Anti-Latino Hate Crimes Rise for Fourth Year in a Row
Originally posted on SPLC’s blog, Hatewa
tch, by Mark Potok on October 29, 2008
Hate crimes targeting Latinos increased again in 2007, capping a 40% rise in the four years since 2003, according to FBI statistics released earlier this week.
As anti-immigrant propaganda has increased on both the margins and in the mainstream of society — where pundits and politicians have routinely vilified undocumented Latino immigrants with a series of defamatory falsehoods — hate violence has risen against perceived “illegal aliens.” Each year since 2003, the number of FBI-reported anti-Latino hate crime incidents has risen (see table, below), even as a swelling nativist movement has become larger and more vitriolic. read more
Questioning Obama’s Campaign Tactics
With the presidential election wrapping up in less than a week a change will certainly be a-coming. Whatever the results of Tuesday’s election may be, the lives of countless Americans will be forever changed.
The lives of people like Joe the Plumber and Bill Ayers will go back to relative obscurity, at least beyond their close circle of friends and associates. This may be a good thing or a bad thing, but I must warn you, be prepared for a resurgence in the future. This year’s election has seen unprecedented things many of which will be studied. The successes and failures of Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s campaigns will be studied closely and will help form new strategies for future elections. Read more
Response to Obama Murder Plot Says Much about Belonging
I was a 6th grader at Clara Barton Elementary School in 1976. The school bus I rode everyday was a multi-racial smorgasbord of young kids who were excited to get to school so that we could shoot marbles or show off our newest toy before class started. It was on one of those days, on my way to school, that I was told something that changed my life forever.
On a Monday morning one of my school mates whispered that the previous weekend neo-Nazis protested against Jews and blacks in one of the parks that we passed along our way to school and that it had been in the paper. No one really talked about it much, and I’m sure that the conversation quickly turned to our favorite television shows, but from that day forward this park took on a sinister form in my mind. Read more
Restricting the American Dream
In December of 1997, I boarded a plane from Ireland with my family bound for America. My dad had been offered a job in Chicago and he took it without question. When we arrived I faced the daunting task of starting school in a completely different country where I knew nobody. I didn’t think I would fit in with the other kids because of my accent and because the school system and culture is completely different. But from the first day I walked into my 5th grade class I found out that I had something good going for me: in America being Irish is considered to be “cool.” I was the center of attention and the other students all gathered around me asking me all sorts of questions ranging from “do they have TVs in Ireland?” to “what language do they speak there?” Everyone made me feel welcome and halfway through the school day when my mom came to pick me up I told her that I didn’t want to leave! I was welcomed with open arms, but for millions of immigrants who come to the United States, the welcome is much different. Read more
American Apparel Wages War on Failed Immigration Policies
If you’re under 30 you already know about American Apparel. If not, well, you probably know them best by some of their homemade-looking magazine ads featuring skinny non-models lounging around in underwear (very ambercrombie on heroin). American Apparel is the most successful clothing company in the United States. It has 200 locations worldwide and employs over 10,000 people, 4,500 in downtown L.A. factories alone.
Several years ago I read an interview with the company founder, Dov Charney, just as the company was embarking on their rapid expansion. He came off as quite a pervert, but there was no denying he was a radical and on to something with his socially aware policies. The company has great benefits, a decent hourly wage, tries to protect the environment and is even given a good grade by PETA for their “vegan-friendly” garments” (small miracle to get anything from PETA). Read more
Mi Razon
By Fortino Vargas
Estoy aqui, soy uno mas,
de la estadistica y discucion.
Dios, dame tu paz,
en pie de guerra la imigracion.
Por piedad, no me culpen mas,
soy humano, productivo en su nacion.
Si de mi depende, no quiero irme jamas,
pero estoy escondido,.. que gran afliccion.
Estoy aqui, estaba alla, soy uno mas,
sufriendo injusticias y marginacion.
Dios. no me abandones, se que tu me amas,
pero en mis dias….solo veo humillacion.
Mientras viven en mi pais,
ladrones, ursurpadores sin consiencia en el poder.
Politicos hambrientos, llevandose lo del maiz,
marginando al pobre, que luche para comer.
Dicen que le mandatario hoy anuncio,
que esta mañana, la economia subio.
A mis hijas;.. su gran noticia no convencio
porque en su plato, nada mas sopa, su Madre sirvio.
Vivo…angustioso y desesperado,
no soy delincuente, tan solo trabajador.
Derechos humanos? Estoy abandonado.
U.S. acuerdate de Luter y Lincoln - ¡se tu mi libertador! Read more
Hunger
Do I need you
Sweet agony past
Have you been my
Reason for the trip?
Do you hold my hand
And guide me through the present?
Do you chain my feet as I drag you through today?
Eat up my mind and
Leave me starving for some
Other thought.
Lies in the past
Lies in the present
Where then is there any
Truth at all?
Who is this clown
Without his makeup
Is it government?
Is it read more
Homeland Guantanamos
The right to live is the most basic human right. The U.S. has been praised for its progressive human rights record by international watchdog organizations and is considered to be among the world’s most free nations. Even though this country began with a horrific genocide, some claim we are above the horrific acts once practiced in America: we are a living and leading example of freedom now, right? We have washed our hands of the blood we drew in our past, and even display a statue facing the open ocean that says “Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free…” that famously welcomes any and all oppressed peoples.
So why are many immigrants denied their basic human rights in our “free” nation? Why are immigrants that have been mistakenly detained or charged with minor crimes being held for months or even years in horrible conditions without a fair trial? Read more
America: Bigger, Taller, Stronger
Somewhere in the vast plains of Iowa you can find the World’s Largest Truck stop. The Iowa 80 Truck stop is unlike any other gas station, tourist shop or rest stop. To be quite honest, it is a small city.
In addition to being able to do your own laundry, take a shower, or play a few arcade games, you can visit Irene’s barber and styling shop; have your teeth examined at Interstate Dental; seek advice from the Career Center; visit the Custom Shop if you need anything embroidered, engraved, or have a need for vinyl graphics; fill your belly at the Iowa 80 Restaurant; and even catch a classic flick at Trucker’s Theater (which seats approximately 40 people). Read more
White Nationalists Running Scared from the Left and the Right
By Melissa Nalani Ross
In the course of my research I was recently flipping through the latest Citizens Informer, the hate newsletter of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CofCC) – an organization “advocating against minorities and racial integration” – expecting the usual fare of bigotry against non-whites. From issue to issue, I’m never particularly taken aback anymore by the masquerade of polished rhetoric used to rationalize their racism. Senator Barack Obama has been fodder for most of their attacks as of late, so I was expecting more of the same.
To my surprise, however, in Joel T. LeFevre’s “Editor’s Note,” he not only questioned Obama as a worthy candidate for president, but also Governor Sarah Palin’s competence as a potential vice president. His rejection of her capability was in no way tied to a lack of foreign policy experience, her stance on the economy or the war in Iraq. It was simply based on the fact that she is a woman. In his explanation of the CofCC’s viewpoint on Palin and women in leadership, LeFevre states,
The traditional role of the man as head of household and in general leadership is now widely considered “archaic.” We do not accept this view, and regard it as further eroding the basis and continuity of our culture and civilization . . . Read more
Why is Wells Fargo Flirting with Anti-Immigrant Extremists?
Respected business leader Wayne Calloway once remarked that “[n]othing focuses the mind better than the constant sight of a competitor who wants to wipe you off the map”. Over the last several years it appears that Wells Fargo has not only embraced Calloway’s insight but taken it a step further by putting the enemy right inside its very own bedroom.
For several years nativists under the guise of “immigration reform” have waged endless attacks against Wells Fargo, even going so far as to create web pages such as Embargo Wells Fargo. Having declared a racial war against our nation’s immigrant and refugee communities, anti-immigrant organizations and leaders targeted Wells Fargo as part of their growing “war of attrition”. In short, make life a living hell for immigrants and anyone else who defends their inalienable rights to simply be treated like a human being. The anti-immigrant movement is demanding that Wells Fargo choose sides between community and barbarism.
However, Wells Fargo appears to have done the opposite. Rather than taking responsibility as a community leader and drawing a clear moral barrier against hate, Wells Fargo instead chooses to lend its indirect support to the anti-immigrant movement itself. According to the Center for New Community during the 2005-2006 election cycle the Wells Fargo and Company Employee PAC made fifty-eight contributions totaling $108,250 to members of the House Immigration Reform Caucus (HIRC). Read more
Fear & Faith in Two Thousand Eight
Last week I received a letter from my friend Jonathon asking for money. He had been laid off from his job with a major consulting firm and after spending a few weeks looking for work, decided that he needed to make a major change. At 28 Jonathon veered wildly off the corporate ladder and was preparing to go to southeast Africa to teach AIDS/HIV prevention. I was surprised to hear of his plans, because in his own words “roughing it isn’t really a term that people associate when they think of me”. He’s not exaggerating, I once saw Jonathon cut a meeting short to make a massage appointment. I was happy to learn that his request for money was to help fund a trip to Malawi, Africa, not just to get him through a tough time. Read more
Britain’s New Immigration Minister Tries Tough & Fair
If you’ve ever read an issue of Searchlight magazine, you will know all about the British Nationalist Party and their disgusting campaign against non-Britons. If you haven’t heard of the British Nationalist Party I can sum them up for you with this quote in 2005 by senior official Nick Eriksen:
“I’ve never understood why so many men have allowed themselves to be brainwashed by the feminazi myth machine into believing that rape is such a serious crime… Rape is simply sex. Women enjoy sex, so rape cannot be such a terrible physical ordeal…To suggest that rape, when conducted without violence, is a serious crime is like suggesting force-feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence… A woman would be more inconvenienced by having her handbag snatched.”
Instead of writing about how horrible the above quote is and that the BNP needs to be stopped, I thought it would be better to write about the opposite of the BNP, a man named Phil Woolas who has dedicated his political career to fight against racism. Earlier this month he was appointed Britons new Immigration Minister. His new approach is to toughen the UK’s immigration policies to but also to change the negative perceptions on immigrants. Read more
My Little Princess
Well, it’s here. Fall is in the the air and with it Halloween. Hardly a soul is exempt from participating in one way or another. At the very least you will be forced to leave your couch about a hundred times to pass out candy to little beggars at your door. For these little ones it is not question of “if” they are dressing up but “as what”. They are going to dress up because if they don’t they won’t get any candy!
In my house (or tiny apartment) I pretty much know the answer as to what they will be for Halloween this year, but I have to ask, just in case. The feminist in me cringes as the word rings out in toddler unison “PRINCESS!!” What I’d like to hear is “DOCTOR!!” or “COMPUTER GRAPHICS ENGINEER!!” but with this I am merely delusional. Read more
Fueled by Rice (part one)
Last weekend, Chicago hosted an international group of athletes in the Chicago Marathon. Runners from Kenya, Russia, Japan, Ethiopia and other countries all competed in the 30 km race. Meanwhile, half way across the world, a group of “amateur bicyclists” (read: recent college grads) from the United States are starting to end their international journey of over 10,000 miles. The meager group of five, calling themselves Fueled By Rice (FBR), have spent the last year cycling through a significant chunk of the Northern Hemisphere.
Promoting cultural understanding, peace, and sustainability, FBRs seem to spend most of their time familiarizing themselves with native peoples of each of the countries they visit. Thirsting for more than geography lessons and UN statistics, they have managed to paint a global narrative filled with faces and personal interactions, all documented through their blog. Read more
Questioning McCain’s ‘guilt by association’ Logic
There has been a lot of buzz in the news about Barack Obama’s ties with UIC professor Bill Ayers. Due in large part to the assertions of John McCain’s campaign, the Obama-Ayers ties that were touched upon in the Democratic primary race were not only brought up in the last few weeks, but have intensified so much that McCain recently released a political ad discussing the subject.
The ad, endorsed by McCain, questions Obama’s loyalties to America due to his ties with Ayers, saying at the end, “Barack Obama, too risky for America.” This attempt to use Obama’s political ties to undermine his overall campaign is interesting because Obama is not the first, and certainly won’t be the last, politician to have questionable political affiliations. Read more
Talking Truthfully About Abortion
After the debate last night a friend asked me what I thought about abortion. I immediately felt a sense of dread, not wanting to get pulled into a chat that might rile me up when I should be winding down for the evening. You see, I’m passionate about women’s rights, and discussions about women’s issues with men make me nervous. After a long day, I was liable to blow a fuse that would alienate my friend and keep me up tossing and turning for the rest of the night.
“What do you mean?” I asked, “I’m pro-choice, of course”.
“Yeah, but how do you feel about it?” he asked. This is where I started to get prickly. There’s a habit of defensiveness I’ve gotten into when it comes to the issue of abortion. A holding pattern developed in response to questions meant to entrap me in my own morality. Read more
Defections Continue to Hurt Cuban Soccer
This week, 2 Cuban soccer players defected from their national team while on world cup qualifying duty in Washington DC. Cuba has now lost 12 players to defection since 2002. Nearly all of the stories are the same: the players talk to family or friends in the US before they come, flea the team hotel before or after the game, and start looking for a place to play in the States. By law, if a Cuban national steps foot in the United States can claim asylum and after a year can legally claim residency. Cuban TV accused the players of betraying their unity and “giving into the temptations of the empires money.” In recent history we have seen Cuban’s from many different sporting fields (most notably baseball) defecting to the United States in the hopes of making it big. But in the soccer world this is a new and growing situation. Read more
The Criminal Class Has Something to Say About America
When I was born my parents were solidly working class, but by the time I was seven I was living in a working poor household that struggled to survive from paycheck to paycheck. This was the plight of our surrounding neighbors as well, and while there is absolutely nothing romantic about poverty, it does create its own community. People must depend on one another and they must build community to survive. Growing up in Long Beach, poverty placed me in a situation where I lived amongst and interacted with multiracial America first hand. My friends were black, white, Latino/a, Cambodian and Samoan.
Typically there are two types of discussions about American identity that take place in mainstream society. On one side you have the argument that there is nothing redeemable about the United States or the concept of America. This argument is typically filled with despair, condemnation, and cynicism. On the other side you get a plastic patriotism that chooses to ignore current reality and history. Neither speaks to the complexity and depth of American identity–an identity that continues to be strengthened not only on a political level but on the streets of America as well. Read more
The Racism of Fear
By J.J. Smite
Let’s be clear: McCain and Palin have not played the race card. They have played most of the deck of race cards, using standard code words, dragging Obama’s middle name into speeches, linking him to terrorists (Ayers may be white, but the connection with the “real” terrorists is clear), and questioning his background and patriotism. They had been demagoguing crowds into anger, threats, and hatred before “backing down” toward the end of last week under increasing criticism, even from within their own party–which itself has perfected the racism of fear for years.
Fear has always been a handy and useful political tool, and one of the most effective in maintaining or securing power. The culture of fear fanned by the Bush Administration since 9/11 has been extraordinarily effective. But long before Bush there was Nixon, who never really seemed to shed a penchant for McCarthy-era redsearches for enemies under every table. It was Atwater who later perfected the genre with his devilish love of the racism of fear that still shores up countless campaigns–he of Willie Horton fame; he of minions who Bushwhacked McCain himself in North Carolina in 2000 with blatantly racist attacks. Now the earlier victim himself has picked up the fiery torch that burned him.
Read more
Categories
Authors
