San Jose's Fight for Immigration Reform Marches On
Story by Adrian Avila // Photo by Elizabeth Gonzalez

Thousands of pro-immigrant supporters took to the streets all over the nation to let their voices be heard, and here in San Jose was no exception. The message they chanted, sang and displayed was one for just immigration reform. The focus that is being put on this year's marches by the media is on the smaller number of people that came out this year compared to last year's march. Even though the actual people that marched feel like the reported numbers are completely off. For example, in San Jose the estimate of the people that came out was roughly 12,000, but some people said they felt like three or four times as many people were out on this May 1 st.

A big part of the crowd was made up of families that marched together on the 4.94 miles to San Jose's City Hall, with the hope that the people in power could see the unity that immigrants and non-immigrants alike have. It was a wonderful sight to see mothers and fathers walking hand and hand with their children with flags held high, projecting their voices so that the on lookers could hear the powerful messages that they wanted to get across. “Together we fight for our human rights,” was a chant that a family near by me was chanting. During the march I spoke with a father of two who lives in San Jose who told me how he and his wife had come over from Mexico 11 years ago and now have two sons that are U.S. citizens. “We fear that one day we will we deported and our boys will be with out parents,” he said.  

With all of the recent I.C.E. raids that have been going on in the Bay Area and all across the nation people's concern of deportation are high and families want to get the word out that they should have the same human rights as citizens of this country do to live in peace with their families. The march was an enormous opportunity for immigrant families to expresses this message. “We can't show any fear, that's why we came out to march today,” said a 32-year-old construction worker from San Jose who came out to march with his two brothers. All three of them are undocumented.

My mother and I also marched together, which in a way is kind of rare because in all of the marches that have gone on in the past, we have always gone on our own. This year was different in a way because my mom asked me if I would march with her. At first I thought she was joking around, not to say that we don't get along or anything like that, but when it come to demonstrations or marches we both would just rather go our own way. When I asked her why it was that she wanted me to march with her, she replied, “Because we came to this country together and we should fight for our rights together.” I hadn't thought of it like that before, but she was right. And sure enough at 3:30 we were both in out white shirts and our marching shoes all laced up and ready to go and we set off each step representing all of the struggles that we have overcome, all in the pursuit of a better life.     

In the end I did feel like we had strengthened our bond and from the look and sound of the sea of people gathered around city hall at the end of the march, it felt like a lot of other families did as well. As a people we must never overlook the great power that we have in our families coming together and standing up for what we feel is right.