Date of Release: Monday, July 8, 2019
Contact Persons:
Armando Navarro, Ph.D., UCR Professor Emeritus (951) 333-6819
Rosa Marta Zarate, MORENA Sin Fronteras, Alianza de Ex Braceros del Norte (909) 875-1779
Emilio Amaya, Director, Rapid Response Network (951) 442-4765
Rev. Miguel Ceja, Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Riverside, (760) 567-4202
This coming Saturday, July 13 the newly formed “Solidarity with Mexico & Pro-Migrant Committee” will hold the second southern California wide “Popular Assembly (Asamblea Popular)” at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church Hall. Located at 5250 Central Ave., in Riverside, registration will commence at 9 am, while the working session is scheduled from 9:30 am to 1pm.
“President Trump’s most recent threat to deport the country’s estimated 11 million undocumented migrants, starting with a goal of one million, must be addressed by the creation of a powerful national movement of resistance. It is again a blatant example of his racist and nativist politics, especially directed against Mexicanos and Latinos, which have largely gone unanswered and unchallenged by us. This will no longer be the case,” stated political scientist Armando Navarro.
At the first Asamblea Popular held in Riverside on June 12, attended by nearly 100 leaders and activists from throughout Southern California, met and decided to make a national call for a Mexicano/Latino mobilization against President Trump and his administration’s racist, nativist, and anti-immigrant policies. It was agreed to formulate a “strategic plan of action,” based upon the following four Pillars of action, which will serve as the basis for the agenda of next Saturday, July 13 Asamblea Popular.
(1) Make a “national call” for a “Mexicano/Latino Mobilization of Resistance” against President Trump and his nativist domestic and imperialist foreign policies; (2) support existent and/or create organized networks for the “protection/advocacy” of immigrants’ rights; (3) create a historic “electoral mobilization” for 2020; and (4) strengthen Mexicanos and Latinos living in the U.S. solidarity and acercamento bonds with Mexico.
“Because of President Trump’s efforts to intensify this week the deportation of millions of undocumented migrants, the agenda’s focus will be on strengthening existent pro-immigrant organizations and networks that provide protection of their human rights. We must be ready to mobilize and resist against these inhumane actions by ICE and ensure they know their rights.” said Emilio Amaya, Director of Rapid Response Network.
Rosa Martha, Coordinator of the Alianza de Ex Braceros del Norte stated, “Leaders and activists are coming from throughout Southern California, to ensure that our communities are prepared to resist and mobilize and to do everything within the law, to prevent Trump’s massive deportations.”
“The June 12 Asamblea Popular was the first major critical response by Mexicanos and Latinos in the United States, in which a plan of action was begun. The Call seeks the mobilization of over 40 million Mexicanos and 60 million Latinos in the United States. Today over 17 million Latinos are registered to vote and is being projected that in 2020 some 32 million Latinos will be eligible to vote. If organized and motivated, we could become the “balance of power” to both the defeat of President Trump and to determining the country’s next President in 2020. Time is of the Essence,” said Navarro
