May Day, Every Day: Immigrant Workers Take to the Streets for Justice and Dignity

Since 2006, May 1st has been a day marked by the immigrant community’s fight here in the U.S. But for many years, it has been a day of struggle for all workers. Internationally recognized as International Workers’ Day, it is rooted in events that took place in 1886, when workers were fighting for an eight-hour workday—demanding that they not be forced to work more than eight hours, and that those eight hours be fairly compensated to support a family. On May 1st, 35,000 workers in Chicago went on strike. On May 4th, during a public meeting, the police ordered everyone to disperse, and a violent confrontation broke out. Eight police officers were killed and an unknown number of demonstrators were killed or injured.

That history is not only about the U.S., but also about the immigrants here who have refused to work under inhumane conditions.

This fight isn’t just the struggle of the past—it’s the struggle of all of us today.

CATA continues to be part of this movement.

This past May Day, we took part in two powerful actions, representing South Jersey and farmworkers in the fight.

In the morning, we were in Philadelphia protesting outside the Federal Court, where private prison companies were challenging New Jersey’s ban on detention centers. We say loud and clear—NO ICE in NJ! No more detention of our immigrant community. No more separation of families.

Alongside allies from the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, Make the Road NJ and PA, El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City, Faith in NJ, PIC, and more, we were there to show up, speak out, and let the courts and detention corporations know—we are in this fight.

In the afternoon, we traveled to Princeton, NJ to join Resistance in Action NJ's March and Rally. We were proud to speak and share the lived experiences of farmworkers in their fight for equal rights—as workers and as immigrants.

We are here, and we are not leaving! The streets belong to the people—so where are the people? The people are in the streets demanding freedom!

At CATA, we’re proud to stand with farm and migrant workers in the fight for justice—on May Day and every day. Through grassroots organizing, advocacy, and community action, we’re creating lasting change in the living and working conditions of our communities.

Will you join us?

If you're interested in volunteering with CATA, we have several meaningful opportunities available—just fill out this quick form to get started. Together, we can build a more just and dignified future.

—Jessica Culley, CATA's General Coordinator