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TechnoratiDay of celebration honors Cesar Chavez, as participants call for changes in immigration law, respect for workers
A smaller than expected but boisterous crowd marched from Roseland to downtown Santa Rosa on Sunday, invoking Cesar Chavez's name in demands for changes in immigration laws.
An estimated 1,500 demonstrators waved "Si Se Puede" (Yes we can) signs and carried banners saying "Stop immigration raids."
Carrying both Mexican and American flags, demonstrators led a procession that kicked off with speakers urging changes in immigration laws and demanding respect for immigrants working in the United States, legally or not.
United Farm Workers organizer Roberto Garcia called the rally a celebration of the life and work of UFW founder Chavez, who died in 1993 at age 66.
"Within that, we are fighting for current issues of farmworkers, including immigration reform," Garcia said. "Our immigration laws are broken.
"We have a large workforce living in the shadows," he said. "These are people who are not allowed to fully participate in American society. We want to help build that bridge."
State government offices and courts are closed today to commemorate Cesar Chavez Day.
Between 2,000 and 5,000 marchers were expected, and police prepared for possible counter-demonstrators. Past immigration marches in Sonoma County have drawn as many as 10,000 people.
The march and rally came on the heels of a Saturday conference sponsored by the Eagle Forum, which decried illegal immigration. About 200 people from throughout the state attended the session at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park.
Another pro-immigration-themed march is scheduled for May 1 in Santa Rosa. Police said an opposition group has applied for a permit to protest that day.
There were no apparent opponents Sunday along the 1½-mile parade route, which started on Sebastopol Road, wound through Railroad Square and ended at Old Courthouse Square.
"We expected some protesters, but we didn't see any at all," Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Gary Negri said. "There were absolutely no incidents at all."
Officers on bicycles and motorcycles and in squad cars escorted the sign-toting, drum-banging crowd through intersections, halting traffic in one direction at times. No roads were closed for more than 15 minutes.
As a crowd formed in the Roseland Village shopping center at West Avenue, Elizabeth Padilla, 12, held aloft a sign that read: "I am fighting for my dream."
In both English and Spanish, she said the sentiment meant "respect" for her and her family. Demonstrating with her were her mother and sister.
Robert Morales, 14, a member of the Santa Rosa Junior College MEChA club, gathered signatures for a petition seeking to change the name of Sebastopol Road to honor Chavez.
"He helped my family get work," Morales said, saying his grandparents and great-grandparents came to the United States from Mexico.
Some marchers hoped to turn Sonoma County into a "refuge" for undocumented immigrants, similar to San Francisco's declaration of "sanctuary."
Richard Coshnear, a Santa Rosa attorney and member of the Committee for Immigrant Rights, said his group is asking county leaders to order the Sheriff's Department to "not do anything more than required by law to support deportation."
He said that includes asking the sheriff not to jail people whose only violation is suspected illegal immigration and ordering deputies not to collaborate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
At Old Courthouse Square, Yonathan Castillo, 20, carried a small American flag and wore a larger one around his shoulders.
"I'm wearing this because I support equality between the countries," he said, his voice hoarse from chanting during the march. "Justice equals equality."
Castillo, an immigrant from El Salvador who has been in the United States for four years, came to the rally with three friends from the Club Hispano-Americano at Napa Valley College.
Cesar Arriola, 18, Juan Velasquez, 18, and René Zamudio, 21, said the club raises money for scholarships for Latinos.
You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 568-5312 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com
© 2008 The Press Democrat
9 Comments so far
Show AllHero's are hard to come by. Who will take Cesar's place?
Anti-'Illegals' in Santa Rosa should consider that 'they' are the ones there (in CA) 'illegally' (since there was NOTHING 'Legal' about the military-BS involved in seizing CA -- and many other-States, including FL/NM/AZ/etc. -- from sovereign-Mexico OR the Spanish-Crown).
There are FAR more 'illegal'-gringos living on&off what should-be (and Legally 'is') Mexico's-Territory/Land than the paltry 11-13 million 'slave-laborers' under-thumb and currently undocumented in the US.
[And, without their underpaid labor, our Economy would collapse 'overnight'...]
Cesar Chavez' farm workers' union is a notch better than serfdom, but nowhere near the goal of the World Peasant Movement, which is land/water security and economic/political autonomy for all peasants. The California San Joaquin Valley capitalist agriculture model is NOT to expand worldwide. That model is to shrink until we can DROWN IT in the bathtub. The FWU can join the Movement of People by setting its ultimate goal to achieve land/water security and economic/political autonomy for all peasants.
Individuals, instead of buying the capitalist walnuts & almonds from San Joaquin, you can GROW YOUR OWN in your back yard.
I agree, Columbus day should be replaced. It's unfortunate to live here in Stockton California, where Cesar did much of his work. There was no major celebration here that I noticed.
Most people here can't read. Substance abuse is rampant. 50% of teenage girls are pregnant here. Highest per capita murder rate. Tons of gang violence, babies getting murdered by their parents. Lots of water and air pollution. Ignorant attitudes. Its a shame the community has sunken to such a low, and left his legacy obscured by failure to rise up like he wanted people to do. Come visit Stockton sometime, you'll leave in a heartbeat.
I propose that we nationally replace Columbus Day with Cesar Chavez Day.
Inspired by the United Farm Workers Grape Boycott I began studying / working as an organiser/supermarket leafletter at local supermarkets of the Montreal area back in 1968, visiting California farms in 1974, learning about economic solidarity, refining this meaning through failed involvement in cooperatives, living among Dukobour, Mennonite, Quaker and First Nation Peace Communities, engaged as a union shop-steward realising that change can't be against but only for-insupport-of through participatory multi-stakeholder investment of time, money, resources etc for each other and this world. Chavez helped ignite a huge human realignment and relearning about our 'indigenous' (derived from the Latin meaning 'self-generating') that we are all part of.
http://universidadindigena.org/uii/id58.html
Lou Dobbs likes to exploit Ceasar Chavez being against illegal immigration and accuses people of misrepresenting Chavez. Chavez may indeed have his opinions about immigration, but Lou Dobbs should be ashamed of himself exploiting Chavez's good name for his xenophobic TV show.
I marched with Cesar Chavez in Napa and was a member of his union for several years while working in the grape fields. Usually when you meet a famous person it is a disappointment. Not in his case. He was an amazing person who was more impressive then I even expected.
We had a march from where I lived at a work camp near Calistoga, to Krug winery which we wanted to unionize. The police didn't let Cesar or anyone in to the company owned camp At the request of the lawyers from Krug winery.
Everyone was all flustered by the commotion and confusion that ensued except him. He was a sea of calm and kindness all day, no matter what happened. There were people who put very unfair demands on his attention during the day, but he never rebuffed them or seemed put out by it. I have never been more impressed by a human being in all my life, and felt that I was in the presence of a real saint.
Happy birthday Cesar Chavez, and thanks for all you did.