McClatchy Tribune
Members of the Central Valley took part in a meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon last week to discuss a number of issues including Arizona’s newly passed immigration law, Senate Bill 1070.
The meeting is a biannual event that involves the president meeting with members of Institute for Mexicans Abroad.
While the meeting was meant to discuss a variety of issues, Alfredo Cuellar, an associate professor at the Kremen School of Education and Human Development who attended the meeting, said Arizona’s immigration law took up a majority of the four-hour meeting.
“It was an overwhelming topic,” Cuellar said.
Cuellar said the members and the president came up with a plan condemning the state of Arizona. Part of this plan includes boycotting Arizona’s professional sports teams and US Airways, which is based out of Tempe, Arizona.
The meeting also came up with a plan that was aimed at Arizona’s political leaders.
“We are actively talking to leaders to turn their backs against the governor in the next election,” Cuellar said. “We are encouraging Mexicans to leave the state, calling to stop tourism.”
Cuellar said that while Arizona is the main point of concern, there are currently seven other states that are considering similar laws.
“Arizona was just in the right place at the right time,” Cuellar said. “This is very devastating news.”
Cuellar said President Calderon wants to take a very active role in working against the law. He said that while this law will trigger more support for a comprehensive immigration reform, Calderon has been waiting for President Obama to do just that since he took office.
“The president of Mexico gave a very strong message condemning this notion,” Cuellar said. “He cannot cross his arms and just wait for that.”
Jose Antonio Ramirez, city manager for the city of Firebaugh, was another member who attended the meeting with the president.
Ramirez said he has been following the different phases of the law. He said he was shocked when it was considered, and even more shocked when the governor signed it into law.
“I don’t care what race you are,” Ramirez said. “I don’t have to be Mexican to say ‘you can’t do that.’”
Ramirez and Cuellar both expressed how participants in the meeting acknowledged that much of Arizona’s history is rich in Mexican culture.
“It’s been built on immigrant labor,” Ramirez said. “They think ‘they have weak minds and strong backs.’”
Carlos Perez, associate professor for the Department of Chicano and Latin American Studies, referenced to past events that have been discriminatory to Mexicans.
“Remember that Mexicans and their U.S. citizen children were also hounded by U.S. authorities during the massive deportations of the 1930s,” Perez said. “These deportations stemmed from anti-Mexican immigrant sentiment during the 1920s and the Great Depression turned these sentiments into actions.”
Like Cuellar, Perez knows that this could push other states to pass similar laws, but that there are also a lot of people in Arizona that oppose the law.
The emotions and outcry against the law can even be heard on the Fresno State campus.
Jordan Fowler, the former president of United Fresno State, said there is a need for students and local citizens to speak out against laws even if they are not directly affected by them.
“I think that it is important for Fresno State students to stand up for what they believe in,” Fowler said. “Although it may not affect us directly, it may have repercussions on international relations between America and Mexico in the future.”
She also acknowledged that these laws can create issues that can affect people locally.
“Fresno State has a large Mexican demographic as well, so issues that affect Mexican immigrants may be affecting students indirectly through family members and friends,” Fowler said.
Anonymous • May 10, 2010 at 9:06 pm
In the interests of American safety and protection, lawmakers must unleash the Nation Guard to help the undermanned US Border Patrol. Around this great country every state is inundated with the criminal mentality from South of the border or impoverished global nations. If the federal government, will not follow the law, then there shouldn’t be any restrictions on state governments passing laws on behalf of their residents. Whether its Arizona, Michigan, Utah of any other state, we “THE PEOPLE” should be protected from this illegal alien occupancy? As for public opinion? On anything to do with illegal alien plague, is to find what the people want by popular vote or a “Referendum.”?
NumbersUSA reports that for every $1 illegal aliens contribute to Social Security, they withdraw $10 in other government benefits.
Less than 2 percent of illegals are picking our crops, but 29 percent are on welfare. Over 70 percent of the U.S. annual population growth (and over 90 percent of California, Florida and New York) results from immigration. And up to 29 percent of inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens. Illegal aliens represent a group that is a significant menace to the public. Eighty percent have committed serious crimes in addition to immigration violations, and 40 percent have violent crime histories.
Tax payments in illegal households are only 28 percent of other households primarily due to much lower levels in education, which subsequently results in low incomes and even lower tax payments, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
The total cost of illegal immigration to Los Angeles County taxpayers alone exceeded $1 billion in 2008, according to a study by County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Approximately $200 million is spent on public safety, $400 million for health care and $450 million to welfare and food stamps.
You broke the laws of this sovereign nation–YOUR A CRIMINAL. either by entering America illegally or being involved the higher criminal activities as murder, drug smuggling to child predators and everything in between. There is no excuse for stealing into America, stealing American jobs or using fraudulent documents to access billions of dollars in food stamps to lower income housing. Our government must take full blame for not enforcing the border. NOT BUILDING THE TWO FENCES–according to the Secure Border Act 2006. Nor does years of neglect from disrespecting the U.S. Constitution as indicated in Article IV, Section 4. ” The United States shall protect each of the states from invasion,” Well we have been invaded by between 20 and 30 million illegal foreigners and our government has done absolutely–NOTHING!
Now because Arizona has finally had enough and enacted their own strict immigration laws, Bleeding hearts and Liberal lawmakers hiding under Democratic aprons are screaming racism and racial profiling. I’m sick of being “politically correct” because its put this country in imminent danger from crazies living in fanatical religious countries. When our own politicians don’t stand for the “rule of Law” we are heading towards the same corruption as the country South of the border. Go there and see how long you would last crossing from Guatemala. Pay the man to turn the other way–rot in prison or just vanish. Tell your politicians you want the–REAL–“two” border fences topped with razor wire, with the National Guard as enforcement to the US Border Patrol. Demand they follow the “Rule of Law” People who comment should stand up to the plate and bombard their federal lawmakers at 202-224-3121 and don’t forget your state legislators, including pathetic Governors and Mayors. Any Pro-Amnesty Representative such as Sen. Harry Reid must be removed from office, beginning in the Primaries–but watch for illegal immigrant voting?
Brittanicus • May 10, 2010 at 1:06 pm
In the interests of American safety and protection, lawmakers must unleash the Nation Guard to help the undermanned US Border Patrol. Around this great country every state is inundated with the criminal mentality from South of the border or impoverished global nations. If the federal government, will not follow the law, then there shouldn't be any restrictions on state governments passing laws on behalf of their residents. Whether its Arizona, Michigan, Utah of any other state, we “THE PEOPLE” should be protected from this illegal alien occupancy? As for public opinion? On anything to do with illegal alien plague, is to find what the people want by popular vote or a “Referendum.”?
NumbersUSA reports that for every $1 illegal aliens contribute to Social Security, they withdraw $10 in other government benefits.
Less than 2 percent of illegals are picking our crops, but 29 percent are on welfare. Over 70 percent of the U.S. annual population growth (and over 90 percent of California, Florida and New York) results from immigration. And up to 29 percent of inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens. Illegal aliens represent a group that is a significant menace to the public. Eighty percent have committed serious crimes in addition to immigration violations, and 40 percent have violent crime histories.
Tax payments in illegal households are only 28 percent of other households primarily due to much lower levels in education, which subsequently results in low incomes and even lower tax payments, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
The total cost of illegal immigration to Los Angeles County taxpayers alone exceeded $1 billion in 2008, according to a study by County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Approximately $200 million is spent on public safety, $400 million for health care and $450 million to welfare and food stamps.
You broke the laws of this sovereign nation–YOUR A CRIMINAL. either by entering America illegally or being involved the higher criminal activities as murder, drug smuggling to child predators and everything in between. There is no excuse for stealing into America, stealing American jobs or using fraudulent documents to access billions of dollars in food stamps to lower income housing. Our government must take full blame for not enforcing the border. NOT BUILDING THE TWO FENCES–according to the Secure Border Act 2006. Nor does years of neglect from disrespecting the U.S. Constitution as indicated in Article IV, Section 4. ” The United States shall protect each of the states from invasion,” Well we have been invaded by between 20 and 30 million illegal foreigners and our government has done absolutely–NOTHING!
Now because Arizona has finally had enough and enacted their own strict immigration laws, Bleeding hearts and Liberal lawmakers hiding under Democratic aprons are screaming racism and racial profiling. I'm sick of being “politically correct” because its put this country in imminent danger from crazies living in fanatical religious countries. When our own politicians don't stand for the “rule of Law” we are heading towards the same corruption as the country South of the border. Go there and see how long you would last crossing from Guatemala. Pay the man to turn the other way–rot in prison or just vanish. Tell your politicians you want the–REAL–“two” border fences topped with razor wire, with the National Guard as enforcement to the US Border Patrol. Demand they follow the “Rule of Law” People who comment should stand up to the plate and bombard their federal lawmakers at 202-224-3121 and don't forget your state legislators, including pathetic Governors and Mayors. Any Pro-Amnesty Representative such as Sen. Harry Reid must be removed from office, beginning in the Primaries–but watch for illegal immigrant voting?