Jan Brewer, governor of Arizona, has just signed into law a bill requiring residents to carry documentation proving they are in the country legally. If police find that there is "reasonable suspicion" that a person is an illegal immigrant, they can detain that person and demand proof of legal residency.
President Obama opposes the law, as do many people in Arizona and the rest of the US, who fear the law will be used to harass citizens and other legal residents. Brewer claims it won't be used in that way.
But how on earth does she imagine police are going to decide whether someone is worth stopping and asking for documents? What would provoke "reasonable suspicion"? Looking Hispanic? Speaking Spanish? Speaking English with a Spanish accent? Somehow, it's hard to imagine the police stopping an English-speaking Caucasian and demanding documents.
I'm tempted to go to Nogales and stand around speaking German, just to see what happens. Maybe I'll have my German birth certificate, but not my US passport, in my pocket.
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Last night I had the strangest dream I've ever had before: I dreamed the world had all agreed to put an end to war.
Heide Estes
When feminism does not explicitly oppose racism, and when antiracism does not incorporate opposition to patriarchy, race and gender politics often end up being antagonistic to each other and both interests lose.
Kimberlè Crenshaw
Professor of English at Monmouth University in New Jersey, environmental activist, disability blogger, parent. Find me @1greenblogger or on Facebook.
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This law disturbs me on so many levels. I don't (want to?) understand it. I don't (want to?) understand how it will be used. Is it that at ANY stop documentation must be provided (in which case EVERYONE would have to carry it) or is it just an 'extra question' that can be asked. What's next - some variation of a yellow star?
ReplyDeleteI'm married to an immigrant. He's now a citizen. He and I had this conversation this morning. He's British - we're thinking nobody's going to be stopping him and asking for proof. But what's he supposed to carry with him to PROVE he's here legally? He USED to have a green card (which is actually pink!) but once he became a citizen that was taken away. For that matter, if I'm stopped how do I prove I'm here legally. What about my kids? What if they only have their UK passport on them? We don't have a national identity card - is that what's coming down the pipe? In the meanwhile I'll be staying away from Arizona.
You'll find this fascinating and horrifying:
http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2009_06_09_archive.html
-jc.