LOS ALAMITOS, CA - On Monday April 16, Los Alamitos Community United (LACU) and a broad coalition of faith, immigrant, civil rights, and youth groups united to promote California values and celebrate diversity in the face unconstitutional and hateful attacks from Trump-inspired hate groups. Although the Los Alamitos City Council voted 4-1 on an ordinance seeking to exempt the city from state law that limits local and state resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement, yesterday's rally was about youth, community, and how we countered the hate and xenophobia of a few with the love and energy over 100 community members from Orange County.
"The Los Alamitos community rejects this divisive and illegal ordinance. This ill-conceived idea is in direct conflict with our values; it disrespects our diverse community, which has proudly included immigrants for over a hundred years,” said LACU member Barbara Farrell. “Yesterday was a celebration of diversity that we hope will inspire all communities across Orange County."
“We are proud to be standing hand in hand with the residents of Los Alamitos to celebrate the values of inclusion and respect for all that make this city so special,” said Christine Park, Immigrant Rights Campaign Coordinator. “Our struggle to ensure equality and justice for our communities is a long and difficult one, but the people of California are strong and resilient, and we will show the rest of the country what unity looks like.”
Although the California Values Act is a landmark piece of legislation that has strong support throughout the state, several localities in Orange County, motivated by hate groups and racist rhetoric, have launched baseless attacks on the law. In response to these attacks, the residents of Los Alamitos came together to form Los Alamitos Community United and launch a resistance movement that has inspired community members far and wide to stand up in support of California and its values.
Participating groups included Los Alamitos Community United (LACU), Korean Resource Center (KRC), Resilience OC (ROC), National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), Greater Los Angeles Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA), OC Immigrant Youth United (OCIYU), ACLU of Southern California, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) - USWW, Chispa, California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance (CIYJA), Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA), El Centro Cultural de Mexico, Colectivo Tonantzin, Asian-Americans Advancing Justice OC (AAAJ-OC), Equality California, OC Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD), OCCCO, UNITE HERE - Local 11, National Immigration Law Center (NILC), and more.
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Photo by Oswaldo Farias, Resilience OC