Immigrant Day 2012

 We attended Immigrant Day 2012 at the California State Capitol. This is part of the Policy Platform: "Today we celebrate the work of immigrants and their advocates to bring about needed social service and health care supports, civil rights protections, relief from discriminatory treatment, and workers' rights to the millions of immigrants and their families who live in our state."
Above is Assemblyman Ammiano who sponsored the AB 1081 TRUST Act, which is the legislation that brought us to the lobbying event and AB 889 The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, which brought a representative from Chico Women's Health Specialists. We also had senate/assembly visits with those who supported SB 1064 the Reuniting Immigrant Families Act (which would eliminate family reunification barriers for immigrant families in the child welfare system by creating uniformity across state and county policies,) as well as those rejecting the Governor's proposed cuts to CalWORKs. I also ran into Al Rojas, a contemporary of Cesar Chavez and union organizer, who was there opposing the "Bracero" Guest Worker Bill AB 1544. The picture doesn't do it justice-- there were hundreds more, from many nationalities and cultures.

 Orien was a Team Leader with Michelle Ho, also from the Asian Law Caucus. These bright young women led our little Chico team to meetings with Senator LaMalfa, Rep. Logue, Sen Hanford, and Harman. We weren't able to meet with anyone in Nielsen's office. We met with Aides, as the officials were in session. Everyone was cordial and we got complemented on how together the presentation on the TRUST Act was...

 And that's because Eliza, Pete, Andrea, Carolyn and Sheldon were there to help spread the responsibility for addressing different elements of the bill. What was most exciting though is that the halls were full of groups from a few people to many dozens, some non-English-speaking, there to stand up for what they believe to be critical for the law makers... 15 priority issues.

 It was Democracy in Action. Quite an odd contrast to this photo in the lobby of a 14 year old strawberry picker...as if he should be in the fields. Child agricultural labor wasn't one of the bills...  However, many people standing up, will eventually get these kids into schools and those schools will eventually have affordable tuition and be open to all... We have a dream. And here's info on the TRUST Act-- http://www.aclusandiego.org/immigrants-rights/news-for-immigrants-rights/ab-1081-rebuilding-community-trust-with-the-trust-act/      Please send letters of support.