New York– In a press conference held on the steps of New York City
Hall yesterday, the militant Filipino-American alliance known as BAYAN
USA joined over 30 African-American trade unionists, New York City
Councilman Charles Barron, and immigrant leaders in expressing firm
worker solidarity with the massive tide of immigrants rights
demonstrations demanding comprehensive immigration reforms from the US
Congress.
“We workers, particularly black workers and trade unionists fighting a
racist and exploitative system against all working people in the US,
are in full solidarity with our immigrant sisters and brothers who are
actively steering what is evidently a new civil rights movement,”
stated Larry Holmes of the International Action Center.
“We fully understand and embrace that the struggle of our immigrant
sisters and brothers is not separate from the struggle of all working
people, and we will not let ourselves be divided, by those in power who
will opportunistically use the power of the immigrant rights movement
to pit black worker against brown worker. Immigrant rights are worker
rights.” Holmes continued.
NY City Councilman and black nationalist activist Charles Barron also
acknowledged that the American working people understand that it is the
onerous economic policies of the US government with other countries
such as the Philippines that causes forced migration of peoples in the
first place.
Speaking from the Filipino community, BAYAN USA representative Berna
Ellorin affirmed Barron’s statement by pointing out that the Arroyo
government’s subservience to US economic dictates over the Filipino
people’s interests sets the condition that pushes at least 3000
Filipinos abroad daily to find work abroad because of rampant
joblessness and non-industrialization in the Philippines.
“For most immigrants it was never a matter of choice to migrate. It is
a matter of survival. Now that we are here, and sustaining the
Philippine economy with our remittances, our struggle as immigrants to
reform the racist and anti-migrant US immigration system cannot be
separated from the struggle of all working people of color. As
immigrants, we are also fighting for what Rosa Parks, Martin Luther
King, and Malcolm X were fighting for– basic civil rights,” Ellorin
stated.
Among the demands supported by speakers were legalization, not
criminalization of undocumented workers, swift family reunification for
immigrant families, full workers rights and protection for immigrants,
and no to enforcement-type immigration legislation.
The Congressional debate on immigration reform is currently ongoing
amidst pressure from immigrant groups in massive outpouring on the
streets. A nationally-coordinated immigrant rights rally last April
10th gathered over 250,000 alone in Manhattan and millions more in
other US cities. Immigrant groups have signified the demonstrations
will only escalate.
Other speakers included black labor unionists Brenda Stokely and Chris
Silvera of the Million Worker March.
BAYAN USA and the Million Worker March also openly supported the call
for an immigrant and worker rights demonstration on Monday,
May 1st, 4pm at Union Square Park, as an extension of the storm of protests that
has erupted across US cities. The New York action would also be in solidarity with
the call for a national boycott for immigrant rights.
“In countries around the world, May 1 is traditionally a day of action
as international workers day. This May 1st, immigrants and workers will
affirm this tradition in New York City,” Ellorin ended.
As a member of the NY May 1 Coalition Steering Committee, BAYAN USA and
other Filipino organizations are organizing a Filipino contingent. For
more information, send an email to the New York Committee for Human
Rights in the Philippines at nychrp @ yahoo.com ###
