Demonstration • Cal
State Long Beach students march through
campus protesting the H.R.4437 bill,
Monday, the day of a nationwide economic
boycott. For more protest coverage turn
to Pages 4 and 5. Tracey Roman / Online
Forty-Niner
Activism brings immigration debate
By Mario Burciaga and
Katie Plourd
Online Forty-Niner
While people across the nation took to the streets in protest for the “day
with out an immigrant” movement Monday, students and faculty throughout
Cal State Long Beach supported the movement.
Written messages were spread across campus on buildings and on the ground. Some
professors cancelled classes, students walked out of class and the Campus Progressives,
Chicano and Latino Studies Student Association, Feminist
Organization Reclaiming Consciousness and Equality, La Raza Student Association
and Muslim Student Association led an intense student rally showing support for
the movement.
A number of messages were written in chalk all over campus, notifying students
of the events that would take place during the day. There were messages such
as, “No human is illegal,” “History is now. Do the right thing,” “Would
you deport your mother,” and “El mundo sin fronteras [Yhe World Without
Borders].”
At noon, a crowd of roughly 50 students gathered in front of the University Bookstore
to rally support. As leaders of the event pulled out signs, drums and a loud
speaker, more students began to accumulate.
After an opening address by the organizing members, the crowd marched toward
North Campus chanting in Spanish and English, “What do we want? Justice.
When do we want it? Now.”
By this time, the crowd grew to about 100 protestors.
Demonstrators held up signs stating, “A Nation of Immigrants,” and “Ningun
Ser Humano es Ilegal (No Human Being Is Illegal).”
The crowd soon arrived at the USU Food Court, getting every student’s attention.
It stirred up students who were calmly eating their lunches. At one point, students
were taking pictures of the protestors with their camera phones and calling friends
to tell them about it.
Protestors urged students to stop eating and take part in the economic boycott
outlined by the immigrant movement, but after a fire alarm in the University
Student Union went off, the protestors were peacefully escorted out by coordinating
officials.
Students in the middle of their midday break were allowed to stay in the USU.
Monica Correa, a junior liberal studies major, ate a Subway sandwich in the Food
Court as the group of students chanted phrases such as “power to the people” and “this
is an economic boycott, don’t buy anything today.”
She said she supported the movement, but decided to go to class and purchase
items anyways.
“
I don’t think one day will make a difference,” Correa said. “Some
people have to work and we have to go to school.”
The crowd then marched to Brotman Hall and back to the Speaker’s Platform
where they continued to show their discontent for HR 4437.
By 12:45 p.m. the crowd had snowballed to about 250 students.
The march was followed by a rally where approximately 30 students spoke about
immigrant rights.
The first speaker of the day was junior sociology and Chicano Latino studies
double major Linda Straley, who ignited the crowd by reading a poem describing
the economic contribution of illegal immigrants.
Senior political science major Sean Brandlon also spoke about the immigrant movement.
“
We need to demand amnesty to all undocumented immigrants,” he said. “This
is the first civil rights movement of the 21st century.
A pair of students representing opposing views sounded off during the rally including
third-year English major Will Jackson.
Jackson was the only student who displayed his belief by holding up a sign that
stated,
“Illegals, why don’t you boycott our schools, hospitals, freeways
and jails, too?”
He said he heard about the boycott that day and made signs to voice his side
of the issue.
After the crowd acknowledged the opposition, it asked him to step up to the podium
and speak his mind—which he did.
“
I support immigrants but I don’t support breaking the law and entering
the country illegally,” Jackson said.
While the majority of the students spoke out in support of immigration rights
and opposition to pending legislation, H.R. 4437, only two students braved the
crowd and addressed the other side of the issue.
From time to time both students who oppose and support pending immigration legislation
engaged in civil dialogue with each other.
Throughout the rally students addressed the multifaceted issue of human rights
and the countless ways they say America breaches those rights. Students cheered
when issues like globalization, capitalism, terrorism, abuse to women, opposition
for the war in Iraq and reverse racism were addressed.
Two students, Asian American studies major Sumiko Braun and sociology major Jesús
Ióguez, gave a poetic speech, “Dear America,” addressing such
issues.
While Ióguez spoke, Braun stood holding the American flag upside down,
a symbol of the misrepresentation of the reality the flag imposed.
They ended the oratory by saying, “America shame on you.”
Hostility broke out when a student attempted to take an American flag lying on
the ground in front of the speaker’s podium.
Richard Leahy, a history major, said he felt it was disrespectful to place the
flag on the ground.
“
The flag does not belong on the ground, no matter who owns it,” Leahy said
as he walked away.
Later rally leader Chris Chavez, political science major, said he felt Leahy’s
anger was ignorant to what they were fighting for and how the group was using
peaceful activism.
The masses of students looking on were critical of those who opposed the majority,
but let them speak their mind.
Audience members questioned the two students with a difference in opinion. Many
said just because something is legal doesn’t mean it is right.
Sen. Elisa Herrera of the College of Education later asked how many people in
the crowd were immigrants. Students responded with cheers and one student yelled, “We
are all immigrants.”
She went on to talk about immigrants who make the difficult journey to America
in order to work and support their family.
“
If you’re a human being, does it matter where you are born?” Herrera
asked. “When we make laws that say some people should be allowed to go
to hospitals and some shouldn’t, I’m going to break the law and I’m
proud of it.”
Her response drew an immense amount of support from the crowd of then nearly
300 spectators.
Freshman sociology major Micheal Lozamo agreed with Herreras ideas.
“
Because it’s legal does that mean it’s right? Fuck no,” Lozamo
said to the crowd.
“
People call us the parasites of society, and that we don’t deserve to go
to schools and use hospitals. But if you open my chest you’ll see the same
bleeding heart.”
Lozamo quoted the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., in reference to this “new
civil rights movement.”
“
King said ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’” He
said.
Speakers throughout the rally applauded students who spoke their minds saying
it was important to voice and educate others especially when the media often
skews the issue.
Emotions ran rampant from many speakers, including Gabriela Monterosa-Ibarra,
a sophomore liberal studies major, who spoke about her own personal immigrant
experience.
Monterosa-Ibarra’s mother is an immigrant and she spoke, through teary
eyes, of the fear she has for her mother and how seeing people rally behind this
issue has moved her.
“
I’m inspired to be proud that I’m the daughter of an illegal
immigrant,” Monterosa-Ibarra said. “This issue has been an issue
for years and there is not just one answer, but H.R. 4437 is not the answer.”
A number of police officers lined the outskirts of the crowd during the rally
to ensure the activity was kept peaceful. No violence or negative action occurred
during the rally or after the speakers were done.
Chavez concluded the rally by encouraging students to continue their support
for immigration rights.
“
One of my favorite musical artists Neil Young said, ‘Keep on rockin’ in
the free world,’” Chavez said. “This is activism at its finest,
this is the heart of democracy, this is the heart of doing what is right.”
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