On March 10 immigrant youth and their supporters will rally at Daley plaza, encouraging the undocumented to "come out" and speak publicly about their status. The rally is part of a national campaign to encourage immigrant youth to lose fear and organize with their communities.
WHAT: Press conference announcing city-wide rally for the National Coming Out of the Shadows, to take place on March 10th at Daley Plaza, at 3:00 PM. Organizers ask Chicago residents to join the demonstration and support the creation of spaces where undocumented immigrant youth are safe to tell their stories, study, live, and contribute to their communities. The call is also for undocumented youth to "come out," organize and speak out publicly, despite increasing legislation that seeks to criminalize immigrants out of status.
WHY: On March 10th of last year, the Immigrant Youth Justice League launched in Chicago, the "National Coming Out Day" where 8 undocumented youth spoke about being undocumented publicly, and declared being undocumented and unafraid. Over the last year, undocumented youth all over the country took up that theme, and participated in escalating actions, including the first civil disobedience actions by undocumented youth to take place in the country. This year, the march is of particular importance as it is the first public demonstration to take place after Congress failed to pass the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act in December, a bill which would have provided a conditional path to citizenship for undocumented youth.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 at 11:00am
WHERE: Casa Michoacan, 1638 S Blue Island
WHO: Undocumented student leaders and allies from the Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL), Korean Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC), Nuetra Voz, University of Chicago Coalition for Immigrant Rights (UCCIR), Organization of Latin American Students -Harold Washington College. The list of organizations endorsing the rally continues to grow.
The Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL) is a Chicago-based organization led by undocumented youth, working for immigrant rights through education, resource-gathering, and youth mobilization.
