Protest • Hundreds
of local high school students took
to the streets of downtown Long Beach
and peacefully assembled at City Hall
to voice their opposition to the H.R.
4437 immigration bill. Tracey Roman
/ Online Forty-Niner
High school students take to the street
By Katie Plourd
Online Forty-Niner
Managing Editor
“This is our land too,” “Immigrants are not terrorists,” and “Revolución
es la solución [revolution is the solution]” were just a few of
the signs, along with chants, cheers and songs, heard from more than a thousand
Long Beach high school students who protested all over the city Monday in opposition
to the controversial H.R. 4437 Immigration bill currently debated in the U.S.
Senate.
The student-led masses trekked through the streets of downtown Long Beach for
hours voicing their opposition to the bill, which drew protests nationwide
this past weekend, including over 500,000 people in downtown Los Angeles saturday.
Aside from hitting the streets and sidewalks of the city and chanting words
of disagreement to the bill, the students rallied at Cesar Chavez Park to speak
out about the issues. They were greeted, encouraged and commended for their
actions by school officials, local politicians, activists and the local community.
Officials at Cabrillo High School allowed students to leave class at around
10 a.m., according to Ruben Dominguez, a high school senior and one of the
organizers of the march.
“
Our principal opened the gates and let us go,” Dominguez said.
The students marched from Cabrillo to City Hall where they rallied for more
than an hour. Chants of “Viva la México [long live Mexico],” and “Sí se
puede [yes we can],” flew from the crowd every few minutes as students
waved Mexican and U.S. flags.
During the march students from Millikan, Long Beach Poly and Renaissance took
to the streets as well and met up with the rest.
The collaboration of students was put together by communication on MySpace
over the weekend, according to Dominguez.
Students posted bulletins on the popular Web site with phrases such as, “Walk
out Monday.” They also used text messages and called each other while
at school before the protest began.
As the students, led by Cabrillo High School alumni Ramiro Saucedo, 20, marched
down Ocean Avenue, drivers honked and police patrolled the streets, often driving
over medians, to ensure the students were safe.
Many of the mostly Latino students said they felt they had to speak out on
the issue because it directly affects their families and community.
“
We’re doing this for the cause of the community and Long Beach and for
all immigrants,” Saucedo said. “We want all Americans to know we
have rights and we want to live the American Dream too, but we can’t.”
Parents and community members supported the display as well, marching along
side the students.
After parading through the area the group of almost 1,000 students convened
at Cesar Chavez Park to unite and speak out.
Amelia Nieto, a social worker and part of the Westside Long Beach League of
United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), an organization that seeks to create
progress for the economic, educational and political conditions, as well as
health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States, began
the rally by addressing the students in Spanish.
She said regardless of the outcome of H.R. 4437 she would continue to work
as she currently does, advancing the rights of and assisting the Hispanic community.
Nieto, who walked with César Chávez when he protested in Long
Beach decades ago, commended the students for keeping their movement peaceful
as Chávez had done in the past.
Christine Chávez, granddaughter of the late César, spoke to the
students as well. She told them what they were doing was the same thing her
grandfather had done in the past and encouraged the non-violent speak-out.
She also encouraged students to be active in society by continuing their education.
“
The best way you can honor César Chávez is to get an education,” she
said. “Go to college and vote and give back to your communities and your
voices will be heard.”
Nieto encouraged voter participation as well when she told them, “Su
voto es su voz” [your vote is your voice],”
She told the students they needed to register, vote and write their representatives
to be heard.
“
Everybody [who] is 18 and a U.S. citizen, if you are not registered to vote
you are hurting everyone else,” she said.
President of the Long Beach School Board Suja Lowenthal thanked the students
for keeping the protest non-violent.
“
You are doing it the right way,” she said. “You are going to lead
us to greatness and your message will be heard.”
Saucedo also addressed the crowd. He thanked the students for being supported
and keeping the protest peaceful.
“
This ain’t no riot bullshit and it ain’t no race bullshit. It’s
about keeping it peaceful,” he said.
Lowenthal made sure the students were given water and bus rides back to school
following the rally.
Other schools protested for hours after the rally ended. Jordan High School
students, who from across town, gathered at the doors of city hall where they
were greeted with over 50 members of Long Beach Police Department decked in
riot gear.
The students linked arms in a circle and chanted, “Latinos unido jamas
sera vencido [Latinos united will never be defeated].”
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