Center for Immigration Studies Manipulates Poll Results from African Americans

March 9, 2010 by James E. Johnson Jr.
Filed under: Immigration, Politics 
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It’s hard to swallow when others are putting words in your mouth. But that is exactly what the Tanton Network has been doing with African American communities. In its latest attempt to twist the views of African Americans, the Tanton Network through The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) has released a poll titled ‘An Examination of Minority Voters’ Views on Immigration’.

It is not unusual for CIS to twist and skew facts to fit its extreme agenda. Anti-immigrant leaders are using this poll to convince the public that their view is race neutral and that ‘Minority Voters’ agree with their fringe views.

The press statement released with the poll downplayed the fact that a plurality of the ‘minority voters’ they had polled favored allowing immigrants staying in the country if they met certain conditions including: pay a fine, study English and undergo a background check.

Twisting the results was not good enough for CIS; its press release was titled ‘Minority Advocate, Constituents Differ on Immigration’. This is its attempt to drive a wedge between leaders and their communities. It also attempts to say that minority leaders, politicians, civil rights and faith leaders are irrelevant because they are “merely offering their own personal opinions”.

A careful reading of the poll results show that African American leaders are in step with their constituents on the issue of humane and just immigration reform. African Americans view our current immigration system as broken and in need of fixing. They are also agreeable to immigration reform which will allow immigrants to become a part of the rich diverse fabric of America after meeting certain requirements.

This is not the first attempt by the Tanton Network to put ‘blackface’ on its extreme views. In 2006, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) set-up the front group Choose Black America (now defunct), that purported to be the voice of African Americans on immigration. It was lead by Ted Hayes, who Minuteman Project co-founder Jim Gilchrist called the “icon for the African-American segment” of the border vigilante movement.

The Tanton Network knows the African American community has long been considered the conscience of the nation and they are trying to shove words in our mouths. The Tanton Network cannot be allowed to twist our voices or our views.

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