LatinaLista — Ever since the GOP garnered big wins in the 2010 midterm elections, the immigration extremists in the party, who couldn’t care less about the Latino vote or Latinos, have acted like the mid-term wins were a sign from the American people to act upon their agenda of persecuting undocumented immigrants and revoking the 14th Constitutional Amendment that says children born in the United States are U.S. citizens.
Obviously, they need a reminder: The mid-term election win was all about the economy and providing more jobs — jobs that pay above minimum wage.
A hacked construction sign in Miami delivers a clear message.
Yet, these GOP leaders, from local to national offices, are tripping over one another with glee (you can almost hear them singing) over how they’re going to attack illegal immigration and Latinos.
There’s not one word about bringing up immigration reform in Congress but there’s plenty being said about how to persecute people for whom the majority’s only vice is being in the country without the legal paperwork.
It’s said that in the early part of 2011, seven states will try to emulate Arizona in passing harsh anti-immigrant legislation. Georgia, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee are said to likely pass a measure similar to Arizona’s, but more than ten states are looking at drafting something that would punitively enforce immigration locally.
The madness doesn’t stop there.
Tomorrow, a coalition calling themselves State Legislators for Legal Immigration is holding a press conference to announce a nationwide initiative to halt bestowing automatic citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants born in the U.S.
It’s unfortunate that these people have been given legislative authority in light of the mission statement of their group:
State Legislators for Legal Immigration is a nation-wide coalition founded by Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl D. Metcalfe (R-Butler) to provide a network of state legislators who are committed to working together in demanding full cooperation among our federal, state and local governments in eliminating all economic attractions and incentives (including, but not limited to: public benefits, welfare, education and employment opportunities) for illegal aliens, as well as securing our borders against unlawful invasion.
I italicized the words I thought were most telling in underscoring the agenda of this group. “Demanding full cooperation” is basically bullying to get their way and to term the presence of undocumented immigrants as an “invasion” clearly shows the intent to intimidate and scare people into thinking that Latino migrants are an evil force equal to terrorists.
If all of this wasn’t enough, word comes today that a Texas Republican state legislator has proposed a bill to do away with “Cesar Chavez Day” and replace it with “Texas Hispanic Heritage Day.”
Thanks to some great research by a Latina Lista Facebook follower, “the bill states that Texas Hispanic Heritage Day is in observance of the battle for independence from Spain in Mexico, including the area now known as Texas.”
As another FB follower said: “There is already Hispanic Heritage Week for all of the states in the books that was signed by President Carter in the early 1980’s that has since become the Hispanic Heritage Month – no need to change a thing!”
This reader should know because she was fortunate enough to be present at the signing.
January has barely started and it’s disheartening to see the level of attacks already targeting both Latino immigrants and Latino citizens.
How can the GOP not expect pushback and payback from Latino voters?
