Guest Column: Future of U.S. politics may be forged by Latinos
Web-posted Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - Amarillo Globe News
By David Almager | Opinion
DALLAS - "Today we march! Tomorrow we vote!" - the memorable chant heard around the country during this month's immigration marches.
It was heard in Dallas, where an estimated half-million immigrants, their children and supporters of sensible immigration reform, peacefully meandered through the downtown streets in their white shirts, patriotically waving the Stars and Stripes.
It was heard in Washington, D.C., where the massive crowd, made up mostly of Latinos, converged on the same famous site where in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke so eloquently about his dream for freedom, justice and civil rights for all in this great country.
The chant was heard even in Amarillo, where an estimated 3,000 immigrants and their supporters from across the Texas Panhandle marched through downtown on April 10, in a united voice against what one march participant called "unjust laws against immigrants."
Those are only three of the hundreds of cities across the country where immigrants and their supporters lifted their banners, paraded through the streets and demanded to be heard.
"Hoy Marchamos! Mañana Votamos!" "Today we march! Tomorrow we vote!"
But will the massive marches translate into political clout and pressure the U.S Congress into passing a comprehensive immigration reform bill? Let us be reminded that citizenship is a requirement to vote in this country, and many of the march participants were some of the 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States who may never have an opportunity to even seek citizenship, much less vote, if they continue to live under current immigration policies.
Some Republicans in Congress have said the marches simply have solidified their tough stance on immigration reform, with some expressing irritation at the widespread student walkouts and protests.
Although many of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who marched during the past few weeks may not have political voting power in this country, they have established important and influential coalitions.
One of the most influential alliances established is the Catholic Church. Bishops and clergy played significant roles in almost every march across the country and are credited for bringing out large numbers of congregates to participate. The Church's leadership publicly chastised House legislation that would turn most people and institutions that assist undocumented immigrants into felons.
Another major coalition is with Spanish-language media outlets, most importantly Spanish radio hosts, who have emerged as a driving force behind the immigration rallies. Among those was Eduardo Sotelo "El Piolin," a syndicated morning show radio host who is broadcast in 20 cities. His outspoken support and promotion of the marches was critical in drawing the enormous crowds in Los Angeles a few weeks earlier.
The children of immigrants, many of them U.S. citizens, were a major influence behind the marches. It was those children of immigrants, using Web pages, e-mails and cell phone text messages, who spearheaded the massive school walkouts across the country. It is estimated that millions of U.S.-born Latinos will be turning 18 over the next decade and becoming eligible to participate in the election process. They will at some point join the already 9.3 million Latino registered voters.
The marches of were the largest Latino protest in the history of this country, and their message resonated loudly.
As Congress returns to work, its members should be alerted that the unforgettable chant - "Today we march! Tomorrow we vote!" - may have some merit after all, and it might just be that immigrants and their supporters already have changed the face of politics for decades to come.
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David Almager resides in Dallas and attended the Dallas Mega March on April 9. He is a former Amarillo resident and a doctoral candidate at Walden University's School of Public Policy and Administration.
By David Almager | Opinion
DALLAS - "Today we march! Tomorrow we vote!" - the memorable chant heard around the country during this month's immigration marches.
It was heard in Dallas, where an estimated half-million immigrants, their children and supporters of sensible immigration reform, peacefully meandered through the downtown streets in their white shirts, patriotically waving the Stars and Stripes.
It was heard in Washington, D.C., where the massive crowd, made up mostly of Latinos, converged on the same famous site where in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke so eloquently about his dream for freedom, justice and civil rights for all in this great country.
The chant was heard even in Amarillo, where an estimated 3,000 immigrants and their supporters from across the Texas Panhandle marched through downtown on April 10, in a united voice against what one march participant called "unjust laws against immigrants."
Those are only three of the hundreds of cities across the country where immigrants and their supporters lifted their banners, paraded through the streets and demanded to be heard.
"Hoy Marchamos! Mañana Votamos!" "Today we march! Tomorrow we vote!"
But will the massive marches translate into political clout and pressure the U.S Congress into passing a comprehensive immigration reform bill? Let us be reminded that citizenship is a requirement to vote in this country, and many of the march participants were some of the 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States who may never have an opportunity to even seek citizenship, much less vote, if they continue to live under current immigration policies.
Some Republicans in Congress have said the marches simply have solidified their tough stance on immigration reform, with some expressing irritation at the widespread student walkouts and protests.
Although many of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who marched during the past few weeks may not have political voting power in this country, they have established important and influential coalitions.
One of the most influential alliances established is the Catholic Church. Bishops and clergy played significant roles in almost every march across the country and are credited for bringing out large numbers of congregates to participate. The Church's leadership publicly chastised House legislation that would turn most people and institutions that assist undocumented immigrants into felons.
Another major coalition is with Spanish-language media outlets, most importantly Spanish radio hosts, who have emerged as a driving force behind the immigration rallies. Among those was Eduardo Sotelo "El Piolin," a syndicated morning show radio host who is broadcast in 20 cities. His outspoken support and promotion of the marches was critical in drawing the enormous crowds in Los Angeles a few weeks earlier.
The children of immigrants, many of them U.S. citizens, were a major influence behind the marches. It was those children of immigrants, using Web pages, e-mails and cell phone text messages, who spearheaded the massive school walkouts across the country. It is estimated that millions of U.S.-born Latinos will be turning 18 over the next decade and becoming eligible to participate in the election process. They will at some point join the already 9.3 million Latino registered voters.
The marches of were the largest Latino protest in the history of this country, and their message resonated loudly.
As Congress returns to work, its members should be alerted that the unforgettable chant - "Today we march! Tomorrow we vote!" - may have some merit after all, and it might just be that immigrants and their supporters already have changed the face of politics for decades to come.
---
David Almager resides in Dallas and attended the Dallas Mega March on April 9. He is a former Amarillo resident and a doctoral candidate at Walden University's School of Public Policy and Administration.