"Just a Thought" Column usually in La Prensa but cut this week
Just a Thought: Immigration Town Hall
By Steve Walker
By Steve Walker
Last week I attended an Immigration Town Hall at Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church to address the crisis of unaccompanied children from
Central
America and the overall issue of undocumented immigration.
America and the overall issue of undocumented immigration.
The event attracted over 80 participants to include community
activists, and a panel of distinguished guests. The event drew two Keynote
Speakers, Congressman Lloyd Doggett and former HUD Secretary and former Mayor
Henry Cisneros.
The program was officially referenced as Immigration Reform’s
Future, sponsored by the Cesar E. Chavez Legacy and Education Foundation headed
by Jaime Martinez and his son, Ernest who oversees the Cesar E. Chavez
Scholarship Program. The battle cry was “Stop Deportation Now!”
A number of local community activists that participated and
answered or asked questions included Henry Rodriguez, Peace Initiative
representative Patsy Castillo, College Professor Joseph Fonseca, PhD. and
Gabriel Rosales, son of former National LULAC President Rosa Rosales. District
5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzalez also addressed the crowd.
Having participated in a number of protest marches and even an
occasional picket line with Jaime Martinez, and Henry Rodriguez in the past, I
felt right at home covering the event for the Walker Report. For the past 15
years I have marched alongside Jaime and Henry in the annual Cesar E. Chavez
March of which I have in the past written columns on the yearly March as well
as a column on Jaime, a close friend of Cesar E. Chavez.
Back in the day when I taught at McCollum High School my public
speaking students participated in a televised forum in which Patricia Castillo
was a panelist. That year I also walked a picket line with Jaime and others in
front of a well-known grocery store down the street from the school.
Valeria Rodriguez an immigrant advocate from Del Rio, J.A. Garcia,
immigration lawyer, Jonathan Ryan JD, Raices Executive Director, Houston
immigration lawyer and former San Antonio City Councilman Bennie Euresti served
as panelists.
In 1982 when I worked as a KENS-5 Eyewitness News Reporter I
interviewed then Councilman Euresti on numerous occasions.
One of the more inspiring speakers was Dreamer Tanairi Ochoa who
gave her testimonial about her family, focusing on her father who worked to
ensure she not only attended college, but receive scholarships to complete her
education. She mentioned that for 20 years as an undocumented worker her father
kept boxes of tax records, receipts of all his paid bills and “never even
received a traffic ticket during that time.” She pointed out that when her
father was finally unable to work she found a job as a manager of an apartment
complex when she only 16 years old!
She related when her father apologized to her for not working, she
told him, “You were always there when I needed you and you took care of my
needs and I will be there to care for you as well.” The crowd cheered and gave Tanairi
a standing ovation.
With the number of children scheduled for deportation, how many
other Tanaira’s might be in that group?
As always, I write “Just a Thought.”
Steve Walker is a Vietnam Veteran, former Journalist and Justice
of the Peace.
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