Contributed by Angel Manjarrez, Greater Minnesota Racial Justice Project Organizer
In honor of May Day, Gustavus Adolphus College chose a social justice issue to focus on that is important to the students. This year they chose immigration reform. It is a timely topic because it is currently being debated nationally in Congress. An important part of these reforms would be opening a pathway for undocumented Latino’s living in the United States to gain residency and ultimately citizenship. This rally sponsored by, Spanish-250 “Crossing the Border” and other groups took place around the entire campus of Gustavus. Led by Professor Mayra Taylor, this group of fifty students marched through the campus demanding change.. Antonio Gomez, a senior at Gustavus, and student advocate for immigrant rights had a few words regarding the event. “From my experience with talking with students, teachers, and mentors I have come to realize that there are many people out there who know very little about the issue and could often have negative presumptions about the immigration reform now being discussed. This is why I believe a march to advocate for immigration reform such as the one conducted at Gustavus Adolphus College are beneficial to spark interest or even just curiosity.”
From screaming “si se puede” (Yes we can) to singing “This land is your land”, these students embodied the importance of immigration reform and how desperately it is needed. The stance began at the heart of campus,from there the students walked throughout the class buildings and into the cafeteria, where over two hundred students heard the marchers shouting: “What does immigration look like?” with “This is what immigration looks like!” The next plan of attack for these students is to center around the town of St. Peter and march through Main Street screaming the chant that was heard around campus, “si se puede!”