Op/Ed by AL Blanco
Today is Cinco De Mayo, a holiday commemorating the unlikely victory of a Mexican army over a much better equipped and larger French army during the Battle of Puebla, an army which had not lost a battle in 50 years.
This holiday commemorates a real “300″, the movie in which a small Spartan army similarly defeated a large Persian army. 300 is based on real events, as in the battle, but other than that the movie is a piece of racist fluff.
In 300, the Spartan army is portrayed as brave, valiant and noble; fathers and sons going into battle without fear. While Leonidas is bravely fighting the Persians, his wife is at home getting raped and trying to keep Sparta together. They are all extremely muscular, and pretty well groomed.
How are the Persians portrayed? As eccentric, barbaric and perverse. In the Persian lair there is monsters and homosexuality, all headed by an egomaniac and quasi homosexual leader. Who would you rather be, the humble, brave and masculine Leonidas? Or the androgynous, morally suspect and flaky King Xerxes.
300 is a fictional retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae, which happened about 400 years before Christ. As accurate as a story that old can be, it has many parallels to the Battle of Puebla, except the Battle of Puebla took place about 150 years ago when we actually got that historical record thing down pat.
What if the Battle of Puebla was made into a film? I think that would be awesome, however we would never see it portrayed in such a way as 300 was done.
Picture this: The Mexican army is a strong, family oriented unit. They work hard at home, and are eager to defend Mexico at all costs. Their wives are dutifully loyal to their husbands at war and strong women who raise the children all alone. The Mexican warriors look like they are roided up, and all of their mustaches are painstakingly trimmed.
They are called to battle by a fat, hairy and smelly French army. The French army obsesses over cigarettes and weird, freaky sex; in fact most of them don’t even know if they are gay or straight, if it’s a hole in the ground they will fuck it. The French army has come to invade Mexico over an unpaid debt and claim the land of the sun for themselves, chain-smoking and wheezing the entire time.
That movie would never get made, but how is that different than what happened in 300. Let me give you another example of a racist movie.
When I was a kid, I loved the Three Amigos, and it’s a funny movie. Unfortunately there are some offensive things in that movie. For one, the Mexicans only drink Tequila and they all have yellow teeth, even their leader the powerful and rich El Guapo. They all always look disheveled (except the women).
All the white people in the movie are depicted as clean and with nice clothes. The Three Amigos, the Frenchmen, the studio people.
The worst scene is at the end, when Martin Short’s character is attempting to pump up the Mexicans into defeating El Guapo’s gang. He says they have to use something they are good at in defeating El Guapo, and he asks what they are good at. The all look at each other in bewilderment, with a look on their face that says, “we are stupid Mexicans, we are not good at anything.” Then one of the has an idea. What is used to defeat El Guapo? Their sewing skills. Yes their biggest collective talent was sewing.
Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom is another racist movie and if you’ve seen it, think real hard and if you need help let me know.
On Cinco De Mayo, which is not Mexico’s independence day (which happens in Sept.), we should take time to look at issues all immigrants face around us. The federal DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act has was introduced into Congress on March 26 by Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Harry Reid (D-NV), Mel Martinez (R-FL), Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), and Russel D. Feingold (D-WI), clearly a bi partisan effort of which we do not see in Washington normally. I encourage everyone to look into the issue of tuition equity for undocumented students and how immigration reform is the new civil rights struggle of our generation.
Feliz Cinco de Blanco, Al… Are you drinking early? You say the Spartan army is portrayed as nobel, but in the beginning of the film’s narrative we are told that children who were small, sickly or misshappen were discarded, antedating Hitler’s eugenics program by thousands of years.
And if “300” portrays the deemed “bad guy” Persians in a racist way it’s nothing compared to how mainstream corporate America portrays Persians today… Sparta never launched bombs and WMD back then as we have today, nor did they violate Geneva conventions and conquor under the false guise of “nation building” and “defending freedom”.
Path to citizenship is an important issue and I fully support the DREAM Act. The single most defining difference between the U.S. and every other country is that citizenship is earned not granted. Everyone deserves an opportunity to prove they are worthy of the rights and privileges of being a citizen. However, of the 65,000 illegal residents who graduate high school every year only seven to ten thousand are projected to be able to meet eligibility of the Dream Act.
To say that immigration is the civil rights struggle of this generation is a short sighted view considering it effects relatively few when compared to health care and fair taxation which effect every citizen.
lol I’m not drinking for 90 days starting May 1st… It’s a valid point
Rod, in the 60’s whites were a vast majority and those legislations only affected a small percentage also, albeit a higher one in this case.
The media constantly portrays undocumented individuals as criminals and we never hear the stories of good, smart, hardworking people who did not make a choice to come to this country and are adversely affected by racism, nativism and defensive nationalism.
In other news, the Supreme Court today rules that undocumented workers using other people SSN’s without knowing they belong to others can NOT be charged with identity theft.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090504/ap_on_go_su_co/us_scotus_identity_theft
The civil rights movement (of the 50’s, 60’s, & 70’s) affected every American, not just one group. The impact of Roe v. Wade, Miranda v. Arizona and Brown v. Board of Education is felt by every social group.
The most exageratted estimate of illegal residents is approx. 20 million. Thats 7.5% of the population of the U.S. The DREAM Act will affect less then 1/100th of 1% of the population. Path to citizenship is important bit not monumental. It certainly doesn’t compare to the civil rights movement.
Also, it would be difficult for the media to portray illegal residents as anything other than criminals since they are here illegally and are therefore criminals.
Happy Cinco De Mayo, guys.
Brown V. Board exists now anyway, schools are the most segregated they have ever been, and private schooling only makes it worse. Schools in any urban area and highly populated are highly segregated, even in a place like New York City which does not limit a student to go to a school based on where they live.
You really can’t pass the Dream act without the immigration thing because if they don’t have a pathway to citizenship then they are getting college degrees and still not being able to work, when the entire time mind you large numbers of undocumented people live a very decent lifestyle and spend considerable amounts of money and pay taxes with that. They gotta drive cars too, smoke cigarettes…
also in this case the difference is this act is aimed at people under 18, people that whenever they came were minors. You can’t punish them for their parents forcing them to come, they’re actually completely innocent and identify as Americans. Some of them don’t know Spanish.
40% of all NYC residents were either born outside of the US or Puerto Rico. Isn’t it ironic that nation built from illegal immigration, which was not made by people living destitute situations, a nation of immigrants, is now nitpicking against a people who are actually coming back mostly to what was historically Mexico anyway, at least all of the southwest. in the 20’s-40’s the US actually repatriated Mexicans and deported thousands of people to Mexico, whose families were living there when it was still Mexico.
while its still cinco de mayo somewhere, its also worth noting that is not even a federal holiday in Mexico, only people in Puebla celebrate it. It some Mexican St Patty’s Day or Oktoberfest here though.
“in the 20’s-40’s the US actually repatriated Mexicans and deported thousands of people to Mexico, whose families were living there when it was still Mexico.”
I remember a Mexican America US Army general jocking that his familiy did not come the the US, the US came to them in 1848.
40% of the population of New York City is of non white/black heritage. That does not mean they were not born in the U.S. The percentage of foreign born persons living in NYC in 2008 was 20.4% and roughly half of them were naturalized citizens.
New York City has relatively few illegal residents compared to the southern U.S. It is more difficult to enter the U.S. by air or through Canada. You have to have identification and travel documents as opposed to being able to walk across the largely unguarded Mexican border.
The Quota Act of 1924 targeted all illegal immigrants. 169,300 people were deported for being here unlawfully. 35,000 of them were deported to Mexico. The act also reduced immigration from Europe from over one million a year to 100,000 a year. Immigration from Latin American countries was not limited.
here are the census facts:
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US3651000&-qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR2&-context=adp&-ds_name=&-tree_id=3307&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-format=
Really all those eastern european girls in white slavery are legal, and those asian massage girls too?
and 50 percent of US citizens living in NYC are naturalized
LOL. How can 50% be naturalized if only 20.4% were foreign born?
i put the census link, its just in moderation because it’s long… from 2005 to 2007 there were 40 percent of people born outside the US living in NY… and of the american citizens, 50 percent were naturalized meaning not born in the united states citizens… the margin of error is .1 – .4 percent
It says 50% of foreign born residents not 50% of U.S. citizens. Which is exactly what I said above.
Also, your link is for a community survey not the census. It states in the survey methodology that this is of the Puerto Rican community only. It also states that the census is the official estimate for demographic figures.
The full census lists the foreign born population at 20.4%
its at the governments census website, its the most accurate thing to base for 2005-2007… about 4 percent are Puerto Rico, and the rest other parts… thats not the country, thats just ny
PLACE OF BIRTH
Total population
8,246,310
*****
100%
(X)
Native
5,218,136
+/-15,991
63.3%
+/-0.2
Born in United States
4,898,051
+/-15,474
59.4%
+/-0.2
State of residence
4,083,170
+/-16,469
49.5%
+/-0.2
Different state
814,881
+/-8,977
9.9%
+/-0.1
Born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s)
320,085
+/-7,407
3.9%
+/-0.1
Foreign born
3,028,174
+/-15,991
36.7%
+/-0.
I don’t think you understand the difference between a community survey and the census, but so be it.
I still don’t see how immigration is a civil rights struggle. Are you suggesting that the U.S. should have open borders and offer a path to citizenship to everyone with no preconditions?
If the DREAM Act passes and a path to citizenship is offered to children who are here by no choice of their own, then what? The only issue beyond that is how to keep illegals out and how to find the ones that are already here and deport them.
The big struggle is to try to get congress to do their jobs and manage and adjust policies as needed.
I am in favor of legalizing all the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ALIENS to better improve the working enviroment here in the PORN Industry and lower the girl earnings over there in LA so it can get cheaper and more HARDCORE!!! VIVA LA RAZA!!!!
It’s still accurate, you think those numbers are that off?
Why aren’t they going after businesses that employ illegals the same way they are going after illegals themselves. They are pulled here by the work. How are you going to make someone a criminal who wants to work?
It’s civil human rights. No one is being denied healthcare if they can get it. Gays aren’t living a lower standard of living because they can’t marry.
Either way the survey and the census only account for legal residents.
Why should someone who chose to enter the country illegally be entitled to the same rights, privileges and opportunities as someone who is a legal resident or citizen?
Private healthcare and an elevated standard of living are neither a civil nor human right.
immigrants are immigrants though, many people assume people who can’t speak English are illegal and they aren’t…
It’s human decency, at the very least illegals that go to high school for three years and graduate in the U.S. should be able to get instate tuition, and if they graduate they should be given a temporary visa… would you rather them go back home with that nice US education… They still actually have to be accepted into college… there’s no virtue in perpetuating a shadow class of citizens, they are here to stay, they go to college or bring drug cartel shit here
I already said a few times that I support the Dream Act. Again, my question is what is the struggle beyond that?
you can’t do the Dream act on the national level without immigration reform… there are like ten states that have this in place already… a big part of the dream act is immigration reform
The DREAM Act is immigration reform. So, what else?
It doesn’t cost any money to do and is real simple, that’s the point
do you know illegal students can not be denied a public education up to 12 grade, that’s a supreme court ruling, thats not changing overnight or any time soon… Why not make the most of it
you think its fine Marisol should have to pay out of state? Its hard to make decisions when you are 18 months
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/nyregion/20tuition.html
Why do you keep bringing up problems that the DREAM Act would solve? Do you not realize that if the DREAM Act passes Marisol would become a legal resident and would then be eligible to pay instate tuition? Regardless of what the State of New Jersey does.
You keep saying there has to be other reform beyond the DREAM Act and I keep asking for an example.
ok, I was not born in the U.S. and hold a green card. If I get convicted of a relatively minor crime I can be deported to Mexico. Nevermind that if a citizen who pays less taxes than me does the same thing, it would not entail complete uprooting of their life. That has nothing to do with the Dream Act. After 9/11 nativism became the new cool racism. No one openly shows racism, but watch people tell a group of people speaking a language other than English to speak English or go home, and you would entirely more people who are okay with that.
Immigrants are the new boogeyman. I know an Italian from Bensonhurst who is like 40 and she says the blacks and hispanics and the jews are not the problem anymore, it’s the immigrants from Russia, the Carribean, Asia, The Middle East, they are the enemy. Blacks are as American as apple pie.
You would have to be convicted of an aggravated felony or multiple misdemeanors to be in violation of the Good Moral Character clause to be considered for deportation. And personally I think that if you are unable to refrain from committing a crime while you are a guest in another country then you deserve to be deported regardless of the severity of the offense.
Racism, prejudice, and bigotry are neither a cause nor effect of immigration. They are a symptom of ignorance and exist in all social groups and across all borders.
Immigration policy is simply the guideline for limiting entry into the country. If you believe there should be no limits, that the borders should be open and everyone be allowed to come and go at will, then you are certainly entitled to that opinion. I think it will be a hard sell. Primarily because it ignores the fact that there are people who want to come here for the purpose of causing harm.
To use immigration as an umbrella for multiple issues of inequality does a disservice to those immigrants who follow policy and work to earn, and ultimately achieve, citizenship.
I agree when you are a guest, you should always be at your best behavior so if you commit a crime somewhere where you have been welcomed then you don’t deserve to be there.
That’s not true, a permanent resident can be deported for a relatively minor drug offense.
No one is saying there should be open borders. It’s not an umbrella, it stands by itself.
If you want to deport people for anything that is not taking into mind factors which make that unjust. For one, our imperfect legal system and that deporting someone for a minor offense does not advance a state interest.
Overview of INA Removal Proceedings —
A Three-Step Inquiry
The typical immigration removal proceeding (described in §§ 1229-1229a) boils down to three questions:
(1) Does a given conviction render the alien “removable”? Two INA provisions, § 1101(a)(43)(aggravated felony) and § 1227(a)(2)(general criminal grounds for removal), answer this question.
(2) Is the alien eligible for discretionary relief from removal? There are several forms of “discretionary relief” in the INA, but by far the most useful and common is “cancellation of removal.” An alien with an aggravated felony is ineligible for virtually all forms of relief. In all other respects, the nature and duration of the defendant’s immigration status usually determine whether he is eligible for discretionary relief. A removable alien who is ineligible for relief will be removed.
(3) If the alien is eligible for discretionary relief, will the immigration judge grant it? As the term suggests, a grant of relief is discretionary. The strength of the alien’s equities in the U.S. determine if he will obtain relief. If it is not granted, the alien will be removed.
As you can see in the above posting from the USCIS website, deportation requires that someone be convicted of an aggravated felony or on general criminal grounds, which requires multiple misdemeanor convictions.
Again, you have brought up an issue that is not related to immigration. Health care, education, taxation and drug laws or the state of the judicial system in general are issues that affect every citizen not just immigrants. These issues have to be addressed and acted upon separately.
I think it’s an emotional response to try and look at every problem as being related and try to come up with one solution but there are no easy answers. There is no one law or policy that will make everything better. To continually try to push multiple agendas under the cloak of immigration weakens the principle of the argument.
“typical” immigration removal proceeding… Many, many people have been deported for way less, with the most number of those being low level drug offenses. I can get busted for buying an oz of weed and get deported. I’ve lived here my whole life, I’ve paid a lot of income, sales and other taxes my whole life… Contributing to a social security that is funding citizens, meanwhile it won’t be there for me.
I just don’t agree. When you actually are an immigrant you feel different. I don’t see any real difference between me and an illegal immigrant, I just got lucky. People only want immigrants to assimilate, fuck that. English only laws on personal time at jobs, which includes citizens? These are attacks on indvidual freedoms. Our consitution doesn’t make specifications to legal, illegal, immigrant or not, it includes everyone residing in the state, which extends to equal protection under the law.
This defensive nationlist shit is so high because of 9/11, the wars and our economic situation. I never once gave thought to becoming an American citizen before 9/11, but shit changed, Dept of Homeland security is partially designed to impede basic rights for immigrants. Illegal wiretaping of international conversations? Who do you think that affects, who is making international class? I think its creepy the governemt was going through my call to mexico for my grandmothers birthday.
There are only 2 latinos in the entire senate, is that really accurate government representation?
What good will come of ignoring that the inequity you describe lies within the drug laws and not the immigration laws? It certainly may be unfair to be deported for an ounce of pot. But it’s equally unfair for a citizen to be on probation and have a drug possession conviction on his record forever for the same ounce of pot.
I’m all for changing the drug laws (actually I’m for legalizing all drugs) but until they are changed a crime is a crime. Why should taxpayers bear the burden of court costs and parole for an immigrant?
Let me pose a hypothetical question: What if the drug laws were ultra strict and any possession conviction required a mandatory two years of incarceration and citizens and immigrants had to serve their sentence in the U.S. What would your position be then? What would be the correct course of action to address this injustice?
Considering that immigrants serve their time in prison before they get deported, it would probably be a good idea to revise that. We’re spending money to imprison people suppossedly rehabilitating them, just to send them back. It cost most to imprison an inmate than educate a child.
Civil right are civil rights, whether they involve immigration or the drug war
Well, some relatives of mine in Colombia (no kidding here) did drugs, well, manufactured, packaged and transported drugs, and not just pot, and they managed to inmigrate to the US with a small stint in a US built and managed resort before being unleashed into South Florida to play golf and enjoy what is left of their hard work.