April 10, 2014
Esteemed Friends:
We invite you to join us, the Protect Our Families-Save The Children Campaign, in the commemoration and celebration of Day of the Children this April 30th and hear the voices of the children who will give testimony of the great tragedy that has befallen them as a result of the mass detention and removal policy pursued by the administration of President Obama.
On Wednesday, April 30th at 6:00 PM at the Methodist Church located at the Placita Olvera, 115 Paseo de la Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, we will convene a public celebration with direct testimony from the pulpit from children who have been separated from their parents due to either detention and/or deportation, and testimony from public agencies and voluntary community organizations.
As you are aware, this month the administration will reach 2 million deportations since
January 2009, and so the separation of families continue unabated to historic heights.
The PROTECT OUR FAMILIES-SAVE THE CHILDREN CAMPAIGN seeks to intervene in defense of family integrity and the values that we hold so dear. Nothing is more important to us as our families and children. Who are we? We are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, compadres and comadres, veteran immigrant advocates and young Dreamers, and elected officials sworn by oath of office to uphold the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution. We assume the responsibility to protect our own. And, we call upon you to do the same. If not us, who? If not now, when?
Time is of the essence. How many more families will be removed before we take action to definitively stop the bleeding, stop the suffering, stop the removals reminiscent of the Repatriation Movement of the 1930s and Operation Wetback of the 1950s? Hundreds of thousands of American-born children are also forcibly deported along with their undocumented mothers and fathers. Tens of thousands of other children find themselves stranded, taken in by relatives and worst, homeless. Much to our surprise the thousands of children who are involuntarily abandoned by their deported parents are not accorded the appropriate benefits and aide by county welfare authorities, because as we discovered recently, such authorities do not even count these children or assume any responsibility for them.
Join hands with the PROTECT OUR FAMILIES-SAVE THE CHILDREN CAMPAIGN to be masters of our fate and protect that which we cherish most – our loved ones. STOP THE DEPORTATONS and GRANT PROTECTED LEGAL STATUS TO ALL ELIGIBLE UNDOCUMENTED is our rallying cry!
Sincerely Yours,
The California Protect Our Families-Save Our Children Campaign
/s/ Father Richard Estrada**
Angela Sanbrano, Mexican Network of Migrant Leaders and Organizations, Red MX**
Bertha Rodriquez, Frente Indigena Oaxaqueno Binacional**
Prof. Gonzalo Santos, Kern Coalition for Citizenship**
Prof. Primitivo Rodriguez, Colegio de Mexico
Nativo Vigil López ©**
Prof. Armando Vazquez-Ramos, California-Mexico Studies Center**
Armando Rodriguez, East Los Angeles College President (Retired)*
José Antonio Aguirre, Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Ángeles
Evelyn Hernandez, Central American Resource Center,
Ron Gochez, Southern California Immigration Coalition
Xel’ha Lopez and Sergio Trujillo, Hermandad Mexicana Humanitarian Foundation
Anabella Bastida, Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas en Norteamérica (COFEM)*
Taina Reyes, Mexican American Political Association (MAPA)
Amin David and Jose Moreno, Los Amigos de Orange County
Baldomero Capiz, Binational Ex-Braceros Association
Antonio Gonzalez, Willie C. Velásquez Institute
Rafael Vásquez, Federación Oaxaqueña de Comunidades Indígenas en California*
Sara Zapata Mijares, Mundo Maya Foundation
Mario Beltran, Southeast Leadership Network
Benny Diaz, State Director, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Al Rojas, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Sacramento
Arturo Jimenez, Pomona Speaks
Thomas Gonzalez and Kathy Jurado, LULAC Long Beach Council
Guadalupe Mata, Los Amigos of Santa Ana
Honorary Co-Chairs:
Rep. Raul Grijalva
Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo
** Coordinators
*for identification purposes only
Partial list of endorsers
Protect Our Families-Save The Children Campaign
