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Last update: April 10, 2006 – 7:06 AM
Thousands march for immigrants in St. Paul
A St. Paul rally offered passionate support for immigrants and their families in the face of pending legislation.
*Gail Rosenblum,* Star Tribune
Flags of the United States, Mexico and Ecuador waved in the breeze, babies slept under brightly colored blankets, mariachi bands played, and Aztec dancers sounded the deep and haunting cry of the conch shell. There were life-size puppets, too, a man wearing an Uncle Sam hat, and huge cardboard hands in black, brown and white moving through the crowd.
But the star of Sunday afternoon's celebratory and political rally, convened to protest U.S. immigration laws was a single word: /dignidad./
Dignity.
"/Si, se puede/!" shouted the crowd, estimated by organizers and St. Paul police at 30,000 men, women and children. "Yes, we can!"
T-shirts and handmade signs spoke to the passion of the participants, as well as their growing frustrations: "I am a son."I am a worker."I am a mom."I'm a taxpayer."/No somos criminales/. We are not criminals."
The rally began at the Cathedral of St. Paul and ended at the State Capitol, with speakers and plenty of cheering at each location and along the way. The event was organized by a coalition of faith, labor and community groups known as the Alliance for Fair Federal Immigration Reform of Minnesota (AFFIRM). The group is protesting what it says are polarizing and unfair immigration laws that put millions of illegal immigrants and their families in peril.
"We are at a crossroads right now that will define the character of our country," said Archbishop Harry Flynn of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He noted that the celebrations of Passover and Holy Week begin this week in many faith communities.
"Yes, holding one another accountable to the law is important, but there is also a higher law that forms the basis of our legal justice system and many of our religious traditions. Our higher law is based on the values of human dignity, community and solidarity. And we must not only hold one another accountable to these values -- we must act on them."
"This is wonderful!" said Sister Mary Ellen Foster, who stood on the steps of the cathedral. "I stand with them. That's what the Gospel's about for me. To be with those who do not get a fair shake."
Organizer Estela Villagran was visibly pleased with the turnout. "Everybody is here. All the countries," she said. "Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela. We've been working the radios all week to get them here."
Villagran said buses arrived from more than 30 Catholic parishes throughout Minnesota, as well as seven buses from Worthington and four from Northfield, where many illegal immigrants live and work.
Villagran emigrated from Uruguay 26 years ago and was happy to see flags not only from her home country, but also from the United States. "We are living in this beautiful country. We respect the flag we are living under."
Her daughter, Christina Manancero, a sixth-grader at Cedar Island Elementary School in Maple Grove, was a bit melancholy watching the Aztec dancers.
"The dancers still have their rich culture and they're still in it," said Christina, noting that there's nothing like this in Maple Grove. "I wish I was still in it."
*Opposing views*
A small but vocal rally also was held Saturday at the State Capitol by opponents of illegal immigration who were cheered by the U.S. Senate's recent inability to pass an immigration reform bill. About 50 protesters marched in a circle, chanting "No Amnesty!" and "Wake Up, Minnesota!"
"You'd better believe we're glad it didn't pass," said Ruthie Hendrycks, a Hanska, Minn., resident who organized the protest.
"We're not opposed to legal immigration, but we are opposed to illegal immigration," she said. "We believe they should come here legally and should speak the language of the land, which is English."
*They dream of more*
Jessica Ramirez, a 16-year-old sophomore at Apple Valley High School, was born in Mexico and came to Minnesota eight years ago as her parents sought a better life for their family. While her English is flawless, she had to speak for her parents.
"My parents do janitorial work. They do housekeeping," she said. "They live in fear of being stopped without papers. But, as you see, we have little kids here. They have to eat. We can't stop working."
Her parents, she said, dream bigger for her and her four siblings.
"They don't want us to be cleaning bathrooms," she said. "They want us to be behind a desk."
Staff writer Bob Von Sternberg contributed to this report. Gail Rosenblum • 612-673-7350