Vote for immigrants
By Angelina Calderon and Elizabeth Gonzalez
Yale Daily News
Published: Thursday, October 23, 2008
Hoy marchamos, mañana votamos: Today we march, tomorrow we vote.
For the millions of Americans — documented and undocumented — who participated in the pro-immigrant rights marches of 2006, this refrain became the rallying cry against a broken immigration system that had claimed innumerable victims on either side of the border. The time has come to fulfill that promise.
Too many of us have suffered from the ongoing lack of responsible immigration reform, and we stand united when we declare that enough is enough. We denounce the discriminatory raids and heart-wrenching deportations that tear families of mixed citizenship apart and disrupt communities. These raids not only force thousands to retreat into the shadows of society; they also grant police officers the right to vilify whole Latino neighborhoods and subject them to unannounced raids.
A gross violation of civil liberties, these raids serve only to whet the appetites of anti-immigrant groups. They bring us no closer to solving the root causes of the immigration problem. Anti-immigrant sentiment takes for granted the invaluable contributions that immigrants make to this country daily. It is time for the government to take responsible action and finally address this issue, for millions continue to suffer as the current policies and attitudes remain. Immigrants have long been scapegoated and disregarded in the United States, and we refuse to remain ignored and powerless any longer.
We are asking the government to reform immigration policy — and we are asking voters to consider immigration policies when they go to vote soon. There must be legislation that makes attaining citizenship more efficient, that allows for fast and accurate FBI checks and for fair and affordable application fees. Arrests should not punish immigrants who have been subjected to illegal working conditions, but employers who would demean any human being in such a manner.
http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/25938
