May 11, 2005

By: Don French
Website: http://www.1st-in-flags.com

Immigrant Janitors To Construct American Flag Quilt

Flag Day 2002, the first since the September 11 attacks, will take on a special significance for many in our nation - - including a group of immigrant janitors who are working hard to win the good, full-time jobs our communities need.

"The flag is a symbol of the American Dream for immigrants like me," said Franklin Mercedes, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who cleans office buildings in for a living.

To celebrate this Flag Day, Mercedes and a group of his colleagues are creating a giant American Flag quilt from quilt blocks created by janitors from cities up and down the East Coast. The blue patches in the quilt are being made from the janitors' blue-collar uniforms. The patches from New York will carry the names of janitors killed at the World Trade Center on September 11.

The finished quilt will be presented to janitors in Boston, mainly immigrants, who are fighting for good full-time jobs that will help them achieve the American dream.

The quilt presentation will come at the end of SEIU's American Dream Tour, a five-day bus trip up the East Coast by janitors who are hitting the road to bring attention to their living and working conditions in the midst of some of America's richest cities and suburbs. The bus leaves from Washington DC June 10 and stops in Newark, New York City, White Plains, NY, Hartford, CT, and with the quilt presentation on June 13.

Also see: south american flags

About The Author:

Don French is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-flags.com.  The flags of the world are symbols of recognition full of beauty and color for each country.