A Day at a North Carolina Tea Party

January 11, 2010 by Guest Blogger
Filed under: American Identity, Immigration 
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By Deborah Austin and Cloee Cooper

As a mother, activist and community member from Durham, North Carolina of Mexican, Native American decent, I can personally attest to the racist behavior and remarks at the Tea Parties Against Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants on November 14, 2009. Why is this an important story to share months later? Among many people I know, the white nationalist agenda of today’s anti-immigrant movement is hard to understand. Not surprising considering the debate we see unfolding in our media surrounding immigration.

I have been following our nation’s debate closely with the immigration reform bill that Gutierrez recently introduced and the upcoming bill that Schumer intends to introduce. But honestly, how can we have a debate on immigration without noting the bigotry, violence and outright racism of our nation’s leading anti-immigrant groups? I attended the Tea Party on November 14 in Raleigh, NC. I hope that my experience might speak to the doubts that currently clout perhaps the most important debate regarding race in the 21st century.

I woke up early that morning, gathered my notebook, pen and map, and hopped in my car. It was drizzling outside, so I was wondering if the event was still going to happen. When I got in the car for the one-hour drive, “Such a perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you” was on the radio. Ironic, huh?

As I approached Raleigh, I started looking for the cross streets, and a crowd that I suspected would be holding confederate flags. I didn’t have to look hard; about 40 people were gathered at the town square. Microphones were set up and people were already mounting signs reading “Illegals Out!”

I found a place to park and entered the crowd. Eyes darted at me. I was one of three people of color in the crowd. I kept my notebook close and tried to blend in. Soon the first speaker approached the microphone. “Good afternoon everyone… Glad to see so many people came out on a rainy day. It is people like you who make this country worth living in – people like you who make me proud to be an American. As you all know, we are facing a grim problem today – people who intend to invade our country and have no intention of becoming ‘American’ – the ‘Illegals’”.

I stood in the crowd while others cheered. As William Gheen, president of ALIPAC, stirred up the crowd, eyes again darted at me. I clearly fit the description – with my bronze skin color, dark eyes and dark hair. C’mon, my grandparents were born in Mexico, I must be illegal!

I listened carefully as he continued to say, “Illegals are taking our jobs. They are destroying the infrastructure of this country. They are destroying our environment…” These are things I have heard on the radio or television. This time, however, I was amidst a crowd of supporters – a crowd of people who really believed all of his arguments, and who of course looked at me as if I were to blame.

Not only was he spewing anti-immigrant arguments, he was directly attacking Mexican/Latino culture – and frankly, any person with a skin darker then a girl in a Cover Girl advertisement. He said, “Aren’t you tired of seeing George Lopez’s mug on every billboard in Raleigh?” My thought was, ‘George Lopez is American’. Then William Gheen went on to say “and you know who came in through the back door and is now serving on the Supreme Court.” Again, eyes darted at me. I thought, ‘Sonja Sotomayor is an American citizen, and was born an American citizen’. Then Ron Woodard, Director of NC Listen, who stated in the past that he “improved his public-speaking skills in courses sponsored by FAIR”, took to the stage. I realized in that moment that the Tea Party Against Amnesty for Illegal Immigration was really the front for white nationalist propaganda.

It was I that walked away with more ammunition than them. I was sad to see that people listened to such an ignorant man who knows nothing about the history of this country. Mr. Gheen is a man that spews hate toward a group of people who put food on his table. The information they provided me with was fuel to submit an article in our local newspaper, outing all the local politicians with ties to the white nationalist political extremists such as William Gheen who sponsored the event. Cheers to another day in November of exposing political extremists who attempt to uproot our nation’s values – the values that I hold dear as an American citizen.

Deborah Austin is a social justice advocate and mother from Raleigh, North Carolina.
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