Of course this doesn’t make sense to ani-immigration proponents, because they fail to see the value of undocumented immigrant. Instead, said opponents continue to frame the immigration debate around the the criminality. Rather than focus on the added economic value, instead, they discourage immigration reform, by labeling undocumented workers as “illegal” immigrants.

Yep, believe it or not, all those “Messikans” some of you people are bitching about, at one point were actually invited to come here. I know, it’s kind of hard to believe with all the talk of electric fences and alligator filled moats along the southern border, but it’s true.  Yep, it’s hard to believe, but “illegal immigration” was actually encouraged at one point in American history.

SIDE NOTE – The following video is hilarious:

The Mexican migrant worker has been the foundation for the development of the rich American agricultural industry, and the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez border region has played a key role in this historic movement. One of the most significant contributions to the growth of the agricultural economy was the creation of theBracero Program in which more than 4 million Mexican farm laborers came to work the fields of this nation. The braceros converted the agricultural fields of America into the most productive in the planet.

Mexican peasants were hard-working, highly skilled agricultural laborers. Yet, despite the fact that two million peasants lost their lives in the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the government failed to provide them the resources needed to improve their lives. By the late thirties, when the crop fields began yielding insufficient harvest and employment became scarce, the peasant was forced to look for other means of survival.

Have You Thanked Latin America Lately?

The occurrence of this grave situation coincided with the emergence of a demand in manual labor in the U.S. brought about by World War II. On August 4, 1942, the U.S. and the Mexican government instituted the Bracero program. Thousands of impoverished Mexicans abandoned their rural communities and headed north to work as braceros.

The majority of the braceros were experienced farm laborers who came from places such as “la Comarca Lagunera,” Coahuila, and other important agricultural regions of México. They stopped working their land and growing food for their families with the illusion that they would be able to earn a vast amount of money on the other side of the border.

Huge numbers of bracero candidates arrived by train to the northern border. Their arrival altered the social environment and economy of many border towns. Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, across from El Paso, Texas, became a historic recruitment site and substantial gathering point for the agricultural labor force.

The following note illustrates the movement:

“More than 80,000 braceros pass through the El Paso Center annually. They’re part of an army of 350,000 or more that marches across the border each year to help plant, cultivate and harvest cotton and other crops throughout the United States”.
(El Paso Herald Post, April 28, 1956)

The bracero contracts were controlled by independent farmers associations and the “Farm Bureau.” The contracts were in English and the braceros would sign them without understanding their full rights and the conditions of employment. When the contracts expired, the braceros were required to turn in their permits and return to México. The braceros could return to their native lands in case of an emergency, only with written permission from their boss.

The braceros labored tirelessly thinning sugar beets, picking cucumbers and tomatoes, and weeding and picking cotton. The braceros, a very experienced farm labor, became the foundation for the development of North American agriculture.

Despite their enormous contribution to the American economy, the braceros suffered harassment and oppression from extremist groups and racist authorities.

By the 60’s, an excess of “illegal” agricultural workers along with the introduction of the mechanical cotton harvester, destroyed the practicality and attractiveness of the bracero program. The program under which more than three million Mexicans entered the U.S. to labor in the agricultural fields ended in 1964. The U.S. Department of Labor officer in charge of the program, Lee G. Williams, had described it as a system of “legalized slavery.”

The following note describes the last day of the program:

“527 Braceros Cross to U.S.”

With the crossing of 526 braceros through the Santa Fe Street Bridge Tuesday night, current contracting of Mexican laborers for work in U.S. farms ended, official of the National Railways of Mexico reported Wednesday. The railroad in charge of transporting the braceros to Juárez from all parts of the state, disclosed the total number of workers contracted amounted to 12,127. Of this number, only a few were sent back after failing to pass their physical examination at the Bracero Center.
(The El Paso Times, May 30, 1963)

The braceros returned home. Unable to survive in their communities, however, they continue to cross the Río Bravo (or Río Grande) to work in the farms and ranches of this country. In the fields of West Texas and Southern New Mexico, you will still find braceros. They are now known as chile pickers and continue to be one of the most exploited labor groups in the U.S.

There’s a strong chance that an undocumented immigrant had a hand in yesterday’s Thanksgiving meal. There’s a strong chance that the undocumented immigrant  who has been in the U.S. for twenty five years that Newt Gingrich spoke of, started out as one of millions to feed yourself and your family. Actually, not just on Thanksgiving Day, but instead, every single day of our lives.

I’m sure this isn’t something you think about daily, and I’m not suggesting that you should. However, on the chance that you get involved in a debate on immigration policy. Do take a moment to think about all that you were thankful for on Thanksgiving Day.

It’s bad enough that we overlook the plight of the indigenous people of America, and just what the holiday represents. But even so, it’s a shame that as steeped in tradition as we are, we fail to realize that the very food we eat, was brought to our tables by the toils of people who we believe, should not be here, because they’re not American. Gingrich is right; we should be more humane…

Have you thanked an “illegal immigrant” lately?

The post Did You Remember To Thank An “Illegal Immigrant” At Thanksgiving Dinner? appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Don’t look now, but if you live in the state of Alabama or just happen to be passing through, don’t ever get the appitite for Mexican food, because the state has just outlawed it. OK, so I’m only kidding; but, don’t be surprised if the fine folks in Alabama’s state government decides to do just that eventually. After all, as of September 1st, 2011, they will have the dubious distinction of being the state with the toughest anti-immigration immigration laws. Oh you think Arizona’s shenanigans were bad? Checkout what Alabama has done:
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama vaulted past Arizona on Thursday with what is being called the most restrictive law in the nation against illegal immigration, requiring schools to find out if students are in the country lawfully and making it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride.

Advocacy groups promised to challenge the sweeping measure, which like Arizona’s law also allows police to arrest anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if the person is stopped for some other reason. In addition, it requires all businesses to check the legal status of workers using a federal system called E-Verify.

“It is clearly unconstitutional. It’s mean-spirited, racist, and we think a court will enjoin it,” said Mary Bauer, legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

It takes effect Sept. 1.

Republican Gov. Robert Bentley, who signed it into law Thursday, expressed confidence it would withstand any legal challenges.

“We have a real problem with illegal immigration in this country,” he said. “I campaigned for the toughest immigration laws, and I’m proud of the Legislature for working tirelessly to create the strongest immigration bill in the country.”

Alabama has an estimated 120,000 illegal immigrants, a nearly fivefold increase from a decade ago, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Many of them are believed to be working on farms, at chicken processing plants and in construction.

One of the legislation’s sponsors, GOP Sen. Scott Beason, said it would help the unemployed by preventing illegal immigrants from getting jobs in the state. Alabama’s unemployment rate stood at 9.3 percent in April, the most recent figure available.

“This will put thousands of Alabamians back in the work force,” Beason said.I don’t know just the estimated legal workforce population in the state of Alabama. However, the total population of the state is somewhere around 5 million according to data from the Census Bureau’s 2009 figures. That would mean, that there must be a lot of people not able or allowed to work (you know, like those fat rednecks riding those hoverounds at Walmart) if 120,000 undocumented workers have stolen all the jobs. Either that or their weren’t enough jobs to begin with down in good Ole Alabama.

Of course this is a tired argument often used by the anti-immigrant movement. Let them tell it, the reason unemployment in this entire country is as high as it is, is due in large part to teh illegals stealing jobs. And sadly, the ignorant among us are falling for this hook line and sinker like they always do.
[…] Linton Joaquin, general counsel for the National Immigration Law Center in Los Angeles, said the Alabama law covers all aspects of an immigrant’s life.

“It is a sweeping attack on immigrants and people of color in general. It adds restrictions on education, housing and other areas. It is a very broad attack,” Joaquin said.

Among other things, the law makes it a crime for landlords to knowingly rent to an illegal immigrant.

Another provision makes it a crime to transport a known illegal immigrant. Arizona’s law appears narrower: It includes language against human smuggling and makes it illegal to pick up laborers for work if doing so impedes traffic.

Alabama’s law also goes further in requiring schools to check the immigration status of their students. The measure does not prohibit illegal immigrants from attending public schools; lawmakers said the purpose instead is to gather data on how many are enrolled and how the much the state is spending to educate them.This is awesome, I can’t wait for them to post their “Whites Only” signs like they used to do back in the day. At the rate they’re going, I won’t be surprised if Black folks are counted as three-fifths human, and be forced to pick cotton for free all over again. Don’t think it can happen? OK, you g’head and keep thinking that;.there’s currently a ban in place on ethnic studies in Arizona, so…

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Being of Afro-Caribbean descent, and an immigrant to the United States, it’s been pretty tough to watch the apathy of African Americans on the issue of immigration reform. Yeah I know the brown man came here voluntarily to work for a quarter while black folks were brought here against their will to work for free for 500yrs. While it’s easy to make that distinction as justification, it’s still a foolish one in my opinion.

I remember not too long ago when black folks were saying that Arizona’s SB1070 anti-immigration bill wasn’t our fight. Surely you remember the then hot button issue that was Arizona and it’s quest to become the Whitopia of America because there were no cotton fields in the desert back in the day.

Well, I wonder what those very same black folks have to say today, now that Arizona has voted to ban Affirmative Action? Yep, guess what, black people? It’s not all about those “criminal” Latinos.

This from insidehighered.com:
Voters in Arizona on Tuesday approved Proposition 107 banning the consideration of race, ethnicity or gender by units of state government, including public colleges and universities. With 2,075 of 2,239 precincts reporting as of early Wednesday morning, the measure had just under 60 percent support in unofficial state results.

Arizona joins California, Michigan, Nebraska and Washington State in imposing such bans. Only Colorado rejected a similar ban in a statewide vote. In the states of California and Michigan, the bans led to sharp drops in the admission and enrollment of black and Latino students at flagship universities, although those institutions have made progress since the initial votes in diversifying their student bodies through race-neutral methods. In those states, however, undergraduate admission to the state universities is highly competitive.

In Arizona, a populist approach to admissions means that all students who meet certain criteria are admitted – without consideration of race or ethnicity. As a result, university officials have said that undergraduate enrollments should not be affected. However, Arizona’s universities – like most institutions – have many programs for minority students, some of which could be challenged. Just last August, for example, Arizona State University announced new summer fellowships in digital media for minority students.

[…] Generally, critics of affirmative action have argued in Arizona that it is no longer needed. An editorial in The Arizona Republic endorsing Prop 107 said: “Affirmative action wasn’t meant to be a perpetual- motion machine. The policy served an important purpose, making up for missing opportunities in education and the workplace. But over time, the drawbacks have come to outweigh the advantages. Voters should pull the plug.”

To the extent that education leaders in Arizona have answered questions about Prop 107, prior to the vote, many seemed worried about the impact beyond admissions decisions. Roy Flores, chancellor of Pima Community College, said in an interview this week that there would be no impact on admissions practices, which are race-neutral. But he said that the college has a variety of outreach programs to recruit students and to help them succeed, and that some of these are “targeted” with a focus on particular groups. He said that these programs are designed based on the approaches that will engage members of different groups, not with any intent to exclude anyone. “I’m not sure what danger people see that they are trying to eliminate,” Flores said.

Maybe it’s just me, but the idea that Affirmative Action isn’t needed today (especially in college admissions) because “the drawbacks have come to outweigh the advantages,” is just ludicrous. And to be perfectly honest, this idea comes directly from the bowels of white privilege, and it is to be expected. But hey, I guess when you’re black and you hate yourself, you can’t help but to agree with white folks to gain acceptance.

You know, like Ward Connerly…

The thing that gets me about this is that this ballot initiative hardly got any national attention. Which is surprising considering that everything negative about Arizona has been exposed nationwide. But see when we don’t pay attention and turn a blind eye, this is what happens. Yep, and at the end of the day, all minorities are affected, and suffer the consequences of the actions of bigots in power.

Hope you black folks learned something from this. Because truth is, as minorities, whether you believe it or not, we’re all in this shit together by virtue of or there being more non-minorities in power than ourselves.

Bottom line: failing to address the disadvantages of minorities affects us all.

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So it’s often said that all black people look alike, but of course we all know that to be untrue. Hell, as a black man I’ve always been told I look Asian. So see, there’s no way I can possibly fit the stereotypical big nose big lip mold; and, I even have the small Asian penis to prove it. Yes Sharron, like you and the Latino students you were speaking to, I too look Asian. Not sure how; but I suppose it’s something they put in the chicken fried rice.

Yes Sharron, just like black people Asians eat chicken too:

Nice one Sharron! Way to go defending yourself to those Latino students at Rancho High School for your recent campaign attack ad against Harry Reid. I mean claiming Reid to be soft on immigration might have been a good move politically. But all those poor Latino kids wanted to know was:
“Why is it that in all of your commercials you have the image of Latinos? What do you see when you hear, and I quote, ‘illegal aliens?”

Now of course you could have been honest. You could have told them something that explains the racist and xenophobic nature that has been the impetus of the anti-immigrant movement. Further, you could have told them that it’s important to you and the rest of the Tea Party and GOP to further polarize America. But I understand, Sharron; The truth is, you’re really a nice person, and you didn’t want to hurt their innocent Latino feelings.

Instead, you tell them that you’re not sure just exactly what a Latino looks like. I mean there’s no way they can say that the “illegal immigrants” in your campaign ads are in fact being portrayed as criminal Latinos much like they’re characterized in David Vitter’s campaign ad (seriously, that Vitter knows how to do the racism thing.). Instead Sharron, you tell them that they could have perceived to be Asian, just like yourself. Here’s to hoping you don’t meet with black students anytime soon. I’m not too sure about you pulling off looking black.

[STORY HERE]

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So last night I had a nice conversation with one of my black republican buddies; and like always, he taught me a lot. Last night I learned that the national high school drop out crisis is due in large part to the presence of “illegal immigrant” kids in the public school system.

Illegal immigrant scapegoating? Now there’s a novel idea.

Now my buddy lives in California, and though I don’t agree one bit with what he said. I suppose I have to give him the benefit of the doubt even if he didn’t have any empirical evidence to support his claim. I mean after all, he lives in a state where there’s gazillionaire running for governor who sees immigration as a problem.

You see gubernatorial candidate and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, ran a “tough on immigration” meme throughout her primary campaign. And in a recent debate with Democratic candidate Jerry Brown, she has vowed to get tougher on immigration, and crackdown on employers of illegal immigrants.

Not a bad idea when they’re the reason kids are dropping out of schools, right?

Well, there’s one small problem: Whitman employed the services of an illegal immigrant maid for 9yrs, and fired her just as her gubernatorial campaign started. Now to you this might sound like hypocrisy. But to me, this sounds like a woman with a plan. That would be, a woman who goes all out to gain the Hispanic vote!

But there’s one problem. Whitman didn’t actually treat her housekeeper fairly. Gloria Allred, the attorney for Whitman’s  ex-slave, Nicky Diaz, said that she exploited, disrespected, and humiliated her. As a matter of fact, I think missus wannabe governor still owes the woman money!

What else is new with illegal immigrant domestic workers, right?

C’mon Meg, how you gonna put up billboards in the ‘hood professing your love and support of brown people. How you gonna  treat Nicky Diaz worse than “Celie” from the Color Purple and then kick her to the curb in order to advance your political career?

Why should all those “illegal immigrants” vote for you Meg?

If being in the country illegally is criminal, surely there’s a word for the people who hire them, no? Uh-huh, you know the word… wait for it… wait for it… wait for it… wouldn’t we call them hypocr… oops, Republicans?

And speaking of rich white folks who owe money to poor folks. What the hell is wrong with Congressman Louis Gohmert (R-TX) other than being from that country north of Mexico known as Texas? Did you hear what this  champion of small government said recently?

Apparently this guy is tired of all you “welfare queens” and freeloaders; and has a plan to get you off the government teat. This man has actually proposed a plan to basically give welfare recipients 40 acres and a mule and send them packing. According to him that should be enough to get “youse people” on your feet.

Now ain’t that a bitch? Now you bastards wanna give folk some land after all these years? Now that there’s no more work because Republicans have shipped jobs overseas, you wanna give people land so that they can grow and pick cotton in an effort to sustain themselves? While arguing against tax cuts for the rich…!

Land? The f*cking gov’t is gonna give away land? I’ono y’all, but somewhere right now I’m sure Kunta Kinte and Spike Lee is pissed off. The U.S. goes overseas and steals land, but they’re gonna give away what’s here to po’ folk?

It’s bad enough that those “illegals” are forcing native-born citizens to drop out of high school. Now you wanna give away land because they’re taking away gov’t funds that’s intended for black folks in America?!

Shit, you know they take everything away from us as is.

The post Republicans Say & Do The Darnedest Things: Meg Whitman, “Illegals”, & Reparations appeared first on Madness & Reality.

by Joanna (JuJuBe)

Well, you all will be happy to know that the supposed “obesity epidemic” among teenagers has NOTHING TO DO with the fact that there are fast food restaurants on just about every corner of every city in the country. It is TOTALLY UNRELATED to the ever increasing number of processed, high fat, low nutrition products available on supermarket shelves. Parents, it is NOT YOUR FAULT that your kid is getting fat, because it is has NOTHING TO DO WITH the chicken nuggets and pizza you are feeding him three meals a day Nope… the truth is… it is all the fault of….. THOSE DAMNED ILLEGALS!!!

Yes, it is true!! Those pesky Mexicans are making American kids fat!!! According the the Center for Immigration Studies, the REAL REASON kids in the US are getting fatter is because of ILLEGALS who are coming in and… gasp… mowing our lawns!! Because the truth is, mowing lawns was what was keeping American kids fit in past generations. Not running around with their friends outside! Not playing sports! Not moving, jumping and playing in real life instead of in a video game! Nope, it was MOWING LAWNS that did the trick!

See, now you all can breathe a sigh of relief. It is NOT OUR FAULT that American kids are fatter than ever! Not at all! Forget about telling your kids to shut off the TV and the video games and go play outside. Don’t bother encouraging them to play sports either. And fast food? Feel free to feed your kids Mickey D’s and Burger King every night of the week, because THAT IS NOT WHY THEY ARE OBESE!!! Nope… the reason your kids are fat is because some damn Mexican is stealing their jobs mowing lawns and delivering newspapers!

So, if we get rid of all of those pesky illegals, apparently, our kids will start mowing the lawn and raking leaves again, and magically all of those pounds they put on will just drop right off!

And oh yeah, there will be less traffic, lower gas prices, and more effective schools! Who knew the solution to all of our woes was so simple???

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I’m kinda disappointed that the blockage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is getting more attention than the blockage of the DREAM Act which was also an amendment included in the Defense Authorization Act. Personally, I see them both as equally important, and in dire need of progressive attention.

But like always, Republicans acted as expected in the face of the upcoming 2010 midterm elections. I suppose nothing spells FREEDOM more than a vote to oppose any debate on either issue. Way to go GOP!!!

At first I was somewhat bothered by military service being one of the requirements for a path to citizenship for the approximately 2 million people who stands to benefit from the passage of the DREAM Act. But then I realized that the pursuit of a higher education was also an optional requirement.

So here’s the question: if an “illegal immigrant” who was brought here as child wanted to serve the country in the military, why not allow them a path to citizenship in return? Is military service not recognized as the highest form of patriotic practice?

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As if right on cue, with all the recent rhetoric about Barack Obama and his “Kenyan anti-Colonialist” daddy who is somehow running the country from the grave, Obama’s “illegal immigrant” aunt Zeituni Onyango has crawled out from under a rock. And in no uncertain terms, she’s managed to piss a few people off.

In a recent interview with a Boston’s WBZ-TV’s Johnathan Elias, she has managed to fire up our right-wing anti-immigration friends and neighbors. By asserting that, “the system took advantage of her,” and that the United States has “the obligation to make me a citizen,” she has certainly drawn much needed scrutiny of the broken system of immigration.

And you know what? The way the following interview is presented, it’s understandable as to why some may be upset, and are of the opinion that her Kenyan-born nephew and illegitimate president, just might have had a hand in her being granted Asylum, and thus being allowed to lawfully remain in the country.

Now of course since Barack Obama is the evil overlord and the mastermind behind everything that’s wrong with the country. It’s easy to assume that he exerted his executive privilige and power to influence the immigration judges decision in her case. I mean, it’s really that easy, right?

But the truth is boys and girls, the “liberal immigration activist judge” who granted her asylum, based his decision on the fact, that it was an anonymous federal official who leaked information of her status to the media. An act that actually placed her life in danger, not only here,m but especially if she was deported to the planet Krypton Kenya where all the Obama’s are from.

So excuse her for sounding somewhat arrogant and elitist as do all people living in public housing. But if my life became endangered and was scrutinized as I’m sure hers was since 2008, I’d be a little upset too. But disagree with her all you like. The fact that she’s been granted asylum has already positioned her for permanent residency, and hopefully as in most cases, citizenship to the United States of America?

LEARN ABOUT ASYLUM HERE

The post Barack Obama’s “Illegal Alien” Aunt Speaks Out: “The System Took Advantage Of Me” appeared first on Madness & Reality.

No seriously, I really think she does; or at least she did before her debate the other night. Nah man, c’mon, how you gonna say I’m full of shit? You cannot tell me that her behavior in the following clip isn’t crackish:

OK, so maybe that was wrong of me to suggest that she was mentally impaired as a result of drug use. Maybe what we saw above was in fact her being her; and that would be, a Republican?

There’s a common axiom that suggests that one should never debate or argue with a fool. Because when you do, they’ll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience. With that said, I gotta ask: did she think her opponent was hip hop sensation 50 Tyson?

Speaking of which, checkout her reaction in true republican ideologue fashion when confronted with facts. Yeah, can someone call the Wonder Pets for Jan; obviously she’s an animal in “twouble” in Arizona:

(H/T The Political Carnival)

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So with all this talk about a mosque being built next to strip club inside of ground zero, the immigration reform debate has been placed in the back of the minds of many (you can thank the media for that). I’ll be honest, for the past week or so I haven’t given the immigration debate much thought hey congress, the balls in your court). But that all changed yesterday when I heard somebody in support of the ground zero mosque being moved say:
Mexican Arab illegal immigrants are gonna sneak into the country at Ground Zero, enter into same-sex marriages all for the purpose of dropping off millions of jihadist anchor babies bent on destroying America, while they steal jobs from black people.Yeah, sounds asstastically ridiculous, right? What can I say, even I have idiotic friends; and sometimes we share them. Well, considering the minds we’re talking about that are opposed to mosques and brown skin people, I guess what is said in the following video from The Real News Network is to be expected…

Pay attention to the lady at the 1:20 mark:

Listening to the supporters of SB1070 in the above video, and the occasional idiot who shows up and comments on this blog I encounter outside of the virtual world. I realize that there’s a lot of work to do to counter years of racially stereotypical disinformation fed to the masses who fail to think critically, but act on emotion with regards to a true discussion on the subject; and this, is yet one of the reasons I blog.

The post Undocumented Workers: Illegal Invasion or Economic Scapegoat? appeared first on Madness & Reality.