Discrimination and Hard-Heartedness
Discrimination and Hard-Heartedness
How is it that we can deny someone something as basic as work. Work which will enable them to feed and clothe their families. Barely. Yet, here we are running them down, laying down spikes on the road so that they cannot get away from the Border Patrol. It's as if we who, unless we are native americans, are all immigrants ourselves, want to close the doors after ourselves and not let anyone else in. Or maybe, we will just let in those who are blond and blue eyed because they look better to us. Kind of like during World War II when German american citizens were relatively undisturbed, unlike the Japanese americans who were interred and lost land, businesses, pasts and futures, because they look so distinct from the rest of us. Apparently, we have learned little and persist in our march to hell.
I read that an Ames test (at least I think it was Ames, but I know it was this or something similar) taken by a student contained enough degrading hispanic stereotypes to cause the student to lose precious test time because he was so stunned. He subsequently completed and passed it, but not without sharing his concerns with his community which, to its credit, was up in arms.
Unfortunately, this was not the case in Idaho where the College Republican students at Boise State University announced a forthcoming speech by U.S. Senate candidate Robert Vasquez with a sign that said "Win a Dinner for two at Chapala's Mexican Restaurant! Climb through the hole in the fence and enter your false ID documents into the food stamp drawing!" There were also pictures of fake documentation and food stamps, among others. However, these students and Mr. Vasquez staunchly maintain that they are not racist. If not, then perhaps the word should be retired because, if it cannot apply here, it cannot apply anywhere. And Mr. Vasquez is quoted at the announcement of his candidacy (which was in a Mexican restaurant, by the way) that he identified with Americans and had an American flag in his office, rather than the "chicken and worm" of the Mexican flag. I think there is a worm in this story, but it is not on the Mexican flag.
How is it that we can deny someone something as basic as work. Work which will enable them to feed and clothe their families. Barely. Yet, here we are running them down, laying down spikes on the road so that they cannot get away from the Border Patrol. It's as if we who, unless we are native americans, are all immigrants ourselves, want to close the doors after ourselves and not let anyone else in. Or maybe, we will just let in those who are blond and blue eyed because they look better to us. Kind of like during World War II when German american citizens were relatively undisturbed, unlike the Japanese americans who were interred and lost land, businesses, pasts and futures, because they look so distinct from the rest of us. Apparently, we have learned little and persist in our march to hell.
I read that an Ames test (at least I think it was Ames, but I know it was this or something similar) taken by a student contained enough degrading hispanic stereotypes to cause the student to lose precious test time because he was so stunned. He subsequently completed and passed it, but not without sharing his concerns with his community which, to its credit, was up in arms.
Unfortunately, this was not the case in Idaho where the College Republican students at Boise State University announced a forthcoming speech by U.S. Senate candidate Robert Vasquez with a sign that said "Win a Dinner for two at Chapala's Mexican Restaurant! Climb through the hole in the fence and enter your false ID documents into the food stamp drawing!" There were also pictures of fake documentation and food stamps, among others. However, these students and Mr. Vasquez staunchly maintain that they are not racist. If not, then perhaps the word should be retired because, if it cannot apply here, it cannot apply anywhere. And Mr. Vasquez is quoted at the announcement of his candidacy (which was in a Mexican restaurant, by the way) that he identified with Americans and had an American flag in his office, rather than the "chicken and worm" of the Mexican flag. I think there is a worm in this story, but it is not on the Mexican flag.
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posted by Lori Crouch | 10:43 PM
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