To sign on write lbarrios@jjay.cuny.edu
Clergy/Seminarians in Support of the May 1 Great American
Boycott
We, the undersigned, as religious leaders from various faith communities,
recognize that a common denominator in all of our traditions is the mandate to
demonstrate compassion and hospitality. Speaking from this common tradition,
we express our sincere and heartfelt solidarity with the immigrant community in
the United States,
a community that has come under increasing attack in the past several months.
We denounce the arrest of over 1,100 undocumented workers by police working
under the direction of the Homeland Security Department in at least 26 states
this week. The mass arrests were clearly calculated to intimidate the
immigrant community and to frighten them from participating in the May 1st
nationwide Boycott for Immigrant rights. This is an attempt to silence a
growing Civil Rights movement, just as police were used to attempt to silence
the movements led by Rev. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and César Chavez. We
demand an end to arrests, deportations, and firings of immigrant workers.
We stand united against the campaign to scapegoat immigrants and blame them for
economic problems that are, in fact, created by corporate greed and government
policies that serve that greed. We refuse to let anything shake our
unwavering solidarity with immigrant workers, and with all who are oppressed
and under attack.
We wholeheartedly support the glorious upsurge of the immigrant-rights movement,
and will support and defend as one important tactic the call for a nationwide
boycott on May 1, a day of no school, no work, no shopping, and no
selling. We encourage those clergy, seminarians, and members of all faith
traditions who support this boycott in solidarity with our sisters and brothers
in the immigrant community. We encourage everyone to come out to Union Square on
Monday, May 1, at 4:00 pm, in a massive display of solidarity with immigrant
workers and all working people.
In solidarity,
Fr. Luis Barrios, San Romero de Las Américas Church
The Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, The Shalom Center
Seminarian Claudia De La Cruz, Union Theological Seminary
Seminarian Simon Morell, Union Theological Seminary
The Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, National Coordinator Clergy and Laity Concerned
About Iraq
The Rev. MarÃa Isabel Santiviago, San Juan Bautista, Bronx, New York
The Rev. Lucius Walker, Executive Director, Interreligious Foundation for
Community Organization
Rabbi Michael Feinberg, New York City Labor Religion Coalition, New York
The Rev. Debra W. Haffner, Religious Institute, Norwalk, CT
Iman Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid, The Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood, New York
City
Dr. G. Derrick Hodge, Prison Ministry, San Romero de Las Américas Church-UCC
Arelis M. Figueroa, Coordinator Latino Ministry The Riverside Church
The Rev. Alex Orantes Iglesia Bautista Shalom El Salvador
The Rev. Roberto Pineda Iglesia Luterana Popular de El Salvador
The Rev. Ricardo Cornejo Iglesia Luterana Popular de El Salvador
Pastor Dr. Eliseo Ascencio Apóstoles y Profetas de El Salvador
José Santos Merche Pastor IndÃgena ILPES
Lic. Pastora Isabel Villegas ACF- ILPES
Pastora Sihuat Tute Pastora IndÃgena ILPES
The Rev. Antonio MartÃnez Iglesia Pentecostal Salvadoreña
Dr. Jaime Recinos Iglesia Católica Comunidades de Base
The Rev. Pérsida Rivera-Méndez, National President of the Council for Hispanic
Ministries, UCC
The Rev. Samuel Cruz, Trinity Lutheran Church
The Rev. Juan V. George, Diocese of New York, Episcopal Church
The Rev. Hilario Albert, Priest-in-Charge, St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Port
Chester, New York
T.J. Williams, United Church of Christ
The Rev. Rafaél GarcÃa, Summerfield United Methodist Church, Port Chester, New
York
The Rev. Dennis Jacobsen, Director Gamaliel National Clergy Caucus
Minister Bradly Williams Hauger, United Church of Christ
Eddie Lopez, Jr., Center for Social Empowerment A faith Based Community
Organization
Rabbi Stephen Jacobs, Kol Tikvah Jewish Temple in Woodland Hills, California
Colin Bossen, Intern Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach,
Long Beach, California
The Rev. Ellen Livingston, Minister Emerita, Monte Vista UU Congregation,
Montclair, CA
The Rev Ann Marie Coleman, Co-Senior Minister, University Church, Chicago, IL
The Rev Don Coleman, Co-Senior Minister, University Church, Chicago, IL
The Rev. Michael Caine, Regional Conference Minister, New York, UCC