Nuestro Himno is an updated version of the Star-Spangled Banner that’s sung in Spanish. A loose translation of the original, you can think of the song as an anthem for Immigrant Rights - and it couldn’t come at a more perfect time. The song is presently sweeping the country, becoming a hit among the Spanish speaking population, but also raising the ire of rightwing nativists. Even President Bush commented on the song, saying “I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English” (a language he has not yet mastered.) Those performing on the song include Mexican pop star Gloria Trevi, and Puerto Rican reggaetón stars Ivy Queen and Tito El Bambino.

Writing for the New York Times, Kelefa Sanneh calls Nuestro Himno the “protest song of the moment,” and describes it as “an unlikely collaboration between dozens of pop stars you may never have heard of and a 19th-century amateur poet. The result is ‘Nuestro Himno,’ a new version of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ sung by Latin pop stars. Francis Scott Key’s lyrics have been translated into Spanish, but the basic message — a stirring tribute to a waving flag — remains the same.”

Here’s a sampling of the lyrics:

Its stars, its stripes, Freedom, we are equal
We are brothers, in our anthem.
In the fierce combat is a sign of victory
The glow of battle, in step with liberty
My people - keep fighting, It’s time to break the chains
At night they said: “It’s being defended!”
Oh say! Your starry beauty is still unfolding.

Read the complete lyrics to the song in Spanish and English. Listen to Nuestro Himno online, and download the mp3 file to your computer. !Oh decid! Despliega aún su hermosura estrellada.

Another Young Victim of the Stigmatization of Immigrants

By ALAN MAASS

School officials threatened to punish 14-year-old Anthony Soltero for standing up for immigrant rights. Now he’s dead as a result of their threats.

Anthony’s tragic suicide has shaken and saddened people around the country–but also made them more determined to continue the struggle for equality that he was a part of.

“He was just fighting for his rights,” Anthony’s mother, Louise Corales, said at a Palm Sunday mass for Anthony at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Ontario. “He would be proud that we’re here now to honor him because he is a hero.”

Anthony, an eighth-grader at DeAnza Middle School in Ontario, Calif., west of Los Angeles, helped organize a student walkout in the week following the 1 million-strong March 25 demonstration in LA against anti-immigrant legislation that would brand undocumented workers as felons.

Tens of thousands of students participated in the walkouts across Southern California–facing harassment and abuse from both police and school officials. In Anthony’s case, the threats had tragic results.

According to civil rights lawyer Sonia Mercado, Anthony was called into a school administrator’s office on March 30 for questioning about the walkout. The administrator told Anthony that he could be barred from attending graduation, that his mother could be fined $250 for his truancy, and that he could go to jail for three years, Mercado told the Press-Enterprise, a local newspaper.

Anthony was a top student, but had been disciplined for having a pocketknife at school and was nearly finished with a term of community service and probation, Mercado said.

Anthony called his mother from home to tell her about the threats. But before she could arrive back, he had shot himself in the head. He left behind notes apologizing to his mother–and asking her to keep his younger brothers from seeing his body.

“Anthony was born here, and his mother was born here,” said Nativo Lopez, president of the Mexican American Political Association and an organizer of the March 25 demonstration in LA, who met with Anthony’s family last week. “This is an example of a native-born citizen who identifies with this movement and takes a leadership role in a middle school to organize a walkout of his peers. He did this, and the school authorities threatened him with incarceration if he did it again.”

In a bitter twist, Ontario police say they will ask prosecutors to charge Anthony’s stepfather with a felony–for not keeping his gun locked up.

But the people who ought to bear responsibility in this tragedy–officials of the local school district–this week defended to reporters their policy of punishing students who participated in the walkout. During the walkout itself, the school district asked police to round up protesting students and issue them citations–something even the cops who now want to send Anthony’s stepfather to jail refused to do.

Lopez says that this attempt to punish students for exercising their rights–which certainly isn’t confined to Ontario–is “absolutely repugnant.”

“It’s fine if they read passages from the Constitution, the history of the country, biographies of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson–who the English, back in the era of the American revolution, accused of terrorism,” Lopez said. “But then these children who are willing to practice these same precepts and theories can be reprimanded for actually living the Constitution.”

Students in Los Angeles have planned a march for immigrant rights on April 15, which they have named in Anthony’s honor. They have called on students around the country to hold events on the 15th to honor Anthony Soltero and his commitment to justice.

Alan Maass is the editor of the Socialist Worker and the author of The Case for Socialism. He can be reached at: alanmaass@sbcglobal.net

Several organizations are calling for a National Day of Action for Immigrant Rights to be held on April 10th. Protests will be called to recognize the USA as a nation of immigrants, and to join in a massive rally to: “stop the anti-immigrant House resolution 4437, stop all attacks against immigrants, and stop criminalization of immigrant communities.” The organizers also are demanding comprehensive immigration reform, including: “a path to citizenship, not a temporary guest worker program, family reunification measures, worker protections, and full rights for all immigrants!”

The April actions will be followed by a May 1st, Nationwide General Immigrant Strike. Called “El Gran Paro Americano 2006″ (The Great American Boycott 2006,) the nationwide strike is also being referred to as “Un dia sin immigrante” (A day without an immigrant.) Organizers of the May 1st strike are saying, “Immigrants contribute 7 billion in social security per year. they earn 240 billion, report 90 billion, and only are reimbursed 5 billion, - where are the 85 billion? They also contribute to the U.S. economy 25 billion more than they receive in healthcare, etc. According to the anti-immigrant politicians and hatemongers, ‘immigrants are a drain on society.’ If this is true, then during the day on May 1st the stock market will surge, and the economy will boom. If not, we prove them wrong once and for all.” Marches are being planned in major cities for April 10th and May 1st. More details can be found at the Immigrant Solidarity Network for Immigrant Rights website, at: www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org

[ Don White of CISPES - the Committee In Solidarity With The People of El Salvador, wrote the following report concerning the massive student walk-outs that occured in Los Angeles on Monday, March 27, 2006. The students organized the walk-outs to protest the repressive anti-immigrant legislation now before the US Congress. The latest reports indicate that over 40,000 students staged walk-outs in LA on the 27th, with around 100,000 students organizing walk-outs statewide. While Xispas urges all young Chicanos/Latinos to pursue education, we also applaud students for taking a stand for raza and playing a decisive role in the civic life and politics of the nation. ]

LOS ANGELES March 27, 2006 - Peaking at about 5000 students, a demonstration Monday on the south lawn of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles was addressed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as the youth chanted, applauded and waved banners and flags. His appearance from a City Hall door created a surge of students to the steps of the building. Earlier students poured into the City Hall lawn after walking out of scores of local high school and middle schools to protest the immigration legislation now in Congress. As each student contingent enter the area, deafening cheers greeted the newcomers.

Student protesters especially targeted the most draconian immigration proposal in Congress with signs calling for NO ON 4437. There are now four proposals before Congress including the President’s and one, supported by some labor unions, sponsored by Senators Kennedy and McCain. Students who “walked out” of class today probably got a better education than if they had been sitting in class. Speakers who touched off enthusiastic responses included the Mayor, Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamonte, State Sen. Richard Alarcon, City Councilperson Eric Garcetti, legendary activist Nativo Lopez and a series of student organizers.

School Board members, including David Tokofsky, monitored the student-police relations and scores of principals and teachers surrounded the area. Sgt. Royce of LAPD told a National Lawyers Guild legal observer at 1:30 p.m. that “there have been no arrests, no detentions and no serious incidents.” Unbelievably the Mayor spoke to the huge throng without a sound system and only later in the day did the LAUSD bring in sound for the rally.

Every major television station, English and Spanish, had crews covering the students including some helicopter coverage. At one point students occupied the Harbor Freeway but were “herded” off the highway by police. While it created a major traffic tie-up, there were no arrests. At approximately 2:30 p.m. about 400 hundredstudents took over Alvarado Street at Beverly and LAPD moved in to escort the march rather than try to forcethem onto sidewalks. They moved toward MacArthur Park. A school official told us at 2:00 p.m. that 1000students were en route to City Hall from East Los Angeles, scheduled to arrive at 4:00 p.m. or so.

School officials began bringing buses to City Hall as early as 2:00 p.m. offering “free rides” back to all campuses. Most students declined and some chanted, “Hell No, We Won’t Go.” As on Saturday, Mexican and U.S. flags dominated but Central American flags were seen throughout the crowd. The heavy turnout of public officials, school principals and school Board members certainly helped create a passive and non-agressive attitude by police.

A sleeping giant has awoken! On Saturday March 26th, 2006, well over 1 million people marched in downtown Los Angeles in support of immigrant rights. Univision and other Spanish-language media reported 2 million people took part in the demonstration - the largest in the history of California. The demonstration was specifically against the Sensenbrenner Bill that has already passed in the House of Representatives - a bill that will criminalize undocumented workers and those who support them. In the build up to the March 26th demonstration, thousands of high school students walked out of classes across LA. There are now plans for an April 8th national meeting in Dallas, Texas, where Latino immigrant rights leaders and organizations will discuss a national work stoppage set for late May under the banner - A Day Without An Immigrant. Check the amazing photos of the mass march taken by Marcus and posted on LA’s Indymedia website. Visit the Immigrant Solidarity Network website for more information, news, and plans for action: www.immigrantsolidarity.org

Members of Congress are declaring war on undocumented immigrants, most of whom come from Mexico (although they include Central Americans, Dominicans, Chinese, Koreans, East Europeans, Polish, African, Irish, and others). A new bill to be voted on soon, HR 4437, will make undocumented status an “aggravated felony.” And anyone who assists undocumented people can be found guilty of the same felony charge!

Teachers, doctors, police officers, social workers, and others may find themselves behind bars for being “Good Samaritans” and lovers of humanity (including those who do not recognize “illegal” status for anyone).

Fortunately, many people are already taking a stand against this proposed law. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the largest in the country, recently declared it would not stop helping undocumented immigrants (a significant number of their parishioners) who need their assistance.

In several cities, protests against the law have drawn tens of thousands, including a massive one in Chicago–from 200,000 to 300,000 people demonstrated–where even Mayor Richard Daley declared immigrants, with or without their papers, vital to the economy and social life of the city.

One small Los Angeles area city, Maywood, with 97 percent Mexican population, also refused to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and has declared the city a safe haven for immigrants.

This is vitally important for the future of this country. Presently, the ills in the economy and in the government (responsible for war, increased poverty, and greater uncertainty) are being pushed aside while poor, working class immigrants are scapegoated.

We cannot let the demagogues and liars take us off the focus on the powerful and wealthy of this country, and their stooges in the government, who are the real source of misery and war in the world.

Immigrants, particularly from Mexico, but including those from all over the world, are what this country now depends on. We should insure their safety, their health, and their economic wellbeing. Not at the expense of American citizen–on the contrary, we need to create an economy and a politics that incorporates everyone.

We must continue to protest HR 4437–and any other similar anti-immigrant legislation that might be coming down the pike. Our humanity, our integrity, our freedom, and our moral life are at stake here.