Downtown
Manhattan, City Hall
On a sunny mild, spring Monday after school, I took the
1 downtown to obtain a certified birth certificate at
Worth St. I heard about the protest on the news earlier
that morning and quickly went on with my daily routine
only to be reminded later when I arrived. While there,
I thought to myself "I'm getting a copy of my birth
certificate today as a citizen, while some of these protesters
may be illegal immigrants and don’t even have the
rights I have." As I walked among the crowd briefly,
intense emotions were felt—the atmosphere fostered
highly contagious, exuberant moods, which spread throughout
the entire nation, in small and large cities alike. I
felt hope and could relate to them, in the sense that
my ancestors fought for human rights during the civil
rights movement and some of my relatives immigrated here
to the United States not too long ago.
Then I thought, I knowing how it truly feels to live in
America as an illegal immigrant is foreign to me. I am
only familiar with what it means to be an immigrant. All
of my life, I’ve been a US citizen. Yet anyone,
whatever their background may be, knows what it is to
have a sense of belonging. I feel compelled to help others
in their quest for justice. Human rights issues affect
everyone world-wide.
This Monday, announced as National Day of Action for Immigrant
Justice, forever marked the day in my life I would remember
as the first human rights protest I saw actually happen
right before my eyes. Whether or not these 11 million+
immigrants who fervently push for legalization of themselves
are considered “legal”, they are still American,
wholeheartedly living the American dream just as citizens
like me are.
Tens of thousands marched through Downtown Manhattan this
day, bearing American flags and posters, proudly demanding
justice for millions of illegal immigrants. Diverse throngs
of Chinese, Africans and Latinos, among many others quickly
assembled to peacefully march together in the fight for
justice, some holding "We are America" and “Today
We March, Tomorrow We Vote” banners and chants and
cheers" ¡Sí se puede!" (Yes, we
can!) Vibrant colors of red, white and blue were worn
by protesters showed true patriotism. Chants in Chinese,
English, French and Spanish were heard. Even religious
leaders were present for this special day.
These protests quickly created gridlock conditions around
City Hall--police blocked streets, which led to a major
traffic jam all the way to Brooklyn. An estimated 70,000
to 125,000 people attended. Nationally, the rallies were
one of many that opposed a bill that would label illegal
immigrants as felonies. The bill could create a 700-mile
fence along the US-Mexico border. Just last week, The
Senate reached a deadlock on a compromise plan to enable
citizenship for most illegal immigrants. And The House
of Representatives passed an even harsher bill to crack
down on illegal immigrants (US-Mexico border). Dismal
critics believe American government shouldn’t tolerate
immigrants, especially if they’re illegal. While
immigrant advocates are pleased with results, vexed critics
demand quick changes in US law.
Will immigrants be whisked away by harsh immigration
policies? The idea that illegal immigrants have the possibility
of being labeled as felonies instills fear in many. Issues
like these hit close to home, especially when American
citizens are informed of how serious these laws can be
if enacted. Immigrants want to live the American dream
without fear of being imprisoned, or even worse, deported.
They want to be acknowledged as citizens, without being
economically exploited.
