According to the PEW Hispanic center, a nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization, “Latinos are feeling more discriminated against, politically energized and unified following the immigration policy debate and the pro-immigration marches this spring”.

At least that was the conclusion reached by the nonprofit after conducting a National Survey of Latinos; which was just released Thursday, July 13.

Some of the major findings of the report:

• More than half of Latinos say they are seeing an increase in discrimination towards them and other Latinos

• About 75% of those surveyed say the debate will prompt more Hispanics to vote in November’s general elections

• Almost two thirds, or 63%, think the pro-immigrant marches held earlier this year signal the beginning of a “new and lasting” social movement.

• A majority, 58%, believes Hispanics are working together to achieve common goals; up from 43% in 2002

Not surprisingly, “the survey shows that Latinos to some extent are holding the Republican Party responsible for what they perceive to be the negative consequences of the immigration debate” and “the share of Latinos who believe the Republican Party has the best position on immigration has dropped from 25% to 16%.

My guess is that this same survey was conducted in this area, most people would agree with the first two findings I cited above but not with the last 2.

The first finding, increased discrimination, is a given considering all the things that people hear on talk radio and read in the mainstream media about Hispanics, “illegal aliens”, Mexican invaders”; or take your pick of any label you wish; you’ve heard them all these days.

One of the lasting effects with continually being the target of discrimination is that sooner or later, a person either does something about it or becomes accustomed to it and it becomes a part of their everyday life. When it becomes a part of our life, it creates sort of a shield of indifference, or a quiet anger if you will, and ultimately affects how we view these types of issues and how we react to the discrimination itself. Sometimes, instead of being motivated to do something about it, apathy sets in and sooner rather than later people begin to feel that no matter what they do, things just won’t change. We slowly become victims to a sort of “institutional discrimination”.

One thing is for sure though; the immigration debate has made it tougher to live in

parts of this country if you are Hispanic and even if you were born here. Think about it. How many people, other than Hispanics or other ethnic minorities, are fearful that one day soon they may have to make sure they carry proof of citizenship or their birth certificate with them just so they can prove that we belong here? In some parts of the country, in El Paso, TX for example, there have already been reports of this kind of thing happening.

Consider the hypothetical case of an interracially married couple; a white man and a Hispanic woman for example. Say one day they are driving to their favorite Lubbock restaurant, they are stopped for whatever reason, say a traffic violation, and before they are let go the woman is asked to prove she is in this country legally just because she looks Hispanic. Sounds silly huh; like it couldn’t happen here?

It may sound like it couldn’t happen to those who have never experienced the indignations and humiliation of racial discrimination, but to those of us who have, it doesn’t sound unrealistic at all. After all, there are those in Congress who are calling for the massive deportation of over 12 million undocumented immigrants residing in the United States. How do you suppose they are going to determine who is here illegally if not through a certain profiling model; Spanish surname, skin color, job status, etc.

And there is precedence for this kind of behavior. Remember the Japanese during WWII? Back then all you had to do was look Japanese and you were immediately rounded up like cattle and shipped off to the Japanese Internment Camps. The roundups resulted in over 120,000 Japanese, about two thirds which were American citizens, ending up in these camps. It did not matter that you were a Japanese American.

Ah you say, but we were at war with Japan. That’s correct, but isn’t that what Republican politicians like James Sensenbrenner and Tom Tancredo and our very own Randy Neugebauer tell us; that we are engaged in a war on terrorism and that “protecting our borders at all costs” (they mean southern border by the way, not the northern one) is part of the battle plan: The phrase, “at all costs” is what is disconcerting to me.

Using much the same argument the Bush administration has used since 9-11 to justify their questionable

tactics to do whatever they well please, couldn’t it be just a matter of time before history repeats itself?

And what of the Mexican Repatriation movement in the 1930’s? After 1929, between 400,000 and 500,000 Mexicans, Mexican Americans who were born here and American born children to Mexican parents were also rounded up and sent back to Mexico.

These two historical events occurred because both were fueled by anti-Japanese and anti-Mexican sentiment by the mainstream population and political parties that felt that Japanese and Mexican laborers were taking away their jobs, hurting their economy, and were a threat to their way of life. Sound familiar? Where have you heard that same song and dance before?

The November elections will definitely have an “immigration bashing” stench to them, and I’m sure that most areas of the country, especially in states like Texas, Arizona, and California will see an increased voter turnout; from both sides of the issue. But to what degree is anybody’s guess.

For some reason, Hispanic voters have yet to realize the power that they possess in the voting booth and tend to stay away in large numbers on voting day. What might make a difference this year is that Hispanics seem to have been paying more attention to things like HR 4437 and comments being directed at “illegal aliens” and whether some like to admit it or not; by extension to them.

If a caller to a local radio program says something to the effect that what all “illegals” want is a free lunch and ride, and that “all Mexicans are the same”, and that “Mexicans pose a threat to homeland security”; is that supposed to stir a warm and patriotic feeling in me if I happen to be Mexican American?

In the very least I have to ask myself this question: “Am I being painted with the same broad brush”?

But whether comments and hate rhetoric like that will be enough to get people off their couch and into the voting booth is the $64,000 question.

Um, make that the million dollar question; this is after all, 2006.

Isn’t it?



Email: acruztsc@aol.com