By Jacqueline García

A group of elected officials and advocates gathered at La Plaza de Culturas y Artes in Los Angeles on Thursday to announce a life-lasting memorial to honor the victims of the 1930s deportations. 

The Mexican Repatriation Memorial Project in Los Angeles was followed by the signing of SB537, a law that requires the construction of a special memorial in Los Angeles, considered the epicenter of the repatriation.

The Mexican repatriation happened in the 1930s during the Great Depression. The forced deportations of Mexicans and Mexican Americans happened under the guise of preserving job opportunities for “real Americans.” It is estimated that about 2 million Mexicans, including U.S. citizens, were sent back to Mexico. About 400,000 of them were from California. The deportees were rounded up, separated from their families, and transported by rail, automobile, ship, and airplane to Los Angeles and then to Mexico. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was glad to be present to celebrate the beginning of the memorial, which will recognize the dark part of history in the country and state. 

“We recognize the harsh reality that for 10 years beginning in 1929 where the 2 million Mexican immigrants and Mexican American citizens were rounded up, stripped of their citizenship and property and deported to Mexico,” said Bass. 

She highlighted this as something we shouldn’t forget, mainly now that Los Angeles is a city fighting against anti-immigration issues. 

A grandfather’s legacy

Among the repatriated was Martin Cabrera’s grandfather, Emilio Cabrera. Martin is the CEO and founder of Cabrera Capital Markets and Cabrera Capital Markets. He said much of his success comes from the harsh reality his grandfather had to face as a child

Emilio was born in 1918 in Wilmington, a community in South Los Angeles. When he was 12, his mother and sister were taken to Union Station to board a “boxcar” to take them to Mexico. 

Emilio’s family moved to  San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He eventually married and had three children, one of them was Martin’s father.

Emilio returned to his native country as an adult and settled in Detroit, Michigan. He got a job at General Motors and then worked for General Electric in Chicago, Illinois.

Martin remembers growing up in a modest family. He often went with his grandfather Emilio to the park to collect cans to recycle and make some extra chas.

“During those times we would talk and he would tell me about this time when he was a kid and he was in Los Angeles [and] then moved to Mexico,” recalled Martin. “As a kid, I didn’t realize how that could happen or what [that] was really about.”

Now, 94 years after Emilio Cabrera was deported, the narrative is back again from candidate Donald Trump, who has promised to deport all undocumented immigrants and close the border.

However, Cabrera said it is vital to recognize immigrants' contributions to this country.

“We bring a lot of richness of who we are and our faith, our work ethic and what we do to make sure that this country is great and we will continue to do that,” he said.

Cabrera said he’s proud of SB537 because it highlights the rest of the country who Latinos and immigrants are and the work they have done to build this country.

“Now we can look forward to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) said repatriation is American history that must be showcased to every child in California and the country. 

“Latinos are the backbone of our state and country. We know this, and our hard work, diversity, and culture should be valued as such,” said Gonzalez.

Senator Maria Elena Durazo said that now more than ever is a moment to be vigilant and stand up for those without a voice and remind everyone of the perils associated with draconian measures. 

The process

SB 537 authorizes a designated non-profit foundation, in consultation with the city and County of Los Angeles, to plan, construct, and maintain a statue at an appropriate public space in Los Angeles to commemorate the victims of the Mexican Repatriation Program. The non-profit foundation will cover all costs.

The location of the statue is yet to be determined. 

Read the article on CALO NEWS, here.