The statement of "A day without immigrants"

For the second time in as many months, hundreds of thousands of mostly Hispanic immigrants marched in peaceful protest in cities across the United States.

"We had close to 400,000 people participate in this march. It was a very peaceful march. We've had no incidents or no arrests at this time," said Dep. Supt. Charles Williams, Chicago police.

With a Mexican flag hanging from his neck and a graphic of an American bald eagle displayed proudly on his T-shirt, an unidentified marcher told a reporter “We need each other! Immigrants need money for their families, and the United States needs workers”.

State Senator Gil Cedillo spoke at a rally in Los Angeles, CA where more than 400,000 gathered in a show of strength and said "We want the opportunity that other immigrants have had in the past. We will work hard, we will study hard, and we will make America proud!"

Indeed, there is little doubt that the extreme majority of immigrants who come to the United States truly love this country. Their reason for immigrating is no different from the millions of immigrants who have preceded them, from the first pilgrims to the most recent immigrants crossing the Rio Grande, all in search of a better life. "I want to come out of the shadows," said Josefina Cordoba, she summed up the sentiments of many: "We Just Want a Taste of the American Dream."

Until the mean-spirited Sensenbrenner immigration bill was passed in the House -- a measure that threatens to jail people not here legally -- most illegal immigrants were willing to remain on the fringes of life in the United States. But not anymore, and I believe this spooks many US citizens who are seeing their television sets in disbelief

Not all are happy with the marches that were manifested across the United States yesterday. John Podhoretz of the New York Post referred to them as “yesterday's despicable rallies” and another shocked observer in Chicago, IL noted "There can't be that many Mexicans who live here!".

There is no doubt, regardless of how you feel politically about immigration reform, Hispanic America made a forceful and powerful statement yesterday. They are exercising freedom of assembly, seizing economic opportunity and cutting their teeth on political involvement; and they’re liking it.

Daniel Garza, President of PODER & HISPANIC Magazine