Editorials
The laws of Juan Crow: Analyzing Mendez's death
In our opinion
12-10-2008

Sesar Perez-Mendez's senseless death ought to give pause to us all, and especially to strident anti-immigration policymakers. What we have seen is that demonizing undocumented workers comes with consequences.

A more reasoned discourse mixed with less scare tactics might — just might — have saved Mendez's life.

The story starts on the day after Thanksgiving at Oxford's Don Lee Mobile Home Court, home to many Latino immigrants. After a day of celebrating, Mendez's dispute with a neighbor left him with a stab wound in his leg. Tragically, a call for help from the authorities was slow in coming. It appears that many of Mendez's neighbors were worried that a 911 call might lead to questions about their shaky immigration status.

The result is Mendez lay bleeding on the ground for a half-hour until help arrived. Witnesses and authorities told Star reporters Mike Faulk and Graham Milldrum that those 30 minutes likely cost Mendez his life.

It's a tragedy.

Many of Mendez's neighbors may have a limited grasp of English, but they can read the body language of anti-immigrant zealots who have in many cases made brown the new black, meaning the racial delegation they feel comfortable demonizing.

Quite regularly we hear from conservatives decrying immigrants who have illegally crossed the U.S.'s southern border and are working here. Many voices express a wish to make life in the United States so unpleasant that the undocumented will leave. And so we see English-only laws, strict rules about driver's licenses going exclusively to those who can prove their citizenship, bluster about so-called sanctuary cities and sneering at sensible immigration reform plans, even those supported by President Bush and Sen. John McCain.

An influx of undocumented workers poses many problems in the United States. Solving the strains placed on public education, health care and public safety requires rational thinking. Deporting an estimated 10 million illegal immigrants isn't feasible. Making scapegoats out of poor immigrants who face myriad dangers to create a better life for themselves in the United States is no answer, either.

Yet, too often we've seen a push for policies that replace Jim Crow with Juan Crow.

In February, a state legislative task force charged with addressing illegal immigration problems released its findings. One goal: "We recommend illegal immigrants be discouraged from coming to Alabama."

Alabama's Joint Interim Patriotic Immigration Commission offered several ways to do just that. We can't know the degree to which Mendez's neighbors got the full message. We can suggest they were wary enough of harassment from official Alabama to opt to watch a friend bleed to death rather than call for help.

http://www.annistonstar.com/opinion/200 ... 9u1651.htm

This is a reader response to this article:

Speak Out ... The Star's view on illegal immigration is anti-American
By our readers
12-14-2008

Re "The laws of Juan Crow: Analyzing Mendez's death" (Editorial, Dec. 10):

The tragedy in the Don Lee Trailer Park could have been prevented by a number of things.

First and foremost, the illegal immigrants should have chosen the value of human life over their own status as residents of this nation. Second, they should have never broken laws and continued to break those laws by staying there. Third, they should have better comprehension of the English language and not expect public agencies to offer some sort of translation service. There are dozens of different "first" languages other than English in the United States, so how many languages should a public service be required to offer?

It amazes me that the people who consider themselves progressive or liberal want to continue to prevent these so-called immigrants from realizing their dream of a better life. They want to prevent these people from assimilating into our society by not requiring them to learn English or to obey the immigration laws that were designed to help the new immigrant and that provide security to our citizens.

The Star says that brown is the new black, and that Jim Crow laws are now Juan Crow. That is pure bovine manure. There is no comparing the prejudices faced by a people who are here because their ancestors were stolen from one continent and enslaved here to the people who broke laws by sneaking across our borders.

The opinion of the entire editorial staff of The Star is not only wrong, it's anti-American.

James Watts
Valrico, Fla.
http://www.annistonstar.com/opinion/200 ... 3s5729.htm