Thread: Immigration debate stirs racial tensions

Immigration debate stirs racial tensions

Immigration debate stirs racial tensions By ERIN TEXEIRA, AP National Writer
1 hour, 24 minutes ago

NEW YORK - As the fight over immigration reform drags on, an ominous undercurrent to the debate — racism — is becoming more pronounced.

From muttered ethnic slurs to violent attacks, activists say an anti-immigrant backlash seems to be growing in America's neighborhoods and workplaces. A few political leaders have called proposed immigration measures before Congress "racist."

"The climate has gotten demonstrably worse and it is racially charged," said Devin Burghart of the Center for New Community, which tracks anti-immigrant activity. "It's not simply a debate about immigration policy. ... It's about race and national identity and who and what we are as Americans."

Some activists say the House of Representatives started it.

When lawmakers passed a bill in December that would make illegal immigrants felons, many felt that was a swipe at Latinos, who make up 80 percent of the nation's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants. Former President Jimmy Carter has said the bill had "racist overtones," and that feeling helped push more than 1 million demonstrators to attend street rallies in recent months.

Some reacted the same way after the Senate passed an amendment to its immigration bill last month that declared English the national language. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, called that "racist" and "divisive."

The amendment's sponsor, Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe (news, bio, voting record), replied that Reid's statements were "ridiculous." Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, who wrote much of the House bill, issued a study on six countries' immigration policies and found that five — including Mexico — make illegal entry into their nation a criminal offense.

But Luis Valenzuela, of the Long Island Immigration Alliance in New York, said the measures feel hostile to many immigrants. The bills "set (an) overall climate which is quite racist," he said. "That elicits action by extremists."

Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has tracked hate crimes for decades, said that hate groups "consistently try and exploit any public discussion that has some kind of racial angle, and immigration has worked for hate groups in America better than any issue in years."

The Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit that fights anti-Semitism and other bias, put out a report last month that said "hateful and racist rhetoric" aimed at Latino immigrants had grown "to a level unprecedented in recent years."

The report did not give an overall figure for hate speech and hate crimes, but detailed numerous examples including:

• Two men in Tennessee who were sentenced to prison in December for shattering windows and painting Nazi symbols in a local Mexican market.

• Internet video games, such as one called "Border Patrol," urge players to shoot characters drawn as Latino caricatures.

• New Jersey Internet radio talk show host Hal Turner posted an "ethnic cleansing manual" on his Web site days after the massive May 1 protests.

Near Houston, two white teenagers were arrested in April, accused of beating a Latino youth and sodomizing him with a pipe. Days later, on Long Island, a white teen was accused of threatening two Latinos with a machete and a chain saw. Police say ethnic slurs were used in each case.

In Herndon, Va., opponents of a day laborer work site regularly picket it, taking photographs of workers and threatening to follow them home, said Bill Threlkeld, director of Project Hope and Harmony, a nonprofit that runs the site.

When a man protesting the site wore a "Whites Only" T-shirt, a neighborhood controversy had become an ethnic issue, Threlkeld said.

Sociologist Gonzalo Santos of California State University at Bakersfield said immigration is just the latest example of social policy issues taking on racial overtones in America.

"People talk about immigration as if race doesn't matter, saying 'No, I don't have anything against immigrants or Mexicans, it's just the illegal part of it I don't like.' But those are code words," he said. "We experience race in this country through issues like welfare policy, anti-poverty programs and now immigration."

Cecilia Munoz of the National Council of La Raza said it's important for immigration advocates not to slip into bias themselves. Most people on the other side are engaging in civil discussions focused on public policy, not ethnicity, she said.

"The assumption is that we believe everybody who disagrees with us in this debate must be a racist but that's absolutely false," Munoz said. "But we are feeling the effects of what can only be described as racism and hatred.

"We get letters with ethnic slurs. I've personally been called 'wetback' and a word beginning with 'n' that I don't like to say. This is in the last two months."

Increasingly, security is a concern. For the first time at its annual conference last year, La Raza offered a program to community groups on how to stay safe amid harassment.

"It was well-attended," Munoz said. "We plan to do it again this year."

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Tsk. It's impossible to list here all the things that illegal immigrants have done to Americans...murder, mayhem, rape, robbery, identity theft, child molestations...on and on.

So, there's a video game? Really?

Americans are increasingly NOT WELCOMING the hordes that are descending upon our nation. Really?

That makes US rascist, of course.

They're standing up for breaking our laws, standing up for people who are terrorizing our nation. So..what does that make THEM???

MJ

I don't know if I'm right and I don't know if I can explain my thoughts but
I've been thinking for several years that the "powers that be" wanted this TURNED INTO a RACIAL ISSUE for some reason.

Can't shake that feeling......it's only getting stronger.

They are here illegally, just because they come from one place is not our fault.

These clowsn speak as if there is no such thing as illegal immigration.


Ok, then how about 20 MILLION THIRD WORLD MORONS comming in a year?

How about 40 million.???? What are you classist? Will you live in a cardboard box so some chump can enjoy a slight better standard of living?

How about 100 million immigrants a year???

There are over 2 BILLION people who would LOVE to live in America.

MustangJo, I can't agree with you more...and yes there is a video game called "Border Patrol". Illegal aliens and their sponsors seem intent upon making this a civil rights/human rights/racial issue....it is hardly the case, but we will listen to their drivel and know the truth. If there is any consolation, I see fewer illegals riding bikes or working at places like before in my neck of the woods....and the one's who are here are speaking English even if poorly.

The figure if they continue to use the word racist, eventually it will make us back down and accept Amnesty.

Try as they might, it's not working for me.. they are illegal,and they need to GO HOME!

don't know if I'm right and I don't know if I can explain my thoughts but
I've been thinking for several years that the "powers that be" wanted this TURNED INTO a RACIAL ISSUE for some reason.

Can't shake that feeling......it's only getting stronger.

I agree 2nd. I think that very may well be what the powers that be want. If there is civil unrest and all hell breaks loose it just might give good old George the excuse he needs to send the military into the streets to control the citizenry. Martial law may be the goal here... I could be wrong but tension are rising and will continue to rise as long the government drags its feet. It seems as they are allowing this whole situation to fester until explodes.

Originally Posted by dlm1968

don't know if I'm right and I don't know if I can explain my thoughts but
I've been thinking for several years that the "powers that be" wanted this TURNED INTO a RACIAL ISSUE for some reason.

Can't shake that feeling......it's only getting stronger.

I agree 2nd. I think that very may well be what the powers that be want. If there is civil unrest and all hell breaks loose it just might give good old George the excuse he needs to send the military into the streets to control the citizenry. Martial law may be the goal here... I could be wrong but tension are rising and will continue to rise as long the government drags its feet. It seems as they are allowing this whole situation to fester until explodes.

That's a good part of what I've been feeling for several years, DLM!

That little ole thing - Martial Law - has been sticking in my craw since klinton. That's one of the reasons why I've been so concerned about the Posse Comitatus Act. Need to think out of the box.

ConcernedCitizen wrote:

It's about race and national identity and who and what we are as Americans."

I'd say these words were carefully thought out. The 'What' in 'what we are as Americans' insinuates all Americans as hyphenated. It's about the law, make no mistake about it, it is not about race. Those who adamately claim it is are the racists.

"The assumption is that we believe everybody who disagrees with us in this debate must be a racist but that's absolutely false," Munoz said. "But we are feeling the effects of what can only be described as racism and hatred.

If only they could add this up. You're feeling the anger from us because if you're not here legally, you shouldn't be here. If you would respect that, heck, then we would probably be good friends. We're not going to welcome you if you don't respect our existing laws.

I couldn't agree more re the martial law issue. I think they hoped we'd boil our of our houses like fireants when the illegals were marching in the streets. They hoped we'd do something, anything, that would allow them the excuse to declare martial law. Hopefully disarm us.

I'm not for doing anything that would put Americans in that position. I'm still trying and hoping that we can go about this in a rational, thoughtful, legal way. Hence the boycotts, the emails, the townhall meetings, the phone calls...We know we have the law on our side even if that doesn't seem to mean much anymore.

One thing we can't afford to do is attempt to outdo them in the outlaw category...even tho our senate and our president are inviting anarchy.

MJ