Activists Still Fasting for Immigrant Rights in L.A.

Published November 03, 2008 @ 07:30PM PT

United Farm Workers Vice President Diana Tellefson has a message up at DKos today:

Today I proudly join the hunger strike for immigration reform. On October 15th, nearly 100 people began one of the largest hunger strikes in American history to call on Latinos, immigrants, and people of conscience to rise out of our fear and vote for change.

12 young people have been fasting continuously on water for 20 days. They are determined to encourage 1 million people to sign the pledge to vote and take action for immigrant rights. The fasters and supporters who have joined in the fast chain have been staying at a tent city in Los Angeles' historic Olvera Street. On Wednesday, they'll march to LA's federal building calling on the new administration to take decisive action on immigration reform and will end their fast.

20 days is a long freakin' time to go without food. That is a level of commitment I have to respect.

Some background to this hunger strike here.

Let's assume there are three main interest groups working to persuade an ambivalent public to support their goals for immigration reform. First is the pro-migrant movement. Second, the business community. Third, the restrictionist movement.

The belief of the L.A. fasters in the goals of the pro-migrant movement is stronger than the tepid support of the business community for comprehensive reform or the dedication of the well-funded but ultimately shallow restrictionist movement to keeping white America in a perpetual state of paranoia.

How many Minutemen are fasting for 20 days to move public opinion in their direction? How many factory owners or members of Chambers of Commerce? If there are any, I haven't heard about them.

But these activists can't do it on their own. From an email I received from the RISE Movement recently:

The Fast and encampment have cost well over $20,000. Medical monitoring and equipment for fasters, port-o-potties, printing, extension chords and duct tape, sanitation supplies, website infrastructure, minimal expenses for full-time organizers, wheel-chairs for fasters - even with an ethic of simplicity and a commitment to efficiency, there are so many things that have been essential to this historic campaign. Even with doctors volunteering to help monitor fasters, blood tests alone have cost over $2500. We are a grassroots, volunteer-driven operation, funded by the donations of supporters like you. Currently, we have raised less than 25% of the costs of the Fast and encampment. We need your help urgently. Please donate today and ask your friends and family to do the same.

I just donated a bit more to RISE to help cover some of those expenses and push the movement forward, and I encourage my readers to do the same. (Since migrants put food on my table in more ways than one, I figure the least I can do is give a little back.)

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Comments (3)

John and I fasted on Sunday. We hope that the Obama presidency changes things for the better.

Posted by Karla Bennion on 11/05/2008 @ 06:43AM PT
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I hope so, too! I am glad to hear about your fast.

Posted by Dave Bennion on 11/05/2008 @ 05:22PM PT
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Illegal immigration is a subject that evokes a large span of emotional responses.

No child or elderly person in need of medical care should be denied medical care regardless of citizenship status. To do otherwise is inhumane and we are not an inhumane society.

It angers me that our elected officials have turned a blind eye to this growing problem for 30 years or more and now our options are limited simply by the sheer number of illegal immigrants residing in the US.

As I see it there are too many illegal immigrants to make a massive roundup fiscally possible. It would simply cost too much for us to do, let alone finding the transportation assets to move millions to the border, house them, feed them while herding them through the border. It just isn't feasible. I am angered that my country is forced to accept lawbreaking people and find a way to make these lawbreaking people citizens of my country simply because my elected officials did not do anything about securing the borders of my country 30 years ago.

I have no problem accepting visa applications by the thousands to satisfy the needed labor to harvest crops wherever.

That's enough ranting about past failures of our elected officials. The question now is how do we resolve the issue of illegal immigration? Frankly, I don't see much benefit in assessing a monetary penalty as one of the steps to citizenship unless it was a nominal amount; $50, $100 or so. More than that and it could have the reverse effect. I would much rather see those millions of illegal immigrants paying into social security, medicare and income tax. But, the border should be secured.

Posted by Roy Quinn on 11/08/2008 @ 02:06PM PT
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David is an attorney in Philadelphia, PA, where he helps immigrants to the U.S. navigate the complex immigration legal system. Views he expresses at change.org are his alone and don't represent the views or opinions of his employer, Nationalities Service Center. The information contained on this site is intended for educational and advocacy purposes only.