25 Years After Prop 187: The Fight for Justice Continues!
This past weekend, thousands of Angelenos gathered at Los Angeles State Historic Park to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fight against Proposition 187. Labor unions, elected officials, community members, and faith organizations broke bread, shared resources, and enjoyed an afternoon filled with music and fun activities.
While California is presently spoken of as a “Progressive Blue State” only a few decades ago, it was the breeding ground of anti-immigrant sentiment that spread throughout the country. With the encouragement of then California Governor Pete Wilson, the ballot measure Proposition 187 passed in California due to the fear-mongering of racists, frightened of a growing community of immigrants and people of color.
Although the passage of Proposition 187 was a tough and disheartening moment, it also inspired a new generation of young activists to mobilize and organize against hatred. It sparked a movement that fired up generations of disenfranchised immigrants, emboldening them to fight an unjust system and make their voices heard.
The community banded together and mobilized by the millions. With students organizing massive walkouts and unions organizing hundreds of thousands of Latino and Asian workers, union leaders of today were born in the crucible of the fight. Prop 187 united the community like never before, bringing a wave of progress that rolled across the state.
The same grit and determination are required today. We are in the fight of our lives with the 2020 presidential election fast approaching, and with it, the future of our Democracy hangs in the balance. To fight back against an agenda of hate, Union members from across the country must unite and stand up for the rights of all working people, regardless of their background or legal status. We must continue mobilizing in our workplaces to stop employers from using ICE as a way to discourage Union organizing. We must push on our elected leaders to take action and demand better labor and immigration laws that allow people to exercise their rights without fear of retaliation and deportation.
This will not only strengthen our communities, but it will also strengthen our labor movement that should be inclusive of all people regardless of their background. When working people unite, there is nothing that can stop us.
