The end of a legitimate discussion of immigration policy and the full blown expression of bigotry and racism against newcomers seems to come very fast in America.Much of what I read and hear these days on immigration sounds to my ears--and they're the ears of the son of a Latino migrant worker--to be plain old American racism.
Q: If much of the rhetoric surrounding immigration is not racist, then why is it that the Klu Klux Klan and other organized racist groups are feeding off of it?
This is what a new report by the ADL documents: The Klan, and other white supremacist groups like skinheads and neo-Nazis, grew significantly more active in the past year, holding more rallies, distributing leaflets and increasing their presence on the Internet -- much of it focused on stirring anti-immigrant sentiment, according to the report.
Here's a link to the AP story Klan growing, fed by anti-immigrant feelings.
It be noted that a good portion of the "rhetoric" surrounding the controversey is very legitimate concerns about the influx of illegal immigration.
ReplyDeleteThe heart of the issue is not race, but the fact that those who eter this country and do not follow the process of nationalization are here "illegally".
If a hispanic, or a white person, were to commit a crime for whatever reason they thought at the time was valid enough to commit the crime, we still prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Why? Because the act they committed was illegal.
So why should we turn a blind eye towards illegal immigration?
Why should we encourage someone to come into our country illegally, which gives these people a further excuse to commit more crimes becuase we overlook the crime they have already commited?
And I say this to all peoples of any nationality. Granted, the Hispanic community is getting alot of the press for it these days, but that is the idiocy of the media and nothing more.
But just because there seems to be a bias toward vilifying the hispanic community does not give them the right to simply enter this country illegally.
The irony of it all is that if I were to enter Mexico illegally, many hispanics would say that I should be arrested and deported, but if we reverse the situation, then its racism by the white man.
Before you go calling us racists, learn the concept of law and why it needs to be enforced. I know the problems that plague other countries, but just because life sucks everywhere does not give anyone the right to violate the law simply for that reason....
The state of our hypocritical immigration policies and system are absolutely legitimate issues for discussion and debate.
ReplyDeleteBut when the debate is one-sided--namely about the illegal border crossings of Latino workers--it's clear to me that the primary driver is racism.
Why, for example, is there almost no concern about the illegality of millions of Americans employing "illegal" workers?
Why is it OK for millions of us to frequent all sorts of commercial establishments that we all know use "illegal" labor?
Our own immigration policies are at best a study in contradiction and confusion. Our laws and practice send the message that 1) we need and want "illegal" workers labor, and 2) you're on your own if your caught.
I once asked an anti-immigrant if we shouldn't arrest the millions of Americans that employ "illegal" workers. I didn't get a response.
I also asked if he would feel less concerned if the people moving into his community were all legal Latino workers. He didn't respond.
My point is that anti-immigrants are racist. Do you disagree?