[[Fight Back News]]/[[March 2006]]/ link

Just after the protest (the March 10 Chicago march), Fight Back! caught up with Jose Artemio Arreola, a key organizer of the massive protest for immigrant rights that rocked Chicago, March 10. He explained how the Coalition Against HR 4437 built the unity necessary for a turnout of such proportion.

"When we wanted to call for a coalition meeting, it was suggested that we bring together local representatives of PRI , PRD , and PAN . But these are Mexican parties. It had to be broader," Arreola explained.

Last year, 'Arreola was elected to serve on an advisory council created by Mexican President Vicente Fox to aid immigrants in the U.S. "My friend thought the council could sponsor the meeting. This also was not broad enough."

Arreola is on the executive board of Local 73 SEIU (Service Employees International Union.) He works as a janitor in the Oak Park public schools. And he is an active member in the [[Michoacan Club]], a social organization of immigrants from the Mexican state of Michoacan. "The union, the clubs, the Mexican parties, yes, all of them needed to be present. But the entire community, and not just Mexican immigrants, had to be represented."

So a meeting was called with this approach. It was successful, with over 30 organizations represented in the coalition. Arreola explained that, in the next stage, the Spanish radio stations spread the word far and wide. Starting with Rafael 'El Pistolero' Pulido, on "Que Buena," WOJO 105.1FM, Univision Radio; then others joined, such as [[Javier Salas]], host of "Un Nuevo Di­a," on "La Tremenda," WRTO 1200 AM, also a Univision station...