Taking His Message to the White House

With letters, envelopes and pen in hand, community activist Jimmy Ramos is asking for signatures. Lots of signatures.

“Our goal is 1 million,” said Ramos, 24. His mission: To hand deliver to the White House a million letters asking President Bill Clinton to make the education of all children, regardless of national origin, his top priority.

Three years ago, Ramos founded La Escuelita del Pueblo, a makeshift school in his Fullerton home where hundreds of people have been receiving free English lessons. Now, with partners Alex Vasquez, 28, and Fernando Saucedo, 70, he plans to preach what he practices.

The three men canvassed a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Anaheim on Friday, explaining their Washington project to residents and finding dozens of supporters.

“Public education is for all people,” Ramos told one resident. “There should be no preferences of color, race or nationality. Everybody needs to have an education, because with education, we can reduce poverty and the problems that come with it: violence, drugs and gangs.”

Sylvia Rodriguez, 35, eagerly signed a pre-written letter and provided her name and address on the envelope, which will be taken to Washington in Ramos’ van.

“This is very important,” she said. “I’m happy to collaborate. I want our children to be loved and allowed to go to school without fear of racism. Latinos are being attacked hard just because of our race, and we just want our rights to be taken into account.”

With the passage of Proposition 209 in November and Proposition 187 two years ago, education for minorities including Latinos is being threatened, Ramos said. Proposition 187 would deny public education to illegal immigrants, and Proposition 209 would eliminate consideration of race in college admissions and scholarships. Both initiatives currently are being challenged in the courts.

“We need to alert people about what is happening and start helping each other,” said Ramos, a Fullerton College student with no high school education. “I want immigrants to succeed in life just like any other person in this country.”

Ramos, Saucedo and Vasquez said they were moved to do something because of growing anti-immigrant sentiment in recent years. So far, they have collected 30,000 signed letters in Orange County.

The letters read in part: “I know that you, as the president of the United States, want to see less crime and violence and a decrease in poverty. Please do not cut the budget for education and deny education for children, depending on where they come from. We are asking for education for all the people in America.”

The three plan to leave Dec. 14 to drive across the country, stopping in numerous cities to gather more signatures. They will stay with friends and supporters and will ask for donations to help fund the trip.

“Our motive is to help society,” Saucedo said. “There’s so much talk about discrimination and there shouldn’t be . . . We want all kids to get an education, especially in this most powerful country, the land of opportunity.”