SB 1070: Addition to the Problem

: Addition to the Problem
American’s were outraged about the new Senate Bill 1070 and how it was going to lead to racial profiling in Arizona. Some supported some opposed, for the most part of the citizens of Arizona, roughly 70%, supported the law. Most say the main difference with the law is law enforcement is now required to ask for documentation of legal United States Citizenship. According to President Obama’s website, there is not much change with the enactment of this bill. There were already laws in place that law enforcement could check for the documentation of legal residency during a normal encounter (ex. traffic stop) and there was a law that has been in effect since 1940 making it a misdemeanor if a person is not carrying the correct documentation. (Jones, 2010) This law is great and all, for nationalism and protecting the borders and all that “Yay America!!” stuff, but what happens when it affects legal Mexican Americans in everyday life? Are they not allowed some of the same freedoms as other Americans because they happen to be of Mexican or foreign descent? I interviewed 3 legal Mexican Americans about this subject and asked if it added to the already prevalent issue of active racism in Arizona, and even around the campus of the University of Arizona. After interviewing my fellow Americans, I arrived at a conclusion; I believe that the enactment of Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070 has increased the active racism toward Mexican Americans.

Every person I had interviewed had said they noticed a dramatic increase in the active racism towards them and people around them. I was surprised to see such an agreement with the people I interviewed because I have not realized any racism at all. Then again, that might just prove the fact that there is an increase, I just have not noticed it because I benefit from it. I never am asked for papers, yelled at to speak English, or looked down upon for being white. So I would not notice a difference unless it was staring me in the face.

Let’s begin with the first interview I conducted. One of my friends named Hector (a pseudonym); Hector is a sophomore at the University of Arizona and I have known him for about a month and we became good friends since. When asked if I could interview him on this subject, he was excited to share his thoughts and experiences on the topic. Hector is, of course, a legal resident of the United States; he was born and raised in the State of Arizona so he is a good subject for this topic. Hector’s experiences are vital because he resided in Arizona long before anyone spoke of Senate Bill 1070.

Before I could even utter the first question Hector calmly states “You wanna know about the increase in [active] racism after the 1070 bill? I have a story that may interest you.” I quickly interrupt him and explain the difference between active and active racism before he could even start. I wanted to see his understanding of active and active racism throughout this story. He claims he already knew the difference and gives me a few examples and I agree that he did indeed previously understand the differences. One note before he starts, Hector is known to add some “color” to his stories so some facts may be exaggerated, but the main points are still valid. Hector finally begins, and I paraphrase (removing most of the expletives):

“I was driving to work one day after chilling with my girlfriend for a couple hours and she was in my car with me and we were already running late. You know how that goes [wink]. Anyway, I may have been speeding slightly but I didn’t want to be late, and I still had to drop Selena [the girlfriend, and a pseudonym] off at her house. Then I pass a cop driving the opposite direction, and he gives one look at me, and whips the car around and pulls me over. As he comes to my window, he was being a big douche bag [ex. he was being very short and stern with Hector]. He asks for all of my shit [documents] and is very specific to ask for my citizenship papers. After ignoring my apology for speeding because I was running late for work, he goes into his car and I guess he was checking my documents. I swear he was in his car for like 30 minutes then he comes out and explains he is giving me a ticket and I need to leave for work earlier and have better time management, needless to say, I didn’t make it to work on time.”

I sat and thought of the significance of this story, it was sad to see how in America, the land of the free, there was this law that strictly was aimed at Mexican Americans. I get that there is a problem, but to single out one race to remove from this Nation is clearly unjust. The fact that seventy percent of Arizona’s residents agree with the law and think it is fair just shows the prevalence of institutionalized racism. Every day these citizens are looked at differently just by the color of their skin, and there are laws allowing that. In America, racism is so prevalent because white people are scared that Mexican Americans will take over the country and moreover, take over their supremacy of the nation. These laws are clearly aimed to preserve white power and hold back the advancement of the race. Every single one of the people I have interviewed are some of the hardest working people I have met. If you ask me, America could use more hard working people so we should be accepting them not turning them away. “Economic disparities show no signs of dissipating. The anti-immigrant backlash, which is in no small part an attack on all persons (immigrants and citizens) of Mexican ancestry in the United States…” (Johnson 428) This statement by Kevin Johnson shows how even to this day, whites are doing everything they can to make sure the economic disparities do not dissipate. Whites are using their power and money to enact laws and put down the Mexican race. This, if nothing else, just goes to show how active racism is increasing, whites want Mexicans out, and they are doing everything in their power to do so.

My second interview wasn’t nearly as exciting of a story. My friend Juan, who was born in Mexico, then legally moved up here with his family and then started attending U of A. Juan told me mostly about his childhood and education. He stated mostly how he took the one-year English class because all he knew was Spanish and he felt that it took away from his heritage that he was forced to learn our language or he would not survive. Then after this law has passed, he feels that not only are they removing his heritage, they are removing his people.

The way Juan felt as a child was a lot like the way Piri Thomas felt. They both didn’t understand was it wasn’t good to be whom they were when they were born. “what’s wrong with not being white? What’s so wrong with being tregeno?” (Thomas 68) Thomas did not understand the reason for this racism against him. He couldn’t understand that one race put all others down so much that it made him beat his brother until he was spitting blood back into his face. Juan was not so much angered but disappointed at the way this country was, taking away his culture and then trying to remove his people, just because they were not white. This new law in Arizona only adds to the problem of active racism. White America already thinks their way of life is not good enough to be taught in our schools, now white America has decided that simply they are not good enough to live in our country.

The final interview. Interviewing Tyler was a blast he was a very funny kid, he had me laughing the whole time, which made it very hard to take notes. He was a fourth generation Mexican American, and the first of his family to go to college. His parents taught him well that life is harder in America for a Mexican. Margaret E. Montoya states a similar experience: “Her lessons about combing, washing, and doing homework frequently relayed a different message: be prepared, because you will be judged by your skin color, your names, your accents. They will see you as ugly, lazy dumb and dirty.” (Montoya 436) Montoya’s experience is very closely related to that of Tyler’s childhood, his parents would try their very best to instill good qualities of hard work and determination into their child, because they knew he was going to need it. Tyler has done well for himself, he is an honors student and he has a 3.5 GPA, he works very hard to be the best he can be, but is still seen as inferior. Tyler’s job just became harder, after the passing of this bill, all of the Mexicans are presumed to be illegal until proven innocent. Thanks to this new law, upon first sight he is looked at as a nuisance, a criminal, and a foreigner. However, he is an excellent student, a volunteer who donates ten hours a week of his time at homeless shelters, and a resident, whose family has been on this land longer that John McCain has been alive. The fact that this racism still happens today, and is seemingly getting worse, just adds to what Montoya’s mother taught her “be prepared, because you will be judged” (Montoya 436)

These three people have many things in common with all Americans, including; they want to live their life, be successful, and be judged on their effort and accomplishments like everyone else. These are people just trying to live the American Dream, which is just made harder by this law that has been passed which just increases the active racism in this country. The 1070 law has done it’s job: making it harder for Mexican Americans to be successful and be equal to whites, through increasing active racism.