A cheery chant of “Mexico” emanated from children as they slid down a Fuller Park slide Monday. The children mimicked the sounds of hundreds of marchers walking the perimeter of the downtown Napa park to protest proposed reforms to federal immigration laws.

Students and farmworkers, church leaders and business professionals, Hispanics and non-Hispanics walked together. The debate in Washington has sparked a wave of demonstrations, including dozens around the country Monday on what was billed as a “National Day of Action.”

In Napa some 1,200 people came from Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Rosa, St. Helena, Calistoga, Napa and American Canyon to march — by far the largest here since the demonstrations began.

“We as immigrants are contributing to the nation,” said Juan Creano, 32, of Sacramento. “What we want today is for everyone to know that the (proposed) law is unjust.”

Juan Martinez of Napa carried an American flag as he marched, saying “This country has opened its doors to us.”

“I’m here because I don’t want the law to pass,” he said. “I’ve been here for 20 years and have permanent residency, but my paisanoscq don’t. We want a just law. We want our people to be able to come here, work here and be able to return to Mexico to visit their families. Mexicans aren’t terrorists.”

The demonstrations have grown even as the odds have dwindled that the most strict proposal — making it a felony to be an illegal immigrant — will pass.

Most marchers carried American flags while a handful had Mexican flags, some donning them as capes. A wide variety of hand-made signs were visible above the marchers.

“If I’m illegal, so are my taxes,” read one sign.

Lucia Gonzalez, 18, a Vintage High School senior who walked out of class to be part of the march, held a sign that read, “The time is always right to do what is right — Martin Luther King.”

“It’s important to let people know that we are here,” she said. “(The law) would affect people around me.”

Napa Valley College students Victoria Estrella, 29, and Quanisha Johnson, 20, aren’t Hispanic but were there to support the cause.

“I don’t agree with (H.R. 4437),” Estrella said.

Peaceful protest

From Fuller Park marchers walked north on Jefferson Street and east on Third Street, picking up more people as the procession made its way downtown.

“We are here, we aren’t leaving and if they kick us out we will return,” the group chanted. “We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us.”

Several Latino leaders spoke to the crowd in front of the Napa County Criminal Courthouse.

“Many of us have come here searching for the American Dream,” said Father Oscar Diaz, of St. John’s Catholic Church. “We aren’t terrorists and we come looking for the opportunity to grow and to watch our children grow.”

“We will march for human rights, we will march for the rights of our children,” said Napa Valley Unified School District board member Jose Hurtado. “Thanks for being here, thanks for being peaceful, let’s show the community what we are about.”

Voluntarios de la Comunidad, a St. Helena group that has roots in San Jose, organized the event and worked with the Napa Police Department and the Napa County Hispanic Network to ensure the demonstration remained peaceful.

Los Voluntarios’ Rodolpho Morales said his group decided to organize the event after a protest in Napa on April 1 turned violent, with one juvenile arrested after police used pepper spray. Napa Police Cmdr. Steve Potter said the cooperative effort among police, Los Voluntarios and the Hispanic Network ensured the march was not disruptive.

“I am here to compliment the way that these folks, young and old, conducted themselves and shared their feelings about how they are willing to work here in the United States and that they want to have a chance to improve their lives,” Napa Mayor Jill Techel told the crowd as it reached City Hall.

Techel said the council is researching the impact of the immigration reform proposals — which many now believe will not result in new legislation this year — and is in the process of writing a resolution to address the issue. Frances Ortiz-Chavez, a member of the NVUSD board and president of the Hispanic Network, told Techel, councilman Mark van Gorder and Napa Police Chief Rich Melton, “We urge you to please, before carrying on any of the legislation that gets approved, (to think about) how it’s going to affect our community and the welfare of all your residents here.”

Many observers clapped as protesters walked along. No one vocally opposed the protesters.

Immigration woes

Napa’s rally was one of dozens in California Monday. Although H.R. 4437 — a bill that would make it a felony to be an illegal immigrant, punish those who assist illegal immigrants, and erect a wall along much of the U.S. — Mexico border — has been shelved, federal legislators are no closer to solving the nation’s immigration problems.

An effort by the U.S. Senate to give millions of illegal immigrants already in the country the chance to gain residency failed Friday when Senate Republicans and Democrats couldn’t agree to a final vote. The Senate is now on a two-week break.

At least 20 other rallies were held throughout California.

In Oakland, more than 2,000 immigrants waving American flags marched downtown.

Between 800 and 1,000 people gathered outside the state capitol, while 200 to 300 held a rally at a downtown Sacramento park.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.