On Dec. 3, the Houston, Texas, branch of the Salvation Army
announced they would stop their discriminatory policy of asking parents to
provide a Social Security number or some other form of legal documentation to
receive Christmas toys for their children. If documentation could not be
provided for the children, it was required that at least one person in the
household be a U.S. citizen.
The policy reversal came after local and national immigrant
rights groups protested against the discriminatory policy.
Over two dozen parents, children and supporters picketed
outside a Los Angeles Salvation Army store Dec. 2 demanding a stop to the policy.
The Coalition for Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles also held a press conference.
Speakers included Juan Jose Gutierrez from Latino Movement USA and Carlos
Alvarez, the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s 2010 candidate for California
governor in the Peace and Freedom Party primary.
“This is a discriminatory policy that should be overturned
now,” said Alvarez. “Parents should not have to verify their legal status or
that of their children in order to receive toys.”
Other supporters expressed their solidarity with the
families affected by the reactionary policy.
The Associated Press reported that Juan Alanis, a spokesman
for the Houston branch of the Salvation Army, admitted that the policy change
was due to the protest and press conference held by Latino immigrants and their
supporters in Los Angeles.
The Houston Salvation Army initially defended the racist
policy by claiming that such documentation was needed to deter fraud and make
the best decisions about who to help. They then claimed the only effective way
to register families for the program was by getting the Social Security number
of a household member, or documentation that the parents were in the process of
obtaining citizenship or had come to the United States through legal means.
The immediate response and organized call to action prompted
the Salvation Army to drop the discriminatory requirement. This is a victory
for undocumented workers and families everywhere. Uniting and coming out into
the streets is what made it possible.
Although this is a small gain in the struggle for full
equality for all immigrants, it is an important one nonetheless. Looking to the
bigger picture, we will continue to struggle for full legalization and equality
for all undocumented workers and their families.
