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Blacks and Immigration
July 5th, 2007Posted July 5, 2007 – African Americans haven’t been in the forefront of the immigration debate, but well-known Black policymakers have been lobbying lawmakers to make sure those with Black skin aren’t left out of the debate.
Now after two attempts to get the president’s bill through Congress, “comprehensive” immigration reform is waiting in the wings. During the debate here’s what African-American policymakers, civil rights activists and researchers had to say about the role of Black’s and immigration policy. Do you agree?
Wade Henderson
Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, is all for comprehensive immigration reform because he believes immigration is a compelling civil
and human rights issue.
He supports “legalization of the 12 million undocumented immigrants,” believing that the essential issue of the debate is about handling immigration and its specific details.
African Americans have a stake in the future of the United States and as history has shown, with the NAACP, Blacks have “spoken out on behalf of Haitian refugees going back to 1923… regarding the U.S. invasion of Haiti” and “when Cuban refugees were treated differently than Haitian refugees, even though they came under similar circumstances.”
Henderson maintains the central point in the immigration conversation is the question of economic interests – and he maintains that economic questions in the arguments on immigration are devised to create a wedge “between Blacks and Latinos around the issue of immigration requirement.”
Mary Frances Berry
Dr. Mary Frances Berry, former chairwoman of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and an endowed professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania, says, history has shown that immigration happens and it does not matter if walls are built or other measures are taken away to try to ensure immigrants are kept out. Thus, she says African Americans should try to build coalitions with the immigrant population.
Immigrants aren’t going away, she says, so by uniting with new immigrants, we can get more done for both communities.
“Immigrants are going to keep coming. They are already here, and there are political implications for who they are and what power will be exercised,” Berry says. “We would be foolish not to have coalitions. I mean it would be like cutting your own throat.
Democrats want legalization, not because they love Latinos, but because they think they are going to vote for them.”
I wonder why these so-called Black civil rights organzation keep referring to illegal immigration as immigration. Dtop confusing the two. Every nation needs to have rules regarding who enters their country. So basically we should support wrong in order to form a coaliton with people who soon won’t need your support. What kind of dumb strategy is that. When you form a coalition based on race, ethnicity, or simply to bring down the man, pretty soon your coalition will be destroyed by the very same thing thay brought it together. You don’t sell your soul for a coalition. We need immigration laws, and everyone shoudl follow them. I don’t care what race you are, hell you can be my brotehr, but you should follow the rules like everyone else.
Well said sfirx !!!!thank you for being a voice of reason,and you are right they are so called civil rights organizations,wrong is wrong no matter who it is or where they are from me mothers family is from eastern europe when they came here they chilled at ellis island till they processed .learned the language, and took the oath they did it the right way,i have no problem with any one wanting a better life but do it legal period. you are so right it is scary sfirx!! your oppinion may not be popular but so what stay strong !!!!
Illegal immigration goes farther than votes and cheap labor. If the amnesty bill had been passed, we would be on a faster track to the North American Union modeled after the European Union. NAFTA has done a lot to undo the U.S. but CAFTA is worse because it calls to do away with our borders. The Bush administration is in bed with the Mexican govt. which dictates U.S. policy. The NAU would merge the U.S. with Canada and Mexico. We would cease to be the U.S.A. but instead the U.S. of the NAU. This is no joke and its right in our face. Bush is not trying to hide his true agenda anymore. Most Americans would suffer and many are suffering both Black and White. Illegals are being used for something far bigger - the Death of a Nation!
This is a Do are Die situation because America is built on laws, by not opposing the laws the U.S. is vulnerable for major lawsuits and corruption. However; illegal immigrants are not well educated on the U.S. laws and constitution, meantime; without enforcing laws that means the U.S. will have to free all of our brothers and sisters that`s incarcerated. Nevertheless; u just can`t go to Mexico and violent there laws without some repercussion. By saying that, the U.S. will break there laws to make new laws and that`s not fair to the people who worked hard to get there citizenship the legal way. And for the civil rights organizations that agree on legalizing illegals immigrants; clean up your own house before trying to clean up somebody else`s. To all blacks in and around America lets get us back before we go messing with that. P.S. 1-god, 1-mind, 1-love, 1-action;( Black folks stand-up)
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What about the racism that exist in heavily populated Hispanic areas towards Black Americans in this Country. It seems that most of our So-called Black leaders are far more interested in defending the rights of Hispanics/Immigrants than that of the Black Americans that help to build this Country. Blacks & Whites both are suffering from the large stream of Hispanics comming into this Country because most only help their own and refuse to hire or assist any other race.
THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED, UNTIL IT’S
OVER. IN OTHER WORDS MOST OF US WILL NOT KNOW
WHAT’S GOING ON UNTIL I’TS OVER AND DONE WITH.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! WE TEND TO BE MORE COMFORT-ABLE IN FEELING THAT THERE’S NOTHING THAT WE CAN
DO ABOUT IT ANYWAY, OR TOO AFRAID. EVERYTHING
THAT HAS BEEN SAID SO FAR IS TRUE, BUT MANY ARE
STILL IN THE DARK. WHERE AND HOW DO WE BEGIN TO
UNITE AS A FRONT? WE CAN DISCUSS IT ALL DAY AND
ALL NIGHT BUT DOES THAT CHANGE ANYTHING.IT’S
LIKE IF YOU DO SOMETHING TO ONE HISPANIC AND
YOU’VE DO IT TO THEM ALL……EXPLAIN THAT?
IT’S SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE’S IN BED WITH THE
MIMMIGRANTS .I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT
IS DUE, THEY HAVE HELD ONTO THIER CULTURE SO FAR
AND I THINK THAT ‘S ONE THING THAT MOST RACES
HAVE IN COMMON, WITH THE EXCEPTION BEING AFRICAN
AMERICANS. IS IT BECAUSE OF OUR HISTORY?
I FEEL THEY KEEP TO THEMSELVES BECAUSE OF IT.
MOST OF US DO NOT SPEAK THIER LANGUAGE, MAKING
COMMUNICATION LIMITED.I CHOOSE NOT THINK THAT
THEY DO NOT HIRE OR ASSIST OUT OF HATE. I HAPPEN
TO OWN MY OWN BUSINESS AND THEY DO PATRONIZE,SO
I WOULD HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH YOU ON THAT (LK)
WE HAVE BEEN GIVING SUCH A BAD REPUTATION BE IT
BY OUR OWN ACTIONS,OR BY THOSE THAT HAVE ACCUSSED
US A BEING THE LOWEST CLASS OF ALL HUMANS THAT
EXIST. THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE TOLD BEFORE THEY
EVEN CROSS THE BORDER..THE SAME AS ALL OTHER
IMMIGRANTS. WHICH EXPLAINS WHY WE ARE HELD IN
CONTEMPT BY ALL…..I GUESS THAT WILL CHANGE
WHEN IT CHANGES?
If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.
that right
To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.
It’s better to be an authentic loser than a false success, and to die alive than to live dead.
Don’t waste yourself in rejection, nor bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good.