By Humberto Caspa for www.ocorganizer.com

Costa Mesa is a microcosm of California. This coastal city has become the epicenter of an
immigration issue that threatens to divide our local communities and the nation. Costa Mesa also depicts a vivid portrayal of how radical anti-immigrant groups politicize local governments.

For many years, Costa Mesa was a cradle for Caucasian families and people of European ancestry. However, during the last two decades, it has attracted other ethnic groups, who have settled along the west and the northern parts of the city, making it more ethnically diverse.

In 1980, Whites comprised close to 90 percent of the total population, whereas Hispanics/Latinos of all races were 10 percent, Asians 5 percent and Blacks 1 percent (1). The 2000 Census revealed a dramatic shift: whites now are 57 percent; Latinos, 32 percent; Asians, 7 percent; and others, 4 percent (2).

Latinos have increased by 22 percent since 1980, or 26,112 people, in 20 twenty years. Census data also show that 60 percent of the city’s Latinos live in the Westside, an area where most of the ethnic tensions developed lately.

There are no conclusive studies about the exact background of the people living in the Westside, but empirical evidence shows that most of them belong to Latino families. A good number of them are first and second American generations, others are immigrants from the nearby cities, and a tiny percentage of Latinos can be categorized as recently arrived immigrants from other countries.

Most people have adjusted well to the new demographic changes in Costa Mesa, but not everybody is happy. A radical anti-immigrant group led by Martin H. Millard, a featured writer on a white supremacist website known as New Nation News (3), has used the anti-immigrant rhetoric to influence elected officials. In his writings, Millard has compared Latinos with cockroaches, (4) and has also laid out a plan to gain access to institutions of power. And from there make radical changes (5).

Millard is the tip of the iceberg of the immigration crisis in Costa Mesa. Despite proven evidence of his rage against minority groups, a majority in the City Council allowed Millard a seat in the Redevelopment and Residential Rehabilitation committee (6). This committee makes recommendations to government officials on the distribution of funds to charities in town. Millard also served the West Revitalization Oversight Committee.

In October 2002, Mayor Mansoor, then member of the Human Relations Committee, publicly agreed with Millard and his group, at least in principal, on how to tackle socioeconomic problems. “…If he wants the streets cleaned up, then I agree with him on that (7),” Mansoor said. In this context, Millard had written that the Westside “will never be truly improved until and unless the demographics are improved; period (8).” To me this only means to get Latinos out of Costa Mesa.

A majority of the City Council, Mansoor Eric Bever and Gary Monahan, has gradually pushed an agenda to curve the ethnic composition of the Westside, as well as the entire city. In March 15, 2005, they decided to shut down the Job Center without giving a reasonable notice for debate in both the community and at City Hall.

Second, Allan Mansoor succeeded in having the Human Relations Committee eliminated, again without previous notice.

Third, they prohibited adult soccer on public school fields. As we know, soccer is a favorite pastime sport among Latino families.

Fourth, following Millard’s footsteps, Councilmen Eric Bever, his closest ally in the City Council (9), charged against councilwoman Katrina Foley for supporting nonprofit organizations. Millard has been an ardent foe of charities helping minority groups. A year ago, while being at the 3R committee, he accused the Boys and Girls Club and Soy, two of the most dynamic nonprofit groups in the Westside, for “…recruiting and staging station for gangs and criminal activity.” (10) Moreover, Bever supported Millard in attempting to have signs posted in Paularino Park banning the kicking of soccer ball, or playing any team sports.

Finally, on December 7, 2005, during a council meeting, Allan Mansoor presented an out-of-balanced immigration plan, which would have allowed every Costa Mesa policemen and women to act virtually as immigration agents. However, after an ambiguous discussion, Mansoor, Monahan and Bever opted for an apparently less-bumpy immigration proposal to conceal the intolerant nature of their plan. So far their tactic has not worked, as many people in the community have already stressed the inequities of their proposal and have questioned Millard’s role behind the latest government undertakings.

Mansoor says the police would only target immigrant felons. Nonetheless, the effects of it will inevitably reach law-abiding residents, particularly ethnic minorities.
It is time for Costa Mesans to wake up. The people involved in the recent immigration stunt are no mainstream conservatives, but a small and cohesive radical group seeking its own selfish and undemocratic interests.

Caspa is a writer for La Opinion and an adjunct professor at California State University, Long Beach




Footnotes and much more background research material can be found at: http://www.ocorganizer.com/html/costa_mesa_nazi.html

does pro-illegal aliens know the difference between
illegal immigration and legal immigration?
I've never heard these group ever used term "illegal".
Look to me like they do not know what illegal immigration is . I guess once illegal immigrant set foot in US, he/she became a legal immigration.
This is really pathetic how these whole pro-illegal
alien group trying to turn all anti-illegal immigrant agenda into anti-immigration, and even racism thing.
what the hell the accusation of racism came from?
it's hogwash!
into immmigr

.......they deliberately dont distinguish between the 2 in order to cloud the issue and to pretend that both are identical...they further muddy the water by whining 'racism' in an attempt to hijack the issue and shut down reasoned debate on the subject....trying to create the misconception that this is only about Hispanics (although Hispanics are technically as Caucasian as Anglos)....when in fact the Border Patrol apprehended illegal crossers from 82 separate countries coming in from Mexico in 2005.....they may fool some people,but not nearly enough to sway the argument in their favor if recent public opinion polls are any indication

the overwhelming evidence, from the anti-immigration group's failure to separate documented from un-documented workers at day labor protests in their witch-hunt activities

to the constant and pervasive presence of white nationalists throughout their ranks

to the neo-nazi solidarity, cross-linking, recruitment and backing

as well as the puppetter's (John Tanton) financial support, empowerment and root organizing with his lies, propaganda and it's likewise financing from but a handful of far-right foundations and wealthy individuals

shows that it's a question of scapegoating - of having an easy victim based on race to attack as the easyest possible target to forward the agenda (which turns to other easy targets afterward, focusing on some of the very groups in support of this witch-hunt)



some people just need someone to hate - and Hispanics simply fill that need as they are an easy target compared to even Blacks, because there's less stigma attached to hating them and the documented issue provides a hook - a pseudo reason to do so

focusing on that single issue while ignoring all of the above shows the falseness and hollowness of that position

for every "anti-immigration" stooge there are over 200 people against US census data shows

the Hispanic population is growing 8 times faster than the White population (which doesn't even include other races like Blacks & Asians)

Hispanic-owned businesses are growing 3 times faster than White-owned ones, with 1.6 million of them generating 222 Billion in revenues for our economy according to 2002 IRS data

and we just saw the largest nationwide protests in history over this issue..

I've used the term "illegal". It's just a term. I can, however, understand why the people who hate Mexicans insist on using the term "illegal" instead of "undocumented". It really resonates with people who have strong feelings about "law and order".

I have strong feelings about law and order, too. The immigration laws are screwed up, and contributing to chaos. Bad laws lead to disorder.

Chaos, however, is always an invitation to create order. People are like that -- they love to organize things from the chaos. Sometimes, making a little chaos helps in reorganizing things. So, it's best, at this juncture, to increase chaos, by having more people violate the broken immigration laws. This is civil disobedience.

Global frequent flyers, become freedom fighters. Come to America, and overstay your visas.

majority of the minuteman and save our state has a rap sheet and a crimicial records and they want the illegal to be deported because they broke the americans law. how ironic is that i.e. joe turner himself it was the late 90's he got arrested.