HOUSTON — There are many faces of immigration, and on Monday, they marched for change.
“I feel like us … should get more respect," said one boy who was with his family as community groups and immigrant families gathered with signs at Guadalupe Plaza Park.
Many of those marching took off from work and school. Jennifer Guzman was there to support her mother, Mirtala Hernandez.
While she's passionate about advocacy, Guzman said she feels that it's a fight that shouldn't have to exist in the first place.
“It’s absurd that we’ve had to do this," she said.
Immigrant-led group FIEL led the rally and march.
“Whether they’re driving down a road, sleeping in a home, eating a meal ... they have to remember a hand of an immigrant touched that," FIEL Executive Director Cesar Espinosa said. “For the immigrant community, this conversation doesn’t go away any day, whether it’s getting up every day to go to work, whether it’s the fear of them going to work and not being able to come home, this is something that just doesn’t go away."
FIEL estimates there are 1.5 million immigrants in Houston, which makes up roughly a quarter of the population. Of those, FIEL said an estimated 600,000 are undocumented.
Among the issues for which they were advocating were work permits, a pathway to residency, and ultimately, a pathway to citizenship.
Yamiles Nunez was marching for those who are undocumented, hoping to make it possible for them to get documentation.
“I think it’s really amazing that someone can, without any documentation, without anything, can build a life here," Nunez said.
Community organizer Hyunja Norman marched with a sign that read "A Day Without Immigrants" in multiple languages.
“Un dia sin immigrantes… a day without immigrants," Norman said.
No matter the language, the activists hope to elevate the conversation as they raised their voices.
“I’m standing up for them and I will keep doing it until there’s a change. I will be the change," Guzman said.