Immigrant March demands rights: leaders vow to mobilize voters

by Tim Wheeler

This article was reprinted from the October 19, 1996 issue of the People's Weekly World. For subscription information see below. All rights reserved - may be used with PWW credits.

WASHINGTON - Chanting "Justice now!" and holding signs reading "No human being is illegal," a crowd estimated at 100,000, marched to the White House Oct. 12 protesting anti- immigrant policies and demanding jobs, a higher minimum wage, affirmative action and union rights.

Bus loads came from as far away as Los Angeles to assemble in Malcolm X Park on a golden October morning. Other contingents came from Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and from Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. Nearly 4,000 came on 80 buses from cities in Texas.

Under a colorful pageant of Latin American and U.S. flags, the throng marched down 16th Street as Danza Azteca Cuauhtemoc, wearing Aztec costumes and feather head dresses, danced to the beat of kettle drums.

Although the demonstration sponsored by Coordinadora '96 was in its majority majority Latino, African Americans, Asians, Native American Indians, and those of European ancestry added substantial numbers to the March for Immigrant Rights.

Marchers urged fightback against anti-immigrant measures like California's Prop. 187 while promoting "Proposition One" - a list of seven basic demands that includes an amnesty program for undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. since Jan. 1, 1992, a jobs program, a $7 per hour minimum wage and defense of affirmative action.

Union contingents stressed the need to mobilize the increasingly potent Latino vote in the November elections. Casa de Maryland, a group that defends Salvadoran refugees, chanted, "Justice! Now! We vote!" as they marched toward the White House. Members of the United Auto Workers union from Detroit carried a banner saying, "Don't take Hispanics for granted." Abraham Herbia, a member of the civil rights committee of Auto Workers Local 898, said, "We've been helping Hispanics get registered and we're going to get them to turn out on election day. We're going to make the difference."

The Texas contingent marched with signs and banners urging the election of Victor Morales, a Mexican American high school teacher who is running as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate against ultra-right Senator Phil Gramm (R- Texas). Robert Gallegos, a sales representative for a Houston trucking company, wore a Morales T-shirt that read, "I'm for the guy in the white pickup truck," referring to Morales' mode of campaigning across the Lone Star state.

"A friend and I flew in last night," Gallegos told the World. "We're here to get people signed up in the Morales campaign. There is a lack money. The Democrats still have not sent him the $1.2 million they have promised to get Victor on the air. Victor is doing something that has never been done before in Texas."

Thousands of women wore a lapel sticker circulated by the AFL-CIO's Campaign 96, "Las mujeres trabajadores Votan 1996" (Working Women Vote '96). There were many big union contingents. A group of mostly Guatemalan poultry workers from Morganton, N.C. members of the Laborers International Union marched to protest speedup and anti-union harassment by their employer, Case Farms.

A big contingent of Puerto Rican garment workers from Queens, members of UNITE, marched against sweatshops in Honduras, Puerto Rico - and New York City. There was a large delegation from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). "Justice For Janitors" led the SEIU janitors in Washington D.C. who have been on strike at National Airport and at 50 buildings in D.C. to protest the unionbusting tactics of P & R Enterprises.

The march was led by Juan Jose Gutierrez, chief coordinator of the march, who was flanked by talk-show host Geraldo Rivera and Latino elected officials including Reps. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), and Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Marching with them was Ramon Baez, 58, a carpenter from the Bronx whose son was strangled to death by a New York City police officer when his football accidentally struck the officer's squad car. The cop was acquitted of negligent homicide charges earlier this month. "In this country, we are still seen as second class citizens," Baez told reporters as he brushed away tears.

At the rally, Gutierrez told the crowd, "We are Americans because we believe in the Constitution, in equality and justice before the law. Sometimes it seems the reactionary forces of darkness are carrying the day, but we are more than they are and we will find the door to let the light in again."

Rep. Velazquez drew cheers when she declared, "For the first time in history we have come here to the center of power to say: 'Enough abuse!' Thanks to Newt Gingrich and his bunch of radicals for bringing us together. Newt Gingrich was the wake up call. If we can't get engaged politically, we will be subjected to the abuses of the Washington establishment."

AFL-CIO Vice President Linda Chavez Thompson brought greetings on behalf of the 13-and-a-half million members of the AFL-CIO. The labor movement, she said, faces the same abusive, hostile policies and practices by employers and politicians that immigrants confront.

"We have to show this country that they should not be afraid of immigrants," she said. "Far too many people have worked too hard, suffered too much, struggled too long and we will not surrender one foot in the struggle for justice."

William Bywater, president of the International Union of Electronics Workers, exhorted the crowd to "change the Congress and we can get some justice. Throw the bums out."

Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago made an impassioned plea to help get out the vote election day. "We have registered people to vote," he said. "Now we have to turn them out to vote with a very simple message: We want equality of opportunity."