New Haven Independent

Immigrants’ Rights March — The 2009 Version

by Melinda Tuhus | May 4, 2009 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

two%20girls%20and%20mom.JPG As she walked in a May Day march for immigrants’ rights Friday night in New Haven, this woman laid out a plan for immigration reform that would not only help her and the 12 million other folks in the U.S. without papers, but would also boost the U.S. economy.

Ana (pictured above) came on the march with her three children, ages 6, almost 4, and seven months. By the end of the walk up Chapel Street from Church Street to Sherman Avenue and back, all three kids were riding on the stroller, with mom pushing mightily from behind. In a mix of English and Spanish, she told her story.

Ana moved to the U.S. from Puebla, Mexico, more than a decade ago. She lived for six years in California before moving to Fair Haven.
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“I came here because I think everyone needs an opportunity. This country is very good to us,” she said. Now immigrants need one more boost, she said — a road to citizenship. She said if President Obama is able to get significant reform passed this year, immigrants could become full members of society, while boosting the economy at the same time.

“The U.S. doesn’t have enough money, and if they give me the opportunity to have my citizenship, I have to pay a lawyer, I have to pay a fine; then I can buy my own house and my own car, and I have to pay for my license, car insurance, and registration.”

Ana said she hopes reform won’t include a blanket amnesty. “I think not all immigrants should be allowed to have citizenship, because not everyone is good. It will be good to take all the bad people out, and leave the people who came here to work.”

She added that legal immigrants would also pay taxes. Ana paid taxes when she was working; now she cares for her children and sells cosmetics from home, while her husband works as a chef. He was working Friday night, she said, but even if he were free he wouldn’t have come to the march. They obviously disagree on this point.

“A reform, a march, a fight — it’s for everyone — we all need reform, we all need papers, we all need to lose our fear, face forward and move ahead,” she declared passionately. “We have to leave behind these excuses — that I can’t, that I don’t have time, that I’m tired, that someone else will do it for me. If everyone thought that way, nobody would ever accomplish anything.”

This year’s march was smaller than those of the previous few years, with about 100 people. John Jairo Lugo from Unidad Latina en Accion, one of the march organizers, said with a new president in the White House it’s important to be in the streets demonstrating support for true immigration reform. Obama has called for a path to citizenship for the nation’s immigrants.

It was suggested that some would-be marchers felt less of a need to come out because they think Obama and the firmly Democrat-controlled Congress will do the right thing on their own.

couple%20woman%20man.JPG Alejandro Delgado, a grad student at Yale (pictured with his girlfriend, Serena Sprungl), said he came to the U.S. from Mexico with his family when he was 5 years old. He noted this year’s march was “smaller, but still lively.” He wasn’t sure why. “Maybe swine flu worries, but also immigration reform isn’t on the table the same way it was nationally in the recent past, and we need to get back to that point. There might be some complacency with Obama in the White House, but it’s all the more reason for people to be out here. Obama can’t do it alone, and he won’t do it alone, and it can’t happen without broad-based support.”

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Comments

Posted by: Bill | May 4, 2009 9:12 AM

Legal immigrants already share most of the same rights as citizens. The only right ILLEGAL immigrants have is to be deported.

Posted by: daniel | May 4, 2009 12:48 PM

I think it's important to all of us citizens or none citizens to know that the issue of immigrants matters more to God for the prosperity of a nation.

We must knom the reason this country is blessed and favored by God,because it's a land of immigrants people,those in the search of better life.

Illegal immigrants do know chose to be in in this position,it the result of uncontrolled circumstances beyond their their capacities.

AS a believer dealing with poor undocumented and suffering people is responding to the mercy and divine compassion with a result of the blessing in the country.

i am telling you the truth,God's heart is for those who suffer ,those without shatter,who lends to the poor lends to the Lord...let all of us have compassion for the sake of humanity ,economy,and God's favor upon this nation.

one more time dealing seriously with compassion the immigration is calling the mercy and the compassion of God upon a nation.

The reason USA is so distinguished from others nation,just for the reason...

God bless USA,as it continues to open to God's voice.

Posted by: ezcuinkle | May 4, 2009 4:42 PM

You know is so sad how you People!!! are against Humans, come on read the history of this country, how many states the US stole from Mexico?, who really belongs to this Land?. Read a little be more about what is happening with NAFTA and now with CAFTA as well... Don't blame the immigrants for everything and star taking some responsibilities for the actions of this government

Posted by: JSJ | May 4, 2009 6:15 PM

These three comments (so far) are representative of the vast divide between two opposing and overly simplistic stances in this immigration debate. Unfortunately, this leaves little room for rational discussion of the actual issues, lest one be automatically branded a racist, nationalist or worse.

Personally, one of my concerns is the opinion that offering amnesty and citizenship to workers who are here illegally will actually work toward improving the economy. The system, as it is currently in place, benefits employers who are able to hire workers and pay (or not pay, in some cases) criminally low wages. Once these workers attain legal employment status, would these employers still be willing to hire them? If we look at the history of manufacturing in the US, we see that unionization and the minimum wage ended sweat shop practices- and set the ball rolling toward the massive export of manufacturing sector jobs (many to Mexico, btw, which has free trade agreements with many countries, Japan and the EU among them).

And while restaurants, for example, can't outsource dishwashing, what's to stop them from refusing to hire newly legal workers- in favor of other undocumented workers? Would we merely be creating another group of low-skilled unemployed citizens? And in the meantime, it would be business as usual for employers who know that e-verification and possible ICE action are a joke. For some reason, this is constantly left out of the human rights equation, but it needs to be addressed.

Immigrants’ Rights March — The 2009 Version

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