It’s safe to assume that the past few weeks have brought many emotions out of different communities. With different political figures taking office comes rising concern for the well-being of our society, especially for those who are most vulnerable. As someone who’s part of several advocacy groups on campus, I’m more than aware of what’s going on around us. The anger, fear, and frustration in my community is something that weighs heavily on all of us. When I was given the opportunity to help plan and host a peaceful rally to advocate for our immigrant community on campus, as well as give a speech about my own experience as an immigrant, I knew I had to take it. However, the concept of speaking at and organizing a protest was foreign to me, so I decided to write about some of my takeaways from this experience.
Photo by Karen Magaña
Firstly, I learned that, when passionate, accomplishing a successful project is much easier, no matter the time limit. Originally, this idea was brought to me around Monday, and by Wednesday, we already had a clear plan of what we wanted to execute, along with a list of additional speakers, walk-out routes, and news reporters who would arrive at the time of the protest for additional coverage. What I was most surprised by, however, was how this was successfully done by not only myself but also my two other lovely main organizers. At first, I was a bit nervous, wondering how three people would be able to pull this off. Now I look back and feel extreme pride in all of our work and effort to showcase support for our community.
Next off, I also learned about the power of community. When organizing this rally, I would’ve never expected to see the sheer amount of students, news reporters, congress members, ASUC senators, and even helicopters show up in solidarity. I’ll say, being interviewed by several news channels such as Telemundo, Univision, and ABC7, (which are all channels my parents watch) was surreal. Seeing the amount of loved ones supporting me as I was giving out my speech and discussing my experience coming to the U.S. is a feeling that’s hard to describe.
Looking over my shoulder as my co-chair discussed her experiences being undocumented, and seeing a family of three, with the mother and father waving a Mexican flag, while their child was wrapped around a blanket of a Mexican flag. Seeing the signs that my classmates wrote in support. The Chants. The TikToks people recorded during the protest. The smiles and countless thanks we received.
Photo by Karen Magaña
Lastly, I learned that we’re not alone. Seeing the magnitude of students sharing such similar stories showed me how we all hurt the same and have struggled to arrive at such a prestigious place like Cal. My original mission in organizing such an event was to remind a neglected community of their importance in this institution. Even if I’m not directly affected by new policies being implemented, my loved ones, my friends, and my classmates are.
I had several people come up to me and my two other friends throughout the rest of the day to thank us for organizing this event. In reality, I feel as if we all helped organize it. Yes, we may have planned the logistics and served as the “three faces behind the protest,” but there’s no way we could’ve done this without the continuous support of our community at Berkeley. Every person who showed up, who made signs, and who helped yell out the chants, is the reason why we were able to have such a beautiful, peaceful, and impactful event.
To close out my article, I’d like to extend my gratitude to everyone who came to support us. Thank you for using your voice and taking the time to make signs to express your views on the situation — for sharing your stories. Thank you for showing that family of three that the younger generations are fighting for them and their child’s future. Thank you for your presence. For continuing to post your support on various social media platforms and speaking for those who are afraid. Most importantly, thank you for standing up for what you believe in.