Friday, November 3, 2017

This Week in Dreams


Rosa Rodriguez holds over 40 letters written by IVC students, faculty and staff
and community members while she waits outside Mimi Walters office. 
So, among the dreams realized this week:

Yes, on Monday night, the Board of Trustees did unanimously adopt Resolution 17-33 in Support of Codifying DACA into Federal Law.

Yes, on Tuesday morning, the SOCCCD sent a student delegation with a copy of that resolution to meet with the staff of Rep. Mimi Walters.  A report from inside the room suggests that the testimony of IVC DACA student Rosa Rodriguez brought at least one staffer to tears. She gave Walters' staff over 40 letters written by IVC students, faculty, staff and community members. The delegation also gave the staff over 1,000 letters collected by Rio Hondo College students which the staff refused to accept days earlier. 

Yes, Rebel Girl did receive a peevish email from former trustee now Irvine Mayor Don Wagner which delighted her as it suggested that Don does sit in an office somewhere and read Dissent.  We hope he enjoyed the photos of Don and Sheriff Joe Arpaio that Chunk dug up along with all the choice soundbites. 

Then, Thursday night Red received an email from Tracy La, former ASUCI president, inviting him to join another Dream Act action at Walters' office. So Friday morning Rebel Girl and Red Emma returned to the corporate park to attend an action sponsored by the Korean Resource Center (KRC). It was a lively group of 60-70, including representatives from Orange County Congregation Community Organization, SEIU United Service Workers West, ACLU and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles - along with others and Red Emma and Rebel Girl, of course.  And drummers! With Korean drums! Red was pleased to discover that one of the lead organizers was a former student of his, Jonathan Paik, the KRC's Orange County director. Go figure.

Red Emma on the  march. 


Rebel Girl has been to countless marches and rallies, vigils and protests but there was something quite special about this assembly in an Irvine corporate canyon off Michelson and Jamboree.  Something about the range of ages, the spirit, and open pride - and yes, the Korean drums. You have not lived folks until you have walked in the shadow of the old Fluor Corporation to the beat of Korean drums, making your demands known in chants. You should try it.




Security didn't know what to do with us, except to say we could not could come in, not with the 2,000 postcards written to Mimi and certainly not with the drums. So we marched and rallied. At some point, a former student of Rebel Girl's showed up, inspired by a Facebook post.  And then Rosa arrived to a very different scene than Tuesday's. And when the time came for people to take the microphone and say their piece, Rosa did, speaking her heart out to those who gathered to listen.  Rebel Girl was proud of her, proud of all those brave DACA students. As a dear friend puts it: "Her voice is so important for all immigrants, for all who need to understand who an immigrant is."  Would that our elected leaders be as brave.

Rosa speaks.
Comprehensive coverage of the rally below.  Rosa's remarks begin at 1:05. (Rebel Girl thinks she may have cued it right, but maybe not.)

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...