Outrage at Arizona Immigration Law Reflected in Hispanic Media

By • 4/28/10 • Categorized as Hispanic,Immigration News,Immigration Reform,Mexican,Phoenix

Protest Against SB 1070 - Photo: rjosef/Flickr

Protest Against SB 1070. (Photo: rjosef/Flickr)

A new Arizona law criminalizing undocumented immigrants in that state is the number 1 story in Spanish-language media across the nation,  a reflection of the Hispanic community’s outrage and concern over the measure.

Univision reports that immigrant advocate groups are calling for an outright boycott: not stepping on Arizona soil, not buying from Arizona-based businesses, canceling contracts, and breaking any and all links with the southwestern state.

It wouldn’t be the first time Arizona has been subject to an economic boycott.  Due to its refusal to adopt Martin Luther King Day in the 1980s and early 1990s, the state lost hundreds of conventions, thousands of tourists, and even a contract for the Super Bowl until it approved the holiday in 1993.

Local leaders in San Francisco and Los Angeles are calling for city-wide boycotts of Arizona. Even Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) has called on industries to reject his own state. “It’s about sending a message,” he said.

On it’s website, Univision has a survey about the law,  known as SB 1070.  Out of nearly 8000 responses,  75%  believe it should be annulled, 15% believe it should be condemned, 7% believe it should be replicated in other states and 3% believe it should be enforced.

Much of the Spanish-language media has documented peaceful protests, including a student walkout, and as Fi2W reported, the “Capitol 9″ youth who chained themselves to the State Capitol building. Perhaps in response, Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, who authored SB 1070, has another piece of legislation pending in the state legislature that would target undocumented students, according to the blog Latino Politico.

Spanish language media is following the daily protests closely. La Raza reported that some immigrant sympathizers were arrested in Chicago on Tuesday. And on Monday there was an act of vandalism: someone smeared refried beans in the shape of swastikas on the Arizona State Capitol’s windows.

Many immigrant advocates are saying that SB 1070 should motivate Congress to move on federal immigration reform and the DREAM Act, especially since President Obama stated his opposition to the Arizona’s law. Marco Rubio, a Republican candidate challenging Governor Charlie Crist in the Florida U.S. Senate race, also stated his opposition Tuesday.

But the issue of undocumented immigrants is politically tricky, and as Impre reports, it’s unclear which party will end up with the upper hand.

When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid proposed that Congress take up the issue before climate reform, the backlash was fierce, especially from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who had previously pushed for an immigration bill. Reid reversed his position on Tuesday.

In Latin America, Mexican, Ecuadorian and Bolivian officials are among those calling the law a step backwards for the U.S.  The Mexican Catholic archdiosese wrote an editorial in the journal Desde la Fe this weekend which said the law violated the human rights of the undocumented, and the Mexican government issued a travel alert to its citizens in Arizona, due to “a negative political environment for migrant communities and for all Mexican visitors.”

Impre reported that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is considering “the possibility of a court challenge.”  Holder said he was afraid the law would be abused. “I am very concerned about the wedge that it could draw between communities that law enforcement is supposed to serve and those of us in law enforcement,” he continued.

Rallies to protest the law are planned across the nation this Saturday, May 1st.


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    • DAD77

      Univision has a survey about the law, known as SB 1070. Out of nearly 8000 responses, 75% believe it should be annulled, 15% believe it should be condemned, 7% believe it should be replicated in other states and 3% believe it should be enforced.

      What about the Rasmussen poll that 70% of the voters in Arizona support SB 1070? Only 23% of Arizona voters oppose it.

      According to the same pollster, 73% percent of respondents also said that it’s more important that Congress secure the border than offer an amnesty for the nation’s 12 million illegal aliens.

    • Virgilio Lozano

      Nuestra comunidad esta Latina en los Estados Unidos esta ya cansada de que sus líderes comunitarios no hagan nada por ayudarlos a organizar protestas masivas en contra de este tipo de atropellos racistas y leyes que van en nuestra conta.
      Que hace Univision “Don Francisco: que tiene la capacidad de convocatoria ponerse la bandera de todos los inmigrantes y hacer respetar nuestra comunidad organizando algún movimiento en contra de estos abusos pero no hacen nada. Que Hace Cristina solamente cuando pasa algo a Cuba salen los Cubanos a protestar y muchos hermanos Latino Americanos los apoyan, pero cuando la causa es de todos donde están los Cubanos en vano Univision se llama la cadena de los Hispanos mas grande de los Estados Unidos per no ha hecho nada en favor nuestro sino solo en favor de unos cuantos que se llevan los contratos multimillonario de es monopolio que se llama Univision.
      Telemundo, de igual manera no aporta nada ahora en estos momento que necesitamos que estos personajes públicos que tienen algún tipo de influencia en los demás se junten como hermanos latino Americanos y busquemos juntos esta libertad para todos.
      La Mega o Azteca América de igual manera enfocados en temas que no llegan a todas las comunidad la mega solamente sirviendo a la comunidad Cubana y Azteca América de igual manera a la comunidad Mexicana. Es momento de cambiar de ideología todos somos hispanos, debemos trabajar juntos en favor de mejores días para nuestra gente. Donde están los políticos Hispanos, donde hay pocas excepciones, los cantantes, los actores, los locutores. Este es un llamado para todas las personas en especial para aquellas que tiene influencia o poder de convocatoria organicen por primera vez algo que cause historia en este país una unión Latino Americana que luche por sus derechos y proponga soluciones .

      Me da pesar mirar tantas barbaridades que ocurren en este país todos los días en contra de nuestra gente, y muchos de nosotros no hacemos nada. YA BASTA de taparnos los ojos.
      Somos Latino Americanos luchemos por nuestros derecho, demostremos que si somos capaces de responder de una manera inteligente y prepositiva llena de soluciones, hay que cambiar la mentalidad de los Estados Unidos. Somos grandes, somos capaces de derribar barreras, este país es de todos los Inmigrantes nosotros también lo somos.
      Yo hago un llamado a Don Francisco que es un personaje con mucha capacidad de convocatoria ya lo ha hecho y pienso que seria una de las piezas importantes para comenzar este cambio. Hagamos algo demostremos que “YA ES HORA” somos uno solo una insignia de ser LATINO. AMERICANOS.

    • Joe

      You can be illegal and vote in the Univision poll

    • Illegal Reporter

      I am still wanting someone to explain to me how exactly this is racism? It is an issue of the law not of race. Those who come to this country legally from whatever country have the respect of the American people. Others come here illegally and then claim racism? Are they really that stupid? I would guess no, they just use that race card any time something doesn;t go their way. Anyone with half a brain knows that illegals being here illegaly is what costs taxpayers millions of dollars each year, not their race. I mean come on! Stop whining about racism already. They should have just come here legally in the first place…like so many others do. Their race is not what cost the American people millions of dollars, it’s them being illegaly that does. The whole racism thing is old and wore out. But then again, what else can they use..

    • king jones

      i have not seen illegal immigrants as one the problem in the whole world if not racism.

    • Marcia Manzello

      This is what I would call “Crime Against Humanity.”
      Arizona’s law orders immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there’s reason to suspect they’re in the United States illegally.
      It also targets those who hire illegal immigrant laborers or knowingly transport them.
      I would never guess that would happen in America “The Land Of The Freedom”.