Immigration: The War Between Black & Brown

Sep 05, 2011 10 Comments by Livication

Just the other day, I received a text message from my dear Auntie that read: “There is a hispanic family movie across the street. Damn.” I knew what that meant; her message read more like: there goes the neighborhood. I opted out of a classic text message war, as we were in the midst of a hurricane and I was across town with no power and a dying cell phone. Before I get flack for not immediately addressing her comments, I’d like to record to show that I have gone to fisticuffs with this woman over Muslims, the LGBTQQI community, East Africans, Tyler Perry, West Indians, South Americans, South Carolinians…whatever. You know that one person that just might hate everyone but loves white Jesus? Well…

I thought I’d exercise a little more control in picking my battles with my dear Auntie; I have, however, noticed a trend lately in southern Black Americans and negative feelings against other people of color who are specifically of another ethnicity. I’ve read that Blacks are supposedly more sympathetic toward immigrants except where jobs are concerned, but on countless occasions, I’ve experienced opinions that directly conflict with this.

When I hear people of color making disparaging remarks about people of (a different) color, I wonder why and how we got to this point. The militant “conscious” folks will go ahead and throw out the imaginary Willie Lynch; and while, not an invalid comparison in point, it is difficult to find a well articuated argument on pigmentocracy. More specifically, I’m looking to find a correlation between Black America’s feelings on immigration (or, specifically, immigrants), and the estbalished color caste system enforced through US history. Does colorism impact our views on immigrants of color, or is it our American conditioning?

I haven’t done any official polls or anything, but I’ll give another specific example that really bothered me: today, I attended an African American Heritage Festival in my home city, and really enjoyed myself. I went to a t-shirt vendor who had all sorts of t-shirts to illustrate all things Black pride, and I noticed a shirt that read: I grew here, you flew here. Now, my city isn’t exactly known for its tourism, nor regionalism. And while I’ve seen the phrase before, I was curious as to why a local Black t-shirt salesperson would have independently created such a shirt with a cut-out of the globe in the background. What, exactly, does this mean in the context of Blacks when a large number of people of color suffer from the same social ailments as other people of color who are of different ethnicities? Furthermore, y’all do realize that the original “Americans” – also people of color – are in a similarly shitty situation, right? Now, by no means am I insinuating that this is one-way from Blacks to other people of color. In fact, I recently overheard a Hispanic woman explaining to another, in a rather passionate political conversation, how some Hispanic men will not deal with a woman who has been with Black men because they perceive one’s property value to have been diminished. Of course, therein lies other fundamental issues not specific to race/ethnicity.

During the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, Africans were taken primarily from the entire West coast of Africa and brought to both North and South America; this is easily how Black Americans came to be after hundreds of years. In fact, by the late 1700s, Mexico had the largest concentration of African descendents (slaves) of the Spanish Americas. While Mexico abolished slavery before the US, white supremacy, colorism, and the ideas that follow survived. I’ve found that in my experiences in the South, Black people rarely consider the roots of Spanish-speaking Blacks of South and Central America because they speak Spanish and are, therefore, not Black. Why and how do my brethren and sistren embrace such a division between ourselves and other people of color?

I suppose the that easiest and more highly regarded answer is that we are in a competition of economic, social and political status. Is a really a competition between us when the people in positions of “power” are not people of color? However, a 2007 LA Times article strongly suggests that the real reason for the marginalization of people of color by people of color, specifically in the conflict between Blacks and Latinos, is a result of the long history of recycled stereotypes and prejudices. In fact, colorism is also pervasive among the Latino community worldwide.

In our struggle for true equality, are we only seeking power? And in that power, are we merely only looking to behave as our oppressors once behaved toward us?

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Immigration, Politics, Race Matters

Livication

About the author

"Livication” is a mix of the words “live” and “dedication”, and is an important concept how I live. I've been dubbed a post-modern hippie. I can come at you on some old school revolution, or kick it with my contemporaries. I am a social butterfly (but also a square peg), Blacktivist, LGBTQ (any/all civil rights) advocate, womanist, feminist, and Black woman. I'm mouthy and passionate; difficult to silence. An abstract thinker and self-defined. An unapologetic fantastic disaster. Calm like a bomb.

http://primaldata.blogspot.com/ PRIMALDATA

I think it comes from the fact that MOST of the non elite are fighting for the same scraps. Just like during slavery poor whites and poor blacks were aligned against each other because, hey what business man wants to pay for labor if he can get it done for free. But as long as you tell those poor white men and women that they are better than those “things” they will support it because without giving them a damn thing you make them feel “better” than someone else.

For the last at least 15 years there has been a constant campaign of blaming brown for stealing the jobs that have actually been sent overseas. Just like the Affirmative Action arguments against African/Caribbean Americans where those of middle to low class caucasian roots are lead to believe that an UN or UNDER qualified black person got a position they would have been given if it wasn’t for a “quota”, minorities here are convinced along with those same middle class whites that “some Latino or Hispanic person took your job”. Really? Isn’t one of the requirements of your former place of employment the ability to speak English? Aren’t most of the words, manuals and interactions taking place in English? How could an unskilled person do your job?

Those questions are never asked, people just accept the charges at face value because it makes the sting of losing your job hurt less if it was because some OTHER would be willing to come in and work for peanuts. My thing is, if it were true why not just report your former employer? Isn’t it illegal to hire and harbor illegals in this country? Yup, but the programming is quite clear don’t be mad at the person who fired you be mad at the person they are underpaying to make a profit. The neighborhood thing is also related, just like “black people” drive down your property values, so do Hispanics etc. This is a well practiced dance, and those requesting the music always remain above the fray and untouched.

People have forgotten the neighborhood or its inhabitants matters not, what matters is what they are valuing your property for: if it’s how much they should value it at if they are giving you a loan the value will be low, if it’s how much they should jack up your interest rate for how much you owe them the value will be high and the motive is the same in both areas PROFIT. When people have come together in the past and combated the elite on unfair business practices and policies positive change was made, while businesses still made money there was always this underlying belief that we could make more if we didn’t have to pay them so much. Thus you have the mess we are in now:businesses don’t want to have to pay anybody a fair wage and fewer and fewer people have the money to pay their bills or buy products.
Layla B

You are far removed from the labor politics of black and brown obviously. I live it everyday. Right now in Los Angeles Latinos are attempting to enforce provisions of the 1965 Voters Rights Act (that blacks died for) in order to unseat African Americans in their district. They feel we are over represented and don’t have their best interest. The truth is blacks have a problem of caring about everyone else but themselves. Once Latinos take those seats they will definitely not have any interest in protecting the rights of what they now call the “shrinking” African American population. Regardless of how “kumbaya” we as African Americans would like to be TODAY regarding race and politics in regards to our brown brothers our brown brothers find no brotherhood with us. Wake up! as Spike Lee would say, the Census decisively allowed Latinos to claim being white in previous counts because they seek to further the racial division between dark skinned people (those who identify with being black) and lighter skinned people (those who think they should be white) but this only applied to Latinos NOT African Americans. Yes we have blacks in our history who have “passed” but we are talking about legally institutionalized ethnic censure or erasing which is voluntarily accepted and preferred! These Latinos of Mesopotamian native indian spanish background whether it be two drops or a bucket, they feel they are of European decent and do not associate with being a minority at all even if they are just off the boat. Argentenians brag of their German mixed blood, Cubans think they are cut above the rest and have a very high Asian population in their country, South Americans will generally talk about how they are Spanish and Mesopotamian and from Aztecs or Mayans, no matter how much it doesn’t makes sense they ignore or deny the fact that Africans traveled the world first, Africans were brought over by their Spanish brothers who enslaved their Indian ancestors, they wont mention the colorful ethnic rainbow of Brazil, Belize, Salvador and Panama which has a large number of dark skinned people and racism still exists in those places as well, but they will deny it. If they don’t deny it, they will say it is not as bad as America or that those people are not black and still insist that somehow I am African even though my ancestors have been here longer than them – mixed with white and native American! There is an accepted understanding that if you are white you are right and if you are black get back! That sentiment still applies in practice with Latinos, if not in word. I live in Southern California which may as well be Mexico because there are more Latinos that live here than anything else. Many Mexicans are darker than me but will accept the cloak of privilege because they are foreign and not in that African American category of people seen on the news. Many Latinos here have most of the jobs and most if not all entry level customer service type jobs that now “strongly prefer” bilingual applicants. By law they cannot say mandatory bilingual but they will not hire you unless you speak Spanish. You may not care about this now since you live in an area where Latinos are NOT the majority but you would not want to wait until that happens. Do not fool yourself into believing that the majority of Latinos who have benefited from the fight of our ancestors give a damn about us, because they don’t and they have adopted the manifest destiny that American has taught them. The Latino media industry has already begun to rewrite history – many young Mexicans think that Latinos invented rap or contributed to it! Absurd right??! But not to them. Many of them purposely choose not to learn English which forces public services to cater to their language needs, which requires those persons who work for those agencies and organizations to hire bilingual people only. The only jobs left are upper level management positions and we as African Americans already have to fight for those with white Americans. Many construction jobs are undercut by families and networks of Spanish speaking workers who will do the work for less than half the going rate or many Latino consumers will not allow a non-Latino to do work for them or they will act like they don’t speak English so you cannot negotiate with them. I face this fight everyday especially since the damn corporations took the government to the cleaner! I finished my Masters program in 2009 when the economy tanked. I have been working as a glorified intern for the last four years doing management work worth $65,000 – $80,000 per year for 20. I got an undergrad degree in Bilingual/Cross Cultural studies I took Spanish from middle school to college, I can speak Spanish conversationally and I even passed an entry level test with the city for position that did not require but strongly preferred a Spanish speaking individual and they told me I had one of the top scores! That was still not enough. Not just because the economy is bad but because I am not Latino. There are many (not all) Latino families that consider a black man marrying their Latino girl as blasphemous to their sacred Catholic faith. In addition to that many of the local unions are run and employed by almost 100% Latinos. Many union jobs are locked out now due to nepotism which is Latino. This is a socially institutionalized problem that runs deeper than just a conversation about where we live. Yes it is wrong to suggest that the neighborhood is ruined just because a Latino moves in but it is also wrong headed to think that brown people consider black people their brother or that our livelihood is not seriously threatened because it is. This issue makes me angry! Black people wake the hell up!

Anonymous

While I agree with your statements about the color caste system being implemented in the Latin Americas, I don’t know that I can cosign the rest of your comment. Is your comment reflective of all of America? Black America? Your anger (brought on by your own experiences) is refective of the very sentiments I wrote about. I am not looking to minimize your personal experiences at all; I think you should be at angry. But I think your anger is wrongly aimed at Brown people when they aren’t in the positions of power. Not all Brown people will embrace us as their brothers and sisters — neither do all Black people. x
You remember that end scene in Do The Right Thing where the angry mob was going to fuck up the Korean store; the Korean owner was previously racist toward Blacks right? And then it was “you..me..same.” Non-whites need to wake up – together – and realize that the people who benefit from our war is NOT us. While I agree with your statements about the color caste system being implemented in the Latin Americas, I don’t know that I can cosign the rest of your comment. Is your comment reflective of all of America? Black America? Your anger (brought on by your own experiences) is refective of the very sentiments I wrote about. I am not looking to minimize your personal experiences at all; I think you should be at angry. But I think your anger is wrongly aimed at Brown people when they aren’t in the positions of power. Not all Brown people will embrace us as their brothers and sisters — neither do all Black people. We’re fighting each other over the same 5% of nothing while the white majority are better off as a result of our hate.
Anonymous

I live in Arkansas and the main industry here is Poultry production , I am semi retired so I sought employment part time at one of the plants. Here is my experience. The “Latinos” are in the role of supervisors at these plants so I reported for work and first off I do not speak Spanish so there was no one to explain the job to me. They did not want me there , they did not want white workers there they made it very difficult to perform the assigned task. My point is these people are not concerned about any one but their own and i am so tired of certain Black folks feeling as if we are going to form some type of alliance. These people consider themselves better then us , they feel as if they are owed something here , I just consider them as part of a well planned assault on the AA community. My POTUS just gave them a pass , but there are millions of Americans who only broke the law one time who are unemployable because their records can be accessed , but illegals are given a pass Hummm ?

http://rippdemup.com/ RiPPa

Specifically, how exactly did Hispanics make it hard for you to work for you as a white man?

http://primaldata.blogspot.com/ PRIMALDATA

Look (and coming from me this is rare) could you learn to use the ENTER button sometimes I couldn’t finish your mass of text. I’m in my 30′s and I wear glasses, unless you wish to buy me a new pair my eyes need a break every now and then, just like when you take a breath when talking a space

Like so allows a persons eyes to breathe.

Now to what I got through, actually it isn’t JUST Hispanics who use the “I speak a different language than you so I will use that to my advantage” ploy, as for “what I do” I do work with(and sometimes for) Hispanics. If you have a product that they can’t get from anyone else they come to you, just like any other industry. I’m sorry some of your response up there sound more like you copied and pasted instead of experienced them.

Rap Music- so Fat Joe, Pitbull, Big Pun, Kid Frost, Chino XL none of those guys exist right? There has never been a single Hispanic or Latino rap act(a lighter shade of brown) or performer. They didn’t invent it but they did contribute to it that isn’t made up, that is unless you don’t actually listen to rap music and don’t look in the “Rap Music Section”.

Only buying from people in there community-ummm is that a bad thing? Black people USED to do that until we decided that buying something from a white person made us “upper class” and important. Do you know what happened:our businesses closed, our money left out of our community and our NEIGHBORhoods just became HOODS. Don’t get mad that the Hispanics learned from our mistakes and from some of the best tried and true practices of the majority in this country. Those Hispanic and Latino Caucasians they also add to the rolls of the majority that’s why they are allowed to do that. Please picking who is “Lower on the totem pole then you” is not a new tactic.

Again, if someone is employing an illegal REPORT THEM. It’s a fine, a penalty and in some cases JAIL TIME, not only that but guess what that illegal would either be fired or else would be given a fair wage, now why did they hire an illegal? Thats right to SAVE MONEY, they are paying them less than they should(just like you claim they are paying you) so that they can keep more money in their pockets. You and that brown person you are railing against have the same problem you aren’t getting a fair wage, so if you aren’t getting a fair wage stand together and demand one. That’s the problem you are both in the same boat but “I have been here longer I am better than you”,

It doesn’t matter how long you have been here, do you have a common problem? if the answer is yes than work together to fix it. Again the ploy is working, just because you don’t know a special language that others like you can use to get over on those who don’t speak it don’t be upset with Hispanics, go get Rosetta stone discs and teach you and those in your circle another language. Newsflash Muslims do it, Asians do it, Germans do it, Jews do it, Arabs do it, Indians(from the country of India not Native Americans) do it and do you know why, because if I can get an advantage I will take it. Most foreigners work together because they wish to better their communities. they will live with friends, family, distant cousins whoever so that they can save money and get a proper foothold in this country. They have decided that they wish to make it here no matter what.
http://primaldata.blogspot.com/ PRIMALDATA

Another thing have you and your close friends as well as family members sat down and started talking about investing together. Whether it be in businesses, stocks, bonds whatever have you thought of ways to build up assets so that you have something to pass down. Can I tell you here in Memphis I see a lot of foreigners do that, I see some of them struggling up front but constantly owning, earning and building more and more because they were willing to not be the “star” and be a cog in the machine until the machine became so efficient that they could go out on their own. Yes they talk crap about each other but they work together, they look out for the greater good of their “community” regardless to whether or not they take a step back here or there.

I’m talking about Asians, Hispanics, Africans, Latino’s, Yemenese, Pakistanis, Indians, Afghanis, Ghanains, Syrians, Egyptians. I work with a lot of these people, I sit down and talk to them, I don’t just listen to what is said on the news and you know what, most of them wonder why we fight amongst ourselves so much, why when we used to be such a cohesive unit, not one mind but one goal, did we give that all away just to have nothing. Many of them own stores that used to be black or white owned, in black and white neighborhoods. Why? because people didn’t want to pass down something to the next generation they wanted a quick buck and to move on to their ‘dream” or hell just do what everyone else was doing.

You’re anger is misplaced and self defeating, you want things to change, learn from the mistakes of the last 40 years. There is no such thing as a monolithic group, what there you are seeing are people who realize they have families they wish to do better than they can do now. They are willing to sacrifice a little today so their kids can have more tomorrow. They don’t consume as much as those of us who have been here forever have been convinced to because they can’t afford NOT to make it. Not too many people still have that attitude, so many folks swear that because they have been here longer they are supposed to do well automatically.

In my experience the person who won’t take failure as an option tends to do a lot better than the person who will just accept whatever comes their way. If you don’t like your current job invest your money wisely so you can go do something else, possibly for yourself for much better pay going forward. Don’t accept being underpaid as the only option you have, be proactive.

Anonymous

Very well put!

Anonymous

President Obama is to give a speech on
Thursday on revitalizing our infrastructure, by repairing bridges and highways?
With millions of illegal aliens in construction, through criminal Contractors
using cheap labor, is Obama going to enact Rep. Lamar Smith’s bill H.R. 2164? Is the
People’s president going to halt this travesty of our laws, by enforcing
E-Verify.

Don’t think for one minute your job is not in peril. Not for one moment
should you think that the lowest income of the job market, is only
sucked up by illegal aliens. Some of the 20 million plus illegal aliens
squatting here, have graduated to higher paying jobs in all industries
and occupations. They are not just mowing a lawn, or a bus boy in a
restaurant, as they have been hired into manufacturing jobs, in
construction, the higher entertainment industry employment as Casino
workers. Hundreds of thousands have been accepted into trade unions,
taking jobs from electricians, air conditioning and plumbers. Countless
number of American citizens and green card holders, have forfeited
their businesses as other Contractors have underbid their work by using
illegal aliens, so that many dependable companies have been unable pay
their insurance, taxes and living expenses. These are not isolated
cases, as the epidemic has spread nationwide as the theft goes on?

The
issue of illegal immigration is a very serious situation, which not
only affects
jobs, but the economy as well. Last year’s appraised the cost of
subsidizing a
part 20 million or more illegal migrants and immigrants was $113
Billion
dollars. This has exposed the federal and State payouts that cover the
main
expenditures of education, health care and the penal system. This is
just a
limited assessment by the well known conservative think tank of the
“Heritage foundation.” The issue of illegal immigration is
boiling over between Governor of Texas Rick Perry and Mitt Romney, who
must
find middle ground on this ugly situation, that grown in intensity over
three
decades. Rick Perry has a poor D- grading of on this controversial
subject
that affects us all, then even Mitt Romney also has a poor showing of
D-.
Neither presidential politician has shown any intensity in fighting the
illegal
alien invasion. America will always accept highly skilled occupational
professionals, but not the poverty-stricken desperate from around the
world. Every year a million enter this sovereign country, using
fraudulent ID to gain welfare and public assistance, including semi
-skilled that shouldn’t be admitted to profit businesses with lower
wages, when American have the same qualifications?

Whereas,
Rep. Michele Bachmann comes first in all Immigration stances, as does the
millions of people that have joined the TEA PARTY. Rick Perry doesn’t support
the fence, separating our country from the unceasing invasion of economic
illegal aliens from the South. Perry also opposed a standing military presence
along the border, as exactly the same as the Democrats and President Obama.
Rep. Romney’s speech to the Republican Hispanic National Assembly didn’t
mention illegal immigration, but carefully exhibited in his speech “that
he was great proponent of legal immigration.” he also said in his speech,
“Our country must do a better job of securing its borders and as
president, I will. That means completing construction of a high-tech fence and
investing in adequate manpower and resources.”

Make
your calls starting today at every reluctant Senator and House Representative.
Tell them you want them to vote for Lamar Smith’s sponsorship of H.R. 2164, The
Legal Workforce Act, as each party
has its own agenda. The Republican establishment agenda is to crush any
law
which cuts off their access to cheap labor. The Democrats and its
Liberal
placement, is to gain millions of new voters–LEGAL or ILLEGAL. Start
calling
because it might be your job on the line, with an estimated 8 million
in jobs
right now. American blacks have had had a terrible time locating good
jobs,
with national unemployment hovering around 10 percent and black males
unemployment surging to a staggering 17.6 percent, followed closely by
Hispanics at around 13.1%, while illegal aliens seem to have held jobs,
with
0ver 8 million still hired. Use your mouse and click on the Judicial
Watch
website and read the disgusting statistics on corruption in Washington
and the
State where you live? Read the daily national and rural newspapers and
media reports on the whole seething articles at the “American Patrol”
website, illustrating the facts on this ugly dilemma of illegal
immigration occupation. All the facts and no more lies that threaten
the Liberals and open border crazies can be found at “NumbersUSA.”

MY
EARLIER BLOGS: http://brittanicus-enoughisenough.blogspot.com

No Copyright. Distribute Freely.

http://primaldata.blogspot.com/ PRIMALDATA

Seriously, this reads like a mess. You back Michelle Bachmann and expect to be taken seriously? Simply put if you know of companies hiring illegals report them and make sure that the people who come to check on their workers 1 come UNSCHEDULED and 2 aren’t buddy buddy with the people they are coming to check on. If illegals are caught then fine the business so that his labor costs are even with a company paying American workers. All these conservative gimmicks(which they always talk about but never try to implement) are just that gimmicks.

Past that meeeeeeeeh “What’s up Doc”

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