New Arizona Immigration Law Awakens Youth Protest Movement
Members of the Capitol 9. (Photo: Jose Munoz)
PHOENIX, Arizona—Getsemani Inzunza,14, didn’t know who was the originator of the text message, but when she and her classmates got the text, they decided to skip class on Friday and gather at the Arizona State Capitol. There they met other young people who had spontaneously come together to protest SB 1070, a law that makes it a crime to be an undocumented immigrant in the state.
“They might take our future away,” said Getsemani, who has family members who are undocumented immigrants.
With the stroke of a pen that afternoon, Republican Gov. Jan Brewer made Getsemani’s worst nightmare come true. Arizona became the first state in the country to pass a far-reaching law aimed at controlling illegal immigration at the state and local level.
Student walk-outs and spontaneous protests at the State Capitol marked the week leading to the passage of SB 1070, showing the young face of what some called a new “civil rights movement” that is igniting in the state.
“They’ve got tired of hearing the promises of adults,” said Salvador Reza, an organizer from the PUENTE movement, which has organized several rallies against the new law.
On Monday, April 19th, a group of youth announced a spiritual fast against the proposed law.
On Tuesday, another group of nine students chained themselves to the doors of the State Capitol saying they wouldn’t leave until the governor vetoed SB 1070. The police had to cut their chains to arrest them on charges of disorderly conduct.
“Our message is a massive call out for direct action,” said Leilani Clark, 21, one of the arrested students. “Obviously our voices weren’t being heard. We have to do something drastic for this drastic crisis going on in our homeland right now.”
The youth, now dubbed the “Capitol 9,” inspired others like Getsemani to walk out on Friday.
“We don’t want to be seen as heroes, we don’t want to be seen as martyrs, we want to be seen as putting the key in the ignition, and it’s time for everybody to turn in the engine right now,” she added.
Listen to Valeria Fernandez talk about youth organizing against SB 1070 on PRI’s The Takeaway.
“This law is blatantly racial profiling,” said Clark, who is half Native-American and half African-American. Clark said she and the other “Capitol 9” students have mistakenly been labeled “illegal” in some comments written online.
“You are blatantly showing what this bill is all about because of our appearance you are assuming automatically that we don’t have papers, you are assuming that we are criminals,” she said. “The color brown is an enemy, that’s what this bill is all about.”
Eduardo Lopez, 23, another one of the students who was arrested said their action was about trying to empower others to do the same.
“I hope we are in the beginning steps of a youth movement,” he said. Lopez gave credit to technology like text messaging and social media to help youth mobilize. “Still” – he added – “you need to have that human connection, sharing our ideas of what’s going on and what’s really wrong.”
Daniel Rodríguez, 24, a youth organizer, doesn’t want the energy to die down.
“It’s a national movement that is infused in energy by youth,” said Rodríguez, who is working with the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, which supports passage of a bill that would allow undocumented students to legalize.
The coalition is planning to go to high schools to give lessons in civic engagement and the power of vote, he said.
“If they ask themselves: We marched, now what do we do? This is the second part that we have been missing for years, to really have an established long-term movement, to have youth voters organize and be ready to take action,” he said.
Carlos Galindo, a community activist and talk show host at Radio KAZA said that a silver lining to SB 1070 was the awakening of a civil rights movement sparked mostly by youth.
“These are the children of undocumented immigrants, this is for their survival, they don’t want to go to a country they’ve never been to and a language they don’t even speak,” he said.
Some political observers like Galindo believe the new law may accelerate the move toward immigration reform at the congressional level.
On Sunday, during a speech at the First Institutional Baptist Church Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-Il) said there are promising signs that Congress will make this a priority, at the same time that he blamed the Obama administration for SB 1070.
Gutiérrez spoke earlier in the day at a State Capitol rally surrounded by “dreamers” or students that are in support of the DREAM Act.
President Obama cited the Arizona’s bill as he called for immigration reform on Friday during a naturalization ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.
He said SB 1070 would, “undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.”
A recent poll showed that about 70 per cent of Arizona voters supported SB 1070.
Arizona has about 460,000 undocumented immigrants living in the state according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
SB 1070 makes it a state crime to be an illegal immigrant by creating a state charge of “willful failure to complete or carry an alien registration document.”
The new law also allows anyone to file a lawsuit against a Police Department if they believe it is not enforcing the law correctly. In addition, the law makes it a crime for undocumented immigrants to solicit work.
The law is expected to take effect in August – 90 days after the legislature adjourns.
Several legal challenges to SB 1070 are expected, some of them would be aimed at stopping its implementation under the argument that it intrudes in an area of law that is exclusive to the federal government.
Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-Tucson) is calling for a national boycott of conventions in the state, part of a wider call for an economic boycott of Arizona. On Sunday, Congressman Ed Pastor (D-Phoenix) demanded that President Obama seek legal action to stop the law from taking effect.
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This controversy is indicative of the confusion in the minds of many people today, especially in the mind of the President of the United States.
Arizona is not trying to overturn a Federal law. Rather, the state is trying to help enforce a Federal law that is already on the books. Of course, the Obama regime doesn’t want to enforce it because they hope to bring in a lot of illegal Hispanics, get them citizenship, and sign them up as Democratic voters.
That’s why the emphasis on “racial profiling” as if that were the only thing they had to condemn the law. So, I looked up the Four Horsepersons of the Apocalypse in the Bible to se what they were. I found them in this order:
1. Famine
2. Pestilence
3. War
4. Racial Profiling
I spoke to several students in Tucson, none had read the law, one was in fear from what a “teacher” told her the police would do to her.
While I agree the ‘fear’ of racial profiling is an issue, the law addresses this strongly, as well as certain employers. Seriously, have some trust in the police, many are Hispanic and probable cause is NOT skin color, but carrying water bottles in the desert or being unable to provide a drivers license after an accident in a car with foriegn plates, might bring a request for id, if you are able to produce, no issue.
I wish this law had a time limit to force the government to make reform that does not open the borders.
One more thing on the students: Why did they wave the Mexican flag, do they know what that government does to immigrants on their Southern Border.
What’s wrong with wanting laws that stand strong against law breakers? If you chose to come here, chose the right way. Our state is broke. The illegals drive without a DL (Safety issue), open checking accounts without a s.s. # (tax payers problem), and get pregnant (tax payers again pick up the bill). If you are here without docs, you are breaking the law. A school in Pinal County has 80% illegals. Our schools are broke too. Its not fair that the U.S. citizens keep having to pay more for someone who has no respect for our land & laws.
Laws are made for the greater good. The problem lays with those who feel they are above the laws.
Bring it. The majority of American people are sick and tired of illegals leeching off of them and will not stand for it. This fight is going to get ugly.
I think it’s great news to see Chicano youth getting involved in politics and creating a youth movement for justice,human and civil rights.I think it bothers and worries many people who have racist sentiments to see Chicano kids fighting for civil and human rights instead of committing crimes and joining gangs because it shatters their rationale and justification to categorize Chicano kids as undocumented criminals ,gang members and troublemakers who require draconian,tyrannical laws that justify fascistic control over brown people.Make no mistake about it racial profiling is a form of fascism..
Hopefully we are witnessing a renaissance of the old Chicano Movement of the 60′s when Chicano youth were profoundly involved and had a high level of political consciousness.This frightens many racist whites because their worst nightmare are Chicanos politically mobilized,conscious and united against racism and domination by the “rotten apples”-that sector of whites who just plain hate brown people.This would dramatically level the playing field in our society..and they don’t want that..they prefer the rules of the game to be rigged in their favor..so much for the myth of fairness..
With racist bills such as SB 1070 racist whites are reacting and operating out of fear of losing their privilege ,power and domination over brown people by calling for racial profiling….this is what this really all about..fear..
Unfortunately, hate and racist has no logic, nor heart but it is base mostly in HATE AND IGNORANCE!!! Ignoring how the laws are made and how they are interpreted by racist, ignorant people or politicians who are using all THESE IGNORANTS to hate human beings, workers, families and children because they were not allow to get a VISA, THESE IGNORANTS don’t know the inmigration laws, VISAS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, INMIGRATION LAWS ARE NOT ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LEGALIZE IN THIS COUNTRY, the racist legislators have been writting ANTI-INMIGRANTS LAWS ONLY..ONLY!!! WE THE PEOPLE have to respect and honor HUMAN RIGHTS ALSO and most all GOD’S LAWS, of course many of the IGNORANTS don’t even believe in GOD. “If the undocumented is not your brother than GOD is not your father”. JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL.
THE UNDOCUMENTED, are putting the food on the RACIST IGNORANTS’S tables, THE UNDOCUMENTED are supporting paying millions of dollars into the social security fund, THE UNDOCUMENTED are renting the homes and buying all the junk that we are producing and making money of, buying cars and in general supporting OUR ECONOMY, building and repairing our infraestructure..
WE THE HONEST, RESPECTFUL AND WELL INFORMED PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DO NOT SUPPORT APPARTNEID, RACISM OR INJUSTICE!!! JUSTICE FOR ALL WILL PREVAIL…
I’ll retired soon and then these stupid kids can figure out how to pay for me and all the illegal aliens that they are supporting. Good luck idiots. Some day you will understand the environmental and financial cost of importing illegal aliens. Fortunately I will be dead by then and won’t have to listen to your stupid ranting anymore.
This ios not a “civil rights” issue. It is not a civil right to be without proper ID. You must have a California drivers license within 30 days of living in the state if you drive if not you must have a regular ID. It is the law in Califormnia already in as much as it is almost everywhere and we don’t see this as an infringement of “our” civil right and we are citizens. How dare these people try to take this to a racial issue. And if they don’t behave themselves we will get our wish faster than they think. Do they honestly believe that by rioting they will accomplish anything of any benefit? They emberass themselves regularly by flying Mexico’s flag in our faces. There are people everywhere who are fed up and the numbers only seem to be rising. GET OFF YOUR COUCH AND GET YOUR COUNTRY BACK ON TRACK. WOLVERINES!!!!
I feel that his woman thinks she ownes the world,there is nothing wrong with hispanics being here we are all mixed and immigrants in one way or another I tired of keeping my mouth shut and keeping my feelings to myself .
Regardless of how you feel about immigration, this bill erodes not only the civil liberties of a few but sets a precedent for future infringements. Racial profiling isn’t just a ‘fear’ but a real threat to all americans. Lady Liberty is blindfolded for a reason. Immigration is an issue that must be addressed but not when it comes at the cost of personal liberties. I will not stay silent, becuase my rights mean nothing when my neighbors are being trampled upon.
I am so sorry that so many youths have no idea what country they live in, that we have a Constitution, and that those who are here illegally are breaking federal law.
Good God, don’t they teach ‘youths’ anything anymore in school?
Some of the responses are just precious. Instead of addressing the issue of people being here illegally, they shout “racism, racial profiling, and ignorance. This is an old movie that doesn’t work anymore.
Try reading the bill. It allows police who have stopped someone for some other reason to ascertain their immigration status if they suspect they may be here illegally.
Guess who? Most of the illegals in Arizona are Hispanics. That’s a fact whether you like it or not and no matter how much you would like to pretend that there are a lot of blond Swedes living in Arizona illegally.
Until we control our southern border, there can be no immigration “reform.”
I totally support the Arizona Bill and hope that other states follow suit and start enforcing the laws of the United States of America. If you are here illegally you are in the WRONG. If you are in the process of becoming a citizen or are a citizen of any color/race/religion etc. I totally support you. Until then obey the law or maybe you should be treated like illegal imigrants are in Mexico and most other countries!!!
This is a response to John Roberts Comment: It is not California State law that you must have a Drivers license or ID.
This is from the California DMV Site:
If you are a visitor in California over 18 and have a valid driver license from your home state or country, you may drive in this state without getting a California driver license as long as your home state license remains valid.
If you become a California resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner’s property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents.
All a California Id Or License just does is establishes Residency in the state of California. That is all. I was born in California and I did not get my License until I was 24. And I did not get my ID until I was 20. I was not admonished in any way. It is good to get an Id because you need a picture ID to get a bank account and employers want one as well. But you are not required to had an Id in the State of California
Apartheid
I grew up in South Africa during the height of the policy called apartheid. It simply means apartness or segregation. During those years’ people who were classified as “native” as opposed to “European” were compelled to carry passbooks if they worked in “white” areas. They could live in white areas only if they were living in the servant’s quarters at their employer’s home. Only the worker, not her family. This meant that people who were born in South Africa but who were not classified as white had to carry their passbooks on them at all times. If one was as unfortunate as to forget it at home when going to a local store to buy a loaf of bread they could be arrested, and would have to wait in the cells until their “madam” came to fetch them. It seems that Arizona is heading the same way, as legitimate citizens born elsewhere and legal immigrants will have to carry their documentation on them. No different from pass laws without the dubious convenience of having a single document. I would loathe going there as a tourist, as I would have to carry my passport on my person even if I went for a jog, but then again – they won’t stop me – after all I am white. Make not mistake about it racial profiling is a form of fascism. This is a sad turn in a land once known as Freedom.
I just want to say I wish that these laws were passed everywhere. The law is the law! Stop crying about it you should not be worried unless you are breaking aware and know that you are breaking our laws and if you are you deserve whatever comes your way. Creating more job, um…no, taking our jobs our tax-paying dollars. I am 27 years old and I can see the difference in KY over my years…more and more illegal’s posted everywhere, you cannot understand what they are saying, and really do not even know what they are capable of. Come on Obama wake up is democratic vote that important? Is it worth it America?
I made a couple of songs about this movement, come check them out @ myspace.com/dreamchicago