A crowd of more than two thousand gathered May 1, 2010, in Stockton, CA, for the Immigration March. The crowd of men, women, elderly, teenagers, and children marched down streets, chanting, waving flags, wearing t-shirts with messages and carrying signs. "We work hard” and "Boycott SB1070" were just a few of the many signs seen. Like hundreds of thousands of protestors who gathered throughout the country, Stockton protestors gathered at McKinley park and walked 3.5 miles on El Dorado Street to Eden Park calling for immigration reform and protesting the SB1070 law signed by Arizona’s Gov. Jan Brewer two weeks prior to the May 1st Immigration March that is not only unconstitutional but also encourages and legalizes discrimination and racial profiling against immigrants or anyone thought to be an immigrant.
Songs were sung and stories were told of hardship and dedication. Stockton’s immigration march was organized by Luis Magana, a local activist and affiliate of the American Friends Service Committee devoted to service, development and peace programs throughout the world. Event organizers welcomed and thanked supporters and encouraged marchers to sign their names and contact information for future communication on upcoming events.
Stockton’s march received support from the Nation of Islam’s (NOI) Stockton Study Group. David Muhammad, the NOI Stockton Study Group Student Captain, worked with the march organizers to provide FOI (Fruit of Islam) security for the march. According to Brother David, the march turned out to be a very peaceful event and the NOI was commended by the Stockton Police department for the excellent security provided by the FOI.
At the Eden Park rally held after the march, Brother John X and I (Sister Theresa X) who attend the Stockton Study Group were invited to share a few words. As Latinos in the Nation of Islam, it is very important that our message in Spanish and English be shared with protesters and supporters. It is essential that the Latino community regardless of which side of the boarder we were born know that we are one family despite the many labels we are given to discourage unity.
Brother John X also encouraged attendees to ask when doing business where companies are based out of and to boycott any business based out of Arizona such as U-haul and U.S. Airways. And to be aware of those who hide behind religion but in reality do not want for their Brother or Sister what they want for themselves, which is demonstrated in their behavior.
As the Original Indigenous people of God, no one accept God will be able to stop our rise. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said that we (Mexicans) would one day get back all that was taken from us. Will we be prepared? Will we get pass the differences that we judge each other by? The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught that our unity is like an atomic bomb. It is important to understand that we are living in a time that God is going to force us to unite or die.
It is also crucial that we not only rise and unite one day a year but every day of the year for justice and remember that justice for one is justice for all. We must never practice divide and conquer or “I am better mentality” based on the country we were born in, language we speak, our economic status, or what we may call ourselves (Mexican, Latino, Chicano, Hispanic, Mexican American, Cuban, Puerto Rican, etc.) because today in 2010 we are a law away from learning just how alike we truly are.
“The May 1st march is the second largest movement in the city of Stockton, this year it was much larger since we began marching against civil rights and immigration reform. MECHA and the Black Student Union marched this year and expressed that this is an issue that is relevant to Black people as well as Brown people,” stated Brother Tommie Muhammad, NOI Stockton Study Group.
It seems that the timing of the SB1070 law signed in Arizona was no coincident and that it directly correlated with the May 1st immigration march. The SB1070 law requires authorities to question people about immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally. Opponents of the SB1070 law fear that legal immigrants and U.S. citizens will be unjustly harassed by police for looking Hispanic. The SB1070 law is currently being explored by other states and be assured that the reaction of the Latino community at large is also being observed. Will we the Original men and women of God (Latinos) accept laws that discriminate against us or will we stand up for justice and unite, fearing no one but God?
Now is the time to watch not only the Latino politicians that we have voted into office but all politicians. Who do they represent, who is in favor of justice, since justice for one is justice for all? When recently asked, “What an illegal immigrant looked like,” Arizona’s Gov. Jan Brewer was unable to provide a description. Regardless of the labels we chose to identify ourselves with we must never believe that the SB1070 law signed in Arizona could never be implemented in other states. It is important that we remember history and the fact that history has a way of repeating itself; we don’t have to go back to far in U.S. history to remember what was done to Japanese U.S. citizens.
(Theresa X, a Latina in the Nation of Islam, from the Stockton California Study Group - email: noilatina@gmail.com)
ASA. Thank you for this Sis. Though I was not there physically, believe that i was with you all in energy, prayer and spirit.
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