From driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants to English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for immigrant adults, immigrant New Yorkers and their supporters from all across the state converged in huge numbers in Albany last week to demand their rights. The rally called on Governor Eliot Spitzer and state legislators to enact policy reforms to improve the lives of millions of immigrant New Yorkers.

Participants conveyed a mix of optimism and urgency as they visited legislators and government officials, bringing high visibility to immigrant issues as part of the New York Immigration Coalition’s (NYIC) annual Empire State Day of Action. This year’s theme was “A Call for a New Day for Immigrant New Yorkers.”

“For too long, immigrant community issues have been neglected. But today, we have tremendous optimism that a new day for immigrants is possible. We see a genuine opportunity to work with Governor Spitzer and the state legislature for changes that will bring equal rights, needed services, and opportunity to immigrant families,” said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

“With the growing numbers of immigrants in New York, the government should pay some attention to the issues that we face. It is very important that the gap between South Asian children and parents is bridged. The Council wants to see that the South-Asian children are instilled with same cultural values that their parents have, with a special thrust on English classes,” said Sudha Acharya of the South Asian Council for Social Services.

In recent weeks, Governor Spitzer proposed historic increases in education funding in his budget, and the state’s Department of Labor announced that it will step up efforts to combat exploitation of immigrant workers. Both announcements were enthusiastically received in immigrant communities. Participants also expressed an urgent need to reverse the controversial driver’s license policy from 2004 that has taken away driver’s licenses from thousands of undocumented immigrants.

“We are looking forward to the governor to do the right thing by giving back drivers’ licenses to immigrants,” said S.J. Jung, president of YKASEC-Empowering the Korean American Community.

“The state should make it a priority to ensure that immigrants and their families successfully integrate into our cities by doing one simple thing: Make more English classes available for immigrants,” said Elsie St. Louis Accilien, executive director of Haitian-Americans United for Progress.