Phoenix,AZ- Latino activists groups, people from the community, as well as gente from all over the state gathered at the state capital at Arizona’s State Capital to protest the unjust immigration enforcement law SB1070. Last week Chicano college students chained themselves to the capital building in a show of opposition against this same law. The law that was signed by Governor Jan Brewer April 23rd, allows police ask for proof of citizenship of any person they believe to be here illegally. This can take place on police discretion based on their “reasonable suspicion”.
SB1070 basically gives a legal blessing to racial profiling of all Latinos. In addition, it includes a provision making it against the law to shield or harbor a person here illegally. You are now a criminal if you “recklessly disregard” the person’s legal status. SB1070 goes into effect in 90 days and requires legal immigrants to carry their documents at all times. In reality it requires all Latinos have proof of citizenship because police will now have the right to question anyone about their legal status. Arizona residents can sue officials or agencies that fail to enforce federal immigration laws to the full extent.
The consequences of “misguided”law are serious. This state of fear that the law is trying to create will cause people to not seek health care, as well as not report crimes to the police. This will create dangerous situation high crime areas where many Latinos live. Latino community organization are now working together to put pressure on the state. Opponents are challenging the law as unconstitutional based on intrusion of federal authority, as well as being a violation of basic civil rights.
With the historic election of Barak Obama propaganda spread throughout the U.S. attempted to reshape the views of people on race relations. Media outlets described a new era of race relations taking hold in the nation, as political pundits often spoke of racism as being dead in America. Racism according to mainstream outlets was something now only held onto by small groups of people whose ideas were lost in time. At the same time these same media outlets presented their message that with a black president racism was now overcome they also continued their racist assaults against other minority groups. It seems as if racism to the mainstream masses only applied to Whites and Blacks, and people of shades of brown, red and yellow were fair game to be ridiculed, stereotyped and exploited. In fact alot of media attention was targeted at making groups of brown people into the new face of racism, while presenting the image of White transcendence. For those of us of brown skin it was easy to see, as this attempt to make us into the uncivilized savages needing White guidance was seen throughout our history. However, what many of our younger gente may have felt disenheartened by, is the number of Anglo-Browns who came up telling us to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps as racism was indeed dead. I say disenheartened as many heard these voices who told them to hate themselves as a life of opression was their own faults, who told them, their fights for equality and justice was playing a victim, who showed them that exploiting your own for cheap labor and political capital was honorable activism. Even many of us bought into the great hope. The idea that bargaining for crumbs would oneday amount to bread became such a norm that we began to give up our history, our culture, our organized efforts at creating change to "fit in" and show that we were just another part of America. This video for me was a reminder of what many of us have forgotten, that being a part of something that is not functioning is not a prize. Unless our belonging is meant to bring about that change that will help not only our people, but change the dynamics for all the world's suffering and opressed, then we are better off as outcasts. This video for the rest of my brothers and sisters, should serve as a nice means to re-examine the question - Is racism dead in America? Peace.
