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Nice Words About Immigrants, but Where's the Bill?
Commentary
By Roberto Lovato, Pacific News Service
Their words can make a hardboiled immigrant cry, but the actions
(and inaction) of many a Democratic Convention spellbinder demonstrate
neglect of immigrant issues.
BOSTON-July 29, 2004-An adoring crowd of Latino Caucus members
rousingly greeted Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of presidential hopeful John
Kerry, at the Sheraton the morning of July 28. Fresh on the heels of her
multilingual debut at the Democratic Convention the previous night,
Heinz Kerry came prepared with a tried and true trope of Latino
politics: immigration.
"I'm about seven-eights Latin," the Mozambique-born heiress told the
responsive Caucus -- many of whom could remember when the scions of
Democratic and Republican politics wouldn't even direct radio messages
their way. Clearly in command of these foot soldiers, Heinz Kerry took
the immigrant pitch a step further: "Recently a columnist challenged me
saying that I really wasn't an immigrant ... because I was not poor."
Turning the columnist into a political pinata, she replied: "Never heard
of refugees, people who flee from difficult circumstances? Never heard
of waiting for two years for a visa as I did? Never heard of being
single, alone, working in New York City as I did at 25 years old at a
tough job far, far away from your parents in Africa?"
By the end of her dramatic delivery, some were near tears, as she
concluded: "You do not have to come to this country shackled or poor to
know what immigrant life is." The quiet before the storm of applause
signaled that the audience was hers.
After dedicating most of my professional life to securing legal status
for Salvadorans and Guatemalans -- including members of my own family
who fled war and extreme poverty -- I, too, trembled upon hearing Heinz
Kerry's story. Like most people in the audience, I carry the immigrant
tropes in my emotional DNA.
Many, if not most of the other DNC speakers, including people many of us
worked with to secure protected status for Central Americans (and worked
for, in the case former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, whom I got to know
when he was head of Univision) also spoke to immigrant interests.
Hillary Clinton: "Wasn't it great to have a future first lady speaking
fluent Spanish? And won't it be great when we have a president and first
lady who understand that in order for America to lead the world you
cannot turn your back on your friends in Latin America?" Michael
Dukakis: "My parents are immigrants. My grandson is named Pedro Antonio
Dukakis."
While I stood entranced by all the Latino and Anglo elected officials
stirring my inner immigrant parent with their appeals, legendary United
Farm Workers co-founder and friend Dolores Huerta whispered to me: "I
heard they just killed the AG jobs bill!" The reliably forthright
Dolores' mention of the House bill that would accelerate legalization
among agricultural workers startled me back into journalist mode.
Suddenly, I started noticing that while the immigrant stories were quite
moving, not a single speaker said anything about the AG jobs bill or the
DREAM Act, the proposal to help 65,000 undocumented high school
graduates become citizens if they complete college. None mentioned the
recent immigration raids and detention of hundreds in Los Angeles (my
hometown) and other cities, including Houston. There was no mention of
the South Asians and Latinos I interviewed around the country while
documenting increased cases of beatings, fire-bombed homes and other
hate crimes against immigrants ever since politicians of both parties --
including some of the speakers at the Caucus event -- began ratcheting
up post-9/11 "defend America against its enemies" rhetoric.
Although some specifics on issues like education, housing and jobs did
flow over the roaring crowd like a wave at a ballgame, immigration
issues remained under the radar at this Caucus meeting, in the shadow of
the DNC platform.
"The Democrats do support the DREAM Act and the AG jobs proposal, but
you have to search hard to find it in the platform," observed Ali
Noorani, head of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Coalition,
which is advocating for a DREAM Act-like legislation in his state.
"Support for immigrants is only on the Spanish DNC website -- not the
English."
At a press conference titled "Where is the Vision?" Noorani added,
"Nearly every speaker at the DNC this week says 'We are a nation of
immigrants,' and I expect nearly every speaker at the RNC will also say
'We are a nation of immigrants.'" He then asked, "These days, what does
'a nation of immigrants' mean?" and answered his own question with
specifics not mentioned at the Sheraton: "It means the abuse of
immigrant workers; it means no access to higher education; it means
detention and deportation; it means no path to citizenship."
Echoing Noorani's statements was 18-year-old Angela Perez, who is not
yet a legal resident and wants to continue her successes in school. "I
want my chance," she says, sharing stories about immigrant friends
locked in legal limbo and parents trapped in low-income jobs and living
in crowded rooms. "I think our politicians -- including Latinos --
should be more aware of immigration issues. We've had too much talk and
not enough action." Asked if she thought a Democratic president would
say the "L˜ word (legalization), she responded, "Only if we keep
pressuring (him)."
Feeling Angela's determination, I concluded that it might well make a
difference whether or not the person stirring my subconscious with
appeals to the immigrant parent is poor like my parents were.
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PNS contributor Roberto Lovato is a Los Angeles-based freelance
writer. |
