Immigration fight could pit black against brown
8:32 AM on 04/26/2010
Victor Magill, 15, of Phoenix, paints a sign in protest of immigration bill SB1070 Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Capitol in Phoenix a day after Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill into law.
Sometimes you find the greatest wisdom from the most unlikely sources. Years ago, I was getting my hair cut by a barber who considered himself to be the expert on all things socio-political. His sensitivity to the issues became especially heightened when I came in for a visit, since he knew that I had a bit of a platform to share my ideas. On the topic of immigration, he cited the manner by which many Americans describe immigrants, especially undocumented residents from Mexico. Many Americans, in jokes and emails, describe Hispanic immigrants as uncivilized, odd, and even less than human. The barber summed it up nicely when he said, "They've become the new niggers of America."
I agreed with his wisdom, especially since he cut my hair for free. What is sadly true in America is that our nation's reaction to those who are different from our selves is one that is laced with fear, snobbery and malevolent intent. That is the foundation of the new immigration law in Arizona.
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