Through their behaviour these politicians have also reminded us how immigration is global issue.
The United States of America have a major documentation crisis much like here in South Africa; in their case they have an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. Many of these immigrants have lived in America for over 5 years; some have even lived in the USA for over 20 years without being able to legalise their stay. This has been a problem President Obama has undertaken to deal with. Although this issue is still unresolved the State of Arizona last week passed the toughest immigration law in the USA, the Senate Bill (SB) 1070.
In the bill (and in the USA) the legal term used for immigrants is alien and undocumented immigrants are termed illegal- aliens. Before addressing the new law we must consider this term. That a country claiming to be respectful of human rights calls people such terrible names is deplorable. These terms are derogatory and an attack on human dignity. The United States of America, itself, is a land almost entirely populated by immigrants, have they forgotten there history? It is time that they deal with this inappropriate term. It is hardly suitable for a country with a history of slavery to name economically disempowered immigrants, aliens. For how long will the USA allow their leaders to ignore common decency and fuel discrimination by open use of these degrading and insulting terms?
The Senate Bill 1070, which has just been passed allows any person who looks like an immigrant to be arrested if they are not carrying their documentation. Police will now racially profile people, perpetuating racism in a country where it is still a social nightmare. It also allows fines against anyone transporting undocumented immigrants of US$1000 for each illegal alien being transported, basically forcing citizens to demand documents before offering anyone a lift, creating a population full of spies. In my view this clampdown by the state of Arizona is a racist and ungodly witch-hunt.
It is also an attack on immigrant rights globally, bringing treatment of immigrants in one of the most powerful and richest countries of world down to an unacceptable level. For this reason Africans, immigrants and all people across the world should voice their disappointment at the USA and the State of Arizona.
History has shown that there is an uncontrollable hate that is created when communities are led to believe that immigrants are stealing jobs, that they are criminals, they are aliens, that they are illegal, they are dispensable and that they have no rights. In South Africa we have seen how this hate (the accumulated frustration from all the communitys social and economic problems targeted at immigrants) leads to bloodshed.
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Braam Hanekom
Post published in: Politics