The College Republicans are up to their dirty tricks again.
[snip]
The flyer on the College Republicans’ Web site is headlined “America’s Illegal Alien Invasion” and has a picture of Vasquez as well as examples of a resident alien card, a Texas Health and Human Services Medicaid Card, Idaho driver’s license and Social Security card.
It also contains an image of a highway caution sign that has a couple running while dragging a young child.
Above the sign at a slanted angle is “Celebrate Cesar Chavez Week.”
The flyer also contains the dinner drawing information: “Win dinner for two at a local Mexican Restaurant! Climb through the hole in the fence and enter your false ID documents into the food stamp drawing!”
Jonathan Sawmiller, president of the College Republicans, defended the flyer as “It’s more of an attention-getting device,” Sawmiller said. The group’s Web site calls the dinner drawing “humorous.”
This is not the first time that Anglo-dominated groups have co-opted holidays that are important to minority/marginalized communities. This year during Martin Luther King weekend, several blackface parties were sponsored by college campus groups.
This particular one happened here in Tucson:
The two-hour forum drew about 100 people, mostly a black audience, and many said that while they were upset, they weren’t surprised that such incidents could still occur in 2007.
[snip]
The party, similar to others around the country, had students using the King holiday as motivation for a “black” themed party. While hosts and guests have defended their actions by saying it was harmless fun with no intention to be offensive, the negative stereotypes invoked have drawn widespread complaints of racism.
At the forum, many said it’s easy for negative racial stereotypes to exist on a predominantly white campus like the University of Arizona, where white students are 64 percent of the student body and black students just less than 3 percent.
Several questioned what effect the forum could have when those in attendance were uniformly critical of the party.
You’ll notice the pattern emerging: “Humorous” – “Harmless fun”
The Texas Klan agrees
What about this incident in Santa Clara, California:
These were some of the costumes worn by students, including student-athletes, portraying Latino stereotypes at an off-campus birthday party on Jan. 29.
Photographs from the “south of the border” party were discovered by a member of the Multicultural Center, who then passed them on to Bernice Aguas, director of the MCC. They had been posted on Facebook, a social networking site that is popular among Santa Clara students.
Aguas said she was shocked when she saw the photos.
“I was speechless. I didn’t even know what to think, feel or say,” she said.
Among the students at the party were at least five members of the women’s volleyball team, at least one member of the men’s basketball team and at least one member of the men’s golf team, according to pictures from the party. The party’s host, also an athlete, is half-Mexican.
Basketball coach Dick Davey said he had discussed the party with his players, but he didn’t think they should be “condemned.”
“Surely, actions were inappropriate,” Davey said, “but I don’t think my basketball players endorsed that kind of action.”
Riiiiiiight. Dog forbid that any star athletes be held accountable for their actions. Wouldn’t want to send a winning season down the crapper, right coach? Plus, it’s such a shame that pictures were taken. Reminds me of something else that would’ve been completely forgotten had there not been hard evidence.
But Man Eegee! How dare you suggest that these types of social gatherings are on par with torture! It’s not like anyone has been sodomized while bleach was poured on them! I refuse to take you seriously until concentration camps start being filled with nothing but brown folk.
There is a growing group of humanity that finds itself at the bottom of the slippery slope of hate that has risen in this country. The line between the Official Hate Groups™ in the U.S. and the anti-immigrant forces is blurring, and still the situation is met with thumb-twiddling of the highest degree among the media and political classes. In fact, there are some instances where it is directly enabled.
Councilman Marc LeVine posted the comments on a Web site run by a group called PEOPLE, an acronym for Pressing Elected Officials to Preserve our Living Environment. The group was formed by several Freehold residents in September 2003 as tensions mounted over the growing immigrant population and the day laborers’ muster zone.
“There is definitely a very promiscuous flavor in — at least — parts of Hispanic culture,” LeVine wrote in the Nov. 14, 2006 post. “All of this is highly problematic in a society in which these people often expect to subsidize their mistakes in growing large families that they cannot afford to support on their own.
“It does seem to be true, in my own experience, that a little less of this promiscuous behavior is seen among Mexicans, while much more is found among Dominicans, as one example,” LeVine wrote.
Despicable. But not surprising given the rhetorical flow of mierda that makes its way in the direction of the marginalized everyday.
Do me and every other minority a favor today. Speak out against this type of hate-mongering if it happens in your community. Send letters to your local newspapers and elected officials denouncing their actions. You’ll probably be met with indignation, but remember that the threat of hate crimes is alive and well. It is now being born from the double-pronged roots of anti-immigrant rhetoric and apathy among the supporters of human rights.
We can remain silent no longer.
Crossposted from Latino Político, also at Diatribune
Also available in orange cuz I’m feeling fiesty today. O:-)
As a second/third generation American, and a practising Anti-racist (i.e. I don’t get a free pass for “not being racist”, my white privilege as well as my humanity obligates me to be actively anti-racist in challenging racism in others and in society in general – even when it means taking personal risks), this kind of crap makes my blood boil.
My grandparents all grew up speaking a language other than english (German or Danish), and yet somehow I’m more of an American than someone whose ancestors got to North America hundred of years before and/or are natives to the continent. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Almost makes me want to go back to University so that I could kick some of these students asses into a more intelligent shape.
It’s difficult to see this type of rhetoric boiling out into the mainstream and not eliciting the outrage I think it deserves on a widespread level. Where is the RNC with respect to the College Republicans? or the coach mentioned in one of the above articles giving condemnation where it’s certainly due? we as a society have alot of work to do to make sure we don’t see the era of lynchings and mass-deportations resurrected.
[/soapbox]
Thanks for reading, keres.
Thanks for posting.
If you are able to find a copy of the movie “Rabbit-proof Fence you can get a chilling feel for the history of Australia’s aboriginals and part-aboriginals after European conquest. Another good movie is “The Tracker” (I’ve seen the two movies packaged together).
That should read “Australian Aborigines or part Aborigines.” Aboriginal is an adjective.
Thank you, Manny.
reading, boran2 (and the recommend at DKos)
I’ve just about given up on DKos and immigration. Every time someone tries to address some of the fall out from the immigration debate there, someone starts screaming “what part of ILLEGAL don’t you understand”. If you espouse any kind of Latino solidarity, you are called a racist. The majority are not that way, but there are enough there who poison the well. It’s sad that the “left” doesn’t understand how toxic this immigration issue has become.
To which I reply “a person cannot be ‘illegal’.” Illegal is not immoral, or even always wrong. What part of that is so hard to understand?
(La raza has always been good to me, it’s mi gente that I worry about).
hi mariachi mama. I rarely post diaries over there because it is frustrating. I think the reason it boils up there is because there are alot more people overall at that site. Their sentiment is certainly part of the mainstream, it’s just unfortunate that they are blinded to the ways they enable truly racist behavior. Of course, some of them are racist, but that’s a whole other ball of wax. Thanks for your comments and recommends, they’re always appreciated.
on a very personal level, is how many times I have been called a racist there. It’s caused some self examination, which is good.
Like this:
I’ve seen your hiddeously racist posts on here before (And I say this as a native Californian).
But I never see you, or any of the other spanish speaking folks respecting the other cultures that contributed to the greatness that is America.
No, you are all just a bunch of cry-babies. Me. Me. Me. Me.
Just like the rethuglicans. My Church. My Church. My Church. My money. My money. My money.
And the funniest thing of all is:
I refuse to, and will NEVER EVER learn Spanish. Ever.
And yet I get a shit load of work in Mexico. That pays quite well. Why is it that everybody in Mexico that is worth a sh*t knows English or German or Portugese or Chinese, but all the racist pigs on here want to tell me I need to learn Spanish.
Oh yeah, cuz yer racist pigs.
by djpat on Sun Jan 07, 2007 at 07:31:21 PM MDT
or this:
mama mama mama (0+ / 6-)
Trollrated by:maryb2004, mem from somerville, Duke1676, Albatross, Dianna, Brahman Colorado
you might fool some around here with your racial self-pity and Latino Kos bullshit but not me. Why don’t you migrate over to La Raza.com and have done with it….
by sooner on Fri Mar 09, 2007 at 01:37:40 AM MDT
Am I a racist?
i believe that’s called projection.
I’ve received the same type of vitriol, but it’s usually in the form of emails because the trolls at my blog are too cowardly to say what they have to say in public.
Like I said in the orange thread: It’s alright tho, through the work I do in real life and the anti-Latino sentiment I receive first-hand, I know that I’m not talking about straw men. These things are happening everyday and until enough people recognize that it must be directly confronted, these types of diaries will not be stopped.
I like to think of them as the Fingers-In-Ears Crew; they don’t want to hear nor believe that the political views they hold lead to some of the worst, violent actions in society. You are aware of the negative sentiments because you probably interact/live the situation. That’s why we have to keep speaking out, imo
This is so important:
And yet it can become so draining to continually keep calling out or explaining when someone says (or writes) something that is some sort of racist, sexist, or other “ist.” But that is what teaching is and, in a way, it doesn’t end. But the “teacher” has to be sure to get plenty of support and respite and renewal… or they burn out.
What matters to me, what I find so incredibly valuable here, is the opportunity to understand other people’s lives and their thinking and view of the world. And if I choose to, I can engage with them… writing my questions and wonderings.
My world expands… and I see differently. For example, when I cross paths with people in the real world, I think, “Oh, this might be Man Eegee.” And I smile.
Thank you for being one of my teachers 😉
hi tampopo! every comment you write provides such great insight, thanks for sharing them with us.
our perspectives are all we can offer and hopefully they will, on occasion, resonate with another story and produce an outcome that brings about a more humane world.
That we even have an immigration debate in our land a failure both of imagination and of policy. It’s a failure of imagination in that anti-immigrant types have far too easy a time playing on — well, fostering, really — the fear of the “other” in pursuit of political ends. It’s a failure of policy in that our history demonstrates, over and over, that the only rational immigration policy for the United States is simply this:
Send me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
Everyone I have ever met that has gone to the trouble, expense, and often risk to come from another place to live in the US has done so expecting to rely on their own effort and strength of character to build a better life for themselves and, more important, their children. Yet we say to these people, “We don’t want self-motivated, hard-working people as our friends and neighbors.” It’s madness.
was an article in our weekly indy rag regarding Irish Orphans who were kidnapped from families because the local village folk refused to let them be raised in “Mexican” families (in fact, they were Mex-Am families, but that’s another issue). Really fascinating tale of how we’ve always treated the others as well as shadows of what we’re seeing now. here ‘s the link if you’re interested.
And what is this “nation” concept?
http://www.spp.gov
SPPNA,Trans-Texas corridor,deep integration
http://www.nascocorridor.com
I’ve been told it’s four US dollars for one Amero.
Three “nations” merge and the bankers keep the rest!
thanks…
I’ve seen people use food stamps at my local supermarket. 9 times out of 10 they are white people. I can’t recall ever having see any Latinos using food stamps (not saying it doesn’t happen, just saying I have no personal experience of such an occurrence).
i’m sure it’s just a geography thing, food stamps will be used by whichever group is in need of the help to survive. Wrt the College Republicans, you can see how they cleverly blended the “illegal” issue with Cesar Chavez, who was born on this side of the line. That’s why this is a big issue that spans many different cultures, but is also a Latino-centric one in some parts of the country.
One thing that infuriates me about these young Republican types is that they’ve never had to do real work. I say that as someone who worked as a union mechanic to save money for college and never inherited a dime. They should all be sentenced to 12 months of working in a chicken processing facility.
infuriates me is that they don’t see why it’s such a big deal that the privileged group use these images and campaigns to denigrate the very existence of their targets. It’s all just a big joke. Grow a thicker skin! The problem is, it is creating a more hostile environment that sends hate crimes and discrimination through the rooftop.
Yes the Problem with young Republicans is they can comprehend the following:
“Know the difference between working hard and hard work.”
“they cannot”
Speaking of hate groups…
Intelligent people–especially economists–can provide all sorts of evidence that immigrants are a boon to this country. They can help remedy our inverted demographic pyramid, provide needed diversity and energy. Putting immigrants on a “path to citizenship” will be very good for our economy. Money will stay here, and be invested, more taxes will be paid, health insurance will alleviate the burden on public health facilities. When more people feel comfortable joining unions, average prevailing wages will increase, not decrease.
Does this all sound like fantasy? It is certainly not what the Republicans (especially that idiot, Lou DObbs) are saying. There is strong pressure from the hidden money interests that control the Republican party to create totally different memes. They play upon the insecurities of poorly educated and underemployed whites who no longer control politics due to sheer numbers.
I hope that everyone looks carefully at Bush’s “path to citizenship.” It is very different from the vision of some of the Democrats. In Bush’s world, there would be a sort of indentured servitude–an immigrant could come and work but could not ever move, complain, or improve conditions because they would only be allowed to stay as long as they stayed in the same employement with the same company.
In the current law, entering illegally or overstaying (as the majority do) is a misdemeanor like a parking ticket. On the other hand, the Republican businesses that employ them are committing felonies. The current law seems quite adequate for punishment!
immigration march, rally, event I’ve been to in the past year and a half, the unions were very present in solidarity – especially SEIU. It is common sense to want to create an environment/legislative path for people to come out of the shadows.
Unfortunately, the radioactive right on this issue still has the attention of alot of lawmakers and media talking heads.
Union membership and the resurrection of union influence are both results of the “path to citizenship” approach. Now, ask the average guy in the 7/11 whether immigrant assimilation would raise the minimum or prevailing wage, and they’ll echo Lou Dobbs–“Hell no.”
So big business has used the media to create a perception that’s exactly the opposite of what would happen. Surprised?
As a young labor activist, I was inspired by Cesar Chavez and his courage. These fools are the tools of their future corporate masters. I pity them and their pathetic lives.
Perhaps at least some good can come of this in that our consciousness has been raised to include open racism in our growing list of outrages to be addressed.
list indeed, Indianadem. I hope the Congress takes up media consolidation and true balance of coverage in future bills because some of the rhetoric being excused on the air is frightening. It’s like a sick game of Telephone. Rush or Lou Dobbs can say whatever they want and by the time it reaches the trenches of groups like the Minutemen, Border Guardians, or even the College Republicans – the messaging is just one spark away from full-out racial war.
I just wanted to thank you ManE for really bringing home the racism of this country. It’s a constant topic at Casa Kama since we live in a very diverse and changing environment.
KamaKid is living the experience of most minorities. Her school is predominantly Black. A week does not go by where she isn’t called a racist name or teased for being white. Just yesterday she told me how her classmates said she and her friends had to be snitches because they were the white girls (and obviously only white girls snitch). That same day, she and a girlfriend were walking downtown and were accosted by some guys who were questioning her friend’s blackness since she was with a white girl. It’s not all black v. white either, Kamakid gets shit walking in Chinatown too, and when she hangs with her Latina friends too.
My point is, that even here in liberal Oakland, California, bigotry is rampant. But, there is a growing group of youth who resist it. There is a lot of pressure here to only hang with your “own kind”, but I know lots of kids who are calling “bs” on that.
I’ve just got to believe that one day we will all be behind this crap and racists like these college kids will be met with scorn and derision.
nice to read more of your insightful comments. I understand what you mean regarding your daughter. Growing up in a predominately latino town, the few others were often treated horribly. I don’t understand why our society seems to set up an environment where we like to pick on the lower-in-number groups. All I can do and promote is understanding and respect, which is something you clearly do with your daughter.
I think that’s why I asked in the diary for people to take a more assertive role in fighting back against this type of garbage. The groundswell of diversity will only grow if we lead it, I’m starting to believe. Hope you’re doing well, say hello to the KamaKid for me. Paz
Thank you for understanding. You are truly a gem. I’ve discovered that it is really fucking hard to speak as a minority, but I do if really warranted. Either you are not believed or your issues are not taken seriously. Gee, what a surprise! ;>)
Overall, it has been really good for both of us. Yes, there is lots of shit, but there is just as much positive feedback. Kamakid’s core group is comprised of Blacks, Asians, Latino, White, Gay, Straight, Christian, Buddhist, Atheist, Pagan, etc. In other words, when raised right, the kids don’t care. That is our future and that is why we must talk and speak out when we can.
On re-reading this, I just want to state that I don’t equate my own or my daughter’s experiences as the same as others. It has given us a taste and has thus made us more vigilant.
We are both more attune to race issues and both know how important it is to speak when confronting racist speech.
chances are you are living the exact same situation as countless others so if you speak up about it and perhaps show a way to break the cycle, it’ll inspire others to do the same.
I think I wrote above somewhere, but all we can do is talk about our experiences and hope that it resonates. No need to apologize for that. We live by learning!