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December 12, 2007
O pinion
Opinion articles do not
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Convenient Memory Loss Immigrants are not the problem with America
in M. L inda J aramillo
I hear story alter story about
communities across the country
being torn apart by fierce debates
over immigration. I read speech
after speech delivered by political
leaders adding inflammatory re
marks to an already hostile social
environment. In all the fear-pro
ducing outcries, immigrants are
named as the problem with America.
One such place is the State of Okla
homa.
What mystifies me about all this
is our apparent memory loss. I am
confused by our patriotic cries that
raise the American (lag and the
Statue of Liberty as the icons of our
culture. Yet, we seem to have for
gotten that the 13 stripes on the flag
represent the original colonies
made up of rebellious and coura
geous immigrants coming to this
land to make a better life. We have
forgotten that the Statue of Liberty information about the real history.
is called a symbol of freedom and Never did I see people in those
opportunity, inscribed with these books who looked like me, even
words, "Give me your tired, your though my ancestors had been on
poor, your huddled masses yearn the land for centuries before the
ing to breathe free....” We have United States expanded and cre
forgotten that most of the Ameri ated states like Colorado, Arizona,
can W est was
Mexico not very
long ago. Most
alarming is that we
ignore that this
land first belonged
to In d ig en o us
peoples who have
been set aside.
This memory
loss reminds me of my history les
sons in public schools over a half-
century ago. As an eighth grader,
I was required to take Colorado Texas, Nevada. Oregon. Washing
History. The problem with the ton. Idaho, California, New Mexico
Colorado History class was that and Oklahoma.
The school books only told sto-
the textbooks left out significant
ries about those who traveled west
on wagon trains - courageous and
rebellious immigrants in search of a
better life. It seems that the authors
of the history textbooks had lost
their memory too.
Now, our memory loss is show
on assum ptions that have no
proven foundation. Legislators and
the Governor endorsed a bill that
blames "illegal” immigrants for the
economic woes and lawlessness in
the stale. Where is the data that
proves that “illegal” immigrants are
committing crime at a
higher rate? Where is
the data that verifies
that "illegal” immigrants
are draining public re
sources? This bill is not
about data, it is about a
loss of memory that has
rendered people invis
ible in the history books •
and in today’s stories.
What is even more
ridiculous is that the
State of Oklahoma claims that this
law will be enforced without dis
crimination. It reads, "The provi
sions of this section shall be en
Oklahoma is but an example
o f bigoted public policies
being considered in many
statehouses in this nation.
ing up in hateful state legislation
that strips people’s dignity and their
basic humay rights. Oklahoma en
acted a law this month that is based
forced without regard to race, reli
gion, gender, ethnicity, or national
origin.” Let’s not kids ourselves:
this law is all about discrimination.
Oklahoma is but an example of big
oted public policies being consid
ered in many statehouses in this
nation.
Hispanic Oklahomans are leav
ing the state in droves out of fear.
Many of them are not recent immi
grants; they have been there for
generations. Native Americans in
Oklahoma are being mistaken for
Hispanics and targeted for depor
tation.
On the heels of the Thanksgiv
ing celebration, we seemed to have
forgotten the truth about our his
tory. W e’ve had a convenient loss
of memory.
M. Linda Jaramillo is the execu
tive minister o f Justice Ministries
fo r the United Church o f Christ.
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Politicians Ignore New Orleans Again
Loses out on debates, national spotlight
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Four cities have been
chosen to host the 2(X)8
p re sid e n tia l and vice
presidential debates. New
Orleans, one of 16 final
ists, didn't make the final
cut. City officials were told
it was because the city, devastated
by Hurricane Katrina two yearsago.
wasn’t ready to host such a large-
scale event.
Interesting, considering New
Orleans held Mardi Gras celebra
tions just six months after the storm
and has attracted numerous con
ventions and conferences, many of
which bring hundreds of thousands
of people into the city. Critics of the
commission say New Orleans was
omitted from the final list because
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politicians don't want to
remind the world that the
g o v ern m en t failed the
people of New Orleans.
In the days, months and
weeks following Hurricane
Katrina, the world watched
the intersection between race and
poverty and to unveil plans de
signed to adequately address the
issue.
Instead, the commission used
unfounded complaints to say ‘no’
to New Orleans.
New Orleans would have given
the candidates an opportunity to
examine the intersection
between race and poverty.
as the American government failed
to address the needs of the people
of New Orleans. The storm-ravaged
city became a perfect case study of
the country’s inability to address
issues of race and poverty. Prom
ises were made to help rebuild the
city. But, as the media and the gov
ernment moved on to the next hot
topic, those promises were forgot
ten.
The current presidential candi
dates are not doing much to bring
attention to New Orleans either. Sure
Democrat John Edwards launched
his campaign there. But the issues
that New Orleans shed light on -
economic oppression, governmen
tal neglect of p<x>r people of color
and more - aren’t as prevalent in the
discussions as, say, health care or
ending the war in Iraq.
And we can’t just Name the Re
publicans: One of the co-ehairs of
the committee responsible for se
lecting the debate sites, Paul G. Kirk
Jr., is a Democrat. The other. Frank J.
Fahrenkopf Jr., is a Republican.
Hosting the debates in New O r
leans would have given the candi
dates an opportunity to examine
America needs to remember how
the government failed New Orleans.
If the story isn’t told often, the
lesson won’t be learned.
The presidential debates would
have once again shined a much
needed light on the city and would
have exposed the bureaucracy and
red tape residents wanting to rebuild
must struggle with. Instead, New
Orleans is once again tossed to the
side. And so loo are the many p<x>r
people of color all around the coun
try who saw their stories reflected in
those of the hurricane's victims.
An opportunity for growth and
change has been missed.
All we can hope for now is that
the candidates do what the debate
commission was t<x, cowardly to
do: Go to New Orleans, talk to the
residents, learn w hat's really going
on and begin to formulate plans to
make sure what happened in New
Orleans in 2(X)5 never happens
again.
Judge Greg Mathis is national
vice president o f Rainbow PUSH
and a national board member o f
the Southern Christian leadership
Conference.