Category Archives: immigration

Newspaper scale-back

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http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/05/new_orleans_becomes_largest_us_city_without_daily_newspaper_36_residents_without_internet.html

I’ve been meaning to post this for some time now.

Basically, a major city is scaling back its printed newspapers and are only reporting online. Now, this bothers me. Forget that this city is largely composed of minorities with a large portion being poor. Let’s forget that (though, I really have not forgotten this at all and is the whole premise of me wanting to write about it). I ask you to forget this fact not because it is unimportant, but because in this case it shouldn’t be a color thing. This is a thing of news and important media not being easily accessible to ALL residents of a community. This is a problem because there is a large portion of the community who are poor. Most people’s perception of others is closely linked with how they view society from their world. In most people’s world/mind – people are online, tech savvy, have the internet and computer at home, are online reading the news, or have a Kindle/iPad/tablet and read the NY Times on their way to work. The unemployment rate is getting better for everyone and those that aren’t getting jobs aren’t getting them because they aren’t trying… BIG FAT NEGATIVE. 

There is still a good portion of the population without access to a computer or internet at home. There are still people without smart phones (though that number is diminishing). There are people who rely on printed news for their information in the community, nation, world, etc. Without a printed version of news, how would these people get important information? A library perhaps. Well, maybe, but from my neighborhood alone I can tell you – we have one library. They do not get printed newspapers anymore and they only allow you computer access once daily for 30 minutes. They are open odd times – times that I cannot keep track of because they are continually being cut.

This is injustice at its finest… who knew we news was a privilege…

notjustmythoughts

Caste System

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When you think of the Caste System largely you think of India, but today, think of Mexico.

Mexico has long been considered to be a non diverse country. Meaning, people there consider themselves to be of largely the same background, mostly of mixed race of European and Natives. However, this isn’t exactly truth. Yes, a lot of Mexicans are of mixed race, but there is still a large number of indigenous people. There are also blacks. Mexico was not sheltered and they experienced their own waves of immigration into the country which brought slaves and different European backgrounds. In a docu-series Black in Latin America, there was an episode exposing the truths of blacks in Mexico. While I knew there had to be (simply because I believe every country has their share of black, native, and European mix) I didn’t really know anything about it. While watching this episode on blacks in Mexico, I was surprised at the discrimination. I am not sure why I was even surprised. If you think about the Black community here there is an onslaught of discrimination against them and they American. So American in fact, that they helped build this wonderful country. Though much of it was through slavery under unfortunate circumstances, if it wasn’t for the Black community our country wouldn’t have made the progress it did early on (think about the cotton/textile industry, the tobacco industry, etc.). I am not praising slavery AT ALL. I am simply saying, that African Americans helped shape America and they are discriminated. So why did the discrimination of Black Mexicans surprise me? I am not sure. I guess maybe because I just like to hope things are better than they really are, which I am continually reminded of the fact that no, things are not better…they are just as I believe them to be (discriminatory, harsh, unforgiving, destructive, racist, etc).

I’ve digressed from the point of this post… the point is that there are unofficial caste systems all around the world (even here in America). And I wanted to shed light on one of them – Mexico. Check out the link below. It is from globalpost.com and and talks about some of the injustices in Mexico faced by the black and indigenous community. The article specifically highlights 3 YouTube videos that have gone viral showcasing the upper “white” class of Mexicans berating other Mexicans. It seems that with money, people believe they can treat others without it anyway they want. The sad reality is, this is mostly true. The saying Money, Power, Respect isn’t just a moniker used in rap songs. This is tried and tested in the workings of government and policy. Money buys you the power (over people, power to buy government [hello, this is EXACTLY what lobbyists are]). Money buys you the respect (albeit respect garnered in fear of repercussions). Money is the highest caste system of all.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/mexico/120309/social-gaps-on-youtube

notjustmythoughts

Welcome to Life?

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An exerpt from the article on: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/michelle-ugenti-arizona-rep-justifies-tuition-hike_n_1304731.html

“An Arizona House committee passed a bill last week that would require every student at a public college in the state, regardless of economic status, to pay a minimum of $2,000 in tuition.
As Think Progress noted, nearly 100 Arizona students attended the committee hearing to speak out against the bill, HB 2675, expressing concern that it would make it more difficult for many students to afford college. Rep. Michelle Ugenti (R-Scottsdale) responded bluntly in favor of the new measure: ‘Welcome to life.’”

I read this article a day after reading an article in TIME Magazine’s latest issue regarding Latinos (in Arizona) potentially “electing” president. (proper sourcing to come) In this article TIME was detailing the potential force behind the Latino vote and this potential is greatest in states like Arizona. Arizona is largely a Republican State with an abundance in the Latino population. The population of Latinos here feel they are Republicans on paper but that the Republicans don’t want them (their vote) and that they aren’t Democrats on paper, but that the Democrats do want them (this is a paraphrase of a statement by a Latino community member in Arizona).

Now, I’m not a political person. I vote yes. I believe it is important. If I want to voice my opinions well I better cast my ballot vote… so of course I follow things going on politically, but I don’t consider myself to be a largely political person. (Though I admit from my blog people often consider me political. But to me, this is just human nature. It goes beyond politics… it’s.. well this is something that should be ingrained in every human…I talk about things that are rights and equality based and that shouldn’t be political. It shouldn’t be up to a Republican or Democrat…it should…well it should just be.)

I digressed… now after reading the article in TIME and reading the article from Huffington Post I think to myself… well isn’t this pushing the Latino voter further to the fringes? The statement, “welcome to life” was made by a Republican representative. These are the sort of things that push people away. I won’t openly admit if I am Democratic or Republican because to be honest I don’t believe I fit neatly into either box. The vote should be based on who is the better person for the job, not necessarily by party. BUT what I will say is, if the Republicans are out-casting a HUGE number of voters it sure doesn’t look good for them.

Furthermore, on the equality side…really, welcome to life? Who says that, besides a mother to a child? The fact of the matter is $2000 a semester is unaffordable for some people and yet people believe there is equal opportunity for everyone. What gets me is, sure the opportunity is there, but how could it be equal when it’s out of the reach of many people?

notjustmythoughts.

“Illegals” Pt 2

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And so the (mis)treatment continues…

While the president considers having a foriegn leader come into our country for care…this is what happens to those already here.

http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/01/immigrant_whos_disabled_after_work_accident_dies_after_deportation.html

Please read this article from colorlines.

notjustmythoughts

Illegal

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Just had my mind blown….

First, let me say that I know meanings of words change over a period of time, but this one… OH HELL NO, this is just ANOTHER racist tactic imbedded in society.

So the word illegal, in the English language, originally refered to inanimate objects and actions… now it [also] refers to a group of humans (illegal immigrants), thus dehumanizing this group of people. When in fact, they are not illegal… their actions, which got them into the country were illegal, but they are not. They are undocumented. How can you be an illegal human… somehow counterfeit or not real? 

How did this one slip right by me?! I vow to never use the words illegal and immigrant in relation to one another.

Let’s start a movement and give back the human quality these immigrants possess.

Please tell me, notjustmythoughts.

Loopholes and roundabout tactics

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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/nyregion/new-york-developers-take-advantage-of-financing-for-visas-program.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp

Have you read this article in the NY Times? It SCREAMS shadiness if you ask me… This seems like bribery in so many ways. How can you take $500,000 (legally) from a foriegn investor to guarentee them a 2 year visa?? AND THEN on top of that, how can you rezone an area just to say that it is in a needy section of NY when in fact it is not? This is allowed?!?!?!?!?!

Come on people!!!! These aren’t..they can’t be…no notjustmythoughts

Racism Manifests

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check out this article. It’s from 2005, but really, not much is different: http://blackcommentator.com/131/131_guest_black_struggle.html

Personally, I very much believe this (racism manifests) is real. I am Latina, but face a lot of the same fates. The racism I have faced is not in the form of Jim Crow or the ‘new’ immigration laws of Arizona or Alabama (yes I liken these to Jim Crow), but I have faced it. Here are some way’s I have seen it manifest…

I have never gotten a job where I went on the interview with my curly hair. In fact, I was turned down for the position and one year later was called back to work with this person’s associate. I wore my hair straight for that interview and got the job. Seeing the person who turned me down – well they “didn’t recognize [me] with straight hair.”

Whether my hair is curly or straight I often hear, “your black right?” I am not offended. Black (and every other race/ethnicity) is beautiful, but really? Why, I always ask. I have never received a reply. I believe this is a racist statement because my hair is on the verge of kinky.

People refer to all seemingly immigrant Hispanics as Mexicans.

On the note of Mexicans: the Coto/Margarito fight, someone commented about Margarito, “get him, he’s a damn illegal.” In fact, Margarito was born in California – though of Mexican decent. I sharply turned around with a scathing look and accused this person of being racist. He denied it of course. I told him how he was racist (by making such a comment of being illegal just because the person is Mexican) and realizing he was in a room full of Hispanics back tracked his statement. I did not speak to him again. 

Let’s not (or maybe we should) get started on the news. This is the GREAST racist tactic of all. Blacks and Latinos don’t grace the front page of the paper – they are mug shot there. What I mean, never the story of positive only a negative will be on the front page if they are Latino or Black… unless of course they are athletes…

I guess that’s all we are good for eh? crime, violence, or sports.

We have Obama you might say… well people have been hanging that man to dry since the day he was announced president.

I have tons more examples, these were just the first to escape my finger tips. The article I included really resonated with me because of the words “racism manifests.” I’ve been thinking about it a lot.

These can’t be, no… notjustmythoughts…share yours…

HB 56

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http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/news/watch-rock-center-special-report-crisis-alabama

Must see video. I can understand the concerns over immigrant workers, but at the same time, there are benefits to immigrant workers. Small family owned business depend on the help they get from these workers. The danger they pose to the economy NOT being arround surpasses the pros.

I know these are notjustmythoughts.