Hispanics rally for Obama, promote immigration reform

By Daniel Jehl

A photographer took shots for nearly an hour and then said, "This is important to the Latino community here."

The occasion was an Obama for President rally at the offices of El Mexicano, a local Spanish language newspaper. The rally last week was held on the 40-year anniversary of the historic visit to Fort Wayne by Rose Kennedy who then conveyed a message for her son Senator Robert Kennedy and also for Martin Luther King Jr. that America should be opportunity for all. Forty years later to the day, that very same message was delivered by a Hispanic state legislator to support Senator Barack Obama for president of the U.S.

The rally, organized by Chris Farrell, Northeast Indiana Obama for America Director in cooperation with El Mexicano, was led by State Representative Mara Candelaria Reardon (D-12th).

Candelaria Reardon gave a 40- minute speech for the Obama for America Campaign. The speech was delivered in Spanish, and the questions were fielded in both Spanish and English.

Former Fort Wayne City Councilman Dr. Tom Hayhurst raised the most popular topic of the rally- namely, immigration. Candelaria Reardon said Obama offers the best hope to address immigration issues. She said Obama's "priority is to safeguard the borders."

According to Candelaria Reardon said Obama favors a plan of  "passion that does not separate families and does not take ten years to navigate."

She shared how difficult an issue this is for her. Candelaria Reardon said she is the "only Latino in the Assembly or Senate in Indianapolis.

"I put aside that it (immigration reform) targets Latinos and I know it will apply to all," she explained. "We have won small battles but we have not won the war."

Candelaria Reardon urged that action "at the federal level recognize that this is much bigger (than a Latino border issue)."

She said it is unfair that Hispanics are perceived by the public as the only group affected by immigration policies. She cited 20,000 undocumented Irish as an example of another group and said, "We are not the only ones."

She appealed to the group to get the message out there to not be afraid to vote and reminded all that even the first immigrants who came here passing the Statue of Liberty came here "with no papers." And, in time they became citizens and the forerunners of generations more to this day.

Max Montesino, associate professor at IPFW, raised education and Obama's position on funding education. Candelaria Reardon answered saying, "Obama wants to equip the teachers with the resources needed to properly teach our children."

A young coed Latino said this is her first chance to vote and asked about why the candidates "are being so negative."

Candalaria Reardon said she thinks the media overplays disagreements and calls it "negativity."

"Some may say it is negative, but I see it as drawing distinctions between the candidates," she said.

Candaria Reardon concluded with noting the importance of building a coalition among the Latino community of supporters for Obama.

This is part of the April 30, 2008 online edition of Frost Illustrated.

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