Jennifer Rogers

After a short synopsis of the history of May Day in class this morning, I was thinking about how I will explain it further in the next lecture and how I might blog about it. Most people are unaware of the history of International Worker’s Day. To understand the complex history of this day, we have to examine it as a commemoration of the Haymarket Riots in 1889 in Chicago, how it was grasped by socialist groups and governments to honor workers around the world, how it was rejected by the U.S. government during the Red Scare (which is why we celebrate labor day in September), how it was reborn in the U.S. as the Great American Boycott to protest against HR4437, and how it is now taking shape as a day to discuss issues concerning immigrants, people of color, and workers.

I could discuss the WALL being built along the border to reduce border crossings (or how it is being built by immigrant labor), but what really inspired me to comment on May Day was brownfemipower’s recent post. The video she highlights is the unnecessary death of Ramiro Gamez Acosta, a Mexican immigrant, at the hands of a border patrol agent. The agent shot Acosta in the chest as he tried to throw a rock at the agent. The video was magically leaked to the internet…

Besides all of the obvious questions I could ask at this point, I wonder why the Border Patrol is using a deadly weapon. Aren’t there other less lethal instruments to be used, such as a tazer, pepper spray, and rubber bullets? XicanoPwr’s blog about this video explains more about the incident and how it mirrors the recent prosecution of a border patrol agent for the death of Francisco Dominguez-Rivera.

If you are in Santa Barbara, CA, I encourage you to attend the series of events sponsored by various organizations during the first week of May:

Dia de los Niños sponsored by Paz Sin Fronteras
Sunday, April 29th from 12-4pm
Sunken Gardens, 1100 Anacapa St (across from the SB central library)
During these times in which the US government is engaged in a war with Iraq abroad, while waging a war on immigrants and youth of color at home, we feel it is important for our community to take a stand against these injustices.
During this Dia de los Niños event on Sunday, we are going to celebrate our children who are our future, while promoting immigrant rights and a violence-free Santa Barbara. We will have speakers, cultural performances, theater and art.
COMMUNITY ALTAR AGAINST VIOLENCE: Please bring photos and other items to honor those we have lost to violence in our community, crossing the US-Mexico border or in the war in Iraq. For more information visit: sbcoalicion.blogspot.com

“Procession for the Dignity & Hope of the Immigrant”
May 1st, 2007 (May Day)
6pm rally at Alameda Park, march to the Sunken Gardens
While the Santa Barbara immigrant community greatly contributes to the local economy through diligent labor and sacrifice, this labor can end in abuse by their employers and other perpetrators of fraud and abuse. The need to preventing the occurrence of this type of targeted behavior, the community feels a need to create and manage a mechanism for reporting it if and when it does occur, and educate the community at large could be served by a community labor resource center. The vigil and assembly is intended to commemorate the lives that have been lost crossing international borders and to call upon City Council to begin dialogue for the creation of a much needed “Labor Resource Center.”

The following events are at La Casa de la Raza 601 E. Montecito St. I will post the times ASAP.
May 2nd: Strengthening Families Forum for Parents
May 4: Hip Hop Concert presented by KCSB
May 5: Citizenship Drive in collaboration with IRCA
May 6: Festival de la Raza

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