Day off

This immigrant has chosen to take today off.

But she does have a beef.

El Páis sent me into panic yesterday, left me frantically calling my mother and a friend in the States to reassure myself that the majority of Americans weren't vilifying and scorning immigrants (they're not), and that it looked liked the work permits and normalization would pass in some version (it does) and that, no, the majority of Americans do not believe making illegal immigrants felons is the answer to anything. Nor is this only about Hispanics, who make up 50% of the immigrant population in Chicago, for example. (75% in the whole country.) Honestly, El País had me thinking there was a Spanish speaking - English speaking war breaking out.

Then I read the BBC and El Mundo and the NYTimes and, best of all, the Chicago Tribune, all of whom bothered to mention the businesses that closed or moved today's work to Saturday, the hard working immigrants who asked for the day off, nice and professional like, to attend the march and were supported by their employers, the Polish and Russian and Asian and Irish immigrants marching alongside Latinos in Chicago, the girl with "I am an American" sign written in Kurdu, and the mainstream Chicago politicians, our Senator and Congressmen along with city's Catholic Cardinal, who were speaking at this anything but anarchic rally today. Not to mention the immigrant and Latino organizations that suggested NOT skipping work, and NOT boycotting, but simply attending a peaceful march, since a confrontational march or day's strike might do more harm than good, and might be better saved for when, and if, it's needed.

I breathed easier after my news cruise.

And took the day off.



Pictures are the Huerto (orchard) of Calixto and Melibea, in Salamanca, yesterday morning. Feels like summer here, even if the roses are still teasing us, all around town, just barely budding.