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   Vol.64/No.25            June 26, 2000 
 
 
20,000 rally in L.A. for immigrant rights
 
BY PATRICIA GUTIÉRREZ AND MARK FRIEDMAN  
LOS ANGELES--In what became the largest immigrant rights action here in years, 20,000 working people packed in and surrounded the Sports Arena June 10 for an AFL-CIO-sponsored forum.

"¡Aquí estamos y no nos vamos!" (We are here and we're not leaving!) was among the most popular slogans of the rally. While 15,000 people crammed into the stadium another 5,000, unable to enter, marched outside chanting Sí se puede! (Yes we can!) referring to their fight for amnesty, dignity, and justice for all immigrants.

The "Immigrants Rights Forum," called by the AFL-CIO was the fourth held in California. Others had occurred in Salinas, San Jose, and Fresno, attracting 2,500 people. Smaller meeting were also held in New York, Atlanta, and Chicago to announce a change in the AFL-CIO's previous anti-immigrant position.

The federation now calls for a new amnesty and reversed its support for sanctions and fines against employers hiring immigrants. Many of the remarks by union officials from the platform were cast in a framework of U.S. patriotism.

The meeting was stamped by the growing confidence and dignity--and accomplishments in fighting for union representation, better working conditions, and improved contracts--of workers in Los Angeles and across the state who have immigrated to this country.  
 
'Invisible no more'
The large delegation of some 1,000 from the United Farm Workers union came in buses from across the state. Hundreds of janitors, members of the Service Employees International Union, who recently won a solid victory when they struck employers in the city, wore T-shirts saying, "Invisible no more." Several hundred garment and hotel and restaurant workers also participated.

Nongyao Varanond, an activist in Thais for Immigrants Rights, helped organize a contingent of 350 from the Thai community, many of them garment workers. She spoke about the conditions facing these workers, including poor housing and the forced use of public bathrooms due to dilapidated apartments. "Many Thais are fearful of the INS, but the question is how can we get together and send a message to the government that we need improved living and working conditions."

One of the testimonies during the program was by a Thai garment worker from El Monte named Rogana, who, she said, had been a virtual slave with 71 others from April 1994 until August 1995. They were not allowed to leave work, were forced to work from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. seven days a week, and were paid just $1.65 an hour with no benefits.

Hotel worker Marge Sánchez from Palm Springs spoke about union organizing experiences in which she had been involved. These included a four month strike, fighting firings, management review of immigration papers in an effort to take away their victory, and the decision that nobody would go back to work unless all of them did. "We have the power when we stand together" she emphasized.

Other testimonies by an apple picker from Yakima Valley in Washington State, a carpenter in Seattle, a health-care worker in Los Angeles, and a 17-year-old California farm worker were welcomed by the crowd.

Any mention of the word Mexico, or testimonies by immigrants mentioning their Mexican hometowns, received thunderous applause, as did any reference to the victorious janitors strike.

Banners from Thai, Filipino, Korean, and Salvadoran immigrant community organizations, and from churches and unions, adorned the hall. About 30 Indians, as well as delegations of Vietnamese, Brazilians, and other nationalities, and a busload from Mission Dolores in San Francisco, participated.  
 
Central Americans march
Before the official forum, a half-dozen immigrants rights groups held a march of 1,500 to press for unconditional amnesty and an amendment to the "Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief" law

Maribella Velásquez, from Hondurans United in L.A. , who helped organize the contingent of 200 Hondurans leading the march, said, "We want amnesty without conditions, no matter how long you've been here. Hondurans are not included in the current amnesty legislation, even though Honduras was part of the U.S. war against Nicaragua and El Salvador." She had been inspired by the recent janitors strike here and helped organize Hondurans to join the march.

A group of students from Belmont High School demonstrated, as they had for the janitors. Jessica González said, "Many of our parents are janitors, and immigrants and that's why we supported the strike and this march." A young woman named Christina, a former student from Roosevelt High, also agreed.

Isabel from Pico-Union, a member of the Bus Riders Union and a participant in the janitors strike support rallies, said, "We shouldn't have to have papers. People are coming in every day, and dying trying to. Shouldn't they be included in the amnesty?"

Here from Mexico City, from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), marching and distributing flyers appealing for support, was Liseth Beltran. "Two hundred and fifty student strikers face a return to jail (despite their recent release) for their activities in the 10-month strike beginning in April 1999 to defend an open and virtually free higher education in Mexico," read a flyer handed out by the activists.

Handmade signs reading, "Work permits for All," "Justice for all immigrants," "Residency, yes. Deportation, no," "Don't wait for your papers at home, Unite in the struggle," and "Stop the hunting of immigrants, no human being is illegal," peppered the crowd.

Patricia Gutiérrez is a student at the University of California in Santa Cruz. Mark Friedman is a member of the International Association of Machinists in Los Angeles.  
 
 
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