Demonstrators hold "Legalize Undocumented Workers" banner at the Chelsea, MA, rally held on May 1.
UUA President William G. Sinkford addresses the rally as demonstrators hold placards.
President Sinkford with one of the rally organizers, Gladys Vega, Director of Chelsea Collaborative.
UUA President Addresses Immigrant Rights May Day Rally
May 2, 2008
(Chelsea, MA—May 1, 2008) In support of immigrants' rights, thousands of immigrants and their interfaith allies marched, rallied, and prayed around the country in dozens of cities on May 1st. In Chelsea, Massachusetts, Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) President William G. Sinkford spoke at a rally in support of the immigrant community along with other secular and religious leaders who support immigrants' rights. Other marches and rallies were held in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York City, and many other cities. With the failure of immigration reform legislation in Congress last year, leaders hoped to highlight the need in this electoral season for creating a much-needed path to citizenship that would legalize undocumented workers.
At the Chelsea rally in which Sinkford participated, hundreds of mostly Central American immigrants and their families, along with their allies, marched from various locations to Chelsea City Hall carrying signs that read "Citizenship Yes! Deportation No!"; "Stop the Raids!"; and chanting "Si Se Puede!" ("Yes we can!"). Chelsea, a small immigrant city just north of Boston, declared itself a Sanctuary City in June 2007, a fact that was celebrated by the City Manager as he welcomed people to the rally. UUA President William Sinkford was asked by immigrant rights state organizers to speak at this rally in acknowledgement of the leadership he has taken to organize people of faith to stand with immigrant communities.
Surrounded by a group of interfaith clergy, Rev. Sinkford said, "The Gospel instructs us to 'Love our neighbor as ourselves.' We need to ask ourselves, 'Who is my neighbor?' Today we can answer that question by including those among us whose efforts put food on our tables and clothes on our backs. Today the citizens of this Commonwealth have the opportunity to acknowledge our resident laborers, and to embrace them as neighbors."
Sinkford concluded his remarks with a call for churches, individuals, social action groups, businesses, and town and city governments to sign the Welcoming Massachusetts Pledge developed with the goal of show[ing] that there is the moral and political will to pass concrete, sensible, pro-immigrant legislation that serves all residents." (See Welcoming Massachussetts to sign-on or to learn how to start an initiative in your state).
Gladys Vega, Director of the Chelsea Collaborative, an immigrants rights and community center said, "Today, more than ever, we all need to send a message to all presidential candidates and leaders at the Massachusetts State House, that is imperative and urgent to be serious about the immigration reform debate and not to be played by the rhetoric which has been focused on criminalizing our immigrant communities." Other speakers included State Senator Anthony Gallucio who spoke of his own family's immigrant journey; undocumented immigrant workers who spoke about exploitative working conditions; and a youth from Guatemala who testified to how the chance to go to college had changed his life and the need for all immigrants to have the opportunity to receive in-state tuition.
The rally was well-attended and spirited, however organizers noted that turnout at events held across the country was lower than previous years in some cities. Organizers cited the climate of fear and hateful rhetoric that is pushing immigrant communities further into the shadows as probable cause for this change. Federal Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) raids have continued, with over 5,000 workplace arrests this past year. ICE also began stopping Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses this year and arresting and detaining people who could not produce papers including those who had work permits. In Phoenix, the sheriff and a 100-volunteer posse have been conducting sweeps and arrests throughout immigrant neighborhoods and in Rhode Island, the Governor has ordered the State Police and state agencies to identify and detain illegal immigrants.
Many communities have responded to the plight of families being separated and the criminalization of people working to support their families by joining the New Sanctuary Movement and partnering with immigrant rights organizations. The New Sanctuary Movement will be holding events the weekend of May 8-11 to mark the one year anniversary of its launch to protect immigrant families. The events are timed to coincide with Mother's Day weekend in Latin America and the U.S., observed May 10th and 11th. For more information see New Sanctuary Movement. The UUA is a member of the New Sanctuary Movement and Unitarian Universalist congregations are active in the thirty regional coalitions across the country.
The UUA and the UU Service Committee are hosting a statewide forum on immigrant rights in partnership with the Arlington Street Church (UU) in Boston, Centro Presente, and the Massachusetts Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice on May 10th, with the purpose of involving more UUs in the Welcoming Massachusetts campaign and the New Sanctuary Movement.
Last updated on Monday, May 5, 2008.
