Thread: Migrant march set Monday in San Jose

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 276610.htm

Posted on Thu, Apr. 06, 2006

Migrant march set Monday
MORE RALLIES PLANNED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
By Joe Rodriguez
Mercury News

A new round of demonstrations for immigrant rights will take place across the country on Monday, including an afternoon march in the heart of East San Jose.

Calling it a ```National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice,'' a loose coalition of religious organizations, labor unions, student organizations and ethnic and immigrant advocacy groups intend to keep the spotlight on immigration reform and broaden the base of support to include Asians, Africans and others.

``We want to respect the dignity of all immigrants,'' said Martha Campos, one of the organizers and a director with the non-profit Services, Immigration Rights and Education Network in San Jose. ``Immigration is not just an issue for Latinos.''

The march through East San Jose is aimed at diversifying the fast-spreading movement. The 3 p.m. gathering at King and Story roads will include invocations by several clergy of various faiths. Marchers will then walk toward City Hall along Alum Rock Avenue, stopping for talks on the contributions of Latino, Filipino and Vietnamese immigrants. The marchers expect to arrive at City Hall about 7 p.m. and end with a brief rally.

Around the nation, demonstrations are planned for 65 cities inspired by the U.S. Senate's debate over a controversial national immigration bill. In the nation's capital, one rally will be held at the Washington Monument, where an organizer predicted 100,000 people will gather.

There will be a prayer vigil in Los Angeles and a ``day without Hispanics'' work stoppage in the upscale resort town of Telluride, Colo. In Boston, Irish, Russian, Brazilian, Chinese, Somali and Ethiopian immigrants will march. Steelworkers along with students and faculty members from the University of Notre Dame will march in South Bend, Ind.

The discussion of a bill that could contain restrictions on naturalization and employment for undocumented workers has led hundreds of thousands of Latinos to take to the streets.

``The sleeping Latino giant is finally awake,'' Jaime Contreras, president of the National Capital Immigrant Coalition, said. ``This will be the largest demonstration by immigrants ever held in this country.''

Involvement by previously apolitical elements of the Latino community may prove a watershed in the political and cultural evolution of Latinos. The group's political influence has lagged behind its growth into the nation's largest minority.

Over the past two months, Spanish-language radio hosts have emerged as a driving force behind the immigration rallies. Once relatively rare, the number of Spanish-language media outlets across the nation have grown exponentially over the past decade and have joined other organizations -- churches and social groups -- that have sustained daily life in the Latino community .

``I'm not sure anybody totally understands this phenomenon . . . but we are happily stunned,'' said Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy at the National Council of La Raza, a civil rights organization based in Washington. ``We're all very aware that this is history in the making, and the country will be transformed by it.''

Many Latinos say they were first spurred to action by a House bill passed in December that would make it a felony to be in the United States illegally or to provide assistance to illegal immigrants.

``We've always been separate and marginalized,'' said Carlos Rivas, 46, a construction worker born in El Salvador who lives in Fairfax City, Va. ``But I think the racism in this country has grown so much it's time to say, `Enough!' . . . Our community needs us to show that we're here, and we're not criminals.''


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The Washington Post contributed to this report. Contact Joe Rodriguez at jrodriguez@mercurynews.com or (40 920-5767.

Oh great. The invaders are invading my town.

They continue to "distance" themselves from the American People and while this didn't start as a racial issue with tones of hatred, its bound to develop sooner or later as they continue to make more and more demands and nothing is ever good enough except for NO restrictions or limitations whatsoever. I dread this happening to American. It's bound to tear us apart as they continue to try and include every minority in this country against the only thing left, the White Majority. That is downright scary.

``We've always been separate and marginalized,'' said Carlos Rivas, 46, a construction worker born in El Salvador who lives in Fairfax City, Va. ``But I think the racism in this country has grown so much it's time to say, `Enough!' . . . Our community needs us to show that we're here, and we're not criminals.''

Enough! They've now got Carlos calling us racists because we want illegal immigrantion to come to a grinding halt!