Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2016)
13-19, 2016 E d it o r ia l Anti-immigration proposals unworthy of Oregon Page Write in if you would like to have ate speech has always been a part of citizenry, it’s an issue of voter suppression. our public discourse, but this year it And it vilifies immigrants as culprits in a seems to swell with added oomph, virtually nonexistent crime. energized by a foul whiff of validation from But perhaps the most nefarious measure our national electoral debates. is the one requiring all businesses to use the I t gets tempered for the more liberal federal program E-Verify to determine a and dog-whistled worker’s employment eligibility. It’s basically H EDITORIAL a massive list of every eligible worker in the “ ' b u tit's United States, along with their personal This year, as in information, such as Social Security number, years past, immigration address, work history, etc. Run by the is the boogeyman of choice. federal government, it’s a bureaucratic Oregon is no exception when it comes to behemoth and a hacker’s wet dream the rash of efforts to freeze out immigrants, Moreover, E-Verify is a cumbersome particularly those who are undocumented - program that would be a burden on small which is a lowly civil offense, by businesses. And with its the way; not a crime. reported rate of error, it could There are three such be a devastating obstacle for an initiatives trying to make their "These proposals otherwise eligible worker if their way toward the November name comes up as a are the latest ballot They span voting rights, attempts to use “nonconfirmation.” employment opportunities and Regardless, an additional hoop government communications. the politics of won’t mean anything for the ' You will probably be hearing hate and fear businesses already not following more about them on the streets mongering to pit laws and hiring undocumented of Portland as the petition workers. Oregonian season ramps up. Across the state, organizations against While anti-immigrant have come together to speak out Oregonian." measures are unlikely to pass against these measures, in Multnomah County, if they ? - D A V iO R O G E R S including the American Civil make it to the ballot they will E X E C U T IV E D IR E C T O R Liberties Union of Oregon. QF A C LU OF O REGO N be voted on by all Oregonians. X In 2014, Oregon voters killed Measure 88, with 66 percent voting to deny undocumented immigrants drivers licenses. Listen carefully to what the pitch is really about. Let’s start with the issue of ;. communication. One initiative proposal would allow Oregon governments to use only English in thèir communications. Currently there are local, state and federal requirements surrounding language usage by government. We live in a vibrant multi national city, made all the better for its mix of cultures and diversity, and language is one of the purest forms of culture. Learning a new one can take years. This language proposal addresses n a problem. Rather it is designed to shut out people from civic affairs. It seeks to foster division, confusion and alienation among Oregonians. But they probably won’t say that when they ask for your signature. Equally nonsensical is an initiative proposal to make voters prove their citizenship before casting their ballots, with the idea of preventing voter fraud. It’s well documented that what voter fraud actually does exist isn’t being perpetrated by individuals - the voters - but by people in power. Voters hàve been purged from the rolls wholesale in recent elections,most recently in Brooklyn, where hundreds had their votes dropped from the count This initiative isn’t just an issue of “These proposals are the latest attempts to use the politics of hate and fear m ongering to pi t Oregonian again s t Oregonian,” said David Rogers, executive director of ACLU of Oregon. Our cover story features the people who are getting their U.S. citizenship - many after decades of living and working in the United States. There are many reasons for : the delay, but this year, they’re seeing ’ another reason to push forward. Instead of being frozen out, they are working to use politics against fear. One out of 10 Oregonians are foreign-born immigrants, and more than one-third of them are already naturalized citizens, according to the American Immigration Council. Like any selection of our population they are an economic powerhouse with billions of dollars worth of consumer muscle and business enterprise. Let’s stop treating people - friends, neighbors and coworkers - like they are the enemy. That goes for people who are in poverty, for people who are struggling, for people who are breaking the molds and challenging the status quo. “Embracing the values on inclusivity and diversity are an essential ingredient to ensuring Oregon can thrive,” said Rogers. We all know this. So let’s dispense with the anti-immigration platform. It is, after all, fundamentally anti-American. Poverty / / \ 'Z— — —\ something that you’ve written published / \ in ourpages, o r would like to get involved a s a / / " member of our reporting staff, contact Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl at 503-228-5657, ioanne@streetroots.org. We ask that all submissions include the author’s name and contact information, if available. Street Roots 211 N W Davis S t Portland, O R 97209 503-228-5657 Fax:503-227-3117 www.streetraots.org www.news.streetroots.org Hours: 7:30 a.m .-3 p.m. M on,-Fri„ 7:30 a.m .-2 p,m. Sat. and 7:30-11 a.m. Sun, Advertising interested in advertising in Street Roots? Contact Israel Bayer at israei@streetroots.org Staff Executive D ire cto r Israel Bayer israeK§fetTeetroots.org Managing Editor Joanne 2uH joanne@streetrools.org Vender Program Director Cole Merkel cole@streetroots.org Operations D irector Sarah Beecroft Development Director Sarah Cloud Program A ssistant Scott Jackson, Jesuit Volunteer Development Assistant Arm-Derrick GàillOt Reporters Emily Green, Suzanne Zafokar, Ann-Derrick Gaiilot, Sarah Hansell, Leonora Ko, Jared Rsben, Amanda W aldroupe Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Giode, Ben Brink Editorial Assistant Monica Kwasnik Canvasser Desmond Hardison Board of Directors Chairman Brad Taylor Vice-Chairman Rachel Langford Treasurer Heather Stadick Secretary Amber Bielman j Directors Bruce Anderson, Rith Rodgers, Michael Anderson, Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon, Marcus Swift Volunteers Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Stephanie Hoium, Anjaii Rathore, Zoe Klingmann, Haven Herrin, Dan Jones, Rob Shyrock, Dennis Hogan, Tom Wright, Eileen Deerdock, Vince Waldman, Judy Taylor, Karen Alien, Monica McKune, Susan Wolfe, Lucas Hawthorne, Thomas'Buell Jr., Jeanie Lunsford, Yasmin Amirsoleymani, Jason Cohen, Tom Ray, Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamala, Jon Raymond, Hilary Smith, Diana Richardson, Cherie Manning If you are interested in volunteering with Street Roots, please submit a volunteer application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Or call our volunteer coordinator for more information at 503-228-5657.
