About 250 people gather at Tenaya Middle School on Friday to discuss the plight of undocumented immigrants who are currently excluded from the Affordable Care Act. (Photo Sun Star / Ana Ibarra)
More than 250 people met to discuss the need to provide health care for all. [Ana Ibarra / Sun Star]
Many offered personal testimony about how they had been affected by the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from the Affordable Care Act (ACA). [Claudia Gonzalez / We'Ced Youth Media]
The lack of health coverage connected to hospitalizations and poor academics..."There is a correlation between low grades and low attendance due to poor health.." [Ana Ibarra / Sun Star]
Monica Adrian is a #Health4all advocate from the Merced County Office of Education... "I believe all people in this country deserve health care and medical service.."
Many in the crowd were disappointed to learn that Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres) and Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced) would not be in attendance, despite earlier promises to attend.
"Undocumented or not, they are people. They are our neighbors, our friends and our co-workers." [Liliana Prado / Sun Star LTE]
"It doesn't matter if someone was born in California, or if California was born in them, everyone should have access to preventative health care." [Miranda Myers / Sun Star LTE]
Youth advocates of Merced Organizing Project at Immigrant Day 2015 (Photo by BHC Merced)
Hundreds of immigrants advocates and residents through out California convened in Sacramento yesterday (May, 18th) for the annual tradition of Immigrant Day.
Immigrant Day was a day of advocacy, education and unity, where supporters, advocates, and immigrant communities of California raised a unified voice in Sacramento to support state proposals that are pertinent to immigrants and the prosperity of all ie #Health4All, #OneCalifornia.
Over 43 Merced County residents participated in this year's Immigrant Day in efforts to persuade local assembly and state lawmakers on the need of access to health care for undocumented individuals in our county.
Thank you to our amazing partners and community leaders as well as the residents that participated and voiced their support for #Health4All
You can view all the photos from Immigrant Day on our website. [BHC Merced / Flikr]
Verbatim
Democratic legislative leaders are pushing a package of bills this year to expand legal protections for immigrants living in California illegally
