BOSTON, Mass. (10/08/2008) -- Almost 400 years after the first European stepped off the Mayflower in Plymouth, Massachusetts Immigrant Rights Advocates feel it is necessary to defend the 21st century immigrant’s claim to American citizenship.
Supporters of immigrants’ rights gathered to fight for justice for immigrant families in the United States Wednesday evening from 5 to 6 p.m. at Boston City Hall Plaza. These activists joined forces to call for a moratorium of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Businessmen, religious congregations, college students, and recent foreign immigrants all stood together on the plaza steps to demand the suspension of these mandated actions by the US federal government. The protesters wanted to put an end to immigrant deportation and abusive treatment. Furthermore, they demanded that the federal government supply immigrants with a path to citizenship.
Shuya Ohno, a representative from the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), spoke from personal experience when he stepped in front of the large crowd on the cold, concrete steps of the Boston Immigration Court located in the JFK Building on Boston City Hall Plaza. Ohno, who migrated to the U.S. at the age of six, said that he could still remember what it felt like to be a newcomer in a foreign place.
“When I first came to this country, we didn’t speak a word of English,” said Ohno. “I remember vividly how frightened, scared, and confused I was.” Holding the microphone with a trembling hand, Ohno described the chaos and danger of the post-Vietnam era in the U.S. for immigrants.
Ohno said, “I remember how my parents were frightened to go out to work, to go to the grocery store. I know they tried to hide their fear from me, but as a six year old I could feel it and all I wanted was to protect my parents. For myself, I wanted someone to kneel down and tell me that things were going to be okay.”
With this imagery in mind, Ohno began to tell the growing crowd of immigrant supporters some of the recent stories of U.S. mal-treatment of immigrants. Last year, the federal government of the United States mobilized over 500 ICE officials to raid a factory in New Bedford, Massachusetts that was staffed mostly by women making leather packs for the US troops in Iraq.
Ohno traveled to New Bedford to aid the 350 immigrant families that were devastated by the deadly attack. “I am stilled haunted by the sights and sounds of the children crying, terrified that they will never see their mothers or fathers again. I wanted to comfort these children and tell tem that everything was going to be ok, but I couldn’t. All I could do was to work to tell as many people as I could about what was happening,” said Ohno.
As the dark sky spit down occasional raindrops, the crowd surrounding the immigration rally did not diminish. As suit-coated professionals completed their workdays, they left their offices that overlook Boston City Hall Plaza and passed by the conspicuous immigration rally. The commotion of the picketers and chanting of “Stop the Raids! No more Deportation!” lured travelers to the booming microphone shared by speakers and the guitarist/ vocalist, Valentina Paez.
Twenty-two year old Lance Butler said he was drawn to the rally as he was skateboarding past City Hall Plaza with a friend. Butler said that he was surprised to run into the event, because he had no idea it was taking place that night. “I’m actually kind of psyched,” said Butler. “It (Immigration Advocacy) seems like a really good idea, considering that we call it (the US) the land of the free, but all of these people are unable to live here legally.”
Butler, originally from Randolph, Vermont, lives and works in Lynn, Massachusetts. He said that he had never heard of ICE raids before, but that the information is very depressing. “Immigration hasn’t really affected me personally so that is probably why I don’t really know a lot about the issue. But I’m glad they are here rallying today, because now I know.”
Reverend Kim Crawford-Harvie shared the podium with the other speakers at the rally. Crawford-Harvie revealed in an interview after the rally had concluded that she has been a pastor at the Arlington Street Church for over twenty years. A member of the Unitarian Universalist denomination, Crawford-Harvie said that the Arlington Street Church has long been an advocate for immigrant rights. Crawford-Harvie was joined by many of her congregation members at the rally to show their support ff immigrants and to represent their organization.
“We are weary of the ICE raids and what it is doing to destroy immigrant families, not only in the Commonwealth, but really nationally. But when it hit New Bedford last year, we really felt the shock waves and we took it really personally,” said Crawford-Harvie.
Crawford-Harvie said that one of the main goals of the Arlington Street Church is to provide sanctuary for immigrants. She said that the American “draw-bridge concept” held by many Americans against immigrants, is “totally unacceptable.” Crawford-Harvie said, “There needs to be a pathway, a clear pathway for legal residency in this country that makes it possible for people to experience the same freedom of immigration that our ancestors had. It’s like we got here and it’s really good, so we are pulling up the draw bridge and you can’t come in.”
Sharing her personal experience with the present US immigration policy, Crawford-Harvie said, “I actually was touched by this issue because a member of my congregation had been here since he was a small boy and for awhile I don’t think he was aware that he was un-papered. He went right through the school system in East Boston and he graduated from that high school. He went on to work in a local hospital, and then one day in the middle of the workday, immigration arrived and arrested him. He was brought to prison, which is where I ended up visiting him.”
Although she went to court on his behalf three separate times, Crawford-Harvie said that her friend was deported to El Salvador three years ago. “He got off the plane in El Salvador with no family, knowing no one. He didn’t even speak Spanish,” said Crawford-Harvie. She noted that as far as her friend knew, he was American and he had no ties to El Salvador.
“How could this have happened?” Crawford-Harvie said was a question that she was continually asking herself. “This is an upstanding young man, a great contributor to my congregation and society at large. He hasn’t hurt anyone, he pays his taxes, what went wrong?” she said she asked federal officials. Crawford-Harvie said they told her “We are really sorry but he just doesn’t have the right papers for him to get back here.” She said that she is doing everything she can to help her friend return to his “home” country in the United States.
The President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Reverend William Sinkford, spoke directly to immigrants about reuniting families such as the one Crawford-Harvie describes. As the chief representative of the many church groups present at the immigration advocacy rally, Sinkford reminded his congregation why they were there fighting for immigrant rights.
“We hear a lot of talk about family values these days,” said Sinkfold. “I’m here to tell you that we, those of us standing here, value immigrant families. The Gospel instructs us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We cannot stand by as work place raids violate our dignity and that of our neighbors.”
By CATHERINE MOORE
