Immigrants speak out

Following are excerpts from speeches given at the April 10 rally in New York City for immigrant rights by Doyin, a self-identified queer transgender Nigerian immigrant and Monami Maulik, a member of DRUM (Desis Rising Up & Moving) and the larger coalition that DRUM is part of—Immigrant Communities in Action.

Doyin: As a queer transgender Nigerian immigrant, explaining my gender identity and gender expression in the U.S. has been as rigorous a process as explaining my right to be in the U.S. For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender non-conforming immigrants of color, the struggle to secure housing, employment, health care and education is made even more horrendous by the realities of homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia.

But homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia are not incidental or even coincidental mechanisms. They are part of an imperialistic apparatus that serves to pit us against each other: immigrants vs. non-immigrants, queers vs. heterosexuals, Blacks vs. Latin@s or Asians or Native Americans. They serve to strip us of our power, while imperialists maintain their hold over us.

Well, I’m here today to tell you that this U.S. trend of criminalizing immigrants is also a queer issue. The fight against the exploitation of immigrant labor in the U.S. is also a fight for queer rights, just as combating violence and harassment against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is a fight for immigrant rights.

In the famous words of Audre Lorde, a second-generation Black lesbian Caribbean immigrant, “There is no hierarchy of oppression.” Our struggles are one and the same. Until we realize that, we’ll never be free.

Monami: Hello to my beautiful sisters and brothers! From Immigrant Communities in Action and DRUM—Desis Rising Up & Moving—I bring you Greetings: Assalamalakum! Hola! Namaste! Mabuhay! Sasriakal!

This is a beautiful day across the country and a powerful time to be an immigrant in the U.S. Finally, our power as over 25 million strong is being recognized in every corner of America.

As the lawmakers debate about our future, Immigrant Communities in Action, a grassroots coalition of diverse communities, sends these messages from immigrant women, men, and children:

First, that our lives and our future are not an election year game!

Second, that we will not be divided. We want equal and full legalization, meaning a path to citizenship, for EVERYONE—no different treatment based on anything. This society benefits from our blood and sweat and our dignity must be recognized!

Third, that we will not let you trade off our civil rights. Stop scapegoating immigrants under the so-called “War on Terror.” You must remove all those provisions that undermine any legalization.

* No to local police becoming immigration agents and deporting people

* No to a Border Wall and more deaths—we honor thousands of our sisters and brothers who have already lost their lives at the border. No more!

* No to indefinite detentions

* No to stripping away due process in deportation proceedings

* No to more detention beds

* No to expanding aggravated felonies

And finally, that we will not accept another “guest worker” program—we know from history that it is simply an attempt to have another Bracero, another Operation Bootstrap. Bush is pushing a guest worker program not only in the U.S., but worldwide through the World Trade Organization. Guest worker programs EQUAL modern-day Slavery! We are human beings, not cheap labor for your profit-making!

In fact, we know that the “War on Terror” has provided cover for the real goal: to expand control over the resources, markets and labor of poor people here and throughout the world. As immigrants who are the casualties of this War on Terror here in the U.S.—we want an end to this War Abroad and War at Home.

The fact is that immigrants are here BECAUSE of these inhumane foreign policies of our government that have devastated communities across the globe—from NAFTA, which pushed over 1.4 million Mexican farmers off their own land, to CAFTA and the Andean Free Trade agreement which, as we speak, millions of indigenous people in South America are taking to the streets to protest. From the bombing of Afghanistan, to the bloody occupation of Iraq, to the impending war agenda on Iran. The U.S. can no longer preach human rights and democracy around the world, as it attacks immigrants and people of color right here, and innocent lives abroad.

No to Free Trade Agreements!

No to war and occupation!

Millions of people stand united across this nation in demanding:

Legalization not Deportation!

Inquilaab Zindabaad!

We will fight, we will fight, we will fight until we win!