May 1st

[FloresFamilia]

I have MANY mixed feelings. And am looking around to see what activities are going on, but I wanted to know how the rest of you feel. I could write several pages, but to be short. What do you think about the impact of marches/ rallys. Helpful? Harmful? both? Is it a good or bad thing, would you participate?? I have participated in 3 now, and am wondering about this year. Each time I feel the negative aspects have grown stronger.

What d y'all think??

[losguerra]

My opinion is probably pessimistic, but here's what I think: The people opposed to immigration (particularly of the illegal variety) are already strongly against it for various justified and unjustified reasons, and marches only fan the flames of their rage. Meanwhile, the marches do very little to bring useful information to those who don't fully understand. For example, slogans and signs don't tell the story of why many of us are separated from our spouses. They don't explain the laws that make it hardly possible for people to immigrate to the US legally. I think the marches bring more negative attention to the cause than we need.

Maybe someone else has a more positive perspective...

[discoviking]

I agree. Marches are too confrontational and rub people the wrong way. It may have worked for the civil rights movement in the 60's, but civil rights were more black and white (no pun intended).

I think getting more individual stories out there is a better way to open people's eyes to the fact that 'illegal immigrants' are much more than the sterotypical mexican day laborer who jumped the fence in Arizona. Stories of the high school kid who was brought here as an infant or US citizens being separated from their loved ones is more likely to bring a sympathetic response, I think.

I know I was pretty ignorant and unsympathetic until I befriended someone out of status and could put a face on the problem. I was blown away when I started researching to see if I there was anything that could be done, and found out how limited the options were in my friends case, and how many others there are out there facing the immigration nightmare.

[nineten]

The media will report how much it cost local governments to control it. Nothing but negative aspects. But I'd certainly participate though.

[gringoenterprises]

I don't think the marches help at all for the simple reason that you can't get all the marchers to participate positively. Carrying the flag of another country is the main problem I have seen.

[tasksgirl]

I also have VERY mixed feelings .. I went to the very first one out here in L.A. I think it was March 25, 2006 .. It was absoultely AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL .. it's hard to get the hispanic community together .. we had 1 million people out here .. the media tried to downplay it but I was there .. it was PACKED for 30 blocks .. My SIL and I took the bus there and we thought we were lost because we were 10+ blocks away from where it was going to start at .. but we saw the crowds of people already backed up to there and we weren't lost after all .. Almost EVERYONE was wearing white as instructed by Piolin and other radio shows .. I was amazed at how organized it was .. families were pushing their childrne in strollers .. there were NO arrests or incidents despite all those people .. It was a wonderful experience for me ..

BUT I know that they don't have the positive affect that we want them to have .. so I haven't participated since because I don't see any effectiveness in it.. I WISH it could be effective .. I wish the hispanic community came together when there is an injustice in the community (and I'm talking non-immigration related here) .. like the black community does whenever there is a controversy like with Jena or Sean Bell .. the hispanic community doesn't join together like that and even if/when they do they aren't taken seriously and it's very sad .. so yeah I have extremely mixed feelings..

[H Suarez]

I have to say that unfortunatley i do think that the marches are unaffective for what they are intended. I have been looking for something in my area and am only coming across all of the negative media about how much it is costing the government in security and sanitation. I think it would be beautiful to stand up in numbers and defend what we believe in, but I don't think the right message is heard. I agree that the individual stories need to be told so people can see how it affects our families and us as individuals. It is hard to argue with some of the numbers that the statistics show, but it is not as hard when you are looking at individuals.