Ed. Note: More about HRC’s participation in Ya Es Hora events coming soon!
On Thursday, September 17, HRC Board of Directors member David Wilson spoke at a press conference at Faneuil Hall in Boston, Mass. for National Citizenship Day to communicate the significance of HRC’s participation in Ya Es Hora, a coalition of faith, labor, media, and community-based organizations hosting a series of volunteer citizenship workshops as part of a civic engagement campaign aimed at providing immigrants with resources to apply for citizenship and to become active participants in U.S. democracy. Other organizations at the press conference include SEIU Local 615; Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers; and the Dominican Development Center.
Below are excerpts from his remarks:
“Today, on Citizenship Day, we stand with those gathered here to urge every eligible immigrant to come forward and start on the path to citizenship. By doing so, you will defeat anti-democratic forces with democracy itself. By becoming citizens, we not only achieve our goals, we embody our ideals.
The Human Rights Campaign believes that all immigrants, are and have been, important to our country. We are proud to be the first and only gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organization to participate in the launch of this citizenship workshop. We seek to raise those that have been left out by encouraging self-empowerment. The foundation on which all that must rest is citizenship. Immigrants should not fear losing their identity by becoming citizens, they complete it, make it irrevocable. In short, it is the full realization of the immigrant wish and the American dream.”
HRC has participated in citizenship workshops in 9 cities from September 5th through September 19th and will continue to participate in 3 more through October 3rd. These cities include Boston, Mass.; Los Angeles, CA; Arlington, VA; Washington, DC; Phoenix, AZ; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Queens, NY; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; San Diego, CA; and Santa Ana, CA.
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