1997-1998

When Congress approved welfare reform, MUA responded with a campaign to educate and organize immigrants throughout Northern California. A community outreach team completed an intensive training during which they studied the new laws and the history of racism in the United States. At the end of the course they created a theater piece about what they had learned and presented the theater to many immigrants, both in person and in television.

MUA and NCCIR organized the first Immigrant Day in 1997 in Sacramento. MUA’s members and their children, the majority of whom had never been to the capital, came together with four thousand of many races, ethnicities and countries of origin. During the day, immigrants visited legislators and demanded them to declare the first “Día del inmigrante” (Immigrant Day) in 1997 at the state’s capital. MUA’s kids and members, most of whom had never before been to the capital, gathered in a mass of more than 4,000 immigrants—of many races, ethnicities and countries of origin—to visit legislators and demand that the state would provide a network of protection and support for immigrants. Two days later, Governor Pete Wilson authorized a provisional extension of the food stamps program for hundreds of immigrants, instead of immediately suspending it as originally planned.

Seventeen MUA members graduated from an intensive fund raising course.

Along with other groups, MUA organized protests, theater pieces, mailings and other activities in order to guarantee prenatal attention for all women with a low income, independent of their migratory status. As a result of these tasks, the right to prenatal care was saved.

In 1998 MUA reached its long time goal of opening a second branch in Oakland. This was an important step towards the creation of a National network of organizations for immigrant women.