Since the beginning of 2010, the spirit of the Latino community in the struggle to achieve recognition of their rights as human beings and immigration reform, drivers’ licenses, and access to higher education has been impressive.
In this edition, you will see images and read testimonies of women, men, students, and people from various groups, in solidarity with the immigrant community, who have responded with vigor to the call for social justice.
The struggle for immigration reform
Voces de la Frontera Action in collaboration with radio station La Gran D 104.FM, small business owners who have provided space and food, and musicians, have organized a series of successful events in the community; collecting signatures in support of immigration reform directed to our federal Senators and Representatives.
On Wed., January 20, we were at Lopez Bakery in Racine and Centro Hispano in Kenosha where more than 200 signatures were collected during the day. Next Wednesday, January 27 in Milwaukee around 700 signatures were collected at the supermarkets El Rey and El Campesino and later at Brown Deer Auto Sales.
As one Voces de la Frontera Action member said, “the
atmosphere is one of hope and enthusiasm; especially when we see solidarity between different races.” As in the case of an African American woman in Racine who signed the petition and commented on the radio, “I moved here from Californa, so I have been aware for some time of the great need and justice in providing driver licenses to everyone.”
The petition drive, a celebration of civic participation and the growing political maturation of the Latino community, will continue in the weeks ahead till legislation is introduced in the Senate and more House Representatives co-sponsor Congressman Gutierrez’s legislation.
The student chapters of Voces de la Frontera are planning a second delivery of the petitions on February 24 with a march that will start at the federal building, 517 Wisconsin Avenue at 3:30pm. A delegation will deliver the petition and afterwards there will be a mile and a half march down Wisconsin Avenue to Senator Kohl’s office.
National march in Washington DC on March 21
Apart from these efforts, nationally Voces de la Frontera is collaborating with allies in the Reform Immigration for America to organize a national march in Washington DC on March 21 with two principal demands: jobs for all workers and citizenship for new Americans.
To reserve your seat on the bus we are asking people to register and pay $120 for their seat. Though it may seem like a large sum for one person, by organizing a collection of $10 between 12 people, we can raise the cost of the bus.
The struggle for driving cards
On January 27 around 200 people went to the State Capitol from different parts of the State to attend a press conference organized by the Coalition for Safe Roads. The participants represented diverse constituencies including Latinos, religious leaders, law enforcement, dairy farmers, students, and unions that strongly support state legislation to provide driving cards for immigrants. Following the press conference, a delegation of 100 Milwaukee residents met with Senator Carpenter to present a petition signed by 2,043 voters in his district that support driving cards.
Senator Carpenter agreed to attend a public forum sponsored by Voces de la Frontera Action in Milwaukee
to hear from people in his district on the need for him to support the proposed legislation.
We will continue to collect signatures from voters or people eligible to vote in Senator Carpenter’s district and we invite people to support us in this important effort.
Defending Comercial Licenses
We invite business owners and the public to join us at a public forum with City Attorney Langley on March 4 at 4pm at 1027 S 5th Street, to express our opposition to his insistence that the City pass a new rule which would deny commercial or professional licenses based on someone’s legal status. This policy only exists in a handful of cities nationwide and would result in increased racism against immigrants, unemployment, and diminished taxes that are critical to our city.
Conclusion
In sum, our struggle has taken years, but we cannot lose hope on the achievements we have obtained along the way on the road to legalization. Such as the great achievement in 2009 when we won instate tuition for undocumented students in Wisconsin. Therefore, struggle because “who perseveres, achieves.”