While Utah Latinos should feel a sense of pleasure and contentment about the previous week at the legislative session, they should not get complacent and remember there are two days left for lawmakers to make decisions, local leaders said Saturday morning at Salt Lake's Centro Civico Mexicano.

"This past week has been a good week as far as what happened at the capitol," said Tony Yapias, director of Proyecto Latino de Utah. "Because of what happened [last week], things have changed in our favor. This week, we have to make sure that our friends who are citizens call the governor and Capitol Hill for us, too."

Yapias and fellow Latino community leader Raul Lopez, vice president of the Centro Civico Mexicano, expressed their pleasure at how some controversial immigration bills were handled on Capitol Hill. For example, a measure that would have revoked in-state tuition for children of undocumented workers was overturned in a committee hearing, 3-2, with two abstaining votes. Commenting on the compassion shown by some senators and representatives, Yapias also said residents need to be prepared to do their part.

"Sometimes we tend to get emotional about this issue, but we need to always extend a hand," Yapias said. "If we want gringos to get to know us, get to know a gringo."

Lopez also urged Latinos to make sure they are being good citizens, regardless of their legal status, especially concerning the driving privilege card.

"All those who have a driving privilege card also have the responsibility to live according to the rules of it," Lopez said. "We have to get car insurance, and we cannot use it as a means of identification [such as for buying alcohol]."

Many citizens and non-citizens who attended the meeting voiced similar sentiments.

"As long as you all have friends, even friends of your children who are in high school, invite them and bring them to [this meeting]," said Yarra Betancourt, a resident of Salt Lake City from Mexico. "Nobody can love those who they do not know. It is through the voicing of our stories and challenges that we will be able to change people's hearts."

Others reminded peers of their heavy responsibility in the next few days.

"We have two free days to call our people so that these laws do not pass," said Celia Suarez, a native Venezuelan now living in Salt Lake City. "Nothing should ever be left in words alone."

Still, some voiced their beliefs concerning what they see as an "anti-immigrant feeling."

"By attacking us like they are, the anti-immigrant crowd is saying that all Hispanics are the same - that all are dangerous," said Anselam Infanzon, from Mexico.

Some left the meeting feeling like the community needs to do something in response to these bills but were not certain what to do. An undocumented worker from Mexico who identified himself only with the pseudonym "Juan A. Vega" said undocumented workers have a right to do something that threatens them, because they pay taxes, rent and utilities like the rest of the country.

But for most of the Latino community in Utah, their presence at this weekend's meeting was enough.

"The important thing is that we are here so that [the legislators] can hear us," Yapias said. "We don't have to go to the Capitol in order to let them know that we are preoccupied [with immigration reform]."

As of this weekend, the only immigration bills currently scheduled for floor hearings during the final three days are SB 210, SB 81, and HB 171.

Copyright Brigham Young University 4 Mar 2008