AMY GOODMAN: Joining me in our studios here in New York at WBAI radio is my co-host, Juan González. And in this first segment, we’re taking a look at the National Puerto Rican March that is going to be coming to Washington next Friday. Also, last night, the House passed an immigration bill, and we’ll be talking about that, as well. Juan, welcome.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Thank you, Amy. And, you know, Amy, there are about 2.7 million Puerto Ricans in the United States, in the mainland United States, another 3.7 million on the island. But rarely are the issues or concerns that affect the Puerto Rican community heard in Washington. And there is going to be, next Friday, a massive mobilization of Puerto Ricans to Washington, probably the largest in the history of the United States in terms of the size of it.

And we have with us this morning Manny Mirabal, who is the president of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, and he’s also the chairperson of the National Puerto Rican Leadership Summit, which is a coalition of virtually every major Puerto Rican organization in the country. And we also have with us Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress. And we’re going to be talking with them about the march and other issues.

But to start with Manny, Manny, what is the — what is the goal of this march? I know, I understand it’s called Boricua First, National Puerto Rican Affirmation Day, but why the name, and what exactly are you trying to do there?

MANUEL MIRABAL: Well, first of all, thanks for having me on the show.

And Boricua First, like we say, is about the unity within our community, the fact that we, as Puerto Ricans, have been involved in many issues, literally in isolation, around 80 cities around this country. And — 

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And for listeners who don’t know what Boricua is?

MANUEL MIRABAL: Boricua comes from the term “Borinquen.” Borinquen is the name of the island of Puerto Rico, which it was known by the Indigenous people of the island. And it’s like, if you’re from Ireland, you’re Irish. If you’re from Borinquen, you’re a Boricua.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: OK. So, you were saying, in terms of the goals of the march?

MANUEL MIRABAL: Well, the goals of the march is to give an opportunity for members of our community who have been involved in public policy issues and other areas that are important to us, from literally 80 cities around the country and in Puerto Rico, to join together in unity in Washington, D.C., and bring their issues together and really produce a strength in unity of our Puerto Rican communities around issues that we all happen to agree are important to us — education, health, the issue of the Puerto Rican political prisoners, which our community leaders have endorsed from throughout the country. And that’s really the main purpose. This is the first time that so many of us have gathered in Washington, D.C., to become engaged directly in public policy issues and educating people who make decisions in Washington, especially today, when some of those people we think are not making the right decisions about issues that affect not just the Puerto Rican community, but all minorities.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: When you say Puerto Rican political prisoners, I guess a lot of listeners don’t even think in terms of whether there are political prisoners, especially Puerto Rican political prisoners, in this country. But those people who are knowledgeable of Puerto Rican history, they know there’s been an ongoing, for generations, independence movement that has always produced resistance fighters against American control. And could you tell us a little bit now about who are these political prisoners, and what makes them political prisoners?

MANUEL MIRABAL: There are 15 men and women Puerto Ricans who are in federal jails today, basically convicted on charges of sedition, for the most part, who have received very lengthy sentences, basically because they did not believe in defending themselves in the U.S. courts because of their ideological beliefs that Puerto Rico was still considered by them a colony at the time that they took these actions. They were picked up in a sweep by the federal government, which picked up, I think, almost 30 people. Of these, these 15 individuals refused to defend themselves. None of them were convicted of any violence against any person, nor destruction of any property. But they were convicted by default, and they received very lengthy sentences, an average of 84 years among the 15 of them. And they’ve now served from 13 to 15 years each in federal prisons. We, as a community organization, Boricua First, and the 400 organizations that attended a major summit back in 1994, we voted a resolution to do what we could to help release these people, our brothers and sisters, on humanitarian grounds, on the issue of fairness.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Now, the last — the last amnesty of Puerto Rican political prisons was by President Jimmy Carter back in 19, I think it was, 79, wasn’t it? when he freed some of the nationalist prisoners.

MANUEL MIRABAL: That’s correct.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: What makes you think that in the climate in this country today, in the increasing climate to lock more people up, would President Clinton consider even the possibility of granting an amnesty, of releasing these current political prisoners?

MANUEL MIRABAL: Well, although we’re seeing a tendency to build more jails, and clearly more African American and Hispanics entering those penal systems, these aren’t the same kind of people. These people are not kidnappers. They’re not rapists. They’re not murderers. And secondly, today there’s an entire new sense of world reconciliation, that we see Gerry Adams go to the White House. We see Nelson Mandela, a fighter for freedom, a nationalist, being hailed as a world leader. We see Yasser Arafat receiving a World Peace Prize. All of these men who are considered leaders of their movements have been involved in some form of violence to achieve their cause. We see the leaders of this nation — 

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And were all considered terrorists at one point or another.

MANUEL MIRABAL: All, at one point or another. And we see the leaders of this nation welcoming them and supporting them in a world action for peace. Well, these are American citizens who are in these federal jails right now. They’re Puerto Rican United States citizens. And it’s about time that this country use the same standards with our own citizens that they are using on a worldwide basis.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Now, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez has joined us by phone. Congresswoman, are you there?

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: Yes.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: How are you?

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: How are you?

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Good morning.

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: I’m fine.

MANUEL MIRABAL: Good morning, Nydia.

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: Good morning, Manny.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Now, I’d like to ask the congresswoman also, in terms of the march — I know you’re an endorser and a participant in the march. There have been questions about the march, because it’s so broad in its scope. You’ve got everybody from Carlos Romero Barceló, the very conservative pro-statehood representative or delegate in Congress, to yourself and Congressman Gutierrez and a variety of other organizations. How have you managed to maintain this kind of unity, all of you calling for the freedom of the Puerto Rican political prisoners and also for a Puerto Rican agenda in Washington?

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: Well, it’s clear that Carlos Romero is not — doesn’t support the release of the political prisoners. But basically, and based on the political climate that we are facing here in Washington, I think that this event is very important. It’s a historic event, because we need to send a message to the congressmembers here in Washington that the Puerto Rican population in the mainland and in Puerto Rico is a growing population, and we have to make our presence felt, especially during this time where we are seeing so many programs that are vital and are important for our community being dismantled. I have identified more than maybe 50 members who have large concentration of Puerto Ricans. It’s important that their constituents comes here, that they come and they say, “We are in your district, we are your constituents, and we are your voters.” And we need at least — there is common ground for the three members of Congress and Carlos Romero Barceló when it comes to domestic issues. And so, based on the climate that we are facing in this Congress, we cannot miss the opportunity of getting the Puerto Rican activists at the grassroots level to come here to Washington to discuss public policy and to go and visit their congressmembers.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Now, I understand another part of the march is going to be a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial —

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: Yes.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: — highlighting the participation or the involvement of Puerto Rican veterans in a variety of wars. Why was that decided?

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: Well, it was decided by the members of Boricua First. So, what we are doing here as congressmembers is to facilitate the type of events that they have organized. But also, it’s important because veterans in this country, and especially here in Congress, have been under attack. And they — and especially Puerto Rican veterans have been totally overlooked.

AMY GOODMAN: You’re listening to Nydia Velázquez from Washington, D.C. She’s a congressmember from here in New York, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, born in the sugar cane region of Puerto Rico. She was also the first Hispanic woman to serve on the New York City Council. And we’re also joined in the studio by Manuel Mirabal, and he is head of the National Puerto Rican Coalition. They’re both involved with this major Puerto Rican march on Washington that’s going to be taking place next Friday. I’m Amy Goodman, here with my co-host Juan González in our New York studios of Pacifica Radio here at WBAI Radio. Nydia Velázquez, one of the issues being raised by the march is immigration. And last night you were part — at least you were in the House. I won’t say you were part of the vote that passed this massive immigration bill that is now going on to the Senate today, its provisions including doubling the size of the Border Patrol to 10,000 agents, constructing a triple fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. And I understand that Florida Congressmember Bill McCollum is saying that the next crackdown has to come on legal immigration, as well.

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: Your response?

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: This is — well, I was one of the members who introduced amendments to water down this legislation. Let me tell you, as a member of the House of Representatives, I am — and as an American citizen, I am ashamed. What we are seeing here is an anti-immigrant rhetoric taking place in Washington. They’re trying to blame immigrants, and they’re using immigrants as a scapegoat for the economic ills of the United States, ignoring the fact that immigrants pay at least $25 million more in taxes than they use in services. This is just unbelievable. What can I tell you? You know, we have — this is a war against the most vulnerable citizens in our nation. And it’s not — it’s not — well, we were able and we succeeded yesterday in splitting the bill. Now we’re going to have a bill that will deal with immigrants, legal immigrants and illegal immigrants. But you’re right. The next step will be to go after legal immigration.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: I’d like to just get a little bit —

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: And, Juan — 

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yes.

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: — let me just add, you know, is they’re going after American, U.S.-born children of immigrants. And what we are seeing through this legislation is that this Congress is creating a two-tier system, where those children who are American citizens but are born of immigrants will be treated differently from those who are born to U.S. citizens.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And where is the president in all this? I understand that he, at least, is now not in favor of as low a ceiling on legal immigration as he was previously. But where — was he visible in terms of his attempt to impact on this legislation?

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: Juan, let me tell you, it has been — it has been an uphill battle. And I have to tell you, my amendment was defeated not by the Republicans; it was defeated by the conservative Democrats in the House. I was able to get 21 members from the Republican Party to support my amendment. So, you have to understand that when it comes to — this is — it’s politics as usual. They’re trying to score political points by using this immigration card. And the Hispanic members of the House, we have been meeting with Leon Panetta. We have been meeting with Harold Ickes and the president himself. We have been very strong, and we have been telling the president, “You have to understand that if this is going to be a political decision, the way that the Democratic Party could grow is through the Hispanic community in this country. So, don’t send a message to them that the Democrats in this country are going after them, that that we are using — the Democratic Party is using also the rhetoric on immigration to score political points.” He is committed to veto the legislation, and we have to wait and see.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, in terms of the impact of the Latino community on the upcoming presidential race, what do you think that this march in Washington, if you get — as I understand it, Manny, you’re looking at maybe 10,000 or more people coming to Washington?

MANUEL MIRABAL: No, no, we’re now pretty certain that at least 15,000 people are going to show up next week, just based on the calls we’ve had. And I think you heard me talking earlier — 

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: On the buses, yeah.

MANUEL MIRABAL: Yesterday alone, we had 200-and-something calls in the office from all around the country. But the importance, I think, is that this is the first presence of the — a major presence of the Hispanic community, because the Puerto Rican community is part of that larger Hispanic community. And this issue of immigration, an attack on immigrants, an attack on immigrants as Hispanic especially, is one of the things that concerns us all as Puerto Rican leaders. And it’s one of our issues, and it’s very timely that we are in Washington next week, because it’ll give us a major opportunity to show some numbers and some efforts directly at — targeted at those members of Congress who do represent large Hispanic communities. And so, this will have an impact. And we are addressing this head-on by making an effort to visit members of Congress, by including this immigration issue in our agenda as Puerto Ricans. And we’re certainly optimistic that we’re not just doing this as puertorriqueños, as Boricuas, but we’re also doing this in behalf of the entire Hispanic community and other minority communities that suffer from the same problems that are emanating from Washington today.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And in a close presidential race, many people don’t remember back in 1960, when John Kennedy ran against Nixon, that the key Hispanic vote in places like Texas and New Mexico and Arizona, where the — where Kennedy lost the majority of the white vote but got the overwhelmingly 85, 90% of the Mexican American vote, were the pivotal factors in that victory, The Viva Kennedy committees that were formed by Henry González and Ed Roybal when they were both councilmembers in L.A. and San Antonio, so that now, with some of these key states where you have so many Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans and Cuban Americans, will be a critical part of the vote, don’t you think?

MANUEL MIRABAL: Yeah, well, clearly.

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: And let me just add, Juan —

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yes.

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: In terms of the whole immigration debate in Congress, the Republicans’ Hispanic members have been joining us in fighting this legislation. The president is well aware that he needs all those states that have high concentration of Latinos. And one of the ways to activate and reinvigorate our base is by standing firm on these issues that are so important to us.

AMY GOODMAN: Let me ask you something, Nydia Velázquez. You are being challenged right now. Your district is being challenged. We just saw a victory on the part of Chicago Congressmember Gutiérrez, whose district was challenged, and he won. He actually — the challenge lost, and it looks like he is going to be maintaining that district. But in terms of you and your beating of Stephen Solarz, which was quite an amazing victory, if our listeners may remember, Stephen Solarz, a many term Democrat from here in New York, very powerful in Congress. This certainly sent a signal to the leadership when Nydia Velázquez won in New York City. What are you doing about this? What do you see for your future?

REP. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ: Well, the case of Congressman Gutiérrez and the outcome was a very — you know, it was a very positive outcome that I think might have some impact in terms of my case here in New York. But also, well, we presented a motion to dismiss the case, and we haven’t heard from the court. So we are just still waiting to see how the court is going to rule in our motion to dismiss.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, well, I’d also like to say, in the time that we have left, in terms of the upcoming march, Manny, if there are people who still want to be able to get on buses or participate or come to the activity, I understand you’ve got people like many in — many top name Puerto Rican entertainers, like Willie Colón, Lucecita Benítez, Dave Valentin and Piri Thomas, the writer, are all going to be there participating. What’s the number that they can call, or how can they get in touch with people to participate in march?

MANUEL MIRABAL: Sure. There’s an 800 number, 1-800-229-3914, and that’s in our offices in Washington, D.C. And we can relay you back to members in your own specific communities that are working on organizing groups.

AMY GOODMAN: Repeat that number.

MANUEL MIRABAL: It’s 1-800-229-3914.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And in terms of the particular — the main message that you want to get out? Oops, I think we’re out of time. Yes, well —

AMY GOODMAN: We are just about out of time. If you want to say it in 10 seconds, your main message, if you can sum it up? This is the true test. Can you speak in soundbites?

MANUEL MIRABAL: We have to unite as Hispanics to become engaged and respond to what’s going on in Washington today. It affects all of us.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, we want to thank you very much for joining us, Manuel Mirabal, who is head of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, and also New York Congressmember Nydia Velázquez from Washington, D.C. Juan González is staying with me for the rest of the hour. We’re going out to California for a journalist roundtable looking at that state. You’re listening to Democracy Now!