By Yoli Navas:
In the 1600’s, the English founded colonies in the “New World” in order to live free with their families and to be free from religious persecution. They came to the New World in search of better opportunities.
When the English government began to overtax the American people, the colonists came together to fight for their rights. When the King of England would not listen to the demands of the people, leaders of the New World came together to create the Declaration of Independence. They believed in a democracy that would allow them to fight for their rights, so they created one.
On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the thirteen colonies became the United States of America. The Declaration states:
That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed–That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it.
Today, there are millions of people who have migrated to America because they are escaping danger and persecution in search of better opportunities and the American Dream. The millions living here in the shadows manage to find ways to give back to their communities they call home, and they are asking for a chance to be with their families without fear of separation or deportation. As Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) said yesterday at United We Dream’s mock citizenship ceremony, undocumented immigrants “are American in everything but a piece of paper.”
Yesterday I stood among five hundred DREAMers who not only reminded Senators and Representatives that we have a right to demand change, but they showed what it meant to truly be American. I watched them place their right hands over their heart and recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the National Anthem in the center of the Capitol. I watched as the Capitol security led them out–but not before they made their voices heard: “UNDOCUMENTED AND UNAFRAID.” The message is clear: we will no longer be in the shadows and we will fight tirelessly for our rights.
Article VI in the Constitution requires that every member of Congress take the Oath of Office. That means that Speaker of the House, John Boehner, and every member of the House of Representatives swore to defend the Constitution of the United States. Current immigration policy defies the very logic and principle of the Constitution. It does not allow for justice or insure domestic tranquility; it does not promote the general welfare or secure the blessings of liberty. Therefore, it is the duty of every member of Congress to listen to the demands of the American people and change what is harmful to the nation.
The hundreds of immigrants who rallied yesterday were living proof of the strength of the immigration movement. We were there to remind Congress that the American people have spoken and the support is overwhelming. There are no more excuses, we will not give up.
