Thread: Mexican pride boosted by US immigrant marches

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02118.html

Mexican pride boosted by US immigrant marches

By Tim Gaynor
Reuters
Wednesday, April 19, 2006; 6:04 PM



MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - For years, many Mexicans looked to their political leaders to win a better deal for millions of relatives living and working illegally in the United States, and they were always disappointed.

Now the sight of sons, daughters, cousins and even parents stepping out of the shadows and clamoring for their rights in huge pro-immigrant marches and vigils across the United States this month has reinvigorated a sense of national pride.

"It's great to see, and it makes you feel proud," said Mario Castillo, a buyer for Intel Corp. whose doctor father works in a hospital in Yuma, Arizona.

"You feel that, at last, Latinos have the courage to raise their hands and say, 'You know what, we're here and you have to respect us as a people and human beings'," he added.

Hundreds of thousands of people toting bullhorns and waving placards have taken to the streets in more than 60 cities from California to New England to protest a bill that sought to criminalize illegal immigrants and build a wall along a stretch of the border with Mexico.

More than half the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States are originally from Mexico.

Many see the protests as a turning point for Mexicans who often feel belittled by the United States, and humiliated by a lack of progress in a long struggle for immigrant rights.

Mexican expatriate workers, millions of whom work in low-paid jobs on farms, construction sites and in hotels and restaurants, have noted few gains since Mexican-American labor activist Cesar Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association back in the 1960s.

President Vicente Fox has also so far failed to win a migration deal with Washington for Mexicans working stateside despite making it his No. 1 foreign policy goal.

But the sight of so many migrant workers standing up for their rights has helped restore dented national pride. It has also put pressure on the U.S. Congress, which is locked in a divisive fight over immigration reform.

NATIONALIST PRIDE

"In terms of Mexican nationalism it contributes a lot to the feeling of self, and contributes to that sense of pride," said Jorge Chabat, a political analyst in Mexico City.

The pro-immigrant marches, hailed as one of the most significant U.S. protest movements since the push for civil rights in the 1960s, is planning further demonstrations and a labor stoppage across the United States on May 1.

Inspired by the success of the direct action movement there, many in Mexico are planning a boycott of U.S. businesses and franchises on the day, in a gesture of solidarity.

One widely circulated e-mail sent by activists urges consumers not "to buy any gringo products in the country on May 1, nor consume anything from any American franchises or go shopping in the USA."

The message, one of several making the rounds, urged consumers not to shop at stores including fast-food giants McDonald's Corp., Burger King, as well as retail powerhouse Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which is capturing an ever-larger market share in Mexico.

While some fear the gesture is misguided and question whether it will have any effect, for many frustrated Mexicans, it is just good to see migrants making their presence felt.

"It makes you proud to see Mexicans stand up for themselves," said Faustino Soto, 52, a driver in Mexico City. "If there were marches here in Mexico on the day, I would definitely take part."

"It's great to see, and it makes you feel proud," said Mario Castillo, a buyer for Intel Corp. whose doctor father works in a hospital in Yuma, Arizona.

That's the problem, feeling pride for breaking numerous laws? That's a great lesson to teach your children. We can break any law and get away with it.

"You feel that, at last, Latinos have the courage to raise their hands and say, 'You know what, we're here and you have to respect us as a people and human beings'," he added.

You don't demand respect you earn it. There is nothing to respect about an illegal immigrant. Since when do people feel pride about being a criminal?

If they feel so much pride for what their illegal relatives are doing in the US, why don't they use that pride in their own country, idiots!!!