"The people united can not be defeated" I attended the Immigration Rally yesterday and while my spanish is not as good as it used to be, I understood a lot of the Spanish-only speeches. Some were translated, but it was an amazing experience. I've never attended a rally nor a march.
The people were welcoming. Although at first it was awkward since I was alone and not sure if my presence was appreciated or if this was "Not my struggle" and I was viewed as an outsider. That was until an African-American pastor gave a speech and also a Catholic priest both reinforcing the support of other communities. I spotted an Asian woman and then a few Notre Dame students.
Eventually I started talking to a few participants as a result of the 2 counter-protesters yelling "Go back to Mexico." Then it became relevant to me. Then I was able to relate to my latino brothers and sisters. My people, too, have been told to "Go Back!" So naturally we began discussing the origin of this nation.
Also, the people I was standing near, commented on how dedicated these 2 people must be to yell things at a crowd numbering in the thousands.
I enjoyed the 3 hours spent in support of this issue. I've been here a year now and had not seen so many latinos, so I was stunned at the amoutn that turned out, roughly 5,000. I met a nice girl who allowed me to take a photo of her dog wearing a sign, "I am from Mexico, too." That is the image above.
This is a news article discussing the rally with a video link:
http://www.wndu.com/news/042006/news_49173.php
Thousands march for immigration reform
South Bend, IN - Over the past few weeks, we've seen long lines of immigration protest marches and rallies all over the country.
Saturday, about 2000 people marched in Goshen, but Monday's march in South Bend was more than twice the size.
Organizers and police were surprised by the turnout, which amounted to between 4000 and 5000 people.
The pre-march rally in front of the Morris Performing Arts Center was huge. In fact, South Bend Police say it was one of the largest crowds ever seen in the area other than a Notre Dame home game.
The crowd was there seeking immigration laws that don't label undocumented workers as criminals.
Ricardo Nevarez of Mishawaka said at the rally, "I already have my papers. I'm legal here, but I still supporting my friends. There are a lot of people that need them for work and to have our families together."
Veronica Beltran’s father came here illegally, and she wants to help others. She said, "As long as we get united and we get everyone's support, yes it will. It will make a big difference. They will see that there are a lot of people out there. They're going to need us. We need them and they need us."
Against the majority
However, not everyone felt the same, as some professed, “I support all immigrants. I do not support illegal immigrants. I do not support illegal immigrants."
Toni Castillo of Niles said, "They do this to our government because they think they have rights here. They don't have any rights."
In general, however, the march consisted of people hoping for change, allowing immigrants to become citizens.Bishop John D'Arcy said, “Let us treat those who are undocumented as God's creatures and find a place for them, respecting always our laws, but making them part of our family, welcome at our table. We can do it legally and properly.”
Local Latino leaders expect the Latino community to continue to turn out in greater numbers on this issue, especially with Cinco de Mayo festivities in early May.
With seven different immigration bills between the House and Senate, and a compromise bill stalled, most civic leaders don't expect immigration reform to happen this year.
