Thread: CA-Latino official fights for immigrant rights

Latino official fights for immigrant rights
Navarro's advocacy role ignites political debate
Stephen Wall
Posted: 12/21/2009 12:12:18 PM PST

Some say Gil Navarro represents everything that's wrong with America.


But others say he's a champion of the voiceless - one of the few public officials courageous enough to stand up for immigrants, even those here unlawfully.

Navarro, 67, is making a living harnessing the burgeoning political power of America's fastest-growing minority group.

"I feel the Latino community does not get the respect it deserves because we have some individuals who don't think Latinos are as qualified as their white counterparts," Navarro said.

As a paid education advocate, Navarro defends the rights of students who have been suspended or kicked out of school. Many of his cases involve students with learning disabilities or undetected emotional problems.

He also is an elected member of the San Bernardino County Board of Education. Navarro represents Area D, which includes the San Bernardino City Unified and Rialto Unified school districts. Both districts have predominantly Latino enrollments.

In his spare time, he volunteers as a mentor for high school dropouts. He also informs illegal immigrants about a state law that allows them to pay the same tuition as legal residents and U.S. citizens to attend California public colleges and universities.

Navarro also pushes for a bill introduced by Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, that allows illegal immigrants who are high school graduates to be put on a fast track toward citizenship.

He makes no apologies for his work on behalf of immigrants.

"They're not illegal," said Navarro, who was born in Los Angeles and lives in the Westside of San Bernardino. "People don't understand that California used to be northern Mexico. When they tell these immigrants to go back where they came from, this is where they came from."

Navarro's critics question his loyalty to the United States.

"I think Gil Navarro belongs in Mexico, where he can advocate for Mexican citizens," said Raymond Herrera, founder and president of We The People California's Crusader, a Claremont- based anti-illegal-immigration organization. "He's a major detriment to the educational institutions in San Bernardino County. He teaches hatred toward American culture and the American way of life."

Navarro disagrees with those who say that illegal immigration is ruining the state's education system.

California spends nearly $2.2 billion a year to educate illegal-immigrant students in kindergarten through 12th grade - enough to pay the salaries of nearly 42,000 teachers, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C.- based group that works to end illegal immigration.

"They're not looking at the larger picture," Navarro says of his critics. "If all the undocumented immigrant parents took their children back to the countries they came from, the school districts would go bankrupt and there would be massive layoffs of teachers."

School districts would lose huge amounts of attendance money they receive from the state if illegal immigrants left the country, Navarro said.

"If there was a mass deportation, the state of California would go into a Depression," he said.

Herrera said Navarro wants to "embed illegal aliens in our schools and in our society."

"The agenda of Gil Navarro and other illegal-alien sympathizers is to get them legal so they can outvote Americans at the ballot box," said Herrera, a 60-year-old Victorville resident. "It's a political power grab."

It's not just Navarro's views on immigration that are controversial.

County lawyers advised him in August 2008 that his educational advocacy might present a conflict of interest.

At the time, Navarro was representing a second-grade

special-education student in a county schools program. The county's legal staff took issue with Navarro's dual roles as an advocate and a county school board member.

Navarro disagreed with the legal opinion, and no action was taken.

"Our position is that we would want the fairest representation possible for any student seeking advocacy and would want to avoid any perceptions of conflicts of interest," said Dan Evans, spokesman for the county Superintendent of Schools Office.

Navarro said the problem has always been about perception and not about legality.

Besides his work in education, Navarro is an activist in the county Democratic party.

He ran unsuccessfully for the 62nd Assembly District seat in 2008. Navarro received nearly 40 percent of the vote in the June primary but was defeated by Wilmer Amina Carter. Carter went on to win the November general election that year.

Navarro has filed a statement of intent to run for the seat again in the June 2010 Democratic primary.

Walter Hawkins, a former Rialto school board member, said Navarro tried to foment racial discord by "pitting blacks against Hispanics" in last year's race.

"He tried to say we were not doing anything for Hispanics and would only do things for blacks," said Hawkins, who supported Carter. "It's the biggest bunch of hogwash there ever was."

Navarro denied injecting race into the campaign. He said he represents several black families who are having problems with the education system.

County school-board member David Stine said Navarro has a personal agenda that favors Latinos over other students.

Last year, the county school board denied Navarro's request to pay $100 for him to attend an educational conference put on by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, a nonprofit advocacy group.

"We're here for all students regardless of their race or ethnicity," Stine said. "Anytime an organization promotes one (group) over the others, I believe that's racist."

Navarro said he cares about students of all cultures. But he said his main concern is with Latinos because they have a higher dropout rate than white students in the county.

Helen Rodriguez, director of pupil personnel services for the Colton Joint Unified School District, has a positive view of Navarro's work with special- needs children.

"I listen to Gil because what he has to say is valuable to the district in providing better services for our students," Rodriguez said.



http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14042850

"I feel the Latino community does not get the respect it deserves because we have some individuals who don't think Latinos are as qualified as their white counterparts," Navarro said.

Thats so typical of these idiots to make it into something racial. When will they realize that its about ILLEGAL ALIENS, not about Hispanics.

"If there was a mass deportation, the state of California would go into a Depression," he said.

ROFLMAO!!!! Oh yeah, bankruptcy is waaay better, eh idiota???

How's this Gil? For every illegal alien deported, one legal immigrant could come. Shoots your theory straight to hell, don't it?

Legal Latinos and Americans of Hispanic descent get all the respect as a community. The illegals should get all the respect they deserve, which is none, since they have not respected this sovereign nation. What Gillie is doing here is denigrating the legal Latino community by lumping illegal lawbreakers into the same category.
And his education is lacking as the US paid Mexico for the territory a couple hundred years ago.

"I think Gil Navarro belongs in Mexico, where he can advocate for Mexican citizens," said Raymond Herrera, founder and president of We The People California's Crusader, a Claremont- based anti-illegal-immigration organization. "He's a major detriment to the educational institutions in San Bernardino County. He teaches hatred toward American culture and the American way of life."

Ditto Mr.Herrera!