Trinity Students and Faculty March in Support of Immigration Reform

They Join Thousands in Washington and Across the Nation

Trinity students and faculty were among the thousands of people who marched in Washington , D.C. and across the nation in support of comprehensive immigration reform on April 10.

Trinity juniors Eileen Denny (left) and Janie Pacheco were among those who participated in the peaceful rally in support of immigration reform.   “This was an amazing opportunity and I'm glad I got involved, “ said Denny.

Dr. Patricia Portillo, Assistant Professor of Spanish, also participated in the march with her family, and they were interviewed by Fox 5 Television News.

At Trinity, students are encouraged to participate fully in the democratic process and engage in the process of shaping policy in Washington .  Trinity students are in the halls of Congress lobbying their representatives, writing letters to members of Congress, and speaking out on a range of issues.

Voices of Trinity:  Students Reflections on the Rally

• All the officers of LACASA (Latin American Caribbean American Student Association) attended the rally in DC on Monday.  All though we all are born in the U.S. , we believe we must stand up for the rights of our parents, and for all our family and friends. Not just from Latin countries, but all over the world. One of my best friends is from China and I know this could severly affect her. It felt really good to be there, because the rally was peaceful and it felt good to see people from all over the world and from the U.S. uniting for this great cuase. We all hope this bill will not pass, because it is not fair to criminalize people who help illegal immigrants, the children who had no choice, and people who were fleeing their county in feer of being murdered.

• For my group, the most amazing part was the energy of marching all of the way down 16th street leading cheers and yelling ourselves hoarse.  I also grew up in the Indiana where there is a large Mexican population and the police look the other way, even when they know people are here illegally.  At least in the farming communities they realize the necessity for unskilled workers.  Immigration rights has always been a topic of great interest to me, and I would love if we could have more events on campus about them.  I am sure that Leticia and I would be able to help, and would love to use them as part of our fellowship with PFAW.  

• The rally was amazing.  Many Trinity students either participated or organized groups to participate.  The intense congressional battle over immigration, I believe, has sparked a high level of interest among students -- on all sides of the issue.  Current legislation in Congress, if passed, would have a profound effect on not only our nation, but also many within the Trinity population.  I have been active for immigrant rights for the past 6 years and have seen the devastating effects of deportation, exploitive labor, and racial discrimination. Positive comprehensive reform is the only way to properly address the issue of immigration. Until America achieves that, we might as well hide the Statue of Liberty in the closet, because we are shaming the very virtue by which she stands.

• Yesterday was the second time that I participated in the march against HR4437, the Reform Law that that Congress is trying to pass. March 7, 2006, was the first march that I attended. Last week I went to help People for the American Way phone banking and got people to come and join us in the march. I had friends from Howard University and University of Maryland-College Park join us.

• I participated in the two marches that took place in the capital. Even though I am a United States citizen I feel it is my duty to take part in such an important movement because I see a strong injustice that would be committed if such a law would be passed. I point out that I am a US citizen because some of my friends have made statements such as why I am taking part in something that is not relevant to me. The last remark someone told me was "You are only one person and one person doesn't change anything - what difference will you make - you are wasting your time." I took that remark as extremely selfish and ignorant because they forgot that their grandparents were immigrants from Europe too. My entire future would be changed if this law is passed. I work in Bethesda , MD , mainly with the Hispanic community, and the majority of my patients do not have their legal documentation nor do they have insurance. They pay their taxes and abide by all the laws except that they lack the proper documentation. These individuals are paid the lowest of low and I have even encountered elderly individuals that work 3 jobs. Their great necessity takes them to this extreme and they forget their age and only think that the money that they earn for that day will pay their children's education back home or it will put a decent meal on the table for that week. During my four years working in Bethesda we have realized that the majority of the Hispanic women predominantly postmenopausal women have a significant degree of bone loss at the age of 45.  Some women at the age of 45 have osteoporosis and those are the individuals that are laboring more than 10 hours a day 6 days a week and lifting greater than 30 lbs. They are risking their health but their need is what keeps them going - it is what keeps all those people going. A person who makes $8.00/hr gets that salary in their native country in approximately one month or even more. Those that do have their proper documentation do not wish to take on these jobs. I hope to one day become a doctor and in doing so I would be swearing upon the Hippocratic Oath. How can my government tell me that I will be a criminal after I take on such an important oath that is vital in my career? My parents migrated to the United States 33 years ago with the hopes that one day they would reach their American Dream. Today at Trinity I am building my own American Dream but I would wish that those that were standing next to me at the march would share some form of that Dream. If that Dream only signifies food for that day or a shelter for their family. I find it ironical that those that are making the laws FORGET that their own grandparents traveled to this country as immigrants and they too faced the same hardships - so why turn their backs and forget where they came from?! Yesterday I felt like one small person amongst an enormous crowd in the march but I felt that I made a difference. A difference because all those in favor for an immigrant reform were together fighting for a good cause. Immigrants make up so much of the USA 's economy and to take that huge asset away it would change things dramatically.