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Movement for Immigrant Rights Alliance (MIRA) on the significance of May 1st
We are UCSC students and members of the Movement for Immigrant Rights Alliance, M.I.R.A. Movement for Immigrant Rights Alliance (M.I.R.A) is a coalition of community members and diverse organizations working together to build a unified voice for people with migrant backgrounds, particularly those labeled undocumented. We aim to raise public awareness about the rights and living conditions of immigrants who are continuously attacked and dehumanized by the media and public policy. Through dialogue, action, and reflection we strive to create a movement for human rights that transcends man-made borders.
![mira-coalition_5-1-07.jpg](/uploads/2007/05/03/mira-coalition_5-1-07.jpg)
On the significance of May 1st
Since the Haymarket Massacre of 1886, May 1st has represented a day of international worker solidarity. With the unprecedented mass mobilizations of 2006 in defense of immigrant rights, May 1st has been re-conceptualized to include the struggles of workers deemed “undocumented.” In recent years the veritable war on immigrants has only been escalated with the inception of the war on terror, as demonstrated with the increasing militarization of the Southern border, the proliferation of new deportation detention centers, and the unconstitutional raids perpetrated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE. These intensifications are directly attributed to the neoliberal agenda of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which seeks to maintain the fluidity of the physical geopolitical border for transnational capital but not for people. The complicity of all major presidential candidates for these policies is also seriously problematic. And let us not forget the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, made after the Mexican-American War, when it was agreed that the freedom of movement of peoples between these two nation states would be protected and that the property of those already established in the newly conquered territories (California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada…) would also remain respected.
On the purpose of organizing around May 1st
In response to the aforementioned realities, the need for another mass mobilization is urgent. We demand that:
1. Dream Act be passed in U.S. now
2. Stop the ICE raids now
3. The construction of a day laborer center in Santa Cruz now
4. Fair contract for AFSCME workers now
5. End the militarization of borders now
It is important that this day, in a community of academics, be a day of education; learning and sharing experiences, a day of raising consciousness and spreading awareness. This will be done by student, worker, and faculty speakers and also via the medium of art; poetry, music, drama. But most importantly this will be done by the conscious recognition of solidarity between all those present and the inevitable exchange of ideas and networks. And so, while the struggles exist largely within the realm of ideas, there also exists the need to get out of the classroom and into the community to demonstrate a humanist dissatisfaction with global, federal, state, and municipal policies of exploitation (paying poverty/slave wages to all workers but especially the undocumented, the free trade policies and privatization), manipulation (via the popular media), and domination via fragmentation (the perpetuation of grouping, degrouping, and inter-racial antagonisms in the popular media, COINTELPRO counter intelligence programs of FBI and their predecessors).
What to do on May 1st
To demonstrate our insistence on the respect for all humans and our fear of a future in which scapegoat politics continues, we must unite across ethnic/class/racial/gender/sexuality lines in order to best counter policies of structural dehumanization and institutionalized criminalization, reminiscent of any totalitarian regime. We feel it is eminent to demand for the right to not emigrate, but also for the right to universal amnesty for those who have been and continue to be economically displaced from all nations, particularly Mexico and Latin America. We know that many student organizations and faculty share these sentiments and recognize the importance of honoring this day as it is representative of the struggles of fellow community members, fellow humans, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers; by not holding class on May 1st, coming to the rally at 12pm in the Quarry near the Baytree Plaza, marching peacefully and in solidarity to the San Lorenzo park, where at 4pm there will be a celebration. We welcome you to take an active role in this coalition and to distribute this message to all UCSC and community members.
-Respectfully M.I.R.A. Coalition
Since the Haymarket Massacre of 1886, May 1st has represented a day of international worker solidarity. With the unprecedented mass mobilizations of 2006 in defense of immigrant rights, May 1st has been re-conceptualized to include the struggles of workers deemed “undocumented.” In recent years the veritable war on immigrants has only been escalated with the inception of the war on terror, as demonstrated with the increasing militarization of the Southern border, the proliferation of new deportation detention centers, and the unconstitutional raids perpetrated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE. These intensifications are directly attributed to the neoliberal agenda of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which seeks to maintain the fluidity of the physical geopolitical border for transnational capital but not for people. The complicity of all major presidential candidates for these policies is also seriously problematic. And let us not forget the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, made after the Mexican-American War, when it was agreed that the freedom of movement of peoples between these two nation states would be protected and that the property of those already established in the newly conquered territories (California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada…) would also remain respected.
On the purpose of organizing around May 1st
In response to the aforementioned realities, the need for another mass mobilization is urgent. We demand that:
1. Dream Act be passed in U.S. now
2. Stop the ICE raids now
3. The construction of a day laborer center in Santa Cruz now
4. Fair contract for AFSCME workers now
5. End the militarization of borders now
It is important that this day, in a community of academics, be a day of education; learning and sharing experiences, a day of raising consciousness and spreading awareness. This will be done by student, worker, and faculty speakers and also via the medium of art; poetry, music, drama. But most importantly this will be done by the conscious recognition of solidarity between all those present and the inevitable exchange of ideas and networks. And so, while the struggles exist largely within the realm of ideas, there also exists the need to get out of the classroom and into the community to demonstrate a humanist dissatisfaction with global, federal, state, and municipal policies of exploitation (paying poverty/slave wages to all workers but especially the undocumented, the free trade policies and privatization), manipulation (via the popular media), and domination via fragmentation (the perpetuation of grouping, degrouping, and inter-racial antagonisms in the popular media, COINTELPRO counter intelligence programs of FBI and their predecessors).
What to do on May 1st
To demonstrate our insistence on the respect for all humans and our fear of a future in which scapegoat politics continues, we must unite across ethnic/class/racial/gender/sexuality lines in order to best counter policies of structural dehumanization and institutionalized criminalization, reminiscent of any totalitarian regime. We feel it is eminent to demand for the right to not emigrate, but also for the right to universal amnesty for those who have been and continue to be economically displaced from all nations, particularly Mexico and Latin America. We know that many student organizations and faculty share these sentiments and recognize the importance of honoring this day as it is representative of the struggles of fellow community members, fellow humans, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers; by not holding class on May 1st, coming to the rally at 12pm in the Quarry near the Baytree Plaza, marching peacefully and in solidarity to the San Lorenzo park, where at 4pm there will be a celebration. We welcome you to take an active role in this coalition and to distribute this message to all UCSC and community members.
-Respectfully M.I.R.A. Coalition
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I wish people would stop using the terms migrants and immigrants when speaking about illegal aliens. It's the wrong use of the definition. Illegal aliens have no desire to become Americans or to assimilate into our culture and society.
As for having the right to immigrate to this country, I'm sorry but I totally disagree with this opinion. No country grants the right to immigrate within it's borders without a legal process. NONE! I'd also like to point out that the US currently allows over one million immigrants to permanently migrate to this country, along with hundreds of thousands of visas. That's more than the entire rest of the world combined. The fiscal impact this is having on our nation is obvious. We are 10 TRILLION in debt and bankrupt. Mexican nationals remit to Mexico 25 billion annually, which is a drain on our economy. When you add up healthcare, education, incarceration, welfare, WIC, food stamps, anchor babies, and the untold cost to crime victims it's a staggering total of over 350 BILLION dollars annually!
I'd also like to point out that since 9/11/2001 over 48,000 American citizens have been murdered and killed by illegal aliens. What is the cost of that? It's time to end illegal immigration once and for all. If you want to protest then go protest against the corrupt Mexican government. That's where the problem comes from. Mexico isn't a poor country. It's an elitist country with no middle class. How can you support a country that must export it's citizens in order to prosper? We welcome legal immigration and those who want to become Americans. Be legal or be gone!
As for having the right to immigrate to this country, I'm sorry but I totally disagree with this opinion. No country grants the right to immigrate within it's borders without a legal process. NONE! I'd also like to point out that the US currently allows over one million immigrants to permanently migrate to this country, along with hundreds of thousands of visas. That's more than the entire rest of the world combined. The fiscal impact this is having on our nation is obvious. We are 10 TRILLION in debt and bankrupt. Mexican nationals remit to Mexico 25 billion annually, which is a drain on our economy. When you add up healthcare, education, incarceration, welfare, WIC, food stamps, anchor babies, and the untold cost to crime victims it's a staggering total of over 350 BILLION dollars annually!
I'd also like to point out that since 9/11/2001 over 48,000 American citizens have been murdered and killed by illegal aliens. What is the cost of that? It's time to end illegal immigration once and for all. If you want to protest then go protest against the corrupt Mexican government. That's where the problem comes from. Mexico isn't a poor country. It's an elitist country with no middle class. How can you support a country that must export it's citizens in order to prosper? We welcome legal immigration and those who want to become Americans. Be legal or be gone!
![chicago-martyrs.jpg](/uploads/2008/04/27/chicago-martyrs.jpg)
In 1887 four Chicago anarchists were executed. A fifth cheated the hangman by killing himself in prison. Three more were to spend 6 years in prison until pardoned by Governor Altgeld who said the trial that convicted them was characterized by "hysteria, packed juries and a biased judge". The state had, in the words of the prosecution put "Anarchy .. on trial" and hoped their deaths would also be the death of the anarchist idea.
The anarchists were trade union organizers and May Day became an international workers day to remember their sacrifice. They were framed on false charges of throwing a bomb at police breaking up a demonstration in Chicago. This was part of a strike demanding an 8 hour day involving 400,000 workers in Chicago that started May 1st 1886.
The anarchist idea did not die in Chicago in 1887. Today it inspires a new wave of struggle against global capitalism. Join in this struggle.
http://struggle.ws/about/mayday.html
FLYER FOR DISTRIBUTION
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2007/04/27/mayleaf.pdf
The anarchists were trade union organizers and May Day became an international workers day to remember their sacrifice. They were framed on false charges of throwing a bomb at police breaking up a demonstration in Chicago. This was part of a strike demanding an 8 hour day involving 400,000 workers in Chicago that started May 1st 1886.
The anarchist idea did not die in Chicago in 1887. Today it inspires a new wave of struggle against global capitalism. Join in this struggle.
http://struggle.ws/about/mayday.html
FLYER FOR DISTRIBUTION
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2007/04/27/mayleaf.pdf
MIRA Coalition
Since you are UCSC students, I'll take a moment to help educate you.
1) You need to state your point or request clearly. -- In particular when you are asking someone to take an action, you should put it near the top of the message. In this case the request to cancel class was hidden all the way at the bottom.
2) You need to provide evidence that the action you are requesting is correlated with the change you would like to see. -- I fail to understand how me canceling class has any relation to US policy on immigration. Neither does your message tell me.
3) You need to be very careful not to represent as facts things which are wrong, or which many believe to be wrong without documentation. -- You mention poor wages as a concern, and free trade policies as a concern. However there is relatively good evidence that free trade and privatization lead to increased wages. At the very least there are many smart people who would disagree with your claims. Thus you need to cite some evidence when you make this claim.
4) Whenever you want to hold a rally, or other activist event, you need to have a clear set of requests for change that you are making. What are yours? You are not raising my awareness that there are undocumented people. I know that there are. Nor are you raising my awareness that there are poor people in the world. I know that there are. There must be something you want changed, and you must have a plan to achieve that goal. I should have seen that in the message.
By the way, I tend to agree politically with you. I would prefer a world without passports because I deny the right of governments to restrict the travel of people. (This would result in decreased wages in the US by the way.) However this doesn't make the strategy of complaining without proposing a solution, a correct one. If I had one lesson for students it would be, Quit being "activists" who dont do anything, get your education, become a CEO or politician or other powerful member of society and then you will be in a position to change whatever it is you want changed.
-james - assistant professor computer science
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