SOS Must Be Opposed in Alhambra

by John Riley Thursday, Jun. 16, 2005 at 12:08 PM

On Saturday, the Ventura based SOS organization will be holding yet another anti-immigrant demonstration, this time in Alhambra (9am –Noon at Home Depot, 500 S. Marengo, Alhambra). The SOS likes to harass and intimidate day local day laborers. Passages from the SOS website portray a “massive illegal alien invasion” which turns “our communities into cesspools.”

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WHY ALHAMBRA?

Why is Alhambra being targeted by their racist-hate agenda? Why is SOS coming to Alhambra this time? Alhambra is one of the most diverse communities in the entire state. The SOS website reveals much about their motives and reasons. A website banner promoting the SOS Alhambra demonstration states, “Alhambra – Ghettoway to the San Gabriel Valley.” Alhambra has also been referred to as a “cesspool” on the SOS site.

Everyone I know that lives in Alhambra considers it a nice place to live.

The main organizer of the SOS Alhambra demonstration, who claims to live in Alhambra, has already attempted to intimidate some of the local day laborers. He says this: “Taking pics of the illegals made them very nervous,” and, “I couldn't help yelling, ‘Viva La Migra!’ as I drove by.”

After musing on about the changing demographics in Alhambra (the National Vanguard, a white-supremacist group which attended the SOS rally in Victorville Saturday, is also opposed to changing demographics) and some racist references to “white flight” from Alhambra the SOS organizer goes on to say, “I've had friends come down to visit and comment that they could not tell what country they were in.”

Is the fact that Alhambra is not a fully assimilated community part of the problem for SOS? Is it a problem for them that there are shops which cater to Asian clientele and have signs posted in Chinese or Vietnamese and that Spanish is spoken in on the sidewalks of Alhambra?

To quote Leslie from a post on indymedia earlier this week, “white Americans have never finally imposed their civilization on others. White racism is the manifestation of that failure.” Why else would a nice town like Alhambra be considered a “cesspool”? An SOS member also laments, “This is our country… it is temporarily enemy occupied territory.”

The SOS organizer also adds “I see these Mecha/Aztlan clowns in Alhambra regularly. They are always young, from late teens to early 20s, shaved heads, a few tattoos, the normal thing you would expect from such dirt bags.”

He also states, “There are a couple of Mechistas on the city council and I dislike them intensely.” Who is he referring to here? Why does the SOS refer to every brown skinned politician as a Mechsita?

Well, the only liberal on the Alhambra City Council is Alhambra Mayor Daniel Arguello, who is a graduate of the University of La Verne and a Vietnam Veteran and Purple Heart Recipient. Why is Arguello considered a “mechista”? To my knowledge the University of La Verne does not even have a Mecha chapter. Further, Arguello lists his greatest sources of pride as “to have served my Country with honor and serving my community as a public official.” Why is he being targeted?

(see Arguello’s bio)
http://www.cityofalhambra.org/government/city_council/second_district.html

Does the SOS do any homework before making their claims? Or are they simply, “trying to tap into this seething anger,” as SOS founder Joe Turner states. The same kind of anger that has it’s root cause in the internalization of fear and confusion.


WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM SOS IN ALHAMBRA

The SOS also has been kicking around various tactics and ideas that might be used in Alhambra on Saturday.

One idea is as follows: “Someone [could] dress up in a Mexican outfit with a huge sombrero and go around begging to everyone "Pleeeeeasssee Senior, let me come to your country, and ruin it". Or maybe this idea will be effective, “What about a defaced Mexican flag with a big red X marked over it?”

At a prior SOS rally at a Home Depot site in Laguna Beach they were heard referring to immigrants as “vermin” and “disease carriers”.

This bazaar remark was also lifted from the SOS board, “The Chinese food in Alhambra basically SUCKS!”
(SOS website)


THE SOS MUST BE OPPOSED IN ALHAMBRA THIS SATURDAY

Anti-racism activists and community supporters will be arriving at 8am on Saturday June 18 to stand in solidarity with the day laborers who will be under direct attack from the SOS. The address is 500 S. Marengo Ave. in Alhambra (between Atlantic and Fremont, North of Mission)

Please come out and support this community demonstration and stand against racism, immigrant bashing and scapegoating and stand up for the rights of all working people.