Workers Ride for Immigrant Rights

A bus headed for Washington will leave Seattle Sept. 23, picking up a diverse group of riders from across the country on the way.

The Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride (IWFR) is a national project to focus public attention on immigrant rights. Inspired by the Freedom Rides of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, riders will ask Congress to reform immigration laws many believe are unjust. They hope to bring the issue of immigrant rights into the mainstream, especially in politics.

"One thing that's really important is the diversity of the bus," said local organizer Pramila Jayapal. The bus, one of nine departing from all over the country, will be filled with individuals selected to represent various immigrant communities and groups and those who reflect the goals of the ride. Riders will be announced on Aug. 8.

The Seattle route is scheduled to stop in Pasco, Wash., Boise, Idaho, Salt Lake City, Denver, Omaha, Neb., Des Moines, Iowa, Quad Cities, Ind. and Ill. and Cincinnati. After riders meet with elected officials in Washington, they will proceed to New York City for a rally in support of immigrant rights and policy reform.

Mel Kang, a member of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) who sits on the project's stirring committee, outlined four goals: The need to provide a "path to citizenship" for immigrant workers, family reunification, giving immigrant workers a voice on the job, and promoting civil rights for all.

"We want to begin the dialog to make citizenship more accessible to immigrants," Kang said. For example, many elderly Asians with permanent residency find it difficult to pass the English proficiency test. He proposed the requirement be waived or made easier.

Many families are separated when one person immigrates for work. Current US policy makes it difficult for other family members to join them. "Long delays, unnecessary restrictions, and opaque procedures impose undue hardship on countless immigrant families," organizers said in a prepared statement.

IWFR organizers are also concerned with the rights of undocumented immigrant workers. These workers, they said, are subject to a system that is fundamentally unjust and vulnerable to exploitation because of their legal status.

Ride organizers said the IWFR itself is not the only reason to come together. They're building a coalition between labor and immigrant communities to improve conditions locally.

But the coalition, not the ride, is what Jayapal said is so exciting. "It's very much the equal participation [of] labor and immigrant communities," explained the executive director of Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington. "The coalition wouldn't exist just to fill a bus."

Kang asked the important question: "What's going to happen the day after the event [Oct. 5]?"

Those involved with the project hope to create strong bonds between community and labor groups for lasting community-based reform projects. To this end, Jayapal explained, Michael Ramos was hired to determine what were community concerns and how the coalition can help. A preliminary list of issues and demands with their possible solutions is already being made.

Immigration reform became a particularly relevant issue when Congress imposed tight restrictions in reaction to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Citizenship, residency status and deportation remain hotly debated topics, especially after the US Government began deporting Cambodian refugees in 2002. Those convicted of aggravated felonies, including such nonviolent offenses as shoplifting, driving while intoxicated and marijuana possession, who were not citizens could be sent back to Cambodia.
Organizations involved with the coalition include AFL-CIO unions, APALA, the Washington Council of Churches, the Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington, and the King County Labor Council. Several other groups and politicians have endorsed the IWFR's goals as well.

A kickoff celebration is planned for Friday, Aug. 7, 7 p.m. at New Holly Neighborhood Center, 7050 32nd Ave. South in Seattle. Speakers, music, entertainment, and food will be available and all are welcome.
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Those interested in becoming a rider or supporting the project are encouraged to visit the Web site: http://www.iwfr.org

(from News Lab/The Northwest Asian Weekly)