First of all, the student walkouts that preceded it were truly spontaneous and youthful. The big reason the walkouts happened over two days is that the original instant-messaging string started out with a confused date. What kids can get dates right? The adult march in downtown a week later was actually a competitive melee of groups, Chicano organizations versus immigrant clubs, with different groups jockeying for position in the street up until the moment the thing started.
The people I am talking to say the main credit for all of it goes to the kids, who were inspired by the new Edward James Olmos made-for-HBO movie Walkout and because it sounded like fun and the right thing to do. They lit the fuse for their parents a week later. Now all of the politicians are trying to say it was their march, like all those unregistered aliens came downtown and risked deportation because they want to see Domingo Garcia elected mayor. Highly unlikely. More likely: an unaffected and unorganized outpouring of deeply held sentiment. --Jim Schutze
