Thread: U.S.-Born Latinos are Treated Like Strangers...

Friday, April 25, 2008

U.S.-born Latinos in America are fed up. They're tired of the ugliness in the immigration debate, and they're not buying the argument that it does not concern them.

Take it from Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights organization. She recently delivered a passionate and important speech to the National Press Club in Washington. Her topic: the immigration debate and what she labels a wave of hate sweeping the land — one that isn't limited to illegal immigrants, or even immigrants in general, but which is now splattering onto all Hispanics regardless of where they were born, what language they speak or what flag they wave.

"Most Latinos aren't immigrants," she said. "More than 80 percent of Hispanics in this country are U.S. citizens or legal residents. But the truth is, Hispanics understand that this issue is about all of us."

That's obvious. You might live in Colorado or New Mexico or Arizona and come from a family that has lived in the United States for several generations. And yet, your citizenship is being challenged by nativists who paint with a broad brush. All they see is your skin color or surname and, from this, they conclude that — unless you go along with every harebrained scheme to combat illegal immigration — you're, as one reader recently informed me, "an American in name only."

How do you suppose Hispanics will react? A reader who describes himself as Italian American recalls that when he was growing up and the Italian kids were picked on in school, it only made him feel "more Italian." It could be the same with Hispanics, he wrote.

Could be. According to Murguia, "two-thirds of Latinos say that the failure (of immigration reform) has made life more difficult for Latinos overall and roughly half say that it has affected them personally."

Part of the problem is that the right-wingers weren't content to just attack illegal immigrants. They had to attack an entire culture, which is shared by legal immigrants and U.S.-born Hispanics. And so, a discussion that should have been about exactly three things — improving border security, smoothing the path for legal immigrants, and deciding the fate of 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States — became about outlawing taco trucks, limiting the number of people in a home, blasting pizza parlors for taking pesos, banning Spanish language library books, and other nonsense.

The way Murguia sees it, immigration is "on the verge of becoming one of the largest civil rights issues of our generation."

Not to mention, an election-year issue. Arguing that the ugliness of the immigration debate "galvanizes the Latino vote," Murguia vowed that Latinos would fight back.

"We will not be demonized," she said. "We will not be scapegoated. And we will not be ignored."

You tell 'em, Janet. An ethnic group that has always answered the call to duty, and which boasts a higher ratio of Medal of Honor recipients than any other, deserves better.

That's what I'm hearing from many U.S.-born Hispanics. When they talk about the immigration debate, they condemn the hypocrisy of a society that is addicted to illegal immigrant labor but looks for others to blame for the addiction. As for the claim that much of this is about national security, they wonder why no one talks about building a wall along the U.S.-Canada border. They worry about racial profiling as authorities become more aggressive in rounding up illegal immigrants. They recognize the racism, and the assault on their culture, and they resent being lumped with recent immigrants. But at the same time, they find it easy to identify with the immigrant plight — through their parents or grandparents. Most of all, they scoff at the claim that, as U.S. citizens, this debate doesn't concern them and that the attack is limited to illegal immigrants.

Hey, no matter what side of the border we were born on, we weren't born yesterday.

This comment is coming from the same woman who said


"Todays undocumented students are America's future leaders" - Janet Murguia


The thing that causes a general distrust of Latino citizens and legal immigrants are the organizations claiming to represent them who are supporting an amnesty and a subsequent family reunification of relatives of the former illegal aliens.


Can it Janet

Richard,

I agree with your point. The other thing that consistently escapes the pro-illegal groups is that all that most Americans want them to do is denounce illegal entry into this country. To concede that the rule of law applies to everyone in this country. However, they continue to repeat the mantra that America hates Hispanics without mention of legality. THEY are turning this into a racist issue that in the eyes of American citizens is nothing but an issue of sovereignty and rule of law!

Quote("Todays undocumented students are America's future leaders" - Janet Murguia )quote


I would only ask why did these great leaders fail in Mexico.

How do they expect to lead without a high school diploma with over 50% dropping out.

Many second generation Mexican-Americans I speak with locally detest
illegal immigration due to the overall cost but many are afraid to speak
out because of the Hispanic community.

Originally Posted by Richard

This comment is coming from the same woman who said


"Todays undocumented students are America's future leaders" - Janet Murguia


The thing that causes a general distrust of Latino citizens and legal immigrants are the organizations claiming to represent them who are supporting an amnesty and a subsequent family reunification of relatives of the former illegal aliens.


Can it Janet

I agree Richard!

Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza...

Hasn't given up the stupid "hate speech" campaign that has gone no where. No one has compassion or concern for people that exaggerate self victimization and dramatization.

No one hates Hispanics, no one hates illegal aliens, we just want them to respect the United States boundaries and laws, not to mention respect for the Citizens. Lastly, we want illegal aliens and their anchor babies (warning hate speech!) to go home and leave our Government, IDs and Jobs to us.

Putting it bluntly, get out and shut up!!!!!!!!!!
No illegal alien is hated, just unwelcomed.

ixie

U.S.-born Latinos in America are fed up. They're tired of the ugliness in the immigration debate, and they're not buying the argument that it does not concern them.


(mod edit) As hard as illegal immigration is on their daily lives, I have not seen them denounce illegal immigration. We will see great demonstrations in the way of marches,etc on May 1,2008. All anti-American and pro illegals. And you can be sure that a good number of the marchers are US born Latinos. The ugliness will continue spurred on by La Raza and the other organizations pushing this.

Please give me a break Janet Murguia is nothing more than a Poverty pimp, a latino version of Al Sharpton begging for money from corperate coffers screaming "Help us!! there are zenophobes under our beds" frankly everybody sick of hearing her BS. In reality, she is no more concerned about Ilegal aliens than Oil changes on her BMW.

Part of the problem is that the right-wingers weren't content to just attack illegal immigrants. They had to attack an entire culture, which is shared by legal immigrants and U.S.-born Hispanics. And so, a discussion that should have been about exactly three things — improving border security, smoothing the path for legal immigrants, and deciding the fate of 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States — became about outlawing taco trucks, limiting the number of people in a home, blasting pizza parlors for taking pesos, banning Spanish language library books, and other nonsense.

Taco trucks that were not registered, licensed or inspected....like the rest of the citizens here have to do. Called the LAW.

We already have housing codes that limit the legal number of people in a home for health and safety reasons....it's nothing new. It's the LAW.

Pesos are not the American currency....you aren't in Mexico anymore.

English is the language spoken here and has been for a very long time.....want Spanish books....go home. Tax paying citizens shouldn't have to fund just 1 specific group of people because they won't learn English. Buy your own.


Find it funny she says most Latinos aren't immigrants because they are citizens but yet says we are. Make up your mind Janet.

American citizens are fed-up with the Latinizing of America because 1 specific group refuses to become a part of America....and instead is trying to turn it into another Mexico. Bad mouthing American citizens and making the transition to American life all that much more difficult for other legal immigrants from other countries and citizens of this country who never left and don't want it to be another Mexico.

Take it from Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights organization.

The way Murguia sees it, immigration is "on the verge of becoming one of the largest civil rights issues of our generation."

How can La Raza term itself as a civil rights organization when it:
Discriminates against those not hispanic?
Represents illegal immigrants who, lacking U.S. citizenship, are not entitled to civil rights?

Is not Janet 'inciting' tension and mounting attacks on our Constitution (First Amendment right to free speech and free press)? When is the line crossed and such actions become insurrection?

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State." — Joseph Goebbels