Immigrant Rights

May 1st is right around the corner. As most readers of this blog probably already know, May 1st is celebrated as International Workers Day around the world. For those that want more information, background and history about May Day, check out the Marxist Internet Archive resource page about it.

May 1st had been largely relegated to a day celebrated by the revolutionary left in the U.S....until two years ago. On May 1st, 2006, the immigrant rights movement shook the whole country, as hundreds of thousands of mostly immigrant workers skipped work and took the streets en masse in cities all over the country, and even a million people marched in Los Angeles. Pouring out numbers of people on the streets that the anti-war movement can't even come close to touching, it became clear that a new social force had made its mark, and May Day was back as a mass holiday in the U.S.

The marches last year on May Day were not as big as 2006, but that's not really even a fair comparison. The impressive point is that a year later, hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers and their supporters took to the streets again on May Day, on a work day.

Here we are in 2008. After the mass movement succeeded in stopping the heinous Sensenbrenner bill from passing, the ruling class has responded by pushing through pieces of Sensenbrenner, moving forward with the construction of the odious border wall, and most of all massively stepping up raids and deportations.

Those raids and deportations have stoked fear and been a large reason for the lower turnout at the immigrant rights marches since 2006. Also the alliances that came together in 2006 have broken down to varying degrees since then, at times coming together and at times falling apart dramatically. And the grassroots movement has gone through its inevitable ebbs and flows.

But here we are. A couple days from May Day 2008. We can continue to make a mark on history by pushing forward again on May 1st, 2008. I hope everyone reading here finds a way to participate in a march or action of some sort on May Day.

Here are some links for May Day 2008:

FRSO statement: May Day 2008: Long Live the Peoples’ Struggle!

Coverage from Fight Back Newspaper:
Chicago: Huge Immigrant Rights march planned for May 1
Los Angeles: Mobilizing for May 1 Immigrant Rights Protest
Minnesota: March for Immigrant Rights May 1st

National Immigrant Solidarity Network's May Day 2008 site with listings of activities in various cities

New York May 1st Coalition

Voces de la Frontera from Milwaukee, which last year had a demonstration of 80,000 people on May Day

March 10th Movement - Chicago did the first mega-march on March 10, 2006. Hosted the national conference on the heels of the 2006 upsurge, and organized huge numbers again in 2007

Latinos Unidos - Michigan organizing a mass march on May 1st in Detroit

MN Immigrant Rights Action Coalition (MIRAc) formed out of the 2006 upsurge and has continued to organize and build since then

This is just a quick start. Please add more links in the comments here if you know of groups organizing marches in other cities.

Left Spot received the following interesting notice in the daily emailbox. Check it out.

I am very excited to announce the launch of Breakthrough's new free
and downloadable video game ICED - I Can End Deportation. ICED lets
you experience first hand the unfair nature of immigration laws on
detention and deportation.

You can be Ayesha, the Green Card holder, who was deported for a
school essay; or Marc, a Green Card holder, who fought for the
country
and ended up in detention.

Play the game, spread it far and wide, and visit the website for
action ideas. I encourage you to get involved in the campaign for
fair immigration laws. Because when we let the government deny due
process and human rights to some people, we put all of our freedoms
at
risk.

Warm regards,

-Mallika

Dear Friends:

After two years of hard work and lots of support from many of you, I
am pleased to announce that ICED is finally out. The game can be
downloaded at www.icedgame.com and we would really appreciate your
support in spreading this to your networks. We'd particularly be
interested in reaching out to youth groups and educators with the
upcoming curriculum. But please - everybody – download and play the
game!

We've already started to get media coverage - here are a few links.
Thanks for all the quick responses for the Orange County Register
request.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/19/scitech/pcanswer/main384337
9.shtml

Extensive report on GameDaily:
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/iced-faces-deportation/?biz=1

and here's the version on AOL Latino:
http://noticias.aol.com/inmigracion

http://immigration.freedomblogging.com/2008/02/18/immigrants-try-to-
keep-status-in-online-game/

Thank you again for all the support and input. I hope ICED will
contribute positively to our struggle for due process and human
rights
in the United States.

Warm regards,

Mallika

mallika@breakthrough.tv // www.breakthrough.tv

Statement by Flor Crisostomo

January 28th, 2008

Flor CrisostomoTwo years ago I was arrested in a raid that destroyed the lives of hundreds of IFCO workers and their families. The raid was part of the campaign of “attrition” through “enforcement only” that is the current wrong-headed policy of this government.

I have exhausted all my legal appeals and I have been ordered out of the country today. I am expected to be one of the flashing yellow warning lights that tells the 12 million undocumented to leave their families and "self-deport."

I am not leaving. I have asked and been granted sanctuary in my church. I am not defying the laws of this country and I am not hiding. I am taking a stand of civil disobedience to Make America See what they are doing. I hope that adding my grain of sand to the struggle will help to get the U.S. Congress to act to fix a broken law and an inhuman system of undocumented labor.

I will not be used as symbol of fear. Instead, I will continue to add my light to others to make America See what they are doing to 12 million human beings and their families.

I hate the system of undocumented labor. It has separated me from my children for seven years. I believe with all my heart that Mexico and the United States together must end this system. Click here to continue reading statement...

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2007/06/immreformact.htm

The Immigration Reform Act of 2007: Not the Bill We Need

By the editors, Fight Back! newspaper

In the spring of 2006 millions of Latino and other immigrants rallied against the Sensenbrenner bill, HR4437, that would have criminalized the undocumented. This movement called for legal residency for the undocumented and opposed the Bush administration’s call for a guest worker program.

In response to the largest mass movement in many years, the Bush administration has stepped up raids by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on workplaces and communities and at the same time held secret talks with Democratic and Republican senators to propose a ‘grand compromise’ called the Immigration Reform Act of 2007. read more...

Add any more you see in the comments. Or compare and contrast the coverage for extra points.
-----

FRSO
http://fightbacknews.org/2007/05/mayday.htm

Workers World
http://www.workers.org/2007/us/may-day-0510/

SWP
http://www.themilitant.com/2007/7119/711901a.html
http://www.themilitant.com/2007/7119/711901b.html
http://www.themilitant.com/2007/7119/MayDay19.pdf

CPUSA
http://pww.org/article/articleview/10983/1/370/

World Socialist Web Site (WSWS)
http://wsws.org/articles/2007/may2007/immi-m02.shtml

USMLO
http://usmlo.org/arch2007/2007-05/VR070503.htm#1

Socialist Alternative
http://socialistalternative.org/news/article15.php?id=533

This report on the Los Angeles May Day protests is from the Latinos Against War myspace page:

May Day 100,000 March in LA, Demanding Legalization!

Police Later Attack 2nd Rally at Macarthur Park

May 1 drew 100,000 enthusiastic marchers to downtown LA marching up Broadway to a mass rally at City hall demanding Legalization & to Stop Raids & Deportations, was organized by the March 25 Coalition.

The LA rally had prominent African American speakers like Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney who talked about the similar historical independence struggles of Blacks and Latinos in Latin America, like Haiti. She drew tremendous applause from the very enthusiastic crowd that included migrant families from Mexico, and Central America. Minister Ishmael Mohammed from the Nation of Islam got a great response speaking in Spanish talking about our shared oppression and struggle for liberation. Hunger strikers and leaders Gloria Saucedo, Hermandad Mexicana, Javier Rodriguez, March 25 Coalition leaders demanded full legalization and criticized the current proposed immigration legislation. Labor activist included Alejandro Stephens of SEIU 721 and Fernando Ledesma of United Teachers of LA. Activist undocumented migrant families and students from Boyle Heights included the Duenas family, and students from RHS who work with Latinos against War. This march and rally was well organized and received very enthusiastic response and support from the Mexican & Latino migrant community. Speakers and supporters included Bayan International. FMLN, FOMUSSA, singers and poets with a wrap up by Carlos Montes.

POLICE ATTACK PEACEFUL RALLY

Later in the afternoon the LAPD attacked a peaceful rally at Mac Arthur Park put on by the moderate Somos America Coalition. The LAPD shot heavy rubber bullets into the peaceful gathering without a warning to disperse of any kind. The peaceful Latino families and TV news crews were beaten and shot with hard rubber bullets. One of the March 25 hunger strikers was beaten in the neck and back and forced to seek medical attention. This is seen by many as an attack by the LAPD in an attempt to squelch the growing militancy of the immigrant's rights movement that has grown in strength in the last year.

The March 25 Coalition held a press conference in front the of the LAPD headquarters on May 2 to announce a class action lawsuit by the Mexican American Bar Association and the National Lawyers Guild against the LAPD. Also to condemn and expose this attack on our movement for equality.

The Great American Boycott called locally by the March 25 Coalition and coordinated nationally by the May Day Movement for Worker & Immigrants Rights called for NO economic activity, NO shopping, NO work and NO school, with actions all over the U.S.

www.maydaymovement.blogspot.com
www.march25coalition.org
www.myspace.com/hunger4legalization

Check the website for the National May 1st Movement for Worker & Immigrant Rights for protest listing for cities around the country:

Also check out the May Day 2007 statement from Freedom Road Socialist Organization: May Day 2007 - the workers day! Build the fight for immigrant rights.

Below are flyers for the local protest for immigrant & worker rights in Minnesota:

From Centro Sin Fronteras / La Familia Latina Unida:

Elvira Arellano Begins Hunger Strike

Elvira Arellano and her son“The Raids and Deportations and Separations of Families
Must Stop Now !

“The Congress and the President must fix the Broken Law
and End the Crucifixion of Innocent Children and their Families.”

“As I have stayed here in Sanctuary with my U.S. citizen son Saulito for seven months, the Congress and the President have taken no action to fix the broken law. Meanwhile, millions of people live in the shadows and millions of children live in fear of being abandoned. While nothing is done to fix the broken law, the raids and deportations continue to escalate every week..

“I am starting this hunger strike, on the eve of Good Friday, as a prayer that our people will mobilize, that the hearts of the people of this nation will open and that the elected officials will act to preserve our families and the Holy Bond between the children and their mothers and fathers. I pray that not one more family will be separated, not one more child left behind.”
Elvira Arellano

The Press Conference will follow a brief celebration of the Last Supper with families and children facing separation. Elvira Arellano will call on others around the country to join her in the hunger strike and her pastor, Rev. Walter Coleman, who will join her in the hunger strike, will call on religious leaders across the country to stand with her.

Hunger Strike Day 1

On Friday, April 6th, at 10 A.M. Elvira will participate in a brief Good Friday ceremony at the church and send off a delegation who will hold a “Viacrucis” in front of ICE Headquarters at Clark and Congress.

--

Stop the Raids and Deportations!
Legalization for ALL Immigrants!
May 1, 2007 - Great American Boycott II

National May 1st Movement for Worker and Immigrant Rights
213.995.0694
may1movement@gmail.com
http://maydaymovement.blogspot.com

SDS-organized protest against the Minutemen at UCLA on 2/6/2007: photo from dailybruin.comOn February 6th, the leader of the anti-immigrant and racist California Minutemen, Carl Braun, was scheduled to speak at UCLA in a 'debate' with a representative of another wing of the lunatic right sponsored by an odd right wing student outfit called L.O.G.I.C. (Liberty, Objectivity, Greed, Individualism and Capitalism). Seriously. I'm not making up the name of that group, it's for real. They are devotees of hypercapitalist Ayn Rand.

In response, Students for a Democratic Society at UCLA called a protest against the Minutemen presence on campus, and many other student and community groups joined in the protest.

Here's the UCLA Daily Bruin article on what happened. Because of the pending protest, the event's organizers and UCLA decided to cancel the event entirely, fearing a replay of Columbia University, where last fall anti-racist and immigrant rights activists successfully protested and disrupted a Minutemen event and ran the guy off campus.

Count this as an important victory in denying the racist and anti-immigrant Minutemen the legitimacy and the audience they so desire.

Nativo Lopez, President of the Mexican American Political Association and a prominent leader in the immigrant rights movement that rocked the U.S. last Spring, has written a major strategy document about the direction of the immigrant rights movement: The Question of Strategy and Tactics: What's Next for the Immigrant Rights Movement in 2007. Lopez is a leader in the National Alliance for Immigrant Rights (NAIR), the grassroots immigrant rights grouping that is the most significant left force in the movement, which was formed at a convention in Chicago in August 2006. NAIR was formed by representatives of most of the grassroots immigrant rights groups that organized the massive April and May protests. NAIR has 10 points of unity that include legalization for all undocumented immigrants, no to a guest worker program, call for a moratorium on deportations, and no militarization of the border. These positions place NAIR firmly on the left of the immigrant rights movement, but it is not a fringe - NAIR is comprised of most of the local "calendar coalitions" named after the day of their first big mobilization (i.e. March 10 Movement, March 25 Coalition, etc.) that organized the massive marches and May 1 boycott in April and May 2006.

There have been many debates and some divisions within the immigrant rights movement, and Lopez's document analyzes some of the main dividing lines in looking at the road forward.

Left Spot is reprinting Lopez's document here not as an endorsement of every word in it, but because it is one attempt to thoroughly sum up the immigrant rights upsurge and where the movement is at now, from a long-time leader of the movement. The document assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the movement so far (the movement stopped the Sensenbrenner Bill but divided over the Bush/Democrats' "compromise" Hagel-Martinez bill, and didn't respond forcefully to the summer/fall piecemeal approach of passing individual parts of the Senenbrenner package (the 700 mile wall and more troops to the border were both passed near the end of the previous legislative session).

Lopez puts forward a position on who are the friends (strategic allies) of the movement, that is going to be controversial among some on the left of the movement, particularly Trotskyists who deny or downplay national oppression and see the immigrant rights movement in purely class terms. I have heard that there are some responses to this document in the works; if I see any published I'll post them here in the comments.

Hopefully Lopez's document will encourage thinking about the current state of the struggle for immigrant rights, and think about strategy moving forward in 2007 to win even greater victories.

Click here to read Nativo Lopez's document...