Latinos: It's way overdue
By Rodolfo F. Acuña

I am the first one to criticize Chicano/Latino politicos when they don't defend the interests of the community. However, during the present crisis, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and most Latino elected officials in Los Angeles have acted in a principled manner, forcefully speaking out against the racist nativism that is gripping the country. The same can be said of the Catholic Church and its refusal to go along with the hysteria.

If the actions of right-wing radio hosts, virulent anti-immigrant groups, and opportunistic politicos were an aberration, there would be hope that people would come to their senses. However, this form of nativism has infected the United States since the birth of the Republic.

It led to the persecution of Irish immigrants; the burning of a convent in Charleston, Mass., in 1828; the burning of Catholic churches in Philadelphia in 1842; and fueled the illegal invasion of Mexico and the theft of 50 percent of its land. This was topped off with the creation of the Native American party of the 1850s, which became known as the Know Nothing Party, and later the Republican Party.

Every time that the nation had an economic depression or recession, the Greek Chorus pointed at the immigrant. Thus the Chinese were excluded in 1882, and in the 1920s immigration acts made national origins the basis of admission. The expressed intent of these laws was to keep America white by giving preferences to northern Europeans, who, the politicos said, were blonder, taller and had bigger brains.

In 1965, the nation went through an examination of conscience and passed an amendment to the immigration act based on family preferences. The result was that too many Asians came in and Latin Americans continued to migrate to this country.

Shortly after the passage of the 1965 amendments, politicians such as Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyoming, and ex-California Gov. Pete Wilson built careers on baiting Mexican immigrants. They criminalized them, calling them illegal and dehumanized them, calling them aliens.

With the advent of the right-wing think tanks and the Internet, immigrant-bashing became an industry. Playing on the fears of white Americans who have historically been narcissistic and consumed by angst, these groups have made millions by creating a living hell for people who just want what others want a place to live in peace and educate their children.

For too long the Mexican/Latino community has been silent. This has encouraged bullies and wannabe brownshirts to come out of the woodwork and prance around like Minutemen. Most of these patriots like the president and vice president of this country have never served in the military. Immigrants were welcome as long as they did the fighting for them.

Samuel Johnson in 1775 said that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. History will bear out his wisdom.

Aside from the mendaciousness of the nativist, their stupidity is mind-blowing. The United States has been criminally negligent when it comes to Latin America. Its drug market has converted many Latin Americans into suppliers of American demand for drugs. As a result, the governments of these countries have morally decayed. The U.S.' green revolutions have destroyed agricultural subsistence, and the North American Free Trade Agreement has destroyed nascent manufacturing industries.

Today, the only thing that is sustaining Mexico and Central America is the remittances sent back annually by hard-working compatriots. If it were not for these remittances, those economies would crash and there would be many more immigrant workers coming into territory that was illegally taken from their ancestors. They are illegal because the border was moved.

The demonstrators had no choice but to protest. I have no other choice but to urge my students and community to resist immoral laws.

As a historian, I remember the words of Martin Niem ller, a Protestant pastor and social activist:

When the Nazis arrested the Communists,

I said nothing; after all, I was not a Communist.

When they locked up the Social Democrats,

I said nothing; after all, I was not a Social Democrat.

When they arrested the trade unionists,

I said nothing; after all, I was not a trade unionist.

When they arrested the Jews, I said nothing; after all, I was not a Jew.

When they arrested me, there was no longer anyone who could protest.

Rodolfo F. Acñu a is professor of Chicana/o Studies at California State University, Northridge.

Dr. Acuña,

Thank you for the article. It's excellent. It's not too often that I get a chance to read your work.

Gracias!
Virtual Chicano

Dr. Acuña,

Thank you for the article. It's excellent. It's not too often that I get a chance to read your work.

Gracias!
Virtual Chicano

"The United States has been criminally negligent when it comes to Latin America. Its drug market has converted many Latin Americans into suppliers of American demand for drugs. As a result, the governments of these countries have morally decayed. The U.S.' green revolutions have destroyed agricultural subsistence, and the North American Free Trade Agreement has destroyed nascent manufacturing industries.

Today, the only thing that is sustaining Mexico and Central America is the remittances sent back annually by hard-working compatriots. If it were not for these remittances, those economies would crash and there would be many more immigrant workers coming into territory that was illegally taken from their ancestors. They are illegal because the border was moved. "


Scapegoading at it's very best.

Nothing is stolen and self preservation is not solely the creed of the Anglo. The blame lays at the feet of the corrupt and intolerable Spanish elite, that waste the energy of their people for their slave wages in the U.S. to be sent back to "Mehico" to keep the peons happy in false ceremonies and pageants of drunken lights and dirty streets.

Ancestors? give a DNA sample and we'll see exactly who lived where in the Southwest. The point is moot and has been moot ever since the state of California became apart of the Union.

Rhetorical words of revenge will instigate more of the same.

The policies of Mexico are driven by American ( although the multi-national corporate heads really have no 'home nation' because they view the entire world as their personal brothel ) corporate interests enforced by death squads.
Poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to the United States.

Dr. Acunas article was very well articulated. I am proud of being a daughter of immigrant parents. My parents have never been "aliens" and I don't appreciate any latino human being referred as such. Knowledge is power and we as a Latino community need to empower ourselves and pass the knowledge down to the next generation, our children and so on. The younger Latinos need to know the facts and know where the demonstrations, the walkouts and the passion is coming from. Our young ones do not need to sound ignorant on the radio stations and need to feel proud and secure in their standing.

I commend you Mr. Acuna and continue spreading the knowledge to your student as you did to me.
Thank you.

Patty (Class of 2003)

Your article is mind blowing. I have seen very few ones that summarize so beautifully and in a well documented manner, the cause that the current immigrants are having to fight. Just the right to feed and educate the families should be enough cause. Your article is an inspiratlon and I intend to copy many people and keep it handy so I can use it in the futue for inspiration.

Thank you very much. Really. You made my day!

Constance

Your artilce is documente with facts that we, even Latinos, ofteen oversee. Comments by 'BS' are documented only with anger and hatre. Just the title he uses tells us who this person is.. By the way, this person refers to "Spanish" when talking about Latin America. He might want to become more educated and know that Spanish are the people from Spain as well as the language we speak in most countries of Latin America.

What is he talking about taking DNA samples.

That is the main problem in our nation, that bigotry is always fueled by lack of education. Really educated and informed people would never take such position.

Thank you again for your great and well outlined article. It makes me feel prouder to be an immigrant of Latin America.

Constance

We live in a country full of immigrants. And i'm proud to say im a mexican. I represent all my people here in the U.S.A. I'm very tierd of everyone treting us like criminals when we know we're not. We are as normal as everyone else in this world. We might have diffirent skin color, religion,or language. But this dose not mean we are treating you all like criminals. Or that we look at you all diffrently when ya'll pass by us in the streets. We do not treat any of ya'll badly we should you treat us diffriently. I hate it when at school they call me little mexicans why can't they call me by my names once in a while. i dont be callin them black or white kids.

I do not agree with the assessment that the mayor has taken a principled stand on immigration.

He's backed a plan that will allow local police to enforce immigration laws and that will make migrants "caught" in the US guilty of a misdemeanor instead of a felony. Only on their second arrest for being in the country illegally would they become felons.

Backing such legislation is far from representing our People with integrity.

Face it, the mayor is just another vendido.

The fact that he is "our" vendido means little or nothing.