Immigrant workers and supporters demand rights
By Adrian Garcia
Los Angeles
In a potent display of resistance, some 2,000
workers took to the streets of Los Angeles Feb. 28 demanding
rights for undocumented workers. Placards, banners and chants
called for unconditional amnesty, health care and undocumented
workers' right to obtain driver's licenses. They also called
for an end to the occupation of Iraq.
Immigrant-rights groups, church groups, teachers, fashion
district garment workers, a contingent from Mexico of former
Bracero workers and immigrant families led the militant march.
They made their way north on Broadway Boulevard to Los Angeles
City Hall--amidst predominantly Latin American immigrant and
Black shoppers who expressed solidarity with the marchers.
At the steps of City Hall marchers loudly proclaimed, "Si se
puede"--it can be done--regarding winning the struggle for
immigrant rights.
Among the speakers was Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the
United Farm Workers, who appealed to everyone to become
involved in the struggle. "We will not get anything if we do
not become active" in the movement for justice, she said.
Huerta also asked the crowd to consider the accomplishments
of the Cuban Revolu tion: "Being such a small country with
limited resources, Cuba provides universal health care and
education to its people, while the U.S., the richest country on
the globe, denies rights to undocumented workers."
Juan Jose Gutierrez, director of Latino Movement USA, the
group that organized the march along with Hermandad Mexicana,
prompted the crowd to pledge to fight for full rights for
undocumented rights and not surrender until there is justice
for all working people.
"We need to struggle until corporations no longer govern the
world," said Gutierrez. "We also must not allow our government
to use money for wars that create poverty in other
countries."
Gutierrez issued a call to action for a march on Oct.
16--the 10th anniversary of the momentous march against the
anti-immigrant Proposition 187.
Danny Park from Korean Immigrant Workers Advocacy spoke
about the need to unite immigrant workers from all around the
world. "Millions [of immigrants] face discrimination and
exploitation," declared Park.
Preston Wood, organizer for the ANSWER Coalition, called on
the workers to persist in this important struggle for justice.
"You deserve your rights and we will win," he said.
Wood connected the struggles for immigrant rights with that
against the U.S. war and occupation in Iraq and Afghan istan.
And he spoke of U.S. attempts to destabilize the countries of
Haiti and Venezuela.
"The U.S. thirst for money and its disregard for people,
which includes immigrants, must be halted," Wood said. "Please
join us on March 20 to demonstrate on the first anniversary of
the U.S. invasion of Iraq."
The demonstrators made it clear that the struggle for
immigrant rights is an integral part of the fight by workers
around the world to obtain what they rightly deserve. It showed
that people have mobilized and will not allow abuses of
undocumented workers to go unchallenged. For an abuse of one is
an abuse of all.
Reprinted from the March 11, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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