“We are born here; help our parents to guide us. Be fair and equal,” stated another placard carried by a boy.
“Protect our parents,” stated the sign of his little sister.
These messages summed up the speeches delivered by guest worker group leaders, labor advocates as well as their supporters and sympathizers.
Omar said he wants to be with his parents and “I don’t want to go back to Bangladesh without them.”
His father arrived here in 1995 and worked as a security guard.
Omar was with his two sisters and parents during the rally on Friday that drew an estimated 300 individuals, including children.
The group marched from the Garapan Fishing Base to American Memorial Park’s amphitheater where they were joined at 6 p.m. by other participants.
John Zhao, a spokesman for the Chinese community, held on to his banner despite a sudden downpour.
He is urging the federal government to ensure the “fair treatment” of long-term guest workers in the CNMI.
Zhao said the U.S. is a country that represents freedom and “they should justify that freedom by treating us as humans.”
“We live and work here through good and bad times. They just can’t tell us to leave after all these years. We love Saipan and we are part of it,” he said.
Simeon Sin and six other Koreans said they represented the Korean community in the CNMI.
Gregory Woods said he joined the rally to demand that the federal government issue Social Security cards to the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, like his wife.
Ronnie Doca of the Pilipino Contract Workers Association said the rally was very successful and peaceful.
He acknowledge KN Mikel of the Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ who offered the opening prayer, Pilcowa chairman Jun Consillado who served as emcee, and Condrad Ocampo for ensuring crowd control during the march and the gathering at the amphitheater.
Unity
Noting the “discord and disappointment” among the nonresident worker groups, one of the guest speakers during the rally, Rep. Tina Sablan, urged for unity and consistency.
“Let us be consistent — let it be absolutely clear what is being sought: that we want our families to stay together.”
In light of the May 19 congressional hearing on the federalization law, Sablan urged guest workers to continue sending more letters, testimonies and petitions to Florida-based human rights advocate Wendy Doromal and CNMI Congressman Gregorio C. Sablan.
Representative Sablan suggested sending letters to local newspapers “so that people would know who the human beings are behind this rally and recognize their brothers, sisters, friends and neighbors.”
Hope
Board of Education member Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero, in his remarks, said he is pushing for “a politics of hope by moving past the politics of blame.”
“I still have hope that we can and we will overcome all the fear, all the anger, all the hatred, and all the suffering that besets us in these hard times. But that will only happen when we move past the politics of blame, embrace a politics of hope, and work together,” he said.
He said fear is intimidating the community as the local economy crumbles.
“With all of this suffering and all of this uncertainty, I understand and share the fears of the thousands of Chamorros and Carolinians who live in quiet desperation, clinging to what little is left of a time gone by, even if what is left is only a fleeting memory. I urge everyone gathered here tonight to understand those fears, to understand that suffering,” Guerrero said.
Dignity
Human rights advocate Wendy Doromal, in her letter read at the amphitheater, told guest workers and their supporters that they have “demonstrated their dignity when faced with hardship, and persistence when denied due process, and courage when confronted by detractors.”
“In our push for justice, we have encountered many roadblocks that were put up by self-serving government officials, businessmen, and lobbyists, but we forged ahead. Along the way, some of you have been hijacked by criminals who stole from you through illegal recruitment scams,” the former Rota teacher said.
Doromal said guest workers were forced to take difficult detours because of the inaction of the federal government and the harmful action of the local government.
She urged the guest workers to ensure that their sentiments are heard loudly and clearly in Washington, D.C.
Shame
Dr. Gene Silvester Oden, another guest speaker, said the U.S. is a great nation but if “the world knew that we are suppressing people in the CNMI, then shame on America.”
He said denying equality to a class of people is “fundamentally wrong” under the American Constitution.
Teacher Rod Hodges said he was thankful that the U.S. has established an office of the Homeland Security Department on Saipan so the concerns of immediate relatives of American citizens can be addressed.
“The moral government of the universe is on our side,” he told the crowd.
Attorney Stephen Woodruff said all workers should be treated equally.
Other guest speakers included Lupe Manglona, attorney Joe Hill, Ken Oharnett, Boni Sagana and Raby Syed.
