May 1: International Day of the Worker

Coachella Valley Immigrant Dignity Coalition celebrates International Day of the Worker

COACHELLA — For the past four years, the Coachella Valley Immigrant Dignity Coalition ( CVIDC) has collectively celebrated May Day as the International Day of the Worker. This year is no different.

Hosted in the city of Coachella in Veterans Memorial Park, the event will take place May 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Each May Day has been a platform for local immigrant communities to be highlighted as a strength of the work force in the Coachella Valley. This year the group partnered with Culturas Music and Arts to host art and vendors during the May Day as “Arte Del Barrio.”

“It is very important to recognize the workforce that has uplifted the Coachella Valley before, during and after the pandemic,” said Erick Lemus, organizer. “The racial makeup of today’s labor workforce in the Coachella Valley still has a strong back bone of immigrant workers in the farm labor and the hospitality industry.”

See the day’s activities in English here. See the information in Spanish here. 

CVIDC consists of Comite Latino, Todec Legal Center, Inland Equity Partnership , COFEM, Danza Azteca Citlaltonac, Bayanihan Desert, CRLA, Lift to Rise, Vision Y compromiso and Flying Doctors, Culturas Music and Arts. As well as other local immigrant rights activists and organizations.

“This year our theme for our action is “The pathway to comprehensive immigration reform,” Lemus said. ” We are also aligned with recent national efforts to fight for comprehensive immigration reform. We will present a lineup of speakers that include local impacted residents, local immigrant rights organizations and service providers. We will open up with an indigenous blessing and have two marches around Veterans Park. Additionally, we will have organizations set up tables for community members to get additional information.”

Coachella Valley Immigrant Dignity Coalition is on Facebook for folks to keep updated and engaged.