2010 elections demonstrate rising power of Immigrants Rights movement
The 2010 elections showed unprecedented activism by immigrants rights groups working to engage their communities and encourage voting.
Here in Michigan, the Reform Immigration for America – Michigan Coalition / Alliance for Immigrants Rights (RIFA – MI / AIR) and its partner organizations flexed new muscle at the ballot box through a strong non-partisan civic engagement drive.
According to a press release, working with partner organizations, RIFA – MI / AIR organized an unprecedented immigrants rights voter registration, education and mobilization campaign. Volunteers and staff knocked on more than 10,000 doors in Southwest Detroit, discussing the importance of voting in light of pressing issues for the community, such as the Arizona immigration law.
This traditional door-to-door effort was paired with a comprehensive voter contact program that layered phone calls, direct mail, text messaging, online advertising and Spanish-language radio. Voter information was also distributed in 7 different languages through ethnic stores, foreign language newspapers, churches and mosques, and social service agencies.
Partnering with the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, the coalition also provided a bilingual voting information hotline for citizens with questions about voting, and to report any civil rights abuses at the polls on Election Day. Wary of a national wave of suppression of minority voters, teams of lawyers and law students monitored the polls for potential problems.
Across the state, many different partners built large and new programs of voter contact and engagement.
In Dearborn, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) made over 3,000 phone calls to Arab-American voters, registered 262 new voters, and sent hundreds of pieces of direct mail. Additionally, on Halloween, members of ACCESS ACTS canvassed the city in costume, reminding families to vote. ACCESS also operated a bilingual Arabic/English election help line.
Asian Pacific Islander American-Vote Michigan registered 469 new voters, made more than 3000 phone calls to Asian American voters, and held candidate forums in Troy and Warren attended by more than a hundred community members. APIA-VOTE distributed voter information in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Hmong.
Southwest Solutions Housing and Counseling in Detroit registered 467 new voters, collected more than 500 pledges to vote, knocked on hundreds of doors in the community, and held a candidates forum for judges attended by nearly 100 community members.
Latinos United for Progress in Holland organized rides to the polls and provided non-partisan voter information in Spanish.
LA SED Inc in Detroit registered several dozen new voters, and distributed voter information in Spanish.
MOSES and the organizing team at St. Francis and St. Maximilian Parish in New Haven made nearly 2,000 calls to immigrant voters in Macomb County and provided rides to the polls on Election Day.
In Grand Rapids, the Michigan Organizing Project knocked on hundreds of doors, and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan made hundreds of reminder calls to immigrant voters the week leading up to the election.
Other partners provided important support, including: UAW Local 600 in Dearborn, La Jefa FM Spanish-language radio in Detroit, La Explosiva Spanish-language radio in Ypsilanti, NuestroDetroit.com, Justice for Our Neighbors Immigration Law Project, the University of Michigan Immigration and Labor Law Association, Pastor and Associates Law in Troy, the Detroit NAACP, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Progress Michigan, and Michigan Voice.
“The united efforts of immigrants rights leaders across Michigan are changing the game,” said Ryan Bates, Director of the Alliance for Immigrants Rights & Reform, “The rising power of the immigrants’ rights vote in Michigan and nationally is forcing politicians to take our issues seriously. With our votes, we’re demanding real, just immigration reform, an end to Arizona-style ‘show me your papers’ laws, and funding for important community programs, like English language classes. With every election, our movement is getting stronger, better organized, and isn’t going to stop until our communities have the justice they deserve.”