NATIONAL CITY, CA, 30 September 2006--National City, population 55,000
and just a few miles from the Mexico-U.S. border, valiantly proclaimed itself a
sanctuary for immigrants on Wednesday, and on Saturday 350 residents headed to
the city hall complex to celebrate. The noontime event opened with an
ecumenical prayer, including Catholic, Buddhist, and Quaker religious
leaders. Attendees broke into cheers when the proclamation was carried out
of city hall to the crowd.
On the prior evening, the U.S. Congress had authorized 700 more miles of
border fence, increasing tenfold the wall of despair that has taken 4030 lives
according to official reports in the twelve years since it was built.
Workers who provide aid to border crossers fear the actual number may be as high
as 10,000. But National City today thumbed its nose at Congress and
skipped through the streets. It had declared itself a haven for people of
foreign descent, even as the federal government intensifies mass roundups and
deportations, and neighboring cities legitimate ethnic profiling.
The proclamation, signed by Mayor Nick Inzunza, adds National City to a
roster that includes big cities: San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
and small: Maywood, Pomona, Huntington Park,
Coachella--cities and townships that have decided to leave immigration
enforcement to federal authorities. Inunza elaborated in a letter to the San
Diego Union Tribune, "I hope that my residents
who I was elected to represent feel that they will not be harassed, not allowed
to stand on the streets and look for work or kicked out of a neighborhood
canyon." He pointed directly to the registration of city day laborers
and their employers in Vista and a pending ordinance to ban renting to
undocumented immigrants in Escondido as actions that will not be tolerated in
National City.
U.S. communities are
dividing the nation into immigrant-friendly zones, including the cities above
along with New York City, Houston, and Cambridge,
MA, and anti-immigrant outposts, including Riverside, NJ, Hazleton, PA, and
Valley Park, MO. Around the nation, city councils are deciding where
people of foreign descent will live. Towns with a long history of accommodating
immigrants are reinforcing their heritage, while cities with newer migrant
populations are rejecting cultural diversity as they drive residents and
businesses out.
Standing proudly with National City and the sanctuary
movement on Saturday were the American Friends Service Committee, Bienestar,
Gente Unida, Border Angels, Sí Se Puede, Unión del Barrio, MEChA, and United
for Peace and Justice, and Peace and Freedom. They were joined by students
from Southwestern College, San Diego State, UCSD, and USC. Also appearing
were the Boredom Patrol of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army.
The sanctuary movement organizers promised that
National City was just the first in a campaign to line up safe havens.
The day wouldn't have been complete without the
obligatory appearance of a contingent of minutemen. Jim Gilchrist, head of
the Minuteman Project, had promised 400 minutemen would converge on National
City for today's protest, but on 78 showed up, according to event
organizers. The motley crew of "patriots" waved their flags and
apparently were shouting to the celebrators across the street, although mostly
they were drowned out. Sixty or more police lined both sides of the
street, and a contingent of horse-mounted police waited to one side. A
slightly larger minuteman demonstration last week in National City had ended
with sanctuary supporters being pepper sprayed by minutemen and one minuteman
arrest. This time there were no incidents and no arrests. At 1:30
p.m., the police escorted the minutemen to their cars. A lone grey-bearded
minuteman re-appeared a few minutes later, but he scurried off as the police
marched out.
The festive crowd marched and sometimes danced the
four block up National City Boulevard from City Hall to the County Board of
Education, singing, chanting, waving banners and flags, drumming, and playing
guitars. At the plaza, speakers addressed the crowd. Cristian
Ramirez of the Friends Service Committee warned the group that, "The media
says the African-American community is the enemy of the Mexican community.
That the Mexican community is the enemy of the African-American
community." He went on: "We are telling the truth today: we have
more in common than divides us. We have system that enslaves and kills us,
that wants to divide us."
Cars honking horns and waving huge Mexican flags drove
past the plaza as Ramirez told of a National City family that went to J. C.
Penney only to be dragged out, handcuffed, sat on the curb, and deported by
local police. "Their only crime was that they bought a pair of pants,
and they were Mexican."
Under the shadow of the now-authorized border wall,
Ramirez brought the point home: "Today's victory has to be defended
by the power of the people. With the power of the people, we are
invincible. We have the ability to win. We must see ourselves as
victors, not as defeated. We are the color of justice, of true
democracy--of people's democracy."
"We are going to win."
He was followed by Enrique Morones of Border
Angels. This crowd didn't need his reminder that "the minuteman
movement is still alive." "This is a long struggle," he
warned. "We ask for human rights, nothing more, nothing less."
Ramirez returned to the microphone and concluded,
"Speak to your children of what you did today. Talk to your
neighbors. Make this part of your history: today in National City a group of
valiant men and women, different races, different religions, came together to
defend dignity."
Several of us ended up a local coffee shop. The
owner told us that, after last week's event, a crowd of minutemen had
"terrorized" his business, harassing and cursing his employees.
Today, a single minuteman showed up, vociferously insisting that National City
was violating federal law. After patiently listening to the guy's rants,
the owner proudly announced that this business supports the policies of National
City.
City of National City ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Proclamation
WHEREAS, the City of National City is made up of
immigrants who were born all over the world, including our city council,
our police department, and our business owners, who intentions are to
live, work and pursue happiness under the protection of the Constitution
of the United States, the State of California and the City of National
City;
WHEREAS, the City of National City conducts its city
council meetings, community meetings, public notices in different
languages to further integrate and accommodate our immigrants to their
municipal government;
WHEREAS, the city council of National City has
accepted the Matricular Consular as an official identification of
National City; and has officially denounced federal efforts to make it a
felony for churches, community groups and non-profits to aid immigrants;
WHEREAS, the Mayor of National City has denounced any
efforts by private citizens, politicians or government employees that
attempt to break constitutional law and violate the civil liberties of
our residents;
WHEREAS, the Mayor of National City rejects the
hysteria being created to align immigrants with terrorists, homeland
security, or any other threat to our nation;
WHEREAS, the people of National City have raised the
awareness that human rights must be protected by all of us and not
violate our liberties in National City or anywhere in the county;
WHEREAS, the Mayor of National City declares National
City an American city that protects and respects all residents which is
protected under the rule of law;
THEREFORE, as Mayor, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the City of National City, do hereby proclaim the City
of National City:
A Sanctuary for Immigrants
I call upon all residents of National City to support
this effort on this 27th day of September, 2006.
(signed) Nick Inzunza
Mayor |