Speech: SB 1070

Is it possible to identify an undocumented immigrant based on their looks? What are, if any, the physical characteristics of an undocumented immigrant? There are none right? We live in such a diverse society that it is almost impossible to tell who is and who isn’t a citizen. If one were to assume that a person was an undocumented immigrant that would be considered discrimination and racial profiling. We can all agree that discrimination is wrong? right? Well it seems that Arizona legislators don’t share this same notion as they have enacted a law that allows law enforcement to racially profile Latinos. The law is ultimately known as SB 1070.

Immigration in the United States will always be a big issue, so it is important to be informed about flawed bills and Laws like to SB 1070.

           

I have family in Arizona who are still coping with the change SB 1070 has ensued in their community. They have given me insight that I can hopefully share with you all today.

SB 1070 need to be stopped as it is a form of social injustice and a form of institutionalized racism.

I will begin by telling you why Arizona SB 1070 is so flawed, then I will be giving you information about different organizations that seek to end SB 1070, and the different outcomes SB 1070 can have on the Latino community.

Arizona SB 1070 is extremely flawed as it allows law enforcement to detain those who they think fit the description of an undocumented immigrant. What exactly are they looking for? I’ll show you (show your own physical features). We know this to be true as Arizona is situated on the border of Mexico. This racial profiling diminishes trust between law enforcement and the Latino community as are allowed to detain citizens and noncitizens. It is also worth mentioning that some of the most influential supporters of this law are more interested in making a profit instead of immigration reform.

In the New York Times article “Racial Profiling in Arizona,” Author Nicholas Riccardi tells of how Magos was racially profiled for being Latino. In the Article Magos stated that,"I lost respect for the sheriff's office, for his deputies…. He changed my view of myself. I always felt American, no hyphenation.” After that incident, He claims that he now puts the hyphen in his name.

It seems that my cousins in Tucson, Arizona have the same views toward the state and its law enforcement as they have witnessed families being torn apart because the parents were undocumented, and even seen crying children in parking lots waiting to be picked up as the police take their parents away.

It is also very interesting that private prison systems lobbied $2 million to help the enactment of SB 1070.

According to Sean Tipton, Author of “Column: Prison-Industrial Complex connection to immigration,” “Private prisons, most notably the Corrections Corporation of America, have started making shocking amounts of money by detaining undocumented  immigrants with contracts from the government.” (Tipton)

Keep in mind that these people have not committed any sort of crime. Yet, they are thrown in prison with convicted felons and subjected to the same treatment. We should not support a law in which private sectors are in stand to make money.

Repealing this law is the only solution.

It may seem that there is nothing we can do to stop SB 1070 since we live in California, but there is.

There are many different organizations whose main goal of stopping SB 1070 can be met with the help of all of you.

Organizations like Alto Arizona whose main goals are urging the president to “Reassert the federal government's exclusive control over immigration law by making it clear that state and local police do not have the inherent authority to enforce immigration law while also directing the Department of Homeland Security to refuse to take custody of anyone charged with violating provisions of SB 1070.”(altoarizona.com)

Another organization that seeks to end SB 1070 is the Puente Movement in Arizona.“They are a global movement for migrant justice and human rights.” (peuntemovement.com)

It is evident that organizations like Alto Arizona and the Puente Movement have worked in the past. Just look at the Women’s Suffrage Movement that paved the way for women rights.(historychannel.com) Or even the abolitionist movement which ended slavery in America.(Forret and Garraty)

Alto Arizona and the Puente Movement are completely legitimate organizations who have shown their commitment to eliminating SB 1070 by holding free concerts to raise awareness about SB 1070 and suing the state for enacting such a veil law. You can even check them out on their websites AltoArizona.com and Puentemovement.com. But without your help, I am afraid the ramifications of this law will be dire.

With accordance to the U.S. census of 2010, a little under 30% of Arizona’s population are latino(census), SB 1070 needs to be stopped or it will cause more resentment in eyes Latinos as the Law seeks to racially profile those who look Latino.

 If SB 1070 does get repealed then and only then can we salvage the image of a free and non-racist America.

Once again, I was able to inform about Arizona SB 1070 and why it was flawed, ways on how you can show your opposition, and finally the future outcomes if the SB 1070 stays where it is today.

This law can be repealed with your help.

I encourage all of you to donate money to Alto Arizona or the Puente Movement to help stop SB 1070. You can even buy anti SB 1070 merchandise from their websites. Remember, this social injustice in plummeting American Society back to racist America. With your help we can steer it in the right direction. Thank you.