Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm US/Central
Organizers Hope March Will Be Catalyst For Change
by Eileen Gonzales
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
The impact of the immigration bill is still unclear but experts believe protests like the ones in Dallas and Fort Worth will serve as a catalyst for change.
A new unified voice has emerged… the turnout for 'Mega March Dallas' astounded even the organizers who expected 1/5 of the crowds that showed.
"Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that we would have had 500,000 people," Lydia Gonzalez-Welch, LULAC.
Undocumented immigrants are coming out of he shadows to take part in marches across the country.
The events are drawing crowds in record numbers.
"It's the American way, why you take the fight to the streets, why you are able to utilize those rights given to you by the constitution," said Dr. Rodolfo Hernandez, University of Texas Dallas.
The hope is that this effort will eventually translate to political power.
One of the goals of the Dallas march was to get people registered to vote… as many as 10,000 may have signed up.
"If we have half of those voters turn out that will change dramatically the makeup of offices across Dallas County and the metroplex," said Domingo Garcia, Mega March Organizer.
Leaders with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) say that their voices are being heard. They've already had a response from senators McCain and Kennedy who say they promise to continue working on an immigration reform bill that is acceptable.
(CBS 11 News)
