Si, se Puede! .:. grubbykid.com

Si, se Puede!

Flags, originally uploaded by plemeljr

I only caught the end of today's massive Immagration Rally (more info) in Lower Manhattan which culminated in a march to City Hall to protest the GOP's anti-immigration bill - HR 4437. Now, the Senate Republicans just scuttled a bill last week which would have made the puntative House bill a sure-shot, but it doesn't mean that it won't come back. But that is for later musings, because I want to talk about today's rally.

I want to stay positive. I only caught the last half-hour of the march down Broadway in TriBeCa, but there were thousands of people screaming, "Si, Se Puede" - Yes, we can, (old slogan from the migrant workers rights days) and chanting for America. Whatever you want to think about the marchers, lack of patriotism is the furthest from what was on display today. Often forced to work multiple jobs, today's immigrants share a special love for America, as a gateway for their, and their children's future.

There were Mariachi's playing tunes, horns playing the Mexican national anthem, people waving flags from Mexico, Ireland, the Dominican Republic, a Cuban flag (or two), but mostly American flags. The Stars and Stripes were all over the place. Literally. In the above photo, both American and Mexican flags wave side-by-side which was a common occurrence throughout the march.

Where the protests against the Iraq War, and President Bush in general, had a ethereal quality to it due to the intangible nature of the subject, the affect the putative House legislation was palpable. While Iraq is just some country in the Middle East, and what percentage of any Iraq protest are military (active or retired), people at today's rally knew all too well their precarious lot in America. While all too often exploited by employers, immigrants continue to strive for, and build, their America.

American Flags, originally uploaded by plemeljr

While the rally could have easily turned angry or sullen, the feeling in the middle of the throng, and it was a throng as thousands upon thousands marched, was euphoric; cooks, children, mechanics, and all sorts of people marched for their slice of the American Dream: the dream of a new sort, of prosperity, of freedom from a host of ills befitting the world. There was a distinct earnestness to the march, a serious but jubilant population who so often are marginalized or not acknowledged at all. People who fix your cars, cook your dinner (no matter if it is French, Italian, or Greek), people who clean your offices, who build your fancy condo's; these are people who, while may (or may not) have entered the country illegally, are the backbone of the workforce.

This is the face of America:

This is America, originally uploaded by plemeljr

We are America, and no matter what, that is what was on display today.

See the rest of the photos I took using the Si, Se Puede tag and see other's photos from today.

Si, se Puede!

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