Voices of Mexico no. 75

Our Voice

Two events in the United States are marking a moment of political transition. On the one hand there are the marches of Latino workers, mainly Mexicans, in different U.S. cities, in which four million demonstrators peacefully and creatively demanded a comprehensive migratory reform including the regularization of the legal situation of several million immigrants, until now uncertain and vulnerable. The marches were pro-active, sending a message to U.S. society that migrants strongly desire integration into that country and to become a part of the broad, diverse ethnic-cultural mosaic that the United States has been since its origins as a modern nation. Given the unbounded optimism that these demonstrations may have sparked on both sides of the border among some political circles who support a comprehensive migratory reform, we should mention that they prompted a variety of reactions among the public, the media and a broad spectrum of political and partisan groups. Some conservatives did not approve, above all some congresspersons and constituencies who insist on arguing that migrants who have resided in the United States illegally should not be given legal status. On the other hand, progressive political and social sectors maintain that these mobilizations have revealed a heretofore unknown facet of the Latino movement and that, given their undoubted, manifest strength, they will have a considerable impact on the country’s politicalelectoral map in November’s balloting.