GREENFIELD STUDENT WALK OUT AGAINST HR 4437

For the past three days Greenfield high school students have been vocalizing their support of immigrant rights, protesting the pending legislation of the HR 4437 bill. To find out more about this anti-immigrant legislation visit http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04437:

Marching around Greenfield en mass, students informed community members about the bill and vocalized their disagreement with the "racist legislation that violates our rights as citizens" (student activist Jasmin Ponce). In the words of student activist Yvette Martinez, students want the community to know that, " Mexican-Americans have been part of this community for decades...we contribute to the economy, we pay taxes....we deserve to be treated as equal human beings" (student activst Yvette Martinez).

After three days of protest, students are looking forward to joining together with other community members at the upcoming MARCH IN SALINAS TO TAKE PLACE SUNDAY APRIL 2ND AT ALISAL RD 10AM. The march will be a comemeration of the life of Cesar Chavez and a celebration of the Latino community. ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND this imporant event.

According to students, political action was aggressively discouraged by school administrators. "There was an incident in which a teacher ripped up the Mexican flag...one student was slapped across the face...The school, the police force, are losing money because of students walking out. They want to make sure that someone has to pay...they are speaking of fining protestors...We need community support to ensure that our rights as citizens are upheld" (community activist Laura Caballero).

In response to aggressive verbal attacks from school administration and local authorities, students have cited the systemic lack of information and an erroding educational system in which, "the issues that most effect the community are not talked about. Many teachers refused to discuss these issues in class...students were strongly discouraged from taking part in what has been characterized as 'disruptive' demonstrations. Our history is not being taught in the schools" (Greenfield high school student).

Support Greenfield high school students and thousands of other Latino community members~ read up on HR 4437, call your representative http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html and voice your concern over this disturbing piece of legislation that would make it a felony to be an undocumented immigrant. Racist legislation that violates the human rights of community members cannot be tolerated. An injury to one is an injury to all.

Responding to these issues from a place of fear and xenophobia demonstrates an acute ignorance to the interconnected reality that has fused the future of both the U.S. and Mexico.

It is critical that we join together as community members to celebrate our complexity and unity. Show your support for human rights and democracy! Come to the Salinas march on Sunday April 2 10am
(*Spanish version of above to be posted shortly)