If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
If George Wallace and his family could change their minds on the issue of civil rights and discrimination, so can the legislature and the current governor of Alabama on HB 56.
The Department of Labor will vigorously protect the right of all workers in Alabama to have their federal right to a legal wage protected.
"I'm looking forward to the Latino community demanding immigration reform designed by us which will be inclusive of all marginalized people of this nation and backed by a long-term ideology of justice and respect for human values."
Neither proposal will actually do much to solve the situation of millions of unauthorized immigrants, many of whom have been here for many years and have families.
But even as Republican state legislators meet in a special committee to plot their move against unauthorized immigrants specifically, and Latinos in general, a different view is emerging.
As we begin a new year, let's take a step forward toward recognizing the fundamental human rights of all people. The United States must change course.
For many immigrant communities, everyday struggles with the legal system and the economic crisis encapsulate some of the core issues driving the Occupy ethos. Yet those same issues can be a hindrance to organizing.
Let's all make the decision to reconnect with our own cultural values by educating ourselves about the authentic portrayal of immigrants in America.
Being questioned about my immigration status while testifying before Congress was certainly an insult, but what happened afterward was actually more disturbing to me.
The kind of destruction that the immigration system imposes goes much deeper than police aggression or incarceration; it rips apart the very fabric of communities.
I think more people should be talking about and defending the Bill of Rights-- before we lose the precious liberties that were supposed to be inalienable to us all.
With the intellectual weight of Helen Krieble's ideas, a nationwide, pro-immigration movement with conservatives involvement is gaining strength in the states.
Leading a boycott is not an easy thing to do, and we did it after giving it great thought. But we thought such an extraordinary attack on our community needed an extraordinary response.
When political leaders demonstrate that it's OK to tarnish an entire ethnic or religious group, xenophobic rhetoric enters the mainstream public discourse in a way that encourages intolerant and extreme reactions.
Confronted with the negative images that circulate in the media and daily discourse of immigrants as dangerous criminals, intent upon gaining access to social services and competing with U.S. citizens for jobs, we felt it was important to put a human face on the issue of unauthorized immigration.
"The doors were locked, there were no cars on the road, and there was nothing I could do. I just shut up. I was crying, and he talked to me as if I were nothing. I thought he was going to kill me."
