"La Lista"

Reasoning for "La Lista"

The idea for this post (originally drafted in October) initially came from a bad experience I had at a taco shop in Yakima. Yet another source of inspiration came from watching a Simpson's episode (where Homer joins a secret society called the "Stonecutters"). Well, Simpsons and bland, overpriced tacos aside, I thought the 'list' should be more a critique of the right-wing and other elements that perpetuate repressive social norms. And on that note, here is the first entry in my list, which I will attempt to update at least once a month. Suggestions are most definitely welcome.

yours,

-El O
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ANTI-IMMIGRANT GROUPS ADVOCATING FOR I-409

Where to begin on this one...first, a little background. According to the Washington Secretary of State's website, I-409 is an initiative that, if placed on the ballot and passed, "...would require state and local agencies to cooperate in enforcing federal immigration laws and would require verifying immigration status of persons seeking employment, receiving driver’s licenses, and receiving some public benefits." [for the full text see: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/legislature.aspx?y=2008]. Anti-Immigrant groups have attempted placing similar initiatives on the ballot every year since 2006 (months after the Minutemen Project started patrolling the Northern Border). And have failed...miserably.

Next, the organizations who prominently support the aforementioned proposed initiative are the following:

GrassRoots of Yakima [their website is down]. An organization in the Yakima Valley that came out roughly around spring of 2006. Most likely originated in the upper valley, can't see how they're from anywhere near eastside Yakima with all the smack they talk. That would no doubt earn you a shoe to the backside in that area.

RespectWashington [http://www.respectwashington.us/]. From the lack of information I found on their site, I gather that this is likely an umbrella organization. If anyone has additional info, let me know and I'll update this post.

Washingtonians for Immigration Reform or "WFIR" [http://wfir.org/]. Is a 'non-profit' organization based out of University Place (for my C. Washington folks, its located SW of Tacoma) that advocates 'reforming' (vaguely defined on their site) our immigration system. Furthermore they state, "Our membership includes Americans of multiple political persuasions, including both Democrats and Republicans. Our ethnic origins are as diverse as is our native population. We are not an arm of any political party or special interest group. Membership in our group is open to any American citizen without regard to race, color, creed or religion." (WFIR site). Yet oddly enough, they have a link to the American Patrol website, an organization listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Hmm...makes me wonder. "Open" group indeed...[for more info, see: http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/type.jsp?DT=27].

Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, Washington State Chapter [http://www.minuteman-wa.com/]
And last but certainly not least, a group that continues providing fodder for alot of my more recent writings on immigrant rights, the Minutemen(digos). The Washington State chapter originated in October of 2005 with the intent of patrolling the Canadian border, making it the dean of all 'major' anti-immigrant groups. Since, they've been harassing day laborers in Seattle, acting a fool in Yakima and spitting xenophobic, incoherent vitriol across the state. Minute(mentes)* in Washington merely echo talking points from groups in the southwest and when speaking on local matters, revert to blatantly ignorant, even racist, stereotypes of people of color.

IN MY WORDS

I agree that people have every single right to talk whatever they feel like expressing, intelligent discourse or otherwise. Words do inflict pain that seeps into the innermost regions of the soul. But, as I have seen, when we deprogram our minds and deconstruct, delegitimize, and decipher the most basic elements of these words, we dissolve and disempower the original meanings of these less-than flattering figures of speech.

However, I must add that when hate speech transcends the realm of language and becomes action we must act and confront it. The aforementioned groups feed and help perpetuate an already existent rise in xenophobia across the country. In the wake of said immigration argument, hate groups have swelled in numbers, and hate crimes against latin@s and other people of color has increased. The link between WFIR and American Patrol as well as the very much publicized links between the Minutemen and the Nationall Alliance and other white supremacist groups should serve as an indicator as to their true intentions.

That said, because of their continued effort to polarize the general populace and for their continued role in perpetuating backward stereotypes about people of Latin American descent (and yes, they often assume we are all 'illegals' and that we're a monolithic brown mass that originated in Mexico) and spreading politics of fear that lead to increased hate crimes...

...the 'Anti-Immigrant Groups of Washington State' earn the dubious distinction of being the first entry in "La Lista."

As such, consider the nomination to this list a figurative "patada en las nalgas"* on my behalf.

OCT 2008, O. Rosales Castaneda, C/S


*Spanish for "minds." Throughout this series of notes I will incorporate bilingual wordplay. A more recent development in my own writing style.

*Spanish for "kick in the ass."