"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," reads the inscription on the Statue of Liberty's pedestal. Too many, these words still ring true, not that immigration hasn't become a problem in America, especially considering there are an estimated 11 million illegal aliens currently residing within the U.S. boarder, but because its notion that America stands as a beacon of freedom for oppressed people from every corner of the world. However, lawmakers in Arizona squashed these immortal words and our country's belief that "all men are created equal," when they passed a bill this past week, allowing police officers the right to question anyone about their immigration status if they have reason to suspect they are in the country illegally, and makes it a state crime if they are.
The problem with the law is not that it is attempting to curb illegal immigration in a state that boasts more than 400,000 illegal aliens, but because its intentions are meant to curb illegal immigration by a specific group - Mexicans. Currently, 30 percent of Arizona's residents are Hispanic and boy are they furious about the prospect of being pulled over because of the color of their skin and asked to show their birth certificate. And can you really blame them? Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, who had the opportunity to veto the bill, but instead singed it into law, when asked after signing the bill what exactly an illegal immigrant looks like, said she "didn't know." Which is precisely the problem. No one knows what an illegal immigrant looks like. But I think it's safe to say no white people will be getting pulled over and asked for their birth certificate after the law is enacted this summer. I think it is insane that the state of Arizona expects all Latinos to carry around birth certificates in order to prove their citizenship just because they are the wrong color. I mean what decade are we living in. I am just waiting for the next law that allows for all people of Latino decent to be locked-up in internment camps like the Japanese were during World War II. Or maybe we can set aside reservations or have separate drinking fountains for Latinos - whatever keeps them out of our perfect American lives.
Many of the proponents of the bill try to use crime and a lack of enforcement by federal government as the primary reason for the bill's passage. And yes the federal government does need to do more to stop illegal immigration, but how can you associate isolated cases of crime with someone's skin color. I mean most serial killers are white, does that mean we should hold such crimes against white people? And the same goes for saying all Mexicans, and illegal immigrants, are criminals because of a few bad apples.
While all of these issues are major concerns over the law, the big question for Arizonians has to be, is stopping illegal immigration as important as upholding the rights of millions of Lations who were born and live in the state. Is it worth having the majority of Americans view your state as one that upholds the same type of racial divide as the South did during the height of segregation? It used to seem funny to believe that such blatant racism could rear its ugly head in America in the modern world, but I guess we also thought McCarthyism could never happen again, until right-wing nuts like Michelle Bachman proved us wrong during the 2008 election.
The injustice of this new bill is already starting to rear its ugly head, after news reports have already surfaced telling the story of police officers pulling over Latino-Americans, asking them to provide a birth certificate because they didn't answer their questions correctly and were placed under arrest until they could prove their citizenship. Already seeing how law enforcement has begun to abuse the power the bill gives them before it even goes into effect, it is scary to think of all the corruption that will follow the new law. You can bet there will be cops taking pay-offs and using the color of people's skin to pull them over without cause.
The Obama Administration is already looking into whether or not such a bill is constitutional or not. But I say, who cares if it is unconstitutional, it is unAmerican. A number of state mayor's including the mayor of Phoenix have called for a repeal of the bill and leaders from across the country are calling for a boycott of Arizona, which could cost the state millions in convention and tourism. So while the fight over how to deal with immigration continues on, it will be the Latino-Americans who will have to deal with being reduced to second-class citizens in their own state and country - something no American in the year 2010 should have to endure.
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