Just this past week, the Iowa town of Postville commemorated the one-year anniversary of the largest immigration raid in the state’s history. A year ago, I.C.E. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) arrested about 400 undocumented workers at the meat processing plant Agriprocessors, Inc., which supported the bulk of the town's economy. Many of the workers are still being detained in Iowa prisons, and with nearly everyone feeling the pinch of the economic downturn, business in Postville just hasn't bounced back to the levels it was at before the raid.

The tragic story of this town and its citizens, both documented and undocumented, made me think of the May Day celebrations that took place in Los Angeles two weeks ago, where I met a young man translating for his father about his hesitation in coming out to protest. “He can’t come out to certain places because maybe I.C.E. might come, or we have to be aware of I.C.E and not having a driver’s license.”

Despite such concerns, many people attended May Day celebrations this year in Los Angeles, a city where the intertwining of labor and immigration rights is most visibly and vocally asserted. This year’s festivities were marked with vibrantly colored picket signs and flags, several marches, public speakers and an energetic indigenous presence that represented the large Latin American immigrant population of the city, a population that is critically affected by labor issues in L.A.

The interdependence of immigration and the economy are of national relevance as well. On the eve of May Day, Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Alan Greenspan, declared that undocumented workers had a positive effect on the U.S. economy and that immigration reform would further strengthen the contributions this sector of the population has made to the economy. And with the decline of Mexican emigration to the U.S.—a trend underscoring the severity of the economic crisis in the U.S.—the mutual dependence of labor and immigration has never been more clear.

Because of this close connection, May Day is more than just a date on the calendar, it is an opportunity for a too often silenced community to advocate for the change they need. Many of the attendants at this years May Day celebration were positive about the government's role in reforming immigration law and labor rights. This hope may not be misguided, since, already President Barack Obama has made some initial forays into addressing these controversial issues. Shortly after his inauguration, Obama overturned several executive orders passed under Bush concerning labor. Obama’s new policies limit federal contractors' abilities to restrict or discourage labor unions and require them to offer jobs to current workers when contracts change. Recently, President Obama met with members of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, telling them that he was ready to take on immigration reform within the first year of his term. His visit in Mexico, though touted by some as “largely symbolic” and though focused on Mexico’s “War on Drugs,” still indicated to many Mexicans a willingness on Obama’s part to restore relations with the region on a broad scale—including on issues like immigration and the economic recession. Additionally, in Congress the reintroduction of  the AgJobs bill--a bill that addresses both the rights of migrant workers and the business interests of their employers--suggests a first step toward a compromise between the two parties.

With Memorial Day around the corner, it’s especially important to recall and remember the struggles, sacrifices and supplications of those who not only hope for change, but in the meantime, struggle to work for mere change.