Remind me to never get a tan and speak Spanish in Arizona. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill into law on Friday making it legal for law enforcement officials to detain anyone they suspect is in this country illegally. Brewer acknowledged concerns about the bill, saying racial profiling wouldn't be tolerated but that we had to "trust our law enforcement."
No, I don't think I will. Thank you. "Excuse me, can I see your papers? Don't have any on you? Can't prove you're not an immigrant? Come with me." Remind you of a particularly awful period in world history?
However. We are all immigrants. All of our families came from another country at some point, unless you're American Indian. Whether your family came here on the Mayflower (or the Goodspeed Susan Constant for that matter) or they arrived at JFK yesterday with bewildered eyes and the American Dream playing in their heads, they all originated from some other place. Mexicans, unless they're very rich or powerful, cannot come here legally. The vast majority can't afford to pay off officials in order to get a visa. The ones that risk their lives to come here by and large have poor families and are trying to make a better life for them. What is wrong with that? This is America. People emigrated here in droves to seek better lives. To seek refuge from political or religious persecution. To escape plague and famine. To work their way up the ladder to get rich or to just own a home and have a family. I believe in the American Dream. Yes, I'm a wide-eyed idealist and while I recognize all the many problems prevalent in this country I also recognize that it's always been in the people's power to change it. I think that's an amazing thing-and rare. We take that for granted. This law is shameful. It's a blot on our political landscape. It's a reminder that the Civil Rights Movement was only a little over 40 years ago and that there's still work to be done.
My question is, how in the world do you carry out this law without using racial profiling? My guess is that white guys in cowboy hats with southern accents aren't going to be stopped on the street and asked for their immigration papers. No, this law was written for the brown folk-specifically the ones who speak Spanish. While I am Latina, I'm never one to use the race card. I'm sure that has a lot to do with the fact that I couldn't look less Latin and haven't had any racially related incidents personally. However, this legislation couldn't be more racist. I understand there is an immigration problem down South along the Mexican border. I know that people are complaining about losing their jobs to illegal immigrants. I won't start on the fact that many of these jobs are the ones no one wants. People want these jobs to go to American citizens. Fine, I get it.
I love my country, I really do. I'm proud to be American, proud to be from here. I cry during the Star Spangled Banner. Wherever I might be in the world, America will ALWAYS be home. Today though, pride is a little hard to come by.