LatinaLista — This past May 1, the day when this year’s May marches were supposed to surpass the ones held in May 2006, was a big disappointment for some who organized the marches in their communities.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 01: Joaquin Ventura is reflected in the glasses of Jose Cruz, who makes a statement about ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) with a mask that reads ICE FLU during a rally for immigrant worker rights on May Day, May 1, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
A perfect storm of bad weather, swine flu and a sorry economy made people think twice about turning out for the marches in many areas of the country. One organizer, Marisa Loza, of Latinos Unidos del Valle de Napa, had such an experience.
It’s what happened afterwards that made all the difference. Sitting in a Napa Valley coffee shop with the only other two people who showed up at her rally, Marisa and her friends started to talk strategy when they were interrupted by what was happening in the coffee shop — a kind of music and poetry jam. The first one at the mic was a Latino gentleman named Julio Soriano Soriano who performed a special poem.
When Loza heard the poem she knew that it must be a divine message to keep up the fight for immigrants’ rights because there are still a group of people who are being persecuted for who they are and what they want to become.
Thanks to Aurora of EL RINCONCITO DE AURORA blog, Latina Lista heard about Loza’s experience and the very special poem. Loza writes on her blog about her experiences that May day and provides the full text of the poem performed by Julio Soriano Soriano.
The following is only a portion of Soriano’s poem.
The Illegal Extraterrestrial
By Julio Soriano Soriano
I was born here on earth.
Born from two human parents.
For as long as I can remember
I have lived among the human species.
I can see, touch, and taste.
I can hear and speak.
I have a family; I have emotions.
I’m able to love.
I’m able to hate.
I’m able to cry.
I’m able smile.
I have the same organs that everyone else has.
I have only one brain, only one heart, just two lungs.
Still don’t believe me?
Well, I have 46 chromosomes.
You can check my DNA if you want.
I promise I’m really the same as you.
I’m sorry undocumented immigrant, whoops,
Did I say undocumented immigrant? I meant illegal alien.
Lets not go and call you undocumented immigrant.
We don’t want you poking around thinking that
You have a chance to be like us humans.
Just imagine! A human wannabe asking for fair wages?
Asking for representation, opportunity and justice.
Absurd!
What about us you say, we’re immigrants too?
Well, you see,
We’re the GOOD kind of immigrants.
We were chosen by God.
When we came into these lands, we were simple doing our job:
Fulfilling our Manifest Destiny.
We came to civilize the savage beings of the Americas.
We actually brought goodness to these lands. We made it a better place.
See those great concrete cities spread across the nation? We made them.
See the millions and millions of great cars? We made those too.
See the vast fertile fields with grains, fruits and vegetables? We put those there and removed the savages.
This nation, in fact the whole world, should be grateful for our existence.
Unlike you, who brings nothing useful. You’re just an annoying pest.
Finish reading The Illegal Extraterrestrial
