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Half a million demonstrators were joined by a few Pepperdine students Saturday in Los Angeles to protest legislation passed in the House of Representatives.
Sophomore Andy Canales, whose parents illegally immigrated to the United States from El Salvador in the 1980s, attended the rally.
“It was powerful to see how Latinos from different Latin-American countries came together to voice their opinions,” Canales said.
The bill the Senate is considering would make it a felony to be living illegally in the United States, impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and erect fences along one-third of the Mexico-U.S. border. It also imposes penalties on any U.S. citizen who assists an illegal immigrant.
“I went to this protest with the goal of joining the hundreds of thousands of voices that want to let politicians know that Hispanic immigrants are hardworking people,” Canales said. “They are not criminals, and they want a comprehensive immigration reform plan that will allow them to earn citizenship.”
Sophomore Jesse Calvillo, vice president of Latino Student Association (LSA), said he feels strongly about the bill.
“While I don’t care whether the government builds a wall at the border,” Calvillo said, “or if they want more money for training, I do care that I, and many people I know, would from here on out potentially be criminals.”
Calvillo went on to explain that the legislation, if passed, will make roughly 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. wanted felons, and will expand the definition of “alien smuggling” to include potentially anyone who helps an illegal alien in any way.
For this reason, several groups, including the Roman Catholic Church, mobilized their efforts to join in the march. Cardinal Roger Mahoney, archbishop of Los Angeles, said he would instruct his priests to break the law if it passed.
Canales said he can already see the impact that the rally has had.
“We can see this impact in the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday when senators voted in favor of dropping several controversial provisions in the House bill,” he said.
Junior Ken Portillo’s parents illegally emigrated from Guatemala in the early 1980s.
“I think that the legislation is a good thing,” Portillo said. “A lot of the illegal immigrants here don’t even have a driver’s license, so if they get in a car accident they just run away. This would ensure that they are properly documented.”
Canales said he thinks that the immigrants should stay.
“They are not criminals, and they are not here to hurt this country,” he said. “They are here to pick your fruits, clean your houses, mow your lands, build your buildings. They are the backbone of this country.”
“I think it’s great that people are protesting, because this generation doesn’t really protest. I am just curious if people know exactly why they are protesting,” Assistant Professor of Spanish Paul Begin.
Canales further explained why he marched. “I’m not advocating an automatic amnesty,” he said, “rather, an earned pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who meet certain benchmarks such as paying taxes, living an honorable civic life and learning English. This will allow people that are in the position my parents were once in to have a step closer to realizing their dreams and integrate into American society.”
Canales suggested that Pepperdine students become more informed about the kinds of people that immigration reform will impact.
“Talk to the workers on campus that clean your suites, bathrooms and cook your food,” Canales said. “Ask them why they came to this country, what their dreams are and what they think about immigration reform.”
Other Pepperdine students who attended the rally include freshmen Alejandra Garcia, Jessica Hammons, Jennifer Murguia and Michelle Gill.
Submitted 03-29-2006
MALIBU, CA
