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USW International Vice President Leon Lynch welcoming the guests.

More than 300 people from Pittsburgh labor, community and civil rights groups gave a warm and spirited welcome to 100 immigrant workers who came to town on two buses Tuesday evening, September 30, 2003, from California’s Bay Area, en route to the nation’s capitol to press for fair immigration laws.

Young and older, men and women among the Immigrant Workers Freedom Rider came from home countries as diverse as El Salvador, China, Palestine and Mexico. They seemed pleased and a little surprised that so large a group had come to meet them for their Pittsburgh stopover.

The Freedom Riders enjoy their meal and meeting new friends.

In the course of the visit, individual workers had a chance to tell their own stories, often aided by translators. Many had experienced hardship and exploitation in their quest for a new life in America, while others spoke about the value of organizing unions to safeguard workers’ rights. Unifying goals for the group include a reasonable passageway to legal citizenship, the right to re-unite families, protection of workers rights and protection for the civil liberties of all.

Disembarking from their buses upon arrival, they quickly assembled on the sidewalks of Pittsburgh’s Hill District. They chanted and marched up Center Ave. to the steps of Hill House and its Irene Kaufmann Center, a traditional gathering place for immigrants who’ve come to Pittsburgh through the years. There they had a chance to stretch their legs, talk with Western Pennsylvanians, have a meal and enjoy some musical entertainment before heading off on a sunset march to Freedom Corner, a familiar gathering place for those in the attendance who’d been a part of the local Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and ‘60s.

The Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride participated in a spirited rally at Pittsburgh's Freedom Corner.

USW District 10 Director John DeFazio and Int’l Vice President Leon Lynch were among more than a dozen local leaders welcoming the guests at Freedom Corner. Earlier in the day, Pittsburgh City Council had passed an official resolution in support of the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride and its goals. Councilman Sala Udin, who sponsored the resolution, spoke about looking beyond our differences to what we have in common. Leon Lynch drew a quote from an old American folk songs, saying: "Freedom doesn’t come like a bird on its wings…Every generation has to win it back again."

After the rally, which drew much local media attention, the Freedom Riders attended a church service and were put up overnight in church housing on the South Side. Wednesday morning it was off again towards Washington, D.C., where they hope to have an impact on the national debate on immigration. Judging by their passion, enthusiasm and unity of purpose, their Pittsburgh hosts are confident that they will make their mark.