Tuesday, March 31, 2009

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT TO COMMEMORATE CESAR CHAVEZ'S BIRTHDAY

President Barack Obama today made the following statement to commemorate Cesar Chavez's birthday:

"Today, on what would have been his 82nd birthday, Cesar Chavez's legacy as an educator, environmentalist, and as a civil rights leader who struggled for fair treatment and fair wages for America's workers is important for every American to remember.

Having begun as a farmworker, Cesar Chavez eventually co- founded the United Farm Workers and struggled to provide hundreds of thousands of people with better working conditions and the chance to live a better life. The cause of fair treatment and fair wages for America?s workers lives on today through the work of countless others.

Chavez's rallying cry, "Si Se Puede" -- "Yes We Can," was more than a slogan, it was an expression of hope and a rejection of those who said farmworkers could not organize, and could not take on the growers. Through his courage, Cesar Chavez taught us that a single voice could change our country, and that together, we could make America a stronger, more just, and more prosperous nation."

Friday, March 27, 2009

Obama Flinches on Immigration

This editorial published on the New York Times on March 24th reports the withdrawal of the Obama's administration offer to Thomas Saenz, "a highly regarded civil-rights lawyer and counsel to the mayor of Los Angeles, to run the Justice Department’s civil rights division."

Although it might have been a missed opportunity to set some record about the Obama's administration intentions regarding immigration, it seems that a more moderate route was preferred by nominating Thomas Perez, Labor Secretary from Maryland. The decision, according to the article, was caused by pressure from the right-wing anti-immigrant groups. However, I wonder how much the decision was influenced by the Mexican border situation and Thomas relationship with controversial Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. And the main question: Does Obama need to start yet another fire?

Thursday, March 26, 2009

A Slippery Place in the U.S. Work Force

This article by Julia Preston published by the New York Times on March 21st describes the unsettling situation of undocumented immigrants due to the economic crisis and the continuing immigration raids in different parts of the country. Read how they are coping with the difficulties and how people react to the situation.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

National Immigrant Solidarity Network


4th National Grassroots Immigrant Strategy Conference
& Immigrant Rights Film Festival

April 10-12, 2009 Chicago, IL