May Day immigrant rights march in Dallas
Dallas, TX – More than 20,000 people marched and rallied here on May 1. Protesters marched for legalization and against the racist Arizona law that targets Mexicans, Chicanos and other Latinos. The new Arizona law criminalizes the undocumented, requiring police to demand papers concerning a person’s status. A Chicano truck driver was already jailed in Arizona until his wife produced his California birth certificate hours later. The new law targets Chicanos born in their own homeland and Mexican immigrants because of their nationality.
The march was overwhelming. Families marching together to demand their rights, immigrant rights groups, community organizations, religious leaders, Chicano students and labor unions all marched together in unity starting at a cathedral and ending at Dallas City Hall. Signs carried by some children said, “Do I look illegal?” Other signs demanded, “Repeal the Arizona l – stop deportations!” and “No to racist laws!” The mood was upbeat.
The movement for immigrant rights is back on the streets. The Arizona law reminds many of the racist Jim Crow laws that African-Americans organized the civil rights movement to overcome. The movement’s demands for legalization and an end to raids and deportations is putting pressure on President Obama and Congress to act. Immigration laws favor the wealthy and corporations. Protests across the country like this big one in Dallas will shift the balance of power towards the people demanding equality and fairness.
