Nativism
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Victory: Lou Dobbs Takes Voluntary Departure from CNN
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Progressive Principles for Immigation Reform
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Kenyan Birth Certificate Generator Confuses Birthers
Anti-Immigration Forces Dwindling
Published November 17, 2009 @ 08:00AM PT
The anti-immigration movement is in complete disarray. While tea-baggers are fighting other tea-baggers, Jim GilChrist from the Minutemen has continued to distance himself from William Gheen, labeling him as someone who is simply in the anti-immigrant business for money.
In growing desperation, William Gheen, founder of anti-immigration organization called Americans for Legal Immigration (ALIPAC), probably thought that the best way to get more publicity and more than a dozen protesters to an anti-immigration rally was to unite with tea-baggers.
Now the Tea Party Patriots, led by former House Republican leader Dick Armey of Texas, don't really have an official position on the issue of immigration. In fact, Armey has blatantly stated his opposition to anti-immigrant politics noting that it is a divisive issue for the GOP. How does Gheen expect to fit into the picture by driving a wedge into tea-bagging politics?
Napolitano Speaks: The Price for Immigration Reform
Published November 13, 2009 @ 05:00PM PT
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano spoke at a Center For American Progress conference revealing a three-legged stool plan on immigration reform that "includes a commitment to serious and effective enforcement, improved legal flows for families and workers, and a firm but fair way to deal with those who are already here."
After backing away from its promise of immigration reform in 2009 and revisiting raids, the President and his lackeys have persistently pointed to early 2010 as a timetable for reforming our broken immigration system.
With that timetable, comes a steep price. Can we afford the cost of immigration reform? This does not refer to monetary cost, since the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that a legalization program would bring an excess of $60-$130 billion into our coffers. Cost refers to the human cost of an enforcement and crimmigration regime, a get-tough crackdown mentality that increasingly targets people of color and their employers for alleged transgressions.
The question has been flipped by some to say, "Can we afford not to reform our immigration system?" Indeed, some are willing to pay the price, no matter what it entails. That's noble and understandable, given the desperation of a population denied the right to exist in a country they call home.
But what price does Napolitano have in store for undocumented immigrants to finally gain a pathway to citizenship?
Nativist Tom Tancredo Chased off MSNBC
Published November 07, 2009 @ 08:00AM PT
While arguing over health care, former Congressperson and wanna-be President-hopeful Tom Tancredo was chased off MSNBC in this priceless video whilst 'debating' Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos.
It's just as well that Tancredo saved some face and left after Markos pointed out how Tancredo was a pro-Vietnam War chickenhawk who got a 1-Y deferment. Given his rabid anti-immigrant views, if he had stayed on the show longer, it would have turned into another unworthy "illegal immigrants are taking over America" rant.
Just earlier this year, students shut down his anti-immigrant tirades at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Tancredo and his bandwagon of hate responded by slandering Dream Act students and blaming them for causing violence. Never mind that someone only threw a brick at the window and the person wasn't undocumented.
Tom Tancredo believes that it is completely fine to use Holocaust photos at rallies to oppose health care reform but college students who testify for the DREAM Act must be arrested and detained. He is now using the Fort Hood tragedy to make claims about a 'Muslim Mafia' attacking the United States domestically.
It's always good to see someone take Tom down a few more notches. Thanks for the comic relief Tancredo!
(Video Credit: Daily Kos)
One Year Later: Remembering Marcelo Lucero
Published November 05, 2009 @ 02:23PM PT
Where were you on November 8, 2008?
I clearly remember that I was smarting from the passage of Prop 8 and demonstrating out in the streets of San Francisco one week prior to the huge Join the Impact rallies in 16 states. The brutal killing of Marcelo Lucero in New York was not on my radar at the time but the hatred directed towards people who are deemed 'different' was certainly plaguing my conscience and affecting my choices.
While local law enforcement officials pledged ignorance to tensions in the community, an investigation by the New York Times established a clear pattern of white youths preying on Latino residents for several years. One of Lucero's attackers told law enforcement that they would routinely go "beaner jumping," which meant they would hunt down and assault Latinos.
I wish I could say that we have come a long way as a country since the election of the first Black person as President of the United States. However, it is wrong to make any such proclamation especially in light of the latest deportation of the Mejia-Perez family. The comments at Marin Independent Journal are vile and racist, one in particular calling for the execution of Gilbert Mejia--their DREAM-eligible Guatemala-born son still in the United States fighting for asylum.
Citations for Driving While Mexican
Published October 23, 2009 @ 11:00PM PT
The Dallas Police Chief, David Kunkle, has admitted that his officers wrote 39 citations to people over the past 3 years for not speaking English.
It would make a great Onion piece, except it is true.
Who would actually pay this ludicrous citation? The most vulnerable people who are either new to this country and do not know the law or those that feel bullied into paying citations for offenses they never committed simply to avoid additional prosecution under the law.
Kunkle probably wants to sweep this under the rug by calling it a 'rookie mistake.' After all, when six officers are found issuing citations for 'Driving while Mexican' it looks more like a department policy. Unfortunately for the Dallas police, they picked on the wrong person, who dragged them to court over the citation.
It seems like the anti-immigrant lunacy has led to the construction of new laws or rather, the enforcement of laws that do not exist.
In a country with a growing Latino electorate that may become the largest ethnic group within a hundred years, it might be wise to start learning Spanish especially if one is in law enforcement and expected to serve a diverse community.
(Photo Credit: WFAA)
Offenders: The 'Illegal Alien' Halloween Costume
Published October 16, 2009 @ 03:34PM PT
This 'illegal alien' Halloween costume, complete with a fake green card is available at several online stores, including Buy.com, Amazon, Target, and Walgreens.
The overwhelming message sent through this particular costume is that 'illegal aliens' are subhuman, which legitimizes their detention in orange jumpsuits. Gitmo anyone?
There's also 'illegal alien' masks, as well as an 'over-sexed' costume for women complete with a sombrero hat to remind us that those 'illegals' are from Mexico.
Considering many of the companies selling these costumes, especially Target and Walgreens, employ undocumented immigrants, has anyone seen this 'escaped convict' in their customer service departments?
Sorry, we usually look more like this, and love our corporate Gap, Navy, American Eagle, Banana Republic, smokin' wheels and bling-bling. Maybe there is some money to be made on suing for misrepresentation. We have much better fashion sense. Try again.
10/19/09 Update: Target, Walgreens, Amazon and Toys R Us have apologized, pulling the costume off shelves.
H/T: Latina Lista
ALIPAC Feeling Challenged by Volunteer-Run Network
Published October 12, 2009 @ 01:19PM PT
In order to combat the upcoming introduction of an immigration bill, a hilarious message came from nativist William Gheen over the weekend about his efforts to increase ALIPAC's social media presence:
Currently we have 1,012 supporters on Myspace, 2,624 supporters on Facebook, and 8,067 supporters on Twitter!
As usual, William Gheen is exaggerating. His numbers on Myspace and Facebook are not even close to impressive and he has 6900 followers on Twitter, courtesy the fact that he follows more than 7500 people. Obviously, people usually reciprocate and follow back. ALIPAC has been on the web since September 2004 and yet, there is nothing impressive about the pageviews it gets when compared to recently established promigrant spaces:
Nonetheless, his exaggerations turn into outright lies a little later:
Our biggest competitor and the current leader out of all of the pro/con groups are the Dream Act Amnesty activists with their large financial budget. While ALIPAC is kicking their tails on Twitter, they are ahead of us on Myspace with 5,569 supporters and 43,070 people in support of their cause on Facebook!
It is a huge compliment that William Gheen considers a handful of undocumented youth to be his main competitors rather than the multi-million Reform Immigration for America. But he is certainly wrong about any 'large financial budget.' The DREAM Act network is volunteer run and funded by undocumented youth who are working 2-3 jobs at a time, struggling to afford college, bearing the brunt of deportation proceedings while living in poor social conditions.
But this is also the same volunteer-run network that put on 108 actions in 26 states last month and 'mock graduation' events in 16 states this past June, drawing thousands of participants for these grassroots actions. By comparison, William Gheen has only 24 people signed up for his astro-turf 'tea parties against amnesty' in over 3 states on November 14! The fact that nativists can only draw about two dozen protestors is not news to anyone. But William Gheen, just be honest about who you are competing against: less than a dozen unfunded, undocumented youth who simply want to stay and contribute to this country, through passage of a legislation that will benefit only about 300,000 educated young people.
If that is your biggest competition in your battle against what you label as amnesty, good luck winning the war.
