1 p.m. rally, 3:30 p.m. Mass, 5:30 departure
Farm workers at Cesar Chavez rally & Mass Sunday in L.A. to spread the word across Calif. about immigration reform
Thousands of farm workers and supporters gather Sunday in downtown Los Angeles for a rally at the federal building and Mass at the cathedral honoring Cesar Chavez’s birthday. To get there, farm workers from throughout California and as far away as Oregon travel for hours Sunday on dozens and dozens of chartered buses. Then they re-board buses to make the long journey home, pledging to honor the United Farm Workers’ founder by working for immigration reform at events in their rural communities through April 23, the 13th anniversary of his death. Chavez’s March 31 birthday is celebrated as an official state holiday.
Farm workers board buses early Sunday morning from Calexico on the California-Mexico border to Woodburn, Ore.—and in-between from Coachella, Oxnard, Bakersfield, Delano, Fresno, Porterville, Greenfield, Salinas and Watsonville.
With the U.S. Senate debating immigration reform next week, farm workers on Sunday will pledge to return to their homes to support enactment of meaningful immigration reform and oppose inhumane legislation such as recent action by the U.S. House of Representatives that would make felons out of undocumented immigrants and those who help them.
“Farm workers and their union are demonstrating a consistent commitment to immigration reform going back more than 30 years,” says UFW President Arturo Rodriguez. “Today, that means earning the right to stay in this country by continuing to work feeding America and much of the world through measures such as the AgJobs and McCain-Kennedy comprehensive reform bills.” The bipartisan, broadly backed AgJobs bill was negotiated by the UFW and the nation’s agricultural industry.
The schedule on Sunday, March 26, 2006 is as follows:
1 p.m.—More than 2,000 farm workers rally for immigration reform at the federal building, 300 No. Los Angeles St. (off East Temple St.). Speakers include farm workers, UFW President Rodriguez, UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, L.A. County AFL-CIO leader Maria Elena Durazo.
2:30 p.m.—Worker procession to Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 West Temple St.
3:30 p.m.—Special Mass honoring Cesar Chavez, Bishop Gabino Zavala presiding.
5:30 p.m.—Farm workers board buses for long journey home, pledging to work for reform.
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