Thread: We're all immigrants...March to haserts office

are all immigrants'
March to support immigrants nears Hastert's office


By Sarah Pulliam
special to the sun


Immigrants were on the move again this weekend, marching through the suburbs and hoping to push immigration reform legislation through Congress.

Naperville residents participated in the 48-mile walk that began Friday in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood and ends today at U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert's office in Batavia. The marchers from countries such as Mexico, Poland, Chile and Iran want to get Hastert's attention.

"Speaker Hastert seems to have made a point to ignore this issue," march organizer Mehrdad Azemun of Chicago said. "He is using it as a political football for the fall elections."

Azemun said the walk was developed in the hopes of persuading Congress to stop deportations and to offer naturalization for illegal immigrants.


'Global family'

Seven members from Naperville's Community United Methodist Church, including Associate Pastor Haeran Kim, walked Saturday.
Kim, 50, who emigrated with her family from South Korea when she was 18, said she walked with an immigrant from Ireland and a young girl from Honduras.

"We all are immigrants," Kim said. "If the U.S. has something to share, it should open the door. This is a global family now."

More than 200 people marched through Wheaton and Glen Ellyn on Sunday during the four-day Immigrant Workers Justice Walk. The marchers left the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park around 9 a.m. and walked west along Roosevelt Road all morning.

The front marcher held a sign "Just married to U.S.A." as those who followed held American flags and wore baseball caps or cowboy hats. The crowd chanted phrases such as, "We are all immigrants," "Today we march, tomorrow we vote" and "Sí, se puede," translated, "Yes we can!"

Organizers wearing bright-orange T-shirts labeled "peacekeepers" kept busy Sunday afternoon handing out water bottles to the marchers. State police, DuPage County sheriff's officers and Wheaton police in squad cars and on bicycles protected the walkers as they crossed intersections.


Some protests

While some passing drivers honked their horns in support, not everyone was happy about the march. In Glen Ellyn, the marchers saw a man who held a sign that said, "Walk back to your own country." But the marchers continued toward Batavia.
Dean Thompson, 19, who graduated from Wheaton North High School in 2005, taped and watched some of the march. Thompson is sympathetic to immigrants because his grandparents are from Germany and England. However, he does not support illegal immigration.

"I wouldn't condone breaking any law," he said. "It's overhauling the education, health care and police systems."

Once the marchers reached Main Street in Wheaton, they walked to Wheaton Bible Church for lunch.

"It's not just a lily-white church," Azemun said. "It's Latinos welcomed by Latinos."


Fuel for the journey

John and Rose Bagley of Naperville and about 10 other members from Pax Christi Illinois in Naperville served lunch to support the group.
"I cut the sandwiches," John said, smiling proudly. "They are hard-working people. We depend on them."

Tom Cordaro, a member of Pax Christi Illinois, said in addition to lunch the members will serve breakfast before the marchers leave West Chicago this morning.

"Each meal that we serve really represents a whole number of people who have volunteered to make sandwiches or bring drinks," he said, adding that while maybe 12 people were on site to serve the meals, 30 to 40 people gave time and money to put them together.

The Bagleys support immigration legislation and want citizenship for immigrants.

"It's great to see people together," Rose Bagley said. "I don't care where they're from."


Not just about 'illegal aliens'

Cordaro said people who come from immigrant stock can understand the desire of people who come to America for a better life and to help their families.
"It's important that Anglos ... that we support this kind of an effort because there are people in this country who try to portray the movement as just a bunch of illegal aliens, and that's not true," he said.

Wheaton Bible Hispanic Pastor Al Guerra read a letter to the crowded auditorium that the church sent to newspapers and Illinois senators and representatives.

"We reject any legislation that would require us as a church to report undocumented immigrants because this would hinder our ability to lovingly minister the gospel," Guerra read as the crowd cheered and clapped.

"We do not necessarily take any side of the form of a law," Guerra said later. "We see an opportunity for us to influence a law that would reflect compassion and justice at the same time."

The marchers relaxed on the grass outside the church before heading six more miles to West Chicago for dinner. They have to walk nine miles to reach Hastert's office today.



- Staff writer Kate Houlihan contributed to this report.

09/04/06

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

"It's not just a lily-white church," Azemun said. "It's Latinos welcomed by Latinos."

Now I wonder what was insinuated by "Lily-white"? Immigration march for all immigrants and it's latinos welcomed by latinos? Please.

"We do not necessarily take any side of the form of a law," Guerra said later. "We see an opportunity for us to influence a law that would reflect compassion and justice at the same time."

Oh yes you do. The IRS should pull the tax-free status of these so-called "churches." The churches (especially Methodist and Catholic who appear to be so heavily involved in immigration reform), see an opportunity to add these people to their membership.

Now I wonder what was insinuated by "Lily-white"?

Amen CB! What is wrong with being white? MSM once again shows their bias. Where is the outrage?

see an opportunity to add these people to their membership.

Not to mention adding to their collection plate!

"It's not just a lily-white church," Azemun said. "It's Latinos welcomed by Latinos."

This guy must have forgotten, it's we, the anti-illegal immigrant folks that are supposed to be the racist! What's up with that?

This was supposed to be a march that included ALL immigrants and they did have a "token" showing from other countries. We have illegal Irish and Polish.......what color are they? What language do they speak? Not to mention the Asian crowd. But this seems to boil down to "brown power" and Spanish and the Latino community all the time. The ones from other countries seem to be there more for legitament reform. Too long for the process......family members waiting patiently back in their home countries for years to come here legally. I can get behind that because they are going about it legally........but I'm really getting ticked about this anti-white business. I called to find out about the Joliet group and where were they meeting and which day etc. After all the Spanish business and when I was spoken to in frustrated English.....she "lost" the flyer and didn't know. Told me to call back. I did.....to an answering machine and my call was never returned. She didn't seem to want participation from a white English speaking person.

Their reform isn't for anybody but themselves. Their "demands" are only for "their" people when alot of the issues effect everybody. And it's not just the "Lilly-white" who are against this fiasco. It's not just Latinos who are here illegally but it is the Latinos causing the greatest problems.

Plus.....I don't know too many churches that are "Lilly-white" around here. I don't care what denomination.

Oh yes you do. The IRS should pull the tax-free status of these so-called "churches." The churches (especially Methodist and Catholic who appear to be so heavily involved in immigration reform), see an opportunity to add these people to their membership.

Not only COULD pull their tax-exempt status, the IRS SHOULD pull the tax exempt status of every church that gets mixed up in politics, just like they threatened to do when the churches started telling people who to vote for. Politics isn't only about winning or losing elections.

"We all are immigrants," Kim said. "If the U.S. has something to share, it should open the door. This is a global family now."

No, we are not all immigrants. I'm not an immigrant, I was born here, my family was born here and every friend I know with the exception of a few people are all born here and none of my family and friends are illegal because I don't associate with criminals. How about the rest of you?

Don't give me this we are a global family. You illegal criminals are not my family, you are not among my peers, I don't identify with any of you, we have absolutely nothing in common. Unlike you criminals, I don't need to ride the coattails of the American taxpayers, I actually earn my living, and I certainly don't need to lie, cheat and steal my way toward the American dream. You illegals can kiss my American backside.

No, we are not all immigrants. I'm not an immigrant, I was born here, my family was born here and every friend I know with the exception of a few people are all born here and none of my family and friends are illegal because I don't associate with criminals. How about the rest of you?

Don't give me this we are a global family. You illegal criminals are not my family, you are not among my peers, I don't identify with any of you, we have absolutely nothing in common. Unlike you criminals, I don't need to ride the coattails of the American taxpayers, I actually earn my living, and I certainly don't need to lie, cheat and steal my way toward the American dream. You illegals can kiss my American backside.

Same goes for me. Well said, dman! But I have to say I do have more than a few friends and acquanintences who are naturalized citizens and decent Americans. Still. the majority of the American people are NOT immigrants -- at this time and no thanks to our own government.

Originally Posted by dman1200

"We all are immigrants," Kim said. "If the U.S. has something to share, it should open the door. This is a global family now."

No, we are not all immigrants. I'm not an immigrant, I was born here, my family was born here and every friend I know with the exception of a few people are all born here and none of my family and friends are illegal because I don't associate with criminals. How about the rest of you?

Don't give me this we are a global family. You illegal criminals are not my family, you are not among my peers, I don't identify with any of you, we have absolutely nothing in common. Unlike you criminals, I don't need to ride the coattails of the American taxpayers, I actually earn my living, and I certainly don't need to lie, cheat and steal my way toward the American dream. You illegals can kiss my American backside.

Great Post!