Year Three: "A Day Without Latinos"

Another May Day is just around the corner.

That means another "Day Without Latinos." This is the third annual event.

Read about the 2007 and 2006 demonstrations.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

For the third year in a row, Voces de La Frontera is organizing "A Day Without Latinos" march on May 1, part of a national effort to push for comprehensive immigration reform.

Last year, Milwaukee had one of the largest gatherings in the country as thousands of people marched through downtown.

"This year, we want to send a clear message to the next president that we want to see comprehensive immigration reform within the first 100 days of a new administration," Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de La Frontera, said at a news conference last week at City Hall to announce the march.

She said advocacy organizations across the country also are asking President Bush to stop the stepped-up raids and deportations that have occurred across the country since the last comprehensive immigration bill collapsed.

This year, there will not be a call for boycotting businesses or asking businesses to shut down during the march, Neumann-Ortiz said.

Employers are being asked to allow employees to attend, and letters are being given to employees to give to employers, asking for the time to march.

Why no boycott or shut down of businesses this year?

It's not really a day without Latinos if that element isn't part of the demostration.

What is Voces de la Frontera?

Voces de la Frontera is a Wisconsin nonprofit that educates workers about their employment rights and organizes to protect and improve the quality of life for low-wage and immigrant workers. We promote grass roots leadership and community and workplace organizing as a strategy to achieve our goals. We operate workers centers in Milwaukee and Racine.

This year's May Day march takes on a bit of a presidential political edge.

May 1, 2008: Yes, we can!

Yes, we can! How Obama-ish!

It's impossible to not connect the event as an Obama-related rally if the tagline is "Yes, we can!"

That slogan was part of the first "Day Without Latinos."

From 2006:

In one of Milwaukee's largest demonstrations in recent years, a mile-long swath of peaceful protesters marched into the city's downtown Thursday chanting, "¡Sí, se puede!" ("Yes, we can!"), carrying Mexican and American flags and signs condemning what they called "anti-immigrant" legislation.

The immigration protesters had it first, but Obama co-opted the rallying cry. He owns it now.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz writes:

Many cities across the nation are organizing mass marches on May 1 as part of a national day of action for a just legalization and an immediate stop to the raids and repression against immigrant families.

The May 1st tradition started in the United States as an international day that recognizes the rights of workers worldwide.

On May 1, 2008 we are counting on everyone who participated in the previous marches, and more, to send another strong message to the world—that we have not stopped fighting, we have not lost our dignity nor courage, and we will keep fighting until our humanity is recognized.

...The three presidential candidates now left for the November 2008 elections all support or supported immigration reform.

It’s important to remember that in our darkest hour, no politician came to save us; we saved ourselves. Though we have not yet achieved a just legalization, we must continue to organize and march because the changes we seek will not be achieved overnight. If we doubt the power of our unity to achieve change; then we will lose an opportunity to win and define the kind of legalization we want.

The May 1st demands this year are more comprehensive of the needs of all low-wage workers: stop the raids & separation of families, just legalization, access to drivers’ licenses, stop Social Security No Match letters, fair international trade agreements for workers, good jobs and health care for all, and end to the war in Iraq.

Despite efforts to isolate the immigrant rights struggle from a larger struggle, the truth is that the struggle for immigrant rights has been, and always will be, part of a larger social justice struggle against poverty and inequality.

While Neumann-Ortiz acknowledges that Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain all supported immigration reform, it's hard to get past the "Yes, we can!" association with Obama.

Although she notes that "no politician came to save us," and participants in the "Day Without Latinos" event did chant "Yes, we can" before Obama began leading crowds in the cheer as part of his campaign shtick, it still seems like an Obama endorsement.

The march has a much broader scope than just immigration reform. Ending the war in Iraq is on the agenda, too.

Clearly, the fact that the event takes place on May Day is no accident. There are definitely socialist underpinnings here.

Obama.

Socialism.

May Day.

Makes sense.