MLK Breakfast: Tolerance on Immigration

Martin Luther King’s themes of tolerance imbued an important event in Phoenix where the evils of Proposition 300 surfaced.

Betty Reid writes in the Arizona Republic:

Friday’s Martin Luther King Jr.”Living the Dream” awards breakfast in downtown Phoenix was seasoned with references to tolerance of immigration in Arizona.

More than 1,200 people attended the 22-year-old event that started with a 5K run and inspirational speeches at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Yvonne Watterson, GateWay Early College High School principal and an advocate for undocumented children, said immigrant children are faced with adversity. They come to the U.S. with hope but now Proposition 300 limits their access to a college education, and the death of the DREAM Act legislation limits their chances to get legal status, she said.

“They are here,” she said. “We need to listen to their dreams, and we need to act to make those dreams a reality.”

Speakers included Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.

Although the late civil-rights activist launched change for good, Gordon said, tolerance and compassion still have enemies. He shared a story about a Hispanic Marine who was told by “pretend patriots” that he brought shame to the uniform because of his skin color.

The mayor also urged the crowd to remain true to King’s legacy by making their voices heard on immigration.

“Let Congress know that reforming immigration in this country is their responsibility,” Gordon said. “Tell them to enact a practical and effective immigration policy that provides new, trackable ‘work visas’ for millions of honest, hard-working people who help strengthen our country . . . and grow our economy.” Click here for the full story.

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