As Americans grow concerned about their ability to survive the credit crunched world economy, the presidential candidates are jockeying for position to win over voters, and the "mainstream media" if you ask John McCain. While the media obsesses over bank bailouts and the Dow rollercoaster, more than 100 people in Los Angeles are preparing to do without food in an effort to place "immigration rights" back into the debate of the presidential race. Their ultimate goal is to serve notice to the incoming administration (whosoever that may be) that the broken immigration system has lagged on, unresolved.

According to the website, Fast For Our Future

• On October 15th, over 100 people will begin one of the largest hunger strikes in American history to call on Latinos, immigrants, and people of conscience-the Immigrant Rights Movement-to rise out of our fear and vote for change. "The Fast for our Future" will be based in a permanent encampment at La Placita Olvera, the historic heart of Los Angeles, and will continue until at least 1 million people have signed this Pledge. Through our shared sacrifice and commitment we will renew our movement and inspire an historic mobilization of Latino, immigrant, and pro-immigrant rights voters. We must remember the I.C.E. raids, those detained and deported, the families torn apart, the dreams deferred. We must remember the marches, the walkouts, the boycotts, and the promise we made: "Hoy Marchamos, Manana Votamos." Yesterday we marched for our rights, today we vote.

One million pledges is a lot of pledges to receive, they may be fasting for quite some time. By the way, fasting is not easy at all. In December 2007, I fasted from food (drinking water only) for just 24 hours. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. But I was happy to stand in solidarity with hotel workers who had worked for years, starving for union representation, increased wages and affordable health benefits. Many of them were immigrant workers (both legally and illegally employed I presume).

Of course, this action also comes just weeks after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the California Dream Act, which would have required that the state's high school students looking to gain a college education would be treated like all California citizens regardless of immigration status.

This will be an amazing feat and it probably will not make the news in tinseltown, Sacramento or D.C.