A DAY WITHOUT AN IMMIGRANT IN LOS ANGELES (’06 EDITION)

J.T. the L.A. Storyteller

In this update for J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast we reflect on our two year Anniversary Party for the Making a Neighborhood newsletter at local Bellevue Park, which included a dazzling Healing Circle by Koreatown and Pico-Union’s very own Monica Garcia, MFT. To subscribe to Making a Neighborhood for free, please do so here.
Also, did you know that Making Our Neighborhood: Redlining, Gentrification and Housing (2021), the magazine, is once again available for purchase? Grab your copy today, which supports only more storytelling and documenting for our communities, here.
Last but certainly not least, in a debut “segment” tidbit for the podcast, I take a look back at the largest marches in L.A. history, which took place during March and May 2006 in fierce opposition to House Resolution 4437. It was quite the time to be a teenager, and now looking back at the political landscape of the time invokes memories of a distant yet still too-familiar past still reverberating today. Audio for this segment is also provided by the Korean Resource Center (KRC); to see and hear the entire compilation of news coverage of May Day 2006, do so via KRC’s YouTube channel.
(0:31) Hey, what’s going on Los Angeles? It’s J.T. and I hope that you are very well; today is March 29th, 2024 and almost time to pay that rent again
(1:34) First up, some housekeeping, including for Making a Neighborhood’s 2 Year Anniversary Party!
(2:29) Shout out to all who attended, especially Monica Garcia, MFT, who led us in a special Healing Circle
(3:30) Also, did you know that Redlining, Gentrification and Housing is available for purchase again?
(4:51) A brief set of takeaways from March’s Primary Elections; we spoke with some winners!
(7:33) Speaking of March, let’s take a glance back at March 2006 in L.A., actually
(11:31) Even if you weren’t there, you have to know that this took place
(13:40) These were some of the largest marches in U.S. history, probably in the top 5
(15:53) Let’s tune into some media reports of the marches at the time to place them into even more perspective…
(17:11) These kinds of marches are for everyone, including for today’s generation of organizers!
(18:21) Now, are you ready to go back in time??
(18:36) “Illegal immigrants and their supporters, the big question,” MSNBC
(19:32) “70% of the people watching say that illegal immigrants should be arrested at these rallies”
(22:29) Downtown Los Angeles, across the street from City Hall
(23:11) L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa did not plan to attend any of the demonstrations
(24:07) Business owners closed their doors in solidarity and also out of caution
(25:23) Many of L.A.’s construction workers are undocumented as well
(27:22) A Day Without an Immigrant
(27:53) “It wasn’t supposed to be this way after amnesty in 1986”
(29:08) The L.A. and Long Beach ports’ dependence on immigrants; “if all undocumented workers disappeared, the economy would grind to a halt”
(32:37) May Day protests, including students and more
(35:03) Farmworkers in solidarity with workers in the cities
(39:01) Christine Chavez, the granddaughter of labor leader Cesar Chavez, calls the immigration system “broken”
(43:47) L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the demonstrations
(45:10) Despite concerns, the marches were pretty much entirely peaceful
(49:07) On the question of amnesty and/or other immigration reform
(51:50) In any case, republicans across the nation should recognize the contributions of immigrants to cities like Los Angeles and take note
(53:04) Countless protesters across the streets of L.A., and also home from school and work in solidarity

To make a one-time donation to my nonprofit work for working-class communities in Los Angeles, please do so here. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast for as little as $5 a month, check out my page at patreon.com/jimbotimes.

J.T.