US Features
Immigrant march reverberates in US media
By Andy Goldberg
May 3, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Los Angeles - Some immigration activists had warned of a backlash, but a day after more than 1 million immigrants took to the streets to demonstrate for their place in society, many in America appeared to look on with approval.

The accolades came most loudly from heavyweight opinion makers - the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and the Washington Post - which have traditionally taken a thoughtful approach to the immigration debate but on Tuesday could barely contain their enthusiasm.

\'They are America,\' The New York Times wrote in a lead editorial that lauded the \'huge peaceful rallies ... (of) regular people\' and blasted xenophobic lawmakers and citizens for demonizing the illegal immigrants and attempting to create a \'permanent underclass.\'

\'A silent, shadow population is speaking with one voice. The message, aimed at Washington but something the whole country should hear, is clear: We are America. We want to join you.\'

The San Jose Mercury News said that after the marches, immigrants\' \'voices have become impossible to ignore.\'

\'It\'s easy to demonize people who labour in the shadows and to set policy based on stereotypes. Monday\'s demonstrations showed real families with the same dreams as the rest of us. They were also a visible sign of growing political clout.\'

The Los Angeles Times was equally supportive, expressing derisive pity for those on the opposing side.

\'It\'s hard out there for an anti-illegal immigration activist,\' the paper noted.

\'Just when you think the long-awaited middle-class \'backlash\' against the immigrant-rights movement will kick in, the hundreds of thousands of peaceful and mostly joyous protesters refuse to live down to your low expectations. LA\'s invisible workforce emerged not in a spirit of anger or defiance but with pride and exuberance. It was all so, well, American.\'

But some Americans were less enthusiastic about the event. The Arizona Republic, the largest paper in a state that is the first point of contact for a large fraction of undocumented immigrants, said that the marches sent \'confusing messages.\'

\'People who say they crossed the border illegally, solely because they want to work, took a day off. People who say they value the opportunity for their children to get a good education kept their children out of school. People who want to be appreciated for providing a spark in this country\'s economy tried to stall the engine of commerce. There was something uncomfortably in your face about the call for a boycott and work stoppage.\'

Also unsure of how to react were African-Americans, who have so far been hesitant to come out in support of largely Latino immigrants.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, a California-based author and political analyst, said that the black community felt both confusion and anger on the issue of immigrant rights.

\'Some ask the question: where does this leave me? They are coming here and demanding the same rights others have fought and died for,\' Hutchinson told BlackAmericaweb.com. \'Others say they are taking our jobs.\'

But civil rights leaders and left-liberal politicians see immigrant rights as a reflection of their own fight for civil rights. The Reverend Jesse Jackson told the New York rally that the protest was sending \'an unmistakable message about working people and immigrants.\'