Mothers and fathers. Brothers and sisters. American flags. A sea of white shirts.
Organizers say they were pleased with Monday’s immigration rally in Denver, which drew about 75,000 people, and are focusing on how to turn that energy into political clout.
A coalition of nonprofit groups organized the rally, calling on families to bring their children. The response, they said, was gratifying.
“To have families together out there is a symbol of what matters to this community, why they do what they do and why they are here,” said Jennifer Herrera, one of the organizers. “For parents, it’s to give their children a better life.”
One of the components of the comprehensive immigration reform sought by marchers is family reunification, she said.
The all-day event Monday for immigrants and supporters was put together with less than $3,000, including in-kind donations, said Michelle Dally, spokeswoman for Service Employees International Union Local 105. Nearly 2,500 of the protesters were SEIU members.
“It marks that it’s a true grassroots movement,” Dally said about the budget.
Demonstrators, largely Latino, included pockets of whites, African-Americans and other immigrants. Among the Latino attendees were people from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and South and Central America as well as legal residents and U.S.-born citizen Latinos.
“The assumption that all the people out there are illegal immigrants is disingenuous,” said Nita Gonzales, executive director of Escuela Tlatelolco. “We are blended; we have legal immigrants that have residency as well as U.S. citizens standing up for the right reason, which is to have immigration reform.”
And because of that, nonprofits are gearing up both to register Latino voters and help legal residents eligible for naturalization apply for it.
“We need to transfer those numbers into the voting booth,” Gonzales said.
Staff writer Elizabeth Aguilera can be reached at 303-820-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com.
