Congress to get back to work and discuss the immigration bill passed by the Senate. Events will also be held in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

In addition to the marches, there will be massive campaigns from September through Election Day to naturalize immigrants, register new voters and motivate those who are already registered to go out and vote out legislators who do not support immigration reform.

It is a big effort with even bigger hopes of accomplishing something. The House Republican leadership has made it clear that it has no plans of discussing immigration reform before the midterm election. But immigration activists believe there is still time. Before the marches in early April, immigration reform was not on the radar of the Senate. The massive protests and marches, organizers believe, helped influence the Senate vote. Now they are hoping history will repeat itself.

My opinion
Maria Elena Salinas

Maria Elena Salinas is the author of "I Am My Father's Daughter: Living a Life Without Secrets." Write to her through her Web site: www.mariaesalinas.com.

The massive protests and marches, organizers believe, helped influence the Senate vote. Now they are hoping history will repeat itself.

If the American people thought that, I'd like to think there would be millions of them (us) marching around the country demanding all illegals get sent back to where they came from!

They roused the immigrant-bashers, causing a bit of backlash.

A bit of backlash? Hmmm.....seems to me they pissed off a whole lot of Americans! Immigrant bashers she says!! There again is that unproven rhetoric. Wanting to say anyone against illegal immigration is an "immigrant basher".

Well then, it goes the same for those carrying Mexican flags and chanting racist things about Americans, they are "American bashers".