‘Day of Action’ event in Las Vegas celebrates cultural contributions of immigrants to US

Teenagers in fitted mariachi apparel stood alongside women in kimonos in an event that was a combination political rally, resource fair and cultural exhibition Saturday afternoon outside of a community center in North Las Vegas.

More than a dozen organizations including the Culinary union and Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood Affiliates collaborated to put on the “Day of Action” event outside of the Dr. William U. Pearson Community Center.

The event emphasized the cultural contributions of immigrants to the United States and rallied attendees against mass deportation of undocumented individuals, also offering a resource fair with educational institutions, social organizations and more.

“People need to hear that there are other undocumented people doing cool things in the community,” said 22-year-old Mariana Sarmiento, a UNLV senior who spoke to the crowd of roughly 150 people.

Sarmiento, whose parents carried her across the U.S.-Mexico border when she was a child, said she’s benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which provides a renewable deferral of deportation and work permit eligibility to people who immigrated to the United States as children.

As the president of UNLV UndocuNetwork, a student organization at the university, she’s made it a mission of hers to help ensure the government program is around for the next generation of students.

“If through the UndocuNetwork I can help even just (one other) student know that they can go to school and how they can do that, I think that my mission will be accomplished,” she said.

Speakers including U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Rep. Ruben Kihuen, both freshmen Democrats from Nevada, rallied the crowd by promising they would fight for immigration reform under the administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

“Our country’s diversity is what makes us great, what makes our communities better and our economy stronger,” Cortez Masto said.

Though many of the speakers spoke in Spanish and English, the event also featured dancers of Japanese heritage and speakers who discussed the hardships immigrants from different countries have faced in the United States.

“This is not the time to be scared, this is not the time to be intimidated, this is not the time to back down,” Kihuen told the crowd.

He said opportunities like Saturday’s event can help connect members of the community with resources they need to take college classes or find a path to citizenship.

“A lot of these folks can benefit from some of the services here,” he said. “This matters because people are not backing down.”

Contact Pashtana Usufzy at pusufzy@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4563. Follow @pashtana_u on Twitter.