Thread: Small but spirited

Small, but spirited
Immigration-rights contingent passes through Aurora; will join many others at Hastert's office in Batavia today






By Andre Salles
Staff Writer


AURORA — Hundreds of supporters of immigration reform are expected to converge on the Batavia office of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert today, having walked there all the way from Chicago.

But roughly 30 of them arrived in Aurora on Sunday, part of a smaller contingent that began the long walk to Batavia from Joliet on Saturday. As they traveled the East Side length of New York Street, shouting the familiar refrain "si se puede" ("yes we can"), supporters — mostly members of Aurora's substantial Hispanic population — honked their horns and flashed thumbs-up signs as they drove by.

It was a smaller-than-expected group from Joliet, and the anticipated thousands of Aurorans reportedly set to join them Sunday afternoon never materialized. But as they walked, this group, organized by locals affiliated with the Chicago-based March 10 Movement, remained in high spirits.

The formal title for the weekend's march was the Immigrant Workers Justice Walk, and according to Joliet organizer Jesus Saenz, the marchers are united behind the goal of helping undocumented immigrant workers receive paths to citizenship, and not separating immigrant families through deportation.

"Millions of immigrants have been here for years, and they contribute to the economy in different ways," said Saenz, himself a Mexican immigrant who received his citizenship in the 1980s.

"I agree that we have to secure the U.S. borders, but we have millions here who work hard," he said.

The small group carried a large banner as they walked, emblazoned with Spanish lettering. Translated, the sign read "Walk for Justice, Legalization for All."

After traversing the three miles from Hill Avenue to Lake Street, the group held a small rally at the Prisco Community Center. They were joined by a few Aurorans, but Saenz said that the real numbers would come out on Monday. Busloads of supporters from Joliet are expected to join a much larger contingent of marchers from Chicago, who will complete their four-day journey to Hastert's office this morning.

"We're trying to grab the attention of the American citizens," said Jorge Mujica of the March 10 Movement, one of the organizers of the march.

"We're showing that this is a way of organizing ourselves."

Mujica reported that more than 250 people marched on Sunday, ending up at St. Mary's Church in West Chicago. He said, however, that more supporters joined the march at regular intervals.

Mujica said that the four-day trek is symbolic of the journey thousands of undocumented immigrants have made across the desert, once crossing over from Mexico. He blamed current immigration laws for the conditions under which Mexicans enter the country, and said that immigrants only come to the United States seeking a better life.

"None of them came here to harm the United States," he said. "They came here to work."

Many disagree with this point of view, but on Sunday, there were few dissenters to be found. Saenz said that the Joliet group only encountered four protesters during their march, and Mujica said that nine members of the Illinois Minutemen, a group dedicated to securing the country's borders, escorted his group for a short distance.

The Joilet marchers encountered no opposition in Aurora.

A rally at Hastert's office in May, organized by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, drew roughly 150 supporters of immigration reform, but approximately twice that number flocked to a counter-rally set up by the Illinois Minuteman Project. That group plans a similar counter-rally today.

Whatever the scene on River Street in Batavia this morning, Saenz said his group will be ready. In the absence of homes to house the Joliet marchers Sunday night, he said the group would return home, but would be back in force, gathering at the Prisco Center at 8 a.m. today and marching to Hastert's office. There they will meet up with the main group from Chicago, and hope to make their voices heard.

For people like Auroran Jose Suarez, the reason is simple. Speaking in Spanish, with Saenz as his interpreter, Suarez summed up his reason for marching.

"We're looking for the best for all of us," he said. "If we don't support ourselves, no one will support us."

09/04/06

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http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beac ... S10904.htm

"Millions of immigrants have been here for years, and they contribute to the economy in different ways," said Saenz, himself a Mexican immigrant who received his citizenship in the 1980s.

Yeah, Saenz received his citizenship through the big amnesty mistake of 1986. Why would we want to unleash 20 million more like him on our society? If that were to happen, imagine the scene that would take place 10 years from now when there are another 10 million illegal aliens seeking and marching for amensty!

The 1986 amnesty was supposed to be a one time deal, let's make sure our elected politicans on the Hill keep their word!

Exactly.