The Sophian

Issue date: 4/13/06 Section: Features

Media Credit: Courtesy of Veronica Ochoa Protestors demonstrate in downtown Los Angeles on March 25 in opposition to H.R. 4437, a bill that would make all illegal immigrants felons. Protests of the bill have occurred all across the nation, including at Amherst College on Monday, April 10.

Media Credit: Courtesy of Veronica Ochoa

Media Credit: Courtesy of Veronica Ochoa

At about 10:30 a.m. on the morning of March 25, in the blaring sun, Verónica Ochoa and her brother Alvaro joined the vivaciously resolute mass of protesters marching down Broadway to the L.A. City Hall. "We immersed ourselves into the cheering crowd chanting 'Aqui estamos y no nos vamos!' ('We are here, and we're not leaving!') There was drumming, chanting and cheering. It was intense. Women, men, children, teenagers were all there. I saw a man on a wheelchair at the protest, a reflection of how powerful the human spirit really is! Mothers were there pushing strollers with their babies inside," Ochoa said.

Ochoa, a first semester sophomore at Mt. Holyoke, is a double major in Latin American Studies and Economics and self proclaimed "proud So-Cal native"-specifically from the notorious city of Inglewood in Los Angeles dubbed by Tupac Shakur as "the city always up to no good" - recently took part in the highly publicized L.A. protests against proposed legislation to crackdown on illegal immigration. Although the reported number of participants in the L.A. protests was not consistent from source to source-the L.A. Times reported 500,000 while Univision reported over 2,000,000-an indisputably impressive number of people, arguably the largest gathering for an L.A. protest, filled the streets in opposition to H.R. 4437. This bill calls for three main procedures: the first, the implementation of harsh penalties on employers who attempt to provide employment to illegal immigrants; the second, the classification of all illegal immigrants as felons; and the third, the construction of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Although more than 90 percent of the protesters were Latino, Ochoa is bothered by the media's characterization of H.R. 4437 as a Latino issue. "Yes, we are the largest minority in the United States, so of course it affects many people in my community including myself. Can you help me for cringing, though? One way or another, every single person living in this country has had family members who immigrated to here. I think this is an issue that pertains to everyone living in the United States," Ochoa said. She illustrated her sentiments by referencing the world-famous poem by Pastor Martin Niemller, "First They Came for the Jews," which concludes, "then they came for me/and there was no one left/to speak out for me".

Ochoa is a firm believer in the power of protest as an effective means of communicating with and voicing our discontentment towards our federal government. For many, including many non-Latino activists in Northampton, H.R. 4437 is not detrimental specifically to immigrant rights but to human rights as a whole. "I was at the protest because as a strong woman, I have made the decision to no longer remain quiet. I am working hard every single day to become a woman who is informed about the injustices occurring in this world every single day," Ochoa said.

Ochoa was encouraged by the tangible change she witnessed in Los Angeles in the days following the protests. Members of her community walked down the street proudly waving flags of their countries of origin. There were cars honking and people cheering in support. She saw one boy climb to the roof of his house and stand there yelling "Viva Mexico!" while vigorously waving the Mexican flag. "It was absolutely amazing. All in all I am very optimistic and believe we can do something about this," Ochoa said.

Ochoa also plans to participate in the nationwide boycott planned for May 1 calling on both legal and illegal Latino immigrants to refrain from purchasing products and attending school and work. The goal of the boycott is to demonstrate the immense contribution of Latino immigrants to the prospering U.S. economy and emphasize the real, perhaps as of yet untapped power of Latino immigrants to affect national politics. "We are needed. I mean, how come there is AOL Latino? How come when I was home during winter break, I watched "MTV en Espanol" 24/7? How come Dish Network actually accommodated my needs and put Reggaeton videos at the tip of my fingers? We have huge buying power! To cater to us means profitable results. After all, if money equals power then oh boy do we have it. You can bet I am going to partake in this event," Ochoa said.

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