Immigration-reform rally draws 1,000 in downtown San Jose
Tens of thousands rally for immigration reform
by Joe Rodriguez
As thousands rallied for immigration reform in the nation’s capital, Agustin Mendoza proudly carried a large American flag from Sacred Heart church to a similar demonstration in downtown San Jose. He started talking about President Obama and his fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill.
"Promises, promises," said the 62-year-old maintenance worker from San Jose. "When they win our vote, they forget completely about their promises to us."But I don’t forget!"
Growing increasingly impatient, tens of thousands of people, many of them Latinos, rallied across the nation, urging the president and Congress to liberalize immigration laws and give illegal immigrants a way to become legal residents.In San Jose, about 1,000 gathered at four Catholic churches and marched to Plaza de Cesar Chavez downtown. Similar rallies in Salinas, Santa Rosa and Modesto drew thousands more.
Obama sought to reassure a large crowd at the National Mall with a video message presented on giant screens, saying he was committed to working with Congress this year on a comprehensive bill to fix a "broken immigration system." In San Jose, rally organizer Cesar Juarez expressed his frustration, saying that an immigration reform bill should have been passed years ago.
"I truly believe Obama wants immigration reform, but I also see how difficult it will be," he said on the sidewalk outside Sacred Heart, a Catholic church. "Look at the battle over health care and how dirty, how tricky it became. But we are not waiting any longer for immigration reform."
At about the same time as immigration marchers rallied throughout the country, Obama was getting ready to sign a comprehensive health-care bill that excluded illegal immigrants from its provisions. Ramon Padilla, a college-educated machine programmer who was granted amnesty through the 1986 immigration reform, called the omission "inhumane." But he said the undocumented could get access to government medical coverage through immigration reform. "Legalization is the key," said the 39-year-old Hayward man. "Once people get legalized as residents or citizens, then they can qualify for health care and other services."
Others at the rally agreed, putting far more hope and stock in an immigration bill that would deliver more to illegal immigrants, including a swifter path to legalization and citizenship, eligibility for publicly funded scholarships and drivers’ licenses.
As they did in recent immigration marches, hundreds of Latino families marched together and carried American flags. They were joined by hundreds of college students, giving a youthful look to their movement.Magdalena Ramirez, a 39-year-old Mexican immigrant from San Jose, marched with her husband, Alfonso, and their three young sons. She pushed the youngest, 3-year-old Jorge, in a husky stroller.
"I think we can pass immigration reform even with the bad economy and fear of immigrants," said Magdalena Ramirez, who works for an Indo-American food company. "Even as they tell us to get out of the country, they still give us jobs. These are jobs they don’t want because they have higher aspirations. But we’ll take these jobs gladly."
Mayra Salvador, an undocumented student at Evergreen Community College, said she arrived in the United States at age 5."This is the only life I know," she said in both English and Spanish. "I’m not going to give up on immigration reform."
Agustin Mendoza, the man waving the large Stars and Stripes, wanted to remind Latinos and conservative Republicans that one of his heroes, President Ronald Reagan, supported and signed the 1986 immigration reform that granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. "I don’t forget that either," he said.
The rally featured familiar chants, including "Sí se puede" (Yes we can), but it ushered in a new one the president may well hear throughout the year: " Obama, escucha, estamos en la lucha. "Obama, listen, we’re still in the fight.
Contact Joe Rodriguez at 408-920-5767.