[col. writ. 4/10/13] © ’13 Mumia Abu-Jamal
The issue of immigration is boiling hot in America.
Every potential presidential candidate has an opinion; and, if necessary, will find another one if s/he thinks it can get him/her a few more Latino votes.
But, ultimately, too many politicians are locked into US fear and hatred of Mexicans – so the issue is in a stalemate.
It is ironic that most Americans are the children or the grandchildren of immigrants (except, of course, Native-Americans and African-Americans), so why the opposition?
In a way, that’s not a fair question; for Americans aren’t opposed to all immigration. If people are from, say, England, Ireland, Germany – or Canada – their comings and goings raises little dust.
But Mexico – not Mexico!
Why? Because Mexico is seen as a non-white nation. Because their primary language is Spanish, and because they threaten America’s mad Aryan dream of whiteness.
Period.
For this to quiet these uneasy demons, the US government has raided and removed more Mexicans than almost any modern-day administration.
The late, great writer James Baldwin wrote years ago, “This world is white no longer and it will never be white again.” He might have said the same thing about America.
Whenever any American politician speaks today, they speak of “free trade.” It matters little which corporate party he/she belongs to.
The people here in Mexico – and in the US – should raise a new demand – “free travel!”
We should demand an end to this great deportation machine, that cruel action which splits families asunder; “free travel is a human right!”
Indeed, our brothers and sisters in Mexico have made precisely this demand by saying:
Libre transito a personas migrantes, sus familias y comunidades, a traves de la eliminacion de visas o la implementacion de una visa transmigrante lationamericana.
Or:
Free transit for migrants, their families, and communities, by eliminating visa requirements or implementing a transit visa system for Latin American migrants in Mexican territory.
That’s one of the demands of Red Accion Migrante. For more information, contact.
Accionmigrante.org.
–© ’13 maj