March against mass deportations

“We are marching for those who can not speak and do not have a voice,” said Vivian Andrea Valdez, a co-organizer of the march. “We want to make sure that our immigrant community is respected. They deserve so much in terms of reform, citizenship and more. A lot of people in the community put so much work into the economy.”

The walk along El Camino Real honored the long journey and sacrifices many immigrants endured to reach the United States.

“Knowing how other people have crossed over for a better life and if they crossed through all those obstacles, I can do a paved walk with water and safety,” said Melody Cornejo, a marcher who started in San Mateo. “We are marching here because there are so many parents that come to this country for a better life for their children.”

Cornejo’s mother immigrated from Guatemala to the United States to give her and her sister a better life. Since then her mother has gained her citizenship. Cornejo brought her two children, ages 6 and 8, to the march in wagons alongside her husband.

“I want them to understand that the struggle that the people before us had is current today,” Cornejo said. “I want them to appreciate his roots and where he comes from.”

Throughout the march, many volunteers who had signed up gave rides to those who needed to rest and gave out water bottles, snacks and red cards. At the San Bruno checkpoint, home-cooked tacos were given out.

Marchers were escorted to San Francisco by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department. Hickey Blvd was closed down as the group approached Daly City and once the sidewalk wasn’t spacious enough, marchers poured into the right lane of San Francisco’s Mission District for the rest of the walk to the Civic Center.

The march also served as a reminder of the roots of immigration reforms in the United States, pointing out that the last comprehensive immigration reform bill signed into law was passed in 1986 under President Ronald Reagan.

“I know that anything that we tell him (Donald Trump) goes over his head because he has no heart and no soul,” Cornejo said. “Just let him know that we’re not going anywhere and we’re going to keep fighting for people’s rights to be here because no one’s illegal on stolen land.”

The march served as a beacon of hope for some like Marco Quintero, who felt the support of the community with the amount that came out, sharing the same struggles and fears he has. He came from Redwood City to join the march at 6:30 a.m. at San Mateo City Hall.  

“My parents probably one day will be able to get their citizenship and be legal here,” Quintero said.

Quintero has dreams of going back home to Mexico, where he and his family are from, and still be able to return to the United States with no issues.

Once arriving at San Francisco City Hall, a few thousand people gathered around a white pickup truck to listen to various speakers, like Bobbie Martinez.

“Everyone from here is of immigrant descent,” said Martinez, a Belmont resident and speaker at the march. “We are here to support those people that don’t deserve to be deported. They’re getting taken away from their homes. And what do you think people are doing to their homes? They are just taking and giving it back to the government. They work hard, they pay to earn these things and they deserve it.”

Martinez runs a business in Belmont, which isn’t disclosed for safety reasons, that has events giving back to the community. They raise money to help families of immigrant descent, those who are part of DACA or those who are undocumented.

“It’s very amazing that everybody has come together, but it’s still not enough,” Martinez said. “This is just a chip of what needs to happen to change the regulations and help people to stay here and get their citizenship, but also stop discrimination. Stop looking at us as if we aren’t all the same. We are people. We need to be treated with respect.”