Tucson, AZ - Arizona’s Apartheid bill, SB1070, was signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer, April 23. The law gives local and state police the authority to stop anyone, anywhere, to demand proof of citizenship based only on “reasonable suspicion.” In Arizona, “reasonable suspicion” of being an undocumented immigrant means being Latino and speaking Spanish. The bill also lets citizens sue government institutions for not enforcing immigration law aggressively enough.
For over a week now, thousands of people have been taking to the streets in protest. Calls for a boycott of Arizona have gone out from numerous sources, including Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva, who said, “We are calling on organizations not to schedule conventions and conferences in Arizona until it recognizes civil rights and the meaning of due process.”
Immigrant rights lawyer and founder of the Coalición de Derechos Humanos was asked about three components that have been widely discussed - boycotting Arizona conventions, tourism and the Arizona Diamondbacks (who are major contributors to Republican supporters of SB1070). Her response: “Yes, all of that! Do not spend your money in Arizona!” Exempted are visits to family and friends and participation in mobilizations against the Arizona Apartheid apparatus.
Angel Sanchez is a Tucson High School student. He addressed an April 23 demonstration saying, “We are not criminals. We…demand dignity and respect….They want to cause us fear, but it is those individuals who need to be afraid…because in November we will vote….We need to work together and show this is our community and our state. We will show them we are here. We will march and nonviolently show them who we are - that we are bigger than they will ever be.”
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Arizona Crisis
I am reading about the situation in Arizona in regards to the immigrants and it saddens me. I can't believe that in this day and age that someone would acutally make it legal for a certain group of people to be targeted this way. The best tool we have is our knowlegde. We need to stay inforrmed and realize that this is not just Arizona's problem, but America's problem. Sometimes we tend to adapt the mentality that such a thing can only happen in certain areas. I tend to think maybe Arizona is the tip of the iceberg and maybe other states may want to mimic Arizona. Wherever there is injustice we all need to find a way to assist each other regardless of our race or location. The bottom line is that we are all human and if it can be done to one group we are all at risk. Fight for what is right and you can never go wrong! To the people of Arizona who are suffering from this unjust law keep up the fight and my prayers go out to you.
Apartheid
I grew up in South Africa during the height of the policy called apartheid. It simply means apartness or segregation. During those years people who were classified as "native" as opposed to "european" were compelled to carry passbooks if they worked in "white" areas. They could live in white areas only if they were living in the servants quarters at their employer's home. Only the worker, not her family. This meant that people who were born in South Africa but who were not classified as white had to carry their passbooks on them at all times. If one was as unfortunate as to forget it at home when going to a local store to buy a loaf of bread they could be arrested, and would have to wait in the cells until their "madam" came to fetch them. It seems that Arizona is heading the same way, as legitimate citizens born elsewhere and legal immigrants will have to carry their documentation on them. No different from pass laws without the dubious convenience of having a single document. I would loathe going there as a tourist, as I would have to carry my passport on my person even if I went for a jog, but then again - they won't stop me - after all I am white. This is a sad turn in a land once known as Freedom
Racism
They say we've come a long way since the discrimination but this is just a form of doing it legally it really does make me sad what the State of Arizona is doing to its Hispanic Community because you say this is for every alien but we all know it directly attacks hispanics. So I'm guessing now brown skin is now a cause to be arrested how is this different than when the Jews were asked to wear numbers and carry identificaion cards. What is the point really to make the citizens safe ? Or is it a way to blame the economy fall on someone is it a smog cloud? I dont know about anyone reading this but it directly affects me in an essence of rights and harrasment. The real answer to keep our borders safe is a Inmigration Reform so we can benefit those of whom work hard everyday for a better life. I am not embarressed to say that I am the daughter of to inmigrants who worked very hard, payed their taxes, did no public harm, and even doing all this endured social negligence. I know this country fears terrosism but we are not the cause it is something uprising in the world. Latinos we are the sleeping giant and come this november and everyday the only way to fight this is education because through that path we together or an unbreakable force.
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