Variations Of The "Immigrants Are Welcome Here" Chant

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides a compilation of variations of the "immigrants are welcome here" chant.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and political purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who supportive of immigrants and other vulnerable people throughout the world. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
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UPDATE 1/29/2017

Click http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/01/29/1626670/-The-Muslim-Ban-How-it-went-from-Bad-to-Worse-to-Constitutional-Crisis for the article "The Muslim Ban: How it went from Bad to Worse to Constitutional Crisis"

Also, a few examples of the unison chant "no ban no wall" are found in the comment section below.

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INFORMATION ABOUT "IMMIGRANTS ARE WELCOME HERE" CHANTS
"Immigrants are welcome here" chants are unison* chants that are composed of two rhyming lines. These chants proclaim support for immigrants or another vulnerable group (such as "refugees" or "Muslims).

*Unison chants are chants that everyone says together in contrast with "call & response chants" where a caller (lead voice) says a line and others respond to that line.

"Immigrants are welcome here" chants are used for protest marches and rallies throughout the world. These words are also found on protest marches and rallies signs.

The following quote refers to this chant being used in the United States (post Trump's election as President).
From http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/11/13/all_the_chants_i_heard_at_saturday_s_anti_trump_protest_in_nyc_ranked.html
"All the Chants I Heard at Saturday’s Anti-Trump Protest in NYC, Ranked", November 13, 2016
By L.V. Anderson
The ideal chant for a protest is short, percussive, and meaningful*. I attended the anti-Trump protest in New York City that marched between Union Square and Trump Tower on Saturday afternoon, and many of the chants I heard did not meet those criteria."....

[This writer listed 25 chants that she or he heard at the New York protest, listed from worst to best.]**

7. “Say it loud! Say it clear!” / “Refugees are welcome here!” At this post-election, pre-inauguration moment, before Trump has actually given liberals any concrete policy moves to oppose, a chief aim of a protest ought to be providing succor to those who fear for their safety and lives under a Trump presidency. This slogan accomplishes that aim admirably. (It also works with “immigrants” instead of “refugees.”)"
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* Another characteristic of many protest chants is that the chant follows a specific rhyming pattern (for example: "fear"/"here") or the chant follows a repetitive pattern (as in the call & response "democracy looks like" chant that is noted immediately below.

**That writer ranked “Show me what democracy looks like!” / “This is what democracy looks like!” as the number one protest chant that she heard at the New York anti-Trump march.

It should be noted that "immigrants are welcome here" chants were used in the United States before Trump's election. Those chants have also been used outside of the United States, as shown by some of the examples given in this post.

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EXAMPLES OF "IMMIGRANTS ARE WELCOME HERE" CHANTS
Numerous documented examples of "immigrants are welcome" chants are documented online.

This post provides selected examples of forms (variations) of these chants, and selected accounts of marches/rallies in the United States and in Europe when these chants were used.

These examples are given in italics when they are part of a longer quote. A video is embedded with many of the tweets that are quoted.

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Undated example [retrieved January 26, 2017]
From http://www.welfarewarriors.org/wwfighting_chants.htm
Welfare Warriors [Milwaukee, Wisconsin] Fighting Chants
"Don't give in to racist fear
Immigrants are welcome here"
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This was the last chant that was given on that page.

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2012*
From Google books: Google books
A Journey Around Our America: A Memoir on Cycling, Immigration, and the Latinoization of the U.S.
by Louis G. Mendoza
University of Texas Press, Sep 15, 2012 - Social Science
pages 162-163
...'Stop the hate Stop the fear/Immigrants are welcome here' boomed a woman’s voice over a portable loudspeaker."
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This is the earliest dated example of the "immigrants are welcome here" chant family that I've found to date.

Please share information about pre-2016 examples of "immigrants are welcome here" chants in the comment section below.

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2013 [signage]
From https://everychant.wordpress.com/category/immigrants-rights/ "Chants for Changing the World
a resource for left-wing activists"
CATEGORY ARCHIVES: IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS
Posted on 09/21/2013
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“Muslims are welcome here” is part of the signage in the photo banner for this website. The other visible part of that particular sign is the socialist workers.org citation.

The "Muslim are welcome here" or "immigrants are welcome here" chant aren't listed on that page. However, ‘No papers, no fear!” is listed. Is this the first line of that signage or chant?

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2014
From https://socialistworker.org/2014/07/30/the-refugees-are-welcome-here
July 30, 2014
"The refugees are welcome here

Activists report on a series of immigrant rights protests organized to counter the racist message of anti-immigrant groups and mainstream political leaders.

.... In the rural San Diego County town of Ramona, Calif., Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio came to speak on July 26. The event was sponsored by local Tea Party groups, whose right-wing political campaigns have floundered and base of support have shrunk over the last few years. They are seeking a revival by hitching their wagon to the anti-immigrant bandwagon...

The protesters came from Ramona, San Diego and elsewhere, and set up a protest picket right next to the entrance to the theater. The group chanted, "Brothers, sisters, have no fear, immigrants are welcome here" and "Racist, bigot, KKK--Sheriff Joe go away" at the group of largely white, older Tea Party and Minutemen adherents...

Arpaio's racist fans physically attacked or shoved activists at least four separate times while police were present. The shameful inaction of the dozen San Diego County sheriff's deputies was met by chants of "Who do you serve? Who do you protect?" and "The cops and Klan go hand in hand." Local media at the event captured and broadcast some of this.”...

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2015
From https://www.rt.com/news/268621-germany-refugees-protest-solidarity-greece/ "Refugees are welcome here’: Thousands march in Berlin to support migrants, Greece", Published time: 20 Jun, 2015; Edited time: 26 Aug, 2015
"Thousands have taken to the streets of Berlin to express their solidarity with asylum seekers coming to Europe. The activists also expressed their support for the people of Greece, who are suffering from a long-running debt crisis.

Organized by German opposition parties Die Linke (The Left) and Gruenen (The Greens), as well as other organizations, the protest coincided with UN World Refugee Day.

German police estimated up to 2,500 people attended the rally.

Protesters were chanting pro-immigration slogans: “No frontiers, no nations, stop deportation!,” Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here.”...

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From https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/12/refugees-welcome-uk-marchers-un-warns-war-syria-million-displaced Refugees welcome here’: UK marchers take to streets with message of support

Senior UN official warns that, if the war in Syria continues, a million more of its people may be displaced by the end of the year

by Emma Graham-Harrison and Lizzy Davies in London and Janek Schmidt in Munich
Saturday 12 September 2015; Last modified on Friday 13 January 2017
"Tens of thousands of people have marched in support of refugees across the UK as the European Union prepared for its latest bruising battle over how to handle the crisis caused by the flood of Syrians fleeing their civil war.

In London, thousands of people – young and old, British, Syrian and other nationalities – snaked down Pall Mall and Whitehall on Saturday, many carrying placards and chanting “Say it loud and say it clear: refugees are welcome here”, and pausing outside Downing Street to boo, with some shouting: “David Cameron, shame on you.”...

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From http://www.workers.org/2015/12/08/anti-racist-unity-shuts-down-trump/#.WIrkEPkrLcs
"Anti-racist unity shuts down Trump – Workers World" by Workers World Durham, N.C., bureau posted on December 8, 2015 [Raleigh North Carolina]
Dec 8, 2015 - Chants of “Hey, let's be clear, no racists are welcome here! ... lead spirited chants denouncing racism, attacks on immigrants and Islamophobia".

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2016
From https://www.wearemitu.com/mitu-world/people-are-staging-major-protests-across-the-nation-against-a-trump-presidency/

....Chicagoans descended onto the city’s Trump Tower to show their dissatisfaction with the election.

Joel Meares ✔ @joelmeares
"No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!" #Trump protest in Chicago
9:54 PM - 9 Nov 2016

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say it loud say it clear immigrants are welcome here



Joel Tyner, Published on Nov 13, 2016

NYC [New York City] 11/13/16

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From https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/11/16/students-demand-their-universities-become-sanctuaries-for-undocumented-immigrants/?utm_term=.cbcf85440479
"Student protesters demand that universities become sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants"
By Susan Svrluga November 16, 2016
"Students at colleges across the country planned and held demonstrations to pressure their universities to protect undocumented students when Donald Trump becomes president.

Enforcement of immigration laws was a cornerstone of Trump’s campaign, an issue many voters strongly endorsed but that has created considerable concern on many campuses for undocumented students who have been promised an education. At many schools, while some students celebrated Trump’s win, others were in tears, worried about the threat of deportation for themselves or their families....

Devyn Giannetti @Devyn_Giannetti
Protestors chanting "Don't give into racist fear, immigrants are welcome here." #SanctuaryCampus @MDCollegian
3:28 PM - 16 Nov 2016

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From http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2016/11/u-community-members-protest-to-call-for-u-action-protecting-undocumented-immigrants "U. community members protest to call for U. action protecting undocumented immigrants" by Catherine Benedict | Nov 17, 2016
"Hundreds of University community members, including students, faculty, and staff, held a demonstration to call for the University to become a sanctuary campus for undocumented students, faculty, and staff.The demonstration began in front of the Nassau Hall at 5 p.m. and was spearheaded by the Princeton DREAM Team, a immigrants' rights group. The demonstration was part of a larger national movement this week promoted by the Cosecha Movement, a pro-immigrants' rights organization. According to Cosecha, similar demonstrations labelled #SanctuaryMovement have occurred at around 80 different universities across the nation in the wake of the election of President-elect Donald Trump, whose rhetoric calling for undocumented immigrants to be deported has been heavily criticized. The purpose of these demonstrations have differed by campus, from general demands that the administration protects undocumented students to guarantees that universities will protect undocumented students from deportation.

The event was organized by Arlene Gamio ’18, Alejandra Rincon ’18, Brandon Sixto ’17, and Carlos Sotelo ’17. Sixto led chants such as “say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here,” “the people, united, shall never be divided,” “ain’t no power like the power of the people, because the power of the people don’t stop.” Protesters held signs and posters displaying messages such as “education not deportation,” “no human being is illegal,” “sanctuary now,” and “protect undocumented people.”….

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From http://revcom.us/a/464/protests-erupt-across-the-country-en.html Protests Continue Against the Election of Fascist Trump
Updated December 5, 2016 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
"Protestors chanting "Don't give into racist fear, immigrants are welcome here."

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2017
From http://www.aft.org/news/thousands-send-message-trump-inauguration-eve "Thousands send message to Trump on inauguration eve | American ...by January 19, 2017
"The Jan. 19 mobilization took place at thousands of sites, from Plattsburgh, N.Y., to San Francisco to Volusia County, Fla., to Detroit—with locals large and small, and urban, suburban and rural communities taking part. The events included rallies, marches, demonstrations, "walk-ins" and community forums, and were held at schools, hospitals, college campuses and government buildings."...

"No hate, no fear—all students are welcome here" was the chant taken up by parents, students, teachers and staff at Chicago's Whitney M. Young Magnet High School –

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From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/protestors-flood-nycs-washington-square-park-in-anticipation-of-muslim-ban_us_58893575e4b0737fd5cb81db Protesters Flood NYC’s Washington Square Park To Oppose Muslim Ban by Sebastian Murdock , Christopher Mathias, 01/25/2017
"Say it loud, Say it clear
Muslim immigrants are welcome here"

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No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here



Marj Kleinman Published on Jan 23, 2017

Chant: "No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here."

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