Slogans, Quotes and Meaning

Chicago May Day/ immigrant rights march was very calm, sunny day, good vibes- it was a good experience here, unlike the crap that happened in L.A.- what the fuck??? In any case a group of us left from the Centro Autonomo where Mexico Solidarity Network is housed, we shared a bus with folks from the Interfaith Worker's Rights folks (the main organizer is a Latino man, but the majority of the rest are young, white women...while the members that we met were for the most part Latino men, ah the demographics of this kind of work) and carried a banner that said "We Are Here Because You Are There" with No NAFTA, No CAFTA, No FTAA, No PPP signs underneath. The quote is from an Irish poem that this great woman from Guatemala told to us as an opener to a workshop about the history if immigration to the U.S. indicating that the policies the U.S. creates (the 'you') force folks out of their homes to find income here (the 'we'). It was interesting to see folks responses to the sign. Some got it and were really excited about it, others were confused but didn't say anything, and a few people were confused but asked us about it and that was great for me... it's so interesting and hard to not be didactic when explaining the mechanics to folks, especially when they start the conversation with "But I thought NAFTA gave all these people [motions to marchers] more job opportunities..." Although granted, for some of the time it was two white looking girls carrying the sign, which may have made it more confusing, but philosophical nonetheless. We also handed out copies of the Sexta to folks who showed interest, and stickers we had made with this cool resist image we found and dichos in English and Spanish like 'Somos eguales porque somos diferentes', 'Free trade doesn't benefit me', 'If feeding my family is a crime, then I am guilty', 'No NAFTA- Otro mundo es posible', some of which the students from the ESL class had helped to create.

It was interesting that it seemed like an unpolitical rally. The socialist/communist (more May Day-ish) folks were getting little love from the crowd and there was an awful lot of U.S. flag waving and "U.S.A" chanting. There were quite a few worker's rights signs, and No Raids signs, but the political end of it wasn't so charged. Also a heavily Mexican crowd, some people waving flags from other countries but majority U.S. and Mexican.

We talked about the marches in ESL class and it spurred some interesting conversation, with one student carrying the party line that if immigrants (like herself) are in this country than they have to assimilate, learn the language, obey the laws, and other students pointing out that the laws were unjust and they didn't think they needed to give up their customs to stay here. We talked a little bit about the idea of un mundo donde quepan muchos mundos. The same student also mentioned that they were guests in the U.S. and needed to respect their host, and I felt like as a U.S. born person I could tell her with some confidence that her hosts needed to be a hell of a lot more respectful to its guests! Raiding and detaining guests isn't very polite, methinks. It was exciting and difficult to have such disagreements in conversation in class. As always I am trying to figure out how to facilitate conversation in a way that is respecting who people are and the experience they have that I can't possibly know about. Trying not to be the white girl who acts like she knows everyone's pain, or is there to 'help', or alternatively is trying to sweep it all away and make everything alright. I'm always learning, to be sure.

Also saw a few significant movies lately, Matewan about miners strikes in the 20's (I heart John Sayles) and it got me all teary eyed when they start singing Italian labor songs (isn't that what gets most people mushy in movies?) and also De Nadie a really tough movie about Central Americans crossing into Mexico and how not-lovely Mexico is to them... dangerous train rides, hideous police and immigration bullshit- there was just a tiny bit of talk about why people are migrating en masse... the folks who cross sure as hell know why they're crossing but it amazes me that so much of the general U.S. public have absolutley no idea why people can't survive in their own country. I wonder when it will cease to astonish me?

I leave this entry with some bits and pieces, quotes and things which moved me in various ways this week:
"You may have our bodies but not our obedience."
" I am the other."
"Ya no seras tu, eres nosotros " (you are no longer you, you are us)

and from the funniest book I've read in a looong time: Mountain Man Dance Moves: The McSweeney's Book of Lists -if you click that you will know what I find to be the best sense of humor ever-
from the list 'Least Reputable Charities'
Doctors Without Credentials
Habitat for Sean Hannity
Feed the Children (to other children)
Save the Children (so we can feed them to the other children)