Boing Boing: LA DayWithoutAnImmigrant account: Handmade dreams.

Tuesday, May 2, 2006

LA DayWithoutAnImmigrant account: Handmade dreams.

Photographer and tech developer John Parres attended yesterday's historic marches in Los Angeles. His photos are here, here, and here, and his personal account follows:

It was an amazing and at times emotional, even gut wrenching, day.
A few moments from today stick out -- the marchers with a huge USA flag were having a blast... they would carry it over their heads, then stop and drop to the ground, then in unison jump into the air and cheer: "USA! USA! USA!" - which of course ignited the surrounding crowd.
And when they were done the group took care to fold the flag into a respectful triangle as any citizen would.
The downtown rally closed by playing Neil Diamond's "America." For me the lyrics hit some emotional strings seeing all these people who came here for a better life..

"..Home, to a new and a shiny place
Make our bed, and we'll say our grace
Freedom's light burning warm
Freedom's light burning warm..."

I fully expect the crowd to erupt with Neil at the song's peak: "Today!" but alas it was lost on the crowd. Neil needs to record a Spanish version. Or better yet someone from East LA. In Spanish.

The Red Line subway trains were standing room only with people in white shirts draped in USA flags making their way, like me, from City Hall to MacArthur Park for the Wilshire march.
There is a slight climb from the station to Wilshire Blvd. which bends and crests at Westlake Village.
At that point the sea of humanity came into view and more than one person around me started laughing. Suddenly we saw the sheer magnitude of what was unfolding.... and we knew we were making history.

I was struck by the number of home-made signs. That's always a big bellwether for the politicos. Unions and Big Business have the money to make and distribute signs but what truly matters are the hand-made and carried expressions...
The mother who worked for over 20 years without rights and raised a family. The father who doesn't want to be separated from his children born with USA citizenship. The children who don't want to be separated from their parents. The student who seeks knowledge to further enrich society and her future. Young couples, strawberry pickers, hot dog vendors and, as you highlighted, the young iron worker who displayed the very shirt and sweat of his labor.
All of them challege the notion of native land.

Today was an historic and great day for the United States.
My next door neighbors stood up against bullies like Lou Dobbs and James Sensenbrenner to oppose HR 4437.
American workers didn't march for Communism -- far from it -- nor do they demand higher pay. They march for their families and for dignity, respect, and acceptance. They marched because of their enduring and undervalued labor.

On May Day 2006 millions of day laborers marched for the American dream.

Previous BoingBoing posts about the May 1 marches: Tampa, Los Angeles part 1, New York City, San Francisco, Tijuana, Portland, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles part 2. An update on reports that police used excessive force on protesters in MacArthur park is here.

posted by Xeni Jardin at 09:55:39 AM permalink | Other blogs' comments

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