I was recently stopped on my way into Target by Channel 22 Spanish TV’s reporter Diana Alvarado. She asked if I would be interested in discussing my views on the recent issue of Arizona and immigration. I had not read or heard too much about it until that date, but after speaking with a close friend about the basics, it seems I had enough of the gist of it to have an opinion about it. (Not to mention how cool would it be for my and my baby’s TV debut to be on Spanish television speaking English?-HA!).
Diana asked me how I felt about the immigration bill in Arizona; if I had any friends of hispanic decent; and loosely, if there are issues that concern me as it relates to hispanic race relations in America.
I surprised myself with my on-the-spot response, but realized soon enough that my first response is usually my intuitive response with no apologies to follow. I was surprised because my response was not my normal borderline racist statements about immigrants going back to their country and how “we” have earned our right to be in this country. Just about a month ago, I traveled up the coast to Santa Barbara for an audition. En route, I was shocked to see to my right a group of what I perceived to be Mexican workers wearing straw hats, in the field picking crops and loading trucks. Being only a few generations removed from slavery, I am not sure how I exactly felt about this sighting, but the discomfort in my soul was relatively unsettling. I compromised the feeling with the thought of, “Well, somebody’s gotta do it.”
After being completely born and bred in the great city of Chicago, Illinois, I have now, as an adult living in a city where another race of people is the dominant population, come to realize that my views on race have been largely based on my life in a specific geographic location. In America, where segregation is still a very vivid part of life, it is sometimes complicated to see anything outside of what that way of life and institutional systemic ideologies have done to me and “my people.”
However, in my interview with Diana Alvarado, I was unashamed to say that immigrants have just as many rights in this country as any American-born citizen. The days of racial profiling are over, or at least need to be. Perhaps if our country was built on honesty and a true doctrine of standard governmental policies, then it might be fair to stop a brown person and judge him or her based on the color of skin. But considering that I AND my daughter are brown people, I believe it is absolutely unacceptable to treat ANY person unfairly based on skin color or country of origin.
The truth is I don’t know where I’m from. I was told Africa, but Africa is a huge place. And the world of brown skinned people even larger. So who’s to say that I’m even of African descent? I could very well be from central America or any other brown part of the world.
Up to the point of my interview with Ms. Alvarado, it seemed easy to write off other groups of people because I have a “right” to be here. But the truth is, anyone that has been “let into” this country has every right to be here as I do.
The only thing I ask is that when I call into my insurance company or other agencies with whom I conduct regular business, I would like to hear English as the first language, NOT Spanish or any other tongue not native to this country. And personally, I would not like to marke dose, but suffice it to say what about 3 for Japanese, 4 for French, 5 for Polish, etc. (You get the point). See, on the flipside of this issue is that there are many ancestors who fought for the right to literacy and education for “my people.” So I must honor that.
I am not trying to become Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton up in this piece, but I do believe it is time out for America’s sorry excuse of a melting pot, when we all know it’s been more like a tossed salad since forever.
Discrimination, on any level and in any form is wrong. Specifically in terms of Arizona, creating discriminatory policies in order to regulate immigration is completely hypocritical and racist. The end does not justify the means especially if one considers how RACIST and EXPOLITATIVE our current immigration policies are. Lawmakers need to be thinking about reform instead of problematic bandages that don’t heal or prevent anything.
Dear Reader
, aka Jamila
I definitely respect your opinion and the use of “problematic bandages” to describe American government’s trifling ways. I tend to believe that with all the “ideologies” and beliefs and doctrines that tend to guide this country, the right things get shuffled about. This country is the one of very few with rights and freedoms and opportunities that we ourselves do not honor, only as its convenient. And it seems right now, for whatever reason, perhaps the recession, that profiling a race of people is convenient.
Interesting, Insightful, and very Thought Provoking…I’m looking forward to reading more from you ;o)
Kimeon,
There is definitely more to come. No time like the present to take time and express my thoughts on topics that super interest me. This so far has been a good place for me to start into my next phase:) Thanks for reading and following.
In my ignorance, California was a part of Mexico before it belonged to America.