By Leo Juarez

Charged with filming the April 10 immigration rally in downtown Los Angeles, I spent much of the time jockeying for camera position, checking my audio levels and making sure that people didn’t trip over my cables.

But I took a second to think about how this same passionate show of force has been unfolding in dozens of cities across the country, involving hundreds of thousands of people, and … well, it began to dawn on me that this is a truly historic moment in our nation’s history, on par with the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

As I watched Cardinal Roger Mahony take the stage, it was slightly jarring to hear him start his speech by saying, “Put away the flags of other nations.” But I understood, as did members of the crowd. You don’t have to be a public relations expert to know that waving the Stars and Stripes is good for the cause.

I knew that Mahony’s words were sincere, that he and the rest of the Catholic Church had taken up the issue of immigration reform long before Congress and media pundits alike (in June 2004, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops started the “Justice for Immigrants” campaign seeking to promote immigrant rights).

Next was Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who drew a raucous response when he told the crowd, “I’m proud to be the son of an immigrant.” While he was certainly addressing the base that helped elect him, I think it’s unfair to accuse Villaraigosa of simple political pandering (as some have). I believe he understands that the issue of immigration is far too important, far too woven into the fabric of this city and his stewardship of it.

Perhaps the most striking visual from the rally were the faces of children, the majority of them U.S.-born. By marginalizing and threatening their parents and relatives, we are doing nothing to ensure that they grow up to be stable, successful and productive members of American society.

In the end, it was another impressive and, more importantly, peaceful display of a movement that isn’t just making noise. It’s making history.