Three buses pulled out of Ackerman Turnaround on Friday afternoon, filled with the excited buzz of students preparing to make a public stand at the annual May Day rally for a cause that united them: social justice.
Approximately 130 students loaded the buses equipped with signs bearing messages such as “Pass the DREAM Act Now!!” and “Can I have my dream?” as they left to join thousands of community activists, labor union workers and other social justice advocates at the start of the rally in Echo Park.
The march, which went from Echo Park to Olvera Plaza in downtown Los Angeles, is held annually to advocate for workers’ right issues and this year also addressed immigration reform and the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act.
A group of three female UCLA students chatted together before loading onto the buses. They wore white T-shirts with red writing on them, which they had made together the night before. On the front of each shirt was the phrase “Education for Liberation” and on the back was written “Pass the DREAM Act.”
One of the students, Joanna Perez, a fourth-year sociology student, said that she and her friends wanted to show their support of immigration reform as well as the DREAM Act. Perez said that undocumented students have much more to worry about than the average UCLA student. In addition to not qualifying for any federal financial aid, they have to worry about being deported, she said.
“Undocumented students inspire me to keep going,” Perez said. “They’re smart, they’re at UCLA, and they deserve to be here as much as anyone else.”
Aboard the bus to Echo Park, students took the opportunity to create versions of the 8-clap, develop chants, introduce themselves to each other and share what brought each of them to the event.
Several students who are members of Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Support, a support group for undocumented students, took the opportunity to sell “I support the Dream Act” buttons, as part of a scholarship fund raiser. As thousands of people convened in Echo Park before beginning the march, a number of ethnic groups and organizations were present together, including a group adorned in traditional Korean clothing who played drums as they marched. The sea of faces and signs that read “We are the ones we have been waiting for” embodied the feelings of Perez.
“To fight together in solidarity, regardless of differences, is an awesome opportunity,” Perez said.
While the participants of the march were all very passionate in their views on immigration reform, not all Californians feel the same way, which was evidenced by the numerous police officers present at the march.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson said that police officers were present to ensure the safety of the public. The police did not know if an oppositional group was going to show up or not, which could have created tension and the possibility of violence.
“The event was very peaceful though,” the spokesperson said.
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles, said that the organization, which organized the rally, has a strict policy of not engaging any oppositional parties which may show up.
“It’s always a concern, but we do not react to them and try to de-escalate the situation,” Salas said.
Salas, who has been involved in the march for 10 years, is driven by her personal experiences with immigration. She said that she came to the U.S. without papers and her mother was deported back to Mexico after she was taken from a garment factory where she worked.
“The way I see it, my family is, unfortunately, no different than so many other families. We’re proud of this country … and we need to make sure that we’re recognized with full rights,” Salas said.
The goal of the rally, Salas said, was to make lawmakers aware of how many people support immigration reform.
“There’s a real sense of possibility with this march. They really want to make sure that the president understands that it’s so important, that he has to take action this year,” Salas said.
In addition to scores of students in the crowd of approximately 4,500 people according to event organizers, there were many union workers and union advocates present to support the Employee Free Choice Act.
“We want every worker in the country to have to right to choose whether or not they want to belong to a union without intimidation or fear from their employers,” said Victor Narro, project director of the UCLA Labor Center.
Many union workers attended the rally including the local iron workers who are currently working on the construction of the new UCLA police station on Westwood Boulevard, as well as UCLA employees who are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299.
Teresa Avendana, a member of AFSCME and a medical assistant in the UCLA medical center, said she felt compelled to attend the rally to advocate for workers’ rights after witnessing her parents’ struggles with employers over the years.
Avendana, who moved to the United States with her family from Honduras when she was 4 years old, said she was given amnesty upon arrival.
However, despite the family’s newfound citizenship, Avendana said her parents have struggled to find employment that pays the state-sanctioned minimum wage.
“My parents worked so hard just to make ends meet,” Avendana said.
“My mother worked as a housekeeper for 27 years, making very little money. I do this for my mother.”
With additional reporting by Theresa Avila, Bruin senior staff.