Filipinos Demand Legalization and Immigrant Rights

More than 30,000 Marches in LA May 1, 2009

For immediate release
Contact: Ana Liza Caballes, 212.564.6057, alliancephilippines.nyc [at] gmail.com
May 5, 2009

FILIPINOS DEMANDS LEGALIZATION AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

New York—Last Friday, May 1, International Workers’ Day, women workers, youth and allies of the Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (Alliance Philippines) joined the groundswell of immigrants and workers demanding for Obama to deliver on his promise of immigration reform in nationally-coordinated marches.

The Alliance Philippines called for full legalization, amnesty, a stop to racist enforcement measures like deportations, detentions and border militarization, full protections for all workers, and an end to US imperialism, the root cause of the Filipino people’s forced migration.

“We are here to echo the voices of the 14 million undocumented who are struggling and working hard despite the economic crisis,” said Mona Lunot, nanny, housekeeper and Chairperson of DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, in her speech at the concluding rally in New York City. DAMAYAN is a member organization of Alliance Philippines. “Undocumented workers are called ‘aliens.’ But we are the workers who take care of Americans’ homes and children, cook their food, build their houses, and plant the food they eat.”

In the Los Angeles, the epicenter of the immigrant rights movement, in the biggest rally more than 30,000 marchers led by the Full Rights For immigrant coalition turned out and marched from Broadway and Olympic intersection around 1;00 PM. Composed mostly of Latino workers and advocates who filled the streets, the militant march overflowed the main streets of LA.

They held a rally at Temple and Broadway where a battery of labor leaders, immigrant rights advocates spoke. Among them were AJLPP West Coast Coordinator Arturo Garcia who said:

“ The Filipino farm workers led by Philip Vera-Cruz united with Cezar Chavez and formed the United Farm Workers. We will do the same to demand legalization and defend immigrant rights against scapegoating and racist attacks.”

Bail Out the People, Not the Corporations

According to the Alliance Philippines, immigrant workers, especially women, bear the brunt of the current economic crisis. From the Bush regime to the Obama administration, $13 trillion have been given to corporations and banks. Using US taxpayers’ money, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG, auto industry, Citigroup and Bank of America have been bailed out in the largest transfer of wealth from the working to the upper class by state intervention in history.

“US bribery goes to the pockets of Philippine government officials while the working class pays the country's debt to the World Bank and IMF,” said Lunot. “This is the same as the US government bailout to the giant corporations while the American working class struggle hard for their basic needs.”

Starting in Manhattan’s Union Square, the contingent of about 100 Filipinos and allies marched with Gabriela Network of the Mariposa Alliance, Immigrant Communities in Action (ICA), and about 10,000 people to the city’s financial center downtown. The pouring rain and soaked banners and signs did not stop the contingent of mostly women domestic workers, students and youth from marching shoulder to shoulder.

West Coast march-Rallies

Similar marches were held by Alliance Philippines and Gabriela Network chapters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego.

In Los Angeles, at the end rally in the program the speakers were HERMANIDAD Mexicana leaders Raul Murillo and Angelica Corona, ANSWER-LA Preston Wood, Jim Lafferty of the NLG, UTLA President AJ Duffy and Latino Movement USA's Juan Jose Gutierrez who spoke about multiracial unity and multiethnic struggle for justice.

In another separate march, the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and GabNet flying the flags co-sponsored a march from Echo Park with MIWON and helped turn out 15,000 marchers. The march started from Echo Park at around 1:00 PM. The long march took a long and tiring route from Sunset Blvd. towards the east to Cezar Chavez to the old Placita Square.

There they stayed overnight at Placita Olvera. GabNet read its statement at La Placita Olvera ( old town LA) where the marchers congregated. The took a postcard picture with a message: WORKERS FIRST to be sent to the president.

The other marches was with the Southern California Immigrant Rights Coalition (SCIC) - (5,000) who marched to the Federal Building, The LEGALIZE LA ( 2,000) on Main street to the INS Detention center. The other marches stayed during the night at Macarthur Park for the May Day and the Cinco De Mayo celebrations.

Also in San Francisco, hundreds of marchers braved the pouring rain and marched from Dolores Park to the Civic Center. In San Diego, also in California, more than 1,000 marchers including GABNEt San Diego marched with the group.

The Alliance Philippines is composed of Filipino and non-Filipino organizations and individuals based in the US in support of a peaceful, just, free, democratic, and prosperous Philippines. It also upholds and promotes the rights and welfare of Filipinos in the US. New York-based organizations DAMAYAN & Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) are member-organizations of the said alliance.

For more information about Alliance Philippines, please visit http://www.alliancephilippines.blogspot.com