UFW to White House and Congress:
‘Recognize right as well as reality'-Enact
comprehensive immigration reform this year!
United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez issued the following statement today (June 25, 2009) from the union's Keene, Calif. headquarters following President Obama's meeting at the White House with top congressional leaders on immigration reform.
The United Farm Workers of America is grateful to President Obama for moving the process of immigration reform forward with today's meeting at the White House. We take heart from the Democratic congressional leadership's commitment to place comprehensive reform on the agenda this year. But there are those who say 2009 is not the year to address this pressing issue.
In April 1963, in his "Letter From a Birmingham Jail," Dr. King wrote, "For years now I have heard the word, ‘Wait!'...We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.'"
In June 1963, addressing the nation to propose the Civil Rights Act, President Kennedy reminded Americans, "Those who do nothing are inviting shame...Those who act boldly are recognizing right as well as reality."
In September 1965, "Ahora es cuando!" ("Now is the time!") became the rallying cry of Cesar Chavez and the farm workers when they took a stand for justice and humanity by beginning the historic Delano grape strike.
Now is the time to move forward with a comprehensive immigration reform bill that recognizes reality and embodies equity for hard-working immigrant families, businesses and the American people who have been plagued for too long with a broken immigration system.
Across all groups of voters, the American people desire a just and practical solution. A grassroots national campaign is behind comprehensive reform. The congressional leadership and the President are for it. Let both Democrats and Republicans, in President Kennedy's words, "recognize right as well as reality" and pass comprehensive immigration reform this year!
- end -
