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.

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address



Erecting a Fence to Block the Path to Citizenship

According to NPR news correspondent Hansi Lo Wang “[t]here are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.” This is a clear indication that the current path to citizenship is not working. With the two most powerful political parties in congress at a stalemate, the probability of them working together to reach an agreement on an effective solution to this issue seems highly improbable, but not impossible.  While some Key figures refuse to acknowledge a rightful path to citizenship, others, like Marco Rubio and Senator John Mccain, have already taken steps to come up with a viable solution to the so called “illegal" immigration problem the U.S. faces. Nevertheless, it is of great demise that their future “solution to illegal immigration” is riddled with defects and controversy that will inevitably result in same outcome as the botched Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

The current path to citizenship is extremely flawed to say the least. It is rather obvious that there is something wrong with the current path to immigration as there is likely to be more than 11 million undocumented immigrants residing in United States. Not only does this mean that the current path to immigration is a failure, but also that the billions of dollars invested in border-control have gone to waste. Although border defense is necessary to ensure the safety and well-Being of the United States and its citizens, the manner in which U.S.  goes about paying for border security is too expensive and inefficient as they hire contractors that will overcharge for their services. The only answer would be to find a rightful path to citizenship, but there are some who deter the notion altogether.

Republican Senator Jed Bush has indicated that he is against any form of the sense citing the outcome of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. But what Jed Bush does not realize that the IRCA of 1986 was also entailed with complications. According to, the IRCA of 1986 required undocumented immigrants in the United States. Although their idea of a rightful path to citizenship might be flawed, some republicans have already taking steps to try and solve this issue.

The United States Senator for Marco Rubio from Florida, Senior United States Senator John McCain from Arizona, have announced plans Republicans immigration “bill would require illegal immigrants to register with Homeland Security Department authorities, file federal income taxes for their time in America and pay a still-to-be-determined fine. They also must have a clean law enforcement record….Once granted probationary legal status, immigrants would be allowed to work but would be barred from receiving federal public benefits, including food stamps, family cash assistance, Medicaid and unemployment insurance.”

Contact: Jose Torres
Phone: (559) 487-9090
March 6, 2013

 Plans to Raise Minimum Wage In 2013

March 6, 2013: Obama, as well as other democrats, announced their plan to raise the minimum wage in early February, but are now finally taking steps to make it a reality. Obama plans to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00. Some believe that this would actually hurt those with low paying jobs, while others believe that it is necessary to raise minimum wage in order to reach economic prosperity.

Those who are against raising minimum wage argue that raising the current minimum wage pay would be detrimental to those with low paying jobs. Raising the minimum wage pay would entice people who wouldn’t normally be working to join the work force. One example of this is high school students; instead of being in school pursing their education, the idea of higher minimum would sound appealing to some high school therefore enticing them to drop out and join the work force. In other words, this would create more competition amongst those who are searching for work and in low paying jobs. Also, the rise in minimum wage would cause prices of products to fluctuate and eventually rise. The rise in prices will eventually hurt those the plan is trying to help.

On the contrary, proponents of this plan claim that raising the minimum wage is necessary not only to allow the economy to prosper but would give those with low paying jobs a fair pay.

About Me

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! My name is Jose Torres and I am a Business Management Major at California State University, Northridge. My ultimate goal is to own and manage a business. I enjoy running, biking, and swimming. My interests have lured me into the world of triathlon competitions and I hope to one day compete in one.