| From Classbrain.com Political Cartoons
A Day Without (Illegal) ImmigrantsMay 1, 2006 marked a boycott day, dubbed “A Day Without Immigrants.” It was probably inspired by a 1998 mockumentary called “A Day Without A Mexican,” which theoretically showed what Southern California would be like if all the Hispanics suddenly disappeared. The recent boycott tried to move this concept into reality, but with a decisive shift in media spin.The change in the name of the event appears to be an attempt to minimize the fact that these protests are not over the rights of legal immigrants in our country, but over the demands being made for special consideration by individuals who have come into the United States illegally. Earlier marches throughout the US during March, 2006 were touched off by the introduction of HR 4437, the Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. These protests had a decidedly anti-American slant. According to the Liberty Post, “All of these groups are demanding that those who have entered the US illegally (the majority of whom are of Hispanic origin) be allowed to stay in the country and continue to receive services, be given the same rights as US citizens and that the US Congress not pass the border security act.” HR 4437 provides in part as follows:Title I: Securing United States BordersTitle II: Combatting Alien Smuggling and Illegal Entry and Presence Title III: Border Security Cooperation and Enforcement Title IV: Detention and Removal Title V: Effective Organization of Border Security Organizations Title VI: Terrorist and Criminal Aliens Title VII: Employment Eligibility Verification Title VIII: Immigration Litigation Abuse Reduction Title IX: Prescreening of Air Passengers Title X: Fencing and Other Border Security Improvements Title XI: Security and Fairness Enhancement Title XII: Oath of Renunciation and Allegiance Title XIII: Elimination of Corruption and Prevention of Acquisition of Immigration Benefits Through Fraud On April 30th, 2006, Los Angeles Major Antonio Villaraigosa tried to reduce the suspected backlash of the upcoming boycott by stressing that Hispanics participating in the protest should only carrying American flags, unlike earlier rallies when the protesters had blanketed the area with Mexican flags. Not everyone listened. On May 1st, an attempt to blanket overpasses along the Interstate 5 from Orange County to the Mexican border with Mexican flags failed, when the flags were pulled down within minutes by outraged local residents. Another related event, the translation of the Star Spangled Banner into Spanish by Nuestro Himno, has sparked more controversy and criticism. Here are some facts and figures courtesy of the BBC:
Amid rising tensions, President Bush has proposed a new temporary worker program, however he appears to be vacillating on whether or not some sort of amnesty program should be offered to existing illegal aliens. The idea of a new amnesty for illegal residents has further frustrated another segment of US residents, those who have been going through our immigration process legally. In a recent essay on NPR , “Some Legal Immigrants Left out of National Debate,” Tejvir Singh pointed out that legal immigrants are frustrated by the idea of a new amnesty for the Hispanic community. Such an amnesty will move unskilled illegal immigrants to the front of the immigration line further pushing back the legal status of families like his, who have been on the waiting list of an already massively behind immigration service for years. The Singh family has completed all of the requirements to begin the process of becoming a citizen, they are highly skilled workers (both are physicians) working in an under serviced area of the United States, and yet they still have not received their promised legal status. Immigration reform has become one of the hottest political issues of the decade. Explore this issue with the following discussion questions. Questions to Ponder
Learning LinksH.R.4437Learn about Congressional bill HR 4437, its cosponsors, amendments, committees, and summaries. Source: The Library of Congress - THOMAS A Day Without A Mexican Information on the film and the filmmakers statement related to recent events. Source: Sergio Arau & Yareli Arizmendi, Eye On The Ball Films A Day Without An Immigrant The official organization site Source: Day Without An Immigrant A Day Without An Illegal Immigrant “...if illegal aliens all took the day off and were truly invisible for one day, there would be some plusses along with the mild inconveniences.” Source: Tom Tancredo, The National Review Fact Sheet: Fair and Secure Immigration Reform Fact sheet on President Bush’s temporary worker program. Source: The White House The Minuteman Project The Minuteman Project (MMP) is a citizens' Vigilance Operation monitoring immigration, business, and government. Source: Minuteman Project © Copyright 2004 by Classbrain.com |
