PL Summer Project Emboldens Fight for Migrant Youth

LOS ANGELES, July 25 — “Death, Death, Death to the Racists! Power, Power, Power to the Workers!” Progressive Labor Party took this chant to the streets of Murrieta on July 13, inspiring workers to stand up for migrant youth. The marches against racism were the acme of this year’s Summer Project here. Anti-immigrant racism became the focal point of our fightback. PLP has been strengthened in numbers and quality, particularly in the area of young leadership.
Every year, members and friends of PLP come from different parts of the world to fight collectively in one particular area by connecting struggles, developing young leadership and growing our organization. We marched, distributed CHALLENGE and leaflets, met workers, studied political theory and got to know each other. This year’s Summer Project was inspiring as we marched against racism, especially anti-immigrant racism, and for multiracial unity of the working class to make a revolution for communism.
Take to the Streets
PLP raised red flags and led an impassioned group of 60 workers and students down a main street in Murrieta to show the workers there that they needn’t be afraid to fight the racist thugs camped out in front of the immigration detention centers. This town has been a flashpoint for racist hatred against the 57,000 migrant youth fleeing capitalist-driven violence in Central America. Many workers took our literature and were emboldened by our presence (see CHALLENGE, 7/30).
After Murrieta, we took this fightback to the garment district of downtown Los Angeles. These workers are mainly immigrants, super-exploited and threatened with deportation as they make approximately eight cents per unit in these garment factories. Several chanted along with us, took our literature and read it immediately. Some joined our march! The proof of the pudding is in the eating; PLP’s idea for international solidarity is proven true again and again. As one of the participants expressed, it “was like coming home.” Contacts were made. One young worker and student came to our closing barbecue the following day.
The Summer Project also centered on the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Convention held here. Teachers inside the convention openly opposed the racist nationwide Common Core curriculum and re-segregation of the schools, as well as the liberal union leaders who attempted to win the convention to supporting U.S. imperialism in the Ukraine (see CHALLENGE, 7/30). PLP rallied inside the halls of the convention. We connected the attacks on students in the U.S. to the attacks on immigrant children. Our multilingual chants drew several teachers. We also won a contingent to march in Murrieta with us.
Every Recruit a Victory for the Working Class
Throughout the week, CHALLENGE sales were conducted at transit barns, the airport, garment centers, a county hospital and a high school. We distributed over 2,500 papers and thousands of leaflets. Multiple contacts were made through the sales that we will follow up on. At our closing barbecue, many expressed how inspired they were by our fightbacks against anti-immigrant racism and the strong leadership shown by young people throughout the Project. Six students and one parent joined the PLP. Every one of them is a victory for our class!  
Looking forward, we are energized and more committed to building PLP in our schools, on the campuses, and on the job. We will focus on connecting the struggles of black youth and Latin youth as one. The attack on mainly Latin workers in the form of mass deportations and checkpoints parallels the attack on mainly black workers in the form of mass incarceration and police terror. These are attacks on all working people and we must fight them together as a united class! We also aim to get more involved in mass organizations, particularly those working with immigrant youth. We in Los Angeles thank the international Progressive Labor Party for your leadership, support, and continued struggle. We have a world to win, and this Summer Project reminded us that when we have the support of the masses, we WILL win!