'We are America': Thousands rally in KC for immigration reform

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Thousands of Hispanics gathered Monday in front of the federal courthouse and joined other protesters from across the country calling for Congress to reject a bill that would crack down on illegal immigrants.

Many in the crowd wore white shirts, waved American and Mexican flags and chanted "Si se puede," or "Yes we can." They carried signs that read "We are America" and "The Answer is Legalization."

Speakers urged members of Congress to push for a law that would provide a route to citizenship for immigrants and reunite families.

The rally was one of many across the country, from New York to San Diego. Immigration reform has received increased attention after the House passed a bill that would crack down on illegal immigrants and strengthen the nation's border with Mexico. A broader overhaul of immigration law stalled in the Senate last week.

"These are the people putting food on your table and clothes on your back," said Lynda M. Callon, director of Westside Community Action Network Center, one of the organizers of the Kansas City event. "They are not invisible. We are trying to get Washington to see that you can't fix the borders unless you figure out what to do with the people who are here."

Pinpinela Martinez, a 20-year-old restaurant worker, said she crossed the desert five years ago to come to the U.S. Now with a 7-month-old daughter who was born in the United States, she is worried about what would happen if she is deported.

"America will help her because she was born here," she said of her daughter, "but they don't help me because I wasn't born here."

The Rev. Francis Schuele told the crowd immigration reform needs to be done in a way that doesn't break up families.

"We Catholics believe that immigration is a moral issue because it impacts human life and dignity. Only a comprehensive approach will solve the problem and create a humane immigration system in our nation," he said.

Rafael Pinedo, 39, an American citizen who immigrated when he was 17, attended the rally with his two children, ages 6 and 8.

"I want my kids to see this kind of thing," he said. "I want them to know how hard it is. It's not easy for us to come to a new country and start a new life." He said things like the Senate bill make it a lot worse.

Like Pinedo, Alicia Sanchez, 32, is legal. But she said it was important to support the cause of other Hispanics.

"It's like they said, 'We are a sleeping giant,"' said Sanchez, who immigrated to the United States from Chile when she was a toddler. "We are ones who make the economy in the country. We need to step up to the plate."