By Javier Rodriguez    from Plaza del Mariachi     27 Nov 2013

To friends and family, the development in San Francisco where the young Korean DREAMer intrepidly challenged President Obama to issue the order to stop deportations caught national and international attention, and with it, the political conditions are heating up for a qualitative resolution either on the Presidential Executive Order or the placing of Comprehensive Immigration Reform up for a vote in the House of Representatives.

The fact is Obama’s response to the DREAMer was almost identical to pre DACA times: “Can’t violate the laws of our country, comprehensive immigration reform is the solution.” That went on for some time and it was early on in 2012, during the presidential campaign, when in a public forum at East LA College, then Labor Secretary Hilda Solis scolded the 300 people present, emphatically revealing that, “the Executive Order for the DREAMers will not be issued because the Republican Party will use it to rile up the vote.”  She was blunt but wrong.

Months after, the youth student movement pushed the right buttons and the president -and I assume the campaign team- made the political decision and the pronouncement was made to protect and empower almost 2 million youth. In retrospect, and instead of damaging the reelection efforts, the move cleared the air and intensified support in the general electorate and consolidated the Latino and Asian vote and we know the results.

The Hunger fast in the capitol, now in its third week, is another strong indicator of the rising and favorable conditions for the Undocumented American. Yesterday in Los Angeles, Archbishop Jose Gomez, Maria Elena Durazo of LA County Federation and County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas will lead a group of local leaders and activists in a fast in support of families and the national fast.

However, the rest of the LA leaders appear to be frozen in time.  

*Javier Rodriguez is a journalist, a blogger and a media and political strategist. A long time social activist, he is presently a co founder of the Millions of Voices Coalition in LA that on Sept. 22 moved thousands of people in Downtown LA for Immigration Reform. He was also the initiator and directed the making of the 1.7 million historical immigration march in Los Angeles on March 25, 2006, as well as the May 1st 2006 Great American Boycott. Back in 1982-86, he directed the mass street mobilizations in LA that led up to the Amnesty Law IRCA of 1986; He recently traveled for 5 ½ months thru Mexico in 2012, observing and writing about the country’s political process, the aftermath of a highly questioned presidential election, the drug war and migrants. His blog is Larayueladejavier.wordpress.com and his email bajolamiradejavier@yahoo.com