Texas-Wide Rallies Call for Immigration Reform

In solidarity with several other cities in Texas, the Rio Grande Valley held a rally for comprehensive immigration reform Saturday. The rally also included a memorial service for Sen. Ted Kennedy, who strongly supported humane immigration reform. More than 150 community members and political leaders including U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, Rep. Veronica Gonzales, and 13th Court of Appeals Justice Linda Yanez showed their support to make immigration reform a top priority.

Ann Cass, Executive Director of Proyecto Azteca

Rep. Hinojosa & Executive Director Juanita Valdez-Cox

Juanita Valdez-Cox, said of the event:

“This is an unprecedented statewide effort to show support for comprehensive immigration reform. With this event, several communities, cities and sectors in Texas will clearly express their call to President Obama and to members of Congress, especially Texas Senators Cornyn and Hutchison, to start a serious immigration reform discussion this year.”

Committee Leaders from LUPE & ARISE helped gather almost 4,000 signatures in support of immigration reform. These signatures, along with more than 15,000 thousand signatures from across Texas, will be sent to Sen. Cornyn and Sen. Hutchinson to show them the urgency in and importance of humane immigration reform.

LUPE Committee Leaders & Members

A LUPE member discusses why immigration reform is so important to her. Her most important reason? Simple: her kids.

Let us remember Senator Kennedy’s significant contributions to our communities and accept the challenge to continue his legacy for civil rights. The struggle for immigrant rights lives on in his honor.

“The work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on.”

For more on the rally, click here.

Also, check out Rep. Hinojosa’s full speech from the rally:
Hinojosa_VigilRemarks –

Honoring Sen. Ted Kennedy

The loss of Senator Ted Kennedy has been felt widely across America, especially among those in the Rio Grande Valley who saw him as a champion for immigrant and farm worker rights. He first came to the Valley in 1960 to campaign for his brother, John F. Kennedy’s bid for presidency. In 1967, Sen. Kennedy was back in the Valley to partake in subcommittee hearings to push for organized farm labor. Sen. Kennedy was a long-time friend of Cesar Chavez and was heavily involved in advocating for the farm workers’ movement.

Here is a clip of Juan Gonzales from Democracy Now! on the relationship between Ted Kennedy & Cesar Chavez:

“In 1969, Ted Kennedy marched with the farm workers to Calexico on the Mexican border in California…an eight-day, 200-mile march that was one of the turning points, the pivotal moments in the history of United Farm Workers. He then spoke at their founding convention of the Farm Workers. And throughout his career, Kennedy was the main defender of trying to get immigration reform, migrant education for children of migrants.”

– Juan Gonzales

A member of LUPE, Francisco Martinez, who worked closely with Cesar Chavez and had the opportunity to visit Sen. Kennedy and hear his speeches, said:

“We have lost a great champion in the struggle to win immigration reform and healthcare reform. Now we must work even harder to realize the dreams that we shared with Senator Kennedy.”

Famous picture of Cesar Chavez, Ted Kennedy and Coretta Scott King at a “No on Proposal 22” rally in the 1970’s:

Cesar Chavez and Sen. Kennedy addressing the U.S. Senate in 1985: