Thread: Brown Is The New Black

http://www.blueoregon.com/2006/03/brown_is_the_ne.html

Brown Is The New Black
Anne Martens
Oregon has a rich history of racism, starting with statehood, where the voters chose not to allow slavery and not to allow black people either. And with each successive round of immigration (leaving aside that African-Americans didn't exactly voluntarily emigrate), Oregonians have loudly protested that "those" people don't belong here, and they're ruining everything.

There has been more and more anti-immigrant sentiment lately. And by anti-immigrant, I mean anti-Mexican. I'm sick of it. It's time to call this what it is: racism.

Bless the Blue Book for including quotes like this, from 1885, "it is apparent that the Chinese are a curse and a blight to this country, not only financially, but socially and morally." (p.347)

And then there's Jim Ludwick, 2006, who writes in last Saturday's McMinnville News Register, "The fact is that current immigration policies that allow in 2 to 3 million legal and illegal immigrants per year are overwhelming our public schools, our public health systems, the criminal justice system (about 30 percent of the inmates in federal prison are noncitizens), the livability of our communities and eventually our natural environment." The language is a tad toned down, but the intent and meaning are the same.

Mr. Ludwick also recently sent a letter to the Secretary of State's office, protesting the provision of the Spanish-language "How to Start a Business in Oregon" guide at the Mexican Carousel of Information events. Given that he believes most immigrants are "poorly educated and unskilled," (from the same article as above), I guess he has low entrepreneurial expectations. (Self-promotion: click here for my take on Madeleine Albright's rather different expectations for immigrants).

Mr. Ludwick is the founder and President of the artfully named Oregonians for Immigration Reform, which is holding a Capitol Steps rally at noon on Friday. With Rep. Linda Flores, who must make an extra-effort to overcome the ill effects of her Hispanic surname. And KPAM's darling, little Lars herself, Victoria Taft. Word is Mannix and Saxton will be there too, each hoping to appear hateful enough to snatch up votes with vitriol.

Ms. Taft has collected letters from the four people who listen to her radio show, demanding that state services require applicants to show proof of citizenship. (More self-promotion, tongue-in-cheek this time: what would Jesus do?) Of course, it is already required by law that you be a citizen to be eligible for state services.

The immigrant bashers would prohibit people from access to information (like how to start a business), to education (punishing the child for the sins of the father), to drivers licenses (because they prefer unsafe roads), and to all of the resources that can assist people in becoming productive members of society, preventing exploitation, and improving our communities.

Immigration isn't an easy issue, and it won't be solved by soundbites, by building a fence between here and there, or by making information accessible only to a (white) elite. Especially when much of Oregon's agricultural economy depends on immigrant labor. The Statesman Journal and the Oregonian aptly note this in their editorials.

And let's be clear. The immigrant bashers are not bashing Russians or Vietnamese or any other large community of immigrants in Oregon. Nope, they've focused their bile on Mexicans. I wonder why.

Thelma and American Elizabeth, where are you? This lady needs a thrashing!

I went after her!:
Anne,
Here we go with the "RACE CARD" again........It's not about color, it's not about JUST MEXICANS, it's about ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! Illegal means Illegal! People who have crossed our borders without permisson are nothing more than law breaking criminals. I live here in NC and I have seen so many US citizens lose their jobs to outsourcing. They have lost not only their jobs, in some cases their HOMES. Then the jobs left, like construction work, are taken by ILLEGALS! The county I live in has the highest unemployment rate in the state and the number of home foreclosures is at a record high. Every construction site you see has a couple American citizens and HERDS of illegals working there. American citizens deserve these jobs that LAW BREAKING ILLEGALS are taking! The employers of these illegals are no better, they are law breakers, too! If your job was given to an illegal alien and you could not find another job, lost your home, and your dignity, you might feel differently. Not only do the illegals cost us our jobs, we are footing the bill for the FREE services provided to them like healthcare, welfare, anchor babies, schooling, etc., it goes on and on! There are over 3,000 families right here in my small county who are waiting in line for apartments for low wage or no wage families. These are not bums who won't work, these are people who lost their jobs to China or illegals! We have people living under the bridges here, also. Maybe when the illegals start taking food out of your family's mouths, then you will get it, why Americans are so fed up with this INVASION! I honestly don't give a damn if you are white, brown, black, or green, if you broke our laws and you are sucking our system dry(welfare, food stamps, WIC, healthcare), then you are a criminal, plain and simple. Give up the race issue, Anne. People are not gonna buy that one this time!

Thanks to LadyofShallot for the link. I posted this to Anne(Ms. PLAY THE RACE CARD):
Anne,
Do you know what "La Raza" means? It stands for "The Race". You wanna see some racism? Go here and see RACISM:
http://www.wehategringos.com/index2.shtml
Make sure you have your speakers turned up so you can hear the Mexicans cussing the Jews, the white man, and anyone else who is not of "The RACE"! Just watch the intro, they say this is their land and they are taking it back. Watch the intro and see THE RACISM from the poor little ILLEGALS who only want a better life!

Here's my contribution:

Anne,
I am a Latina; the color of my skin is white, not BROWN.
The Brown definition when referring to a person of Hispanic
origin, is something which the Chicanos/La Raza made up
in order to separate themselves (DESEGRATE) from the white
population, you don’t have to believe me, just check your books.
See, white people are not the only racist, we Hispanics are as
much, if not, more racist.
But, the point you people miss is the most important one of all,
the “anti-illegal” groups are not against only Hispanic-illegals,
we are against any person, regardless of race or national origin,
who entered this country ILLEGALLY.
Don’t you dare believe that all of us Hispanics, who followed
the law and came to this GREAT country legally, will follow
the “pro-illegal” crowd.
The Racist card is getting old, you guys need a new one.

Well now, maybe the ladies from Arizona and North Carolina CAN deliver as good a thrashing as the two ladies from Oregon!!

Here's my post...

Posted by: Guy Pinestra | Mar 21, 2006 9:29:39 PM

Do all you guilt-ridden, lily-white, do-gooders really believe that you are helping some 'poor, hard-working soul' make a 'better life for their family'? Or do you just want to make sure there's a gardener out there you can afford? What's the matter? Too cheap to pay an American to do the job?

Be the apologists for the 'oppressed' if you must, but try not to make it cost me any more money than it already does, would you please? I'm trying to feed 3 kids, by myself, on $200 a week. If you don't think illegal labor drives down wages for the poor and working class, come swing a hammer for a week or two. One of the jobs that Americans won't do, my achin' behind! I'm 50 years old, worked the fields from Bakersfield to Shasta, swung a hammer for 25 years and I'm here to tell you, ILLEGAL immigration is a MAJOR PROBLEM!

Maybe you've never had to wear anything other than a 3 piece suit to go to work. I was topping onions in Stockton in 1971. I carried picket signs for the United Farm Workers. I once shook Caesar Chavez's hand! What do you ivory tower idiots know about work? NOTHING, that's what you know. Did you know that Caesar Chavez himself would call the INS on an illegal? I didn't think so. He did, on more than one occasion.

Get over the race thing already, that's NOT what this is about, unless you want to believe the REAL racists like MALDEF, La Raza (The Race)and LULAC. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, over 60% of illegal immigrants HAD JOBS when they left their home countries. They came here to get a BETTER job, to make MORE money regardless of who's job they took or who they hurt. Do you think they cared about me when they took MY job? Don't bet on it.

I went to the site www.wehategringos.com and saw with my own eyes the hatred, vitriol and contempt that these 'poor, hard-working, good-hearted people' have for the U.S., and every citizen thereof. If you don't have the 'cojones' to go see for yourself what your inviting into your country, your home and your family don't come crying to me when your kids are FORCED to speak Spanish in schools or to get a job. You morons deserve what you get.

GREAT JOB, GUYS!

I read an article recently, that said that hispanics should get the African-Americans more involved in their efforts to become legal. I always read and hear stories that blacks and hispanics dont get along at all, because the hispanic STEAL JOBS away from them.

I've got a running argument going on with some fool on their comments section. Y'all come over and join in, won'tcha?