On May 1, approximately 200 people participated in the May Day March in Madera to celebrate workers, particularly immigrants. On a sunny and pleasant afternoon, participants gathered in Courthouse Park where several speakers spoke about the importance of solidarity and the need to be informed about the federal government’s attacks on immigrants.
The march was organized by various local organizations and citizens.
The May Day celebration arose after long and hard labor struggles to achieve an eight-hour workday instead of a 10- to 12-hour workday. On May 4, 1886, during a workers’ march in Chicago, an unknown individual threw a bomb at the police, who fired into the crowd, killing several workers.
Eight anarchist workers were accused of the attack and sentenced to death, although their guilt could not be conclusively proven. These condemned men were called “The Chicago Martyrs.”
May 1 was recognized as International Workers’ Day in 1891 during the Second Congress of the Second International. Since then, this date has been celebrated almost worldwide. In the United States, it is celebrated in September because the government wanted to distance itself from the call of the Second International, which it considered “socialist.”
The Latino presence has been crucial in celebrating workers on May Day and in recognizing the importance of immigrant labor.
Those attending the event in Madera held a peaceful march through city streets, stopping briefly in front of prominent buildings, such as City Hall and the Madera County Courthouse.
“It was just announced that California surpassed Japan as the world’s fourth-largest economy,” said Minerva Mendoza, of the Pan Valley Institute, outside Madera City Hall.
“This is a product of the hard work of immigrants. We don’t just work in the fields for little money, we also work in the packing plants, in construction and in restaurants.
“California, like almost the entire country, is rich thanks to immigrant labor…And we also pay taxes without receiving all the benefits that the law provides for those who work.”
Mendoza was referring to the unemployment insurance and retirement benefits that undocumented workers cannot receive despite contributing with each paycheck.
Later, Rosa Hernández spoke in Mixteco, highlighting the importance of the contribution of immigrant labor to the economy and the culture of the city of Madera, home to a large indigenous population from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Dance groups, Los Diablitos and an Oaxacan music band also participated in the march.
“We haven’t had a May Day march in Madera for a long time,” said Brenda Ordaz of the CHIRLA organization.
“We believe this is the time to make our voices heard, to show that there is a community, that we are an active part of this society and that many undocumented families work hard while being vilely attacked by this administration.”
