America's Voice Blog

Posted 06/08/09 at 10:31am

Weekend Immigration Roundup: National RI4A Summit and Why Race Still Matters

Lots of coverage (both positive and questioning) of the Reform Immigration For America Summit last week, including Maegan (La Mamita Mala) of Vivir Latino (here, here, here, and here), Kyle Debausset of Citizen Orange (here, here, here, and here), Rachel Labruyere of Standing FIRM, and Dave Neiwert of Crooks and Liars. Watch the video mashup:

While many bloggers focused coverage on issues that they believe did not receive enough attention at the summit (like the country's immigrant detention crisis) one common thread between all of it was a feeling of great momentum and renewed energy to get reform done, and get it done soon. Neiwert writes:

I've spent the past three days participating in the Reform Immigration for America summit in Washington, D.C. I've experienced more than my share of disappointments over the past few years in watching advocates come up short in the fight to bring sanity to the nation's misbegotten immigration laws.

Many of those wounds have been somewhat self-inflicted, largely because of the disparate nature of the many different organizations and interests who have made up the coalition of interests seeking comprehensive immigration reform.

And what was so encouraging about this summit is that it was clear that they are all coming together with a remarkable focus and ferocity. They will need it for the fight ahead.

Indeed. For most participants, the summit was a battle cry for the fight ahead and a testament to the real organizing that is being done to pass reform from coast to coast.

Also this weekend, Ruben Navarrette, a conservative voice for immigration reform, offered a concise counterpoint to those who would dismiss race as an important factor in the nation's over-heated immigration debate. To those who deny that race is front and center, he says:

Rubbish. If that were true, the debate wouldn't lapse so quickly into talk of limiting legal immigration as well. It wouldn't be the case that some of the most vocal organizations on the restrictionists' side -- the Center for Immigration Studies, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, NumbersUSA, etc. -- have an agenda that includes limiting all immigration. There wouldn't be such ugliness, as when conservative commentator Patrick Buchanan wrote in a recent book that the United States was better off when most of its immigrants came from Europe as opposed to Asia, Africa and Latin America. Also, Americans wouldn't have such a long and unpleasant history of being unwelcoming to immigrants if race and ethnicity didn't figure in.

Indeed, Eric Ward of Imagine2050.net has the latest on race and the anti-immigration groups, like NumbersUSA. In a post called, "NumbersUSA Addicted to Bigotry," Ward argues:

The anti-immigration group NumbersUSA is continuing to strengthen its relationship to white nationalists despite claims to the contrary made by executive director Roy Beck. The national civil rights organization Center for New Community made public a new video produced by NumbersUSA that allegedly speaks to immigration and the economy. But it actually spotlights individuals affiliated with a network created by white nationalist John Tanton.

According to Roy Beck, the video released on June 5 called Immigration 103 — American Trauma: Jobs and the Economy serves to give these individuals “a soapbox to explain how elected leaders use high immigration to drive down the wages of — and throw out of work — many of the country’s most vulnerable citizens…” Beck’s NumbersUSA intentionally ignores two important facts in the video. The first is that the claim that immigrants are destroying the economy is utterly false and the second is that eight of the ten experts highlighted in the video are part of the John Tanton Anti-Immigrant Network, a network with ties to political extremists including white nationalists.

With many within the GOP siding with the John Tanton Anti-Immigrant Network and others calling for an end to the extremism on immigration and renewal of the Republican brand with Hispanics, one has to wonder which Republican party is going to show up when Congress takes up the issue in the months ahead.

Maybe a Reform the GOP For America summit is in order? 

Comments

Here is good way to gain Online Degree now you can get Online Degrees and Online Phd more ccna, cisco, mcitp training, MCSE training and Life Experience Degree and and online degree programs 3322564

  12v lcd ac adapter12v lcd charger     acer travelmate 250 ac adapteracer travelmate 250 charger   acer aspire 5530 ac adapter19v 3 42a     dell vostro 1500 ac adapterdell vostro 1500 charger     ibm thinkpad r32 ac adapteribm thinkpad r32 charger   asus eee pc 1008ha ac adapteradapter     14v lcd ac adapter14v lcd charger   dell xps m1530 ac adapter90watt 19 5v     acer travelmate 2600 ac adapteracer travelmate 2600 charger     dell vostro 1500 ac adapterdell vostro 1500 charger     ibm thinkpad r33 ac adapteribm thinkpad r33 charger   asus eee pc 1101ha ac adapteradapter   dell inspiron 1500 ac adapter19 5v 3 34a     usb wireless adapterusb wireless adapter     acer travelmate 2700 ac adapteracer travelmate 2700 charger     dell vostro 1510 ac adapterdell vostro 1510 charger     ibm thinkpad r50 ac adapteribm thinkpad r50 charger   dell vostro 2510 ac adapter90watt 19 5v   asus eee pc 1104ha ac adapteradapter

Dell FA65NS0-0019.5V 3.34A   Dell TN80019.5V 3.34A   Dell CF74519.5V 3.34A   Dell DA65NS3-0019.5V 3.34A   Dell FA65NE1-0019.5V 3.34A   HP 613152-00165Watt 18.5V 3.5A   IBM Lenovo 42T5282 AC Adapter90Watt 20V 4.5A     HP Pavilion tx1100 AC Adapter65Watt 18.5V 3.5A

I visit this site and acquainted with this.This site publish most useful and valuable article.I read this post and find lot of things.I am really happy for reading and knowing this post. 78766

Submit a comment

Please enter the word you see in the image below: