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发帖数: 10345 | 1 In Wash., illegal immigrants canvassing for votes
By MANUEL VALDES, Associated Press Writer Manuel Valdes, Associated Press
Writer – 11 mins ago
SEATTLE – When Maria Gianni is knocking on voters' doors, she's not bashful
about telling people she is in the country illegally. She knows it's a risk
to advertise to strangers that she's here illegally — but one worth taking
in what she sees as a crucial election.
The 42-year-old is one of dozens of volunteers — many of them illegal
immigrants — canvassing neighborhoods in the Seattle area trying to get
naturalized citizens to cast a ballot for candidates like Democratic Sen.
Patty Murray, who is in a neck-to-neck race with Republican Dino Rossi.
Pramila Jayapal, head of OneAmerica Votes, says the campaign is about
empowering immigrants who may not feel like they can contribute to a
campaign because they can't vote.
"Immigrants really do matter," Jayapal said. "If we can't vote ourselves, we
're gonna knock on doors, or get family members to vote."
So far the illegal immigrants going door-to-door aren't meeting opposition.
Craig Keller, an organizer for Respect WA, a group pushing for stricter
immigration law in the Washington, said he doesn't mind illegal immigrants
volunteering for vote drives, he just wants to make sure mistakes on the
voter rolls don't allow them to vote.
"Anybody can go out and wave a sign, but when it comes to who's making the
choices, there's no question they need to be citizens," Keller said.
In close elections across the country, the immigrant and minority vote is
considered key for candidates, especially Democrats.
Earlier this week in Nevada, a television ad urging Latinos not to vote
sparked outcry from Democrats, who called it a dirty trick meant to keep
Hispanics home and boost Republican candidates. Univision and Telemundo —
the nation's two largest Spanish-language networks — canceled the ad, which
the Republican group Latinos for Reform had planned to eventually run in
Nevada, Florida, California, Texas and Colorado through the Nov. 2 election.
Seattle is home to a wide array of immigrant communities, from Latinos to
east Africans and Asians.
Congress declined this year to consider overhauling the country's
immigration law, much to the chagrin of immigrant advocates who had expected
Democrats to do so by now.
Still, OneAmerica Votes launched one of the largest get-out-the-vote
campaigns in the state on behalf of Democratic candidates. The organization
is an offshoot of OneAmerica, one of the state's largest and the most
influential immigrant-rights advocacy group.
Charlie McAteer, OneAmerica Votes' spokesman, says the organization would
back candidates from any party. He says they're looking for candidates who
demonstrate commitment to immigrant communities or issues.
Through home visits, phone banks and mailings the organization is aiming to
reach about 40,000 registered voters in the Seattle area in an attempt to
help Democrats gain ground in key races. Volunteers include other types of
people who can't vote, such as legal permanent residents.
About 150 volunteers rolled out in nine cities across Washington this past
week, knocking on 3,000 doors.
In Bellevue, a city of nearly 123,000 east of Seattle, Gianni knocked on 25
doors and spoke to 15 people, she said.
One man, a naturalized citizen from the Philippines, said he knew what she
was going through after she shared she was in the country illegally.
"There's always a risk," Gianni said in Spanish about her legal status. "But
if there's a change, I would feel like I contributed, even in a small part,
to a change we all need."
Gianni arrived in the United States on a visa 13 years ago looking for work
and stayed. For a while her only son lived here, but has since moved back to
Mexico.
"In order for there to be a change to our broken immigration system," she
said, "I believe one has to fight." |
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