Arizona's new anti-immigrant legislation, Senate Bill 1070, recently signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer, requires members of law enforcement to seek proof of legal residency from anyone who may be a subject of "reasonable suspicion". But what exactly does this mean? Will law enforcement agents require documents from folks with Australian accents? How about those with Irish, German, or Norwegian accents? And how is "reasonable suspicion" being defined? It seems that those most likely to be deemed "reasonably" suspicious are people with brown skin, who speak Spanish, or appear to be of Hispanic descent.
This development is an outrage to anyone familiar with the South African apartheid system so many fought to dismantle. The tragedy is underscored by the fact that America's greatness is so closely tied to its multiethnic, immigrant heritage. This law also casts an ominous shadow back to a time before 1865 when free African Americans had to present papers validating their status. Knowing the history of these sorts of documentation requirements, Arizonans of Hispanic heritage are right to fear this erosion of their civil rights. Many prominent people, including the New York Times reporter mentioned in the link below, have correctly vowed to boycott Arizona. Until this unjust law is repealed, or opponents request a different approach, folks should take their tourist and convention business elsewhere.
This development is an outrage to anyone familiar with the South African apartheid system so many fought to dismantle. The tragedy is underscored by the fact that America's greatness is so closely tied to its multiethnic, immigrant heritage. This law also casts an ominous shadow back to a time before 1865 when free African Americans had to present papers validating their status. Knowing the history of these sorts of documentation requirements, Arizonans of Hispanic heritage are right to fear this erosion of their civil rights. Many prominent people, including the New York Times reporter mentioned in the link below, have correctly vowed to boycott Arizona. Until this unjust law is repealed, or opponents request a different approach, folks should take their tourist and convention business elsewhere.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/breathing-while-undocumented/?ref=opinion
While this law must be opposed, it must also be asked how it passed in the first place. Part of the answer surely lies with the inaction in Washington, combined with the hysteria fomented by xenophobic, fear-mongering lawmakers, candidates, and pundits. What's urgently needed is congressional and presidential leadership to pass, and implement, progressive immigration reform that's humane, strengthens America's borders, upholds the nation's laws, and modernizes the immigration process to streamline the path to citizenship.
While this law must be opposed, it must also be asked how it passed in the first place. Part of the answer surely lies with the inaction in Washington, combined with the hysteria fomented by xenophobic, fear-mongering lawmakers, candidates, and pundits. What's urgently needed is congressional and presidential leadership to pass, and implement, progressive immigration reform that's humane, strengthens America's borders, upholds the nation's laws, and modernizes the immigration process to streamline the path to citizenship.
We must honor our history as a nation of immigrants, by refusing to give in to the irrational fears of a loud, but small, group of politicians and citizens. Too often in the past, whether it be Irish and Italian Catholics in our eastern cities, or Chinese and Japanese immigrants on the West Coast, we have given in to these voices, to our profound dishonor. Not this time!
Fred L. Johnson, III
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