A controversial immigration legislation in Arizona which requires local police to stop anyone who they suspect of being in the United States illegally has sparked nationwide protests across America with fears that Hispanics will be targeted by the state.
In Los Angeles, singer Gloria Estefan joined a crowd of around 100,000 people in protest against the new law calling it “racism” and “discrimination” (BBC: 1 May)
Under the new law signed by Republican Governor, Jan Brewer, individuals who cannot show that they are in the United States legally will be given a six month jail sentence and fined $2,500.
Seth MacFarlane, creator of the controversial cartoon, “Family Guy” compared the new law to “Nazi Germany” (Jill Serjeant: Reuters: April 30) and said that police might as well speak in German when they carried out this new legislation. Colombian singer Shakira called it “unjust and inhuman” and Latin singer Ricky Martin told the audience at the Latin Music Awards in Puerto Rico, “put a stop to discrimination. Put a stop to hate. Put a stop to racism…Long live love, long live peace”.
Why immigration remains a racist issue in the western world
The issue of immigration still remains a racist issue in the Western world. Ironically, America is a modern nation of European immigrants and are in no position to prevent other races from coming into the country to begin a new life there. Whether it is in Australia, America or South Africa, Europeans are under the illusion that they have a natural right to bar immigrants when historically it is they who are the illegal immigrants in these lands.
For this reason immigration still remains a racist debate. In Britain, the three main political parties have discussed immigration in the same hypocritical and racist fashion. While Britain is an indigenous white country the media and political parties always fail to explain that successive British governments have used immigrants from the former colonies to fill gaps in industries and boost the British economy. British employers use non-white labour to keep costs low and then the media and government use these exploited workers as excuses in a run up to the election to blame for unemployment among whites, for lack of housing and a stretched national health service. The truth is all workers are being exploited and this is how the government and media creates racial division between local communities. (Read ‘Indians only’ job advert uncovers exploitation of race relations)
When British Prime Minister Gordon Brown used the term “British jobs for British workers” he was exploiting race relations because the term disguises the fact that employers are the ones looking for cheap labour to save on costs.
British workers are expensive in regards to the employment benefits they have such as maternity leave, sick pay, paid holidays, pension etc. Employers save money by hiring a cheap labour force under flexible work conditions where workers have less employment rights.
So when British companies transfer their operations overseas to China or India, British people should not blame immigrants for the loss of their jobs but the owners of white companies who clearly have no patriotic loyalties when it comes to profit.
It is cases like the new Arizona law and the immigration debates in Britain and Europe in general which provides ample justification for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to transfer the wealth of his country from white to black hands. It justifies Africans saying African jobs for African workers. It justifies Indians saying Indian jobs for Indian workers. Perhaps nations in Africa, and the people of India and Asia, and Latin America should call for a quota on Europeans entering their countries? How would Europeans react if they were ask for their papers in these countries?
As immigrants white Americans have no justification for bringing in such a racially discriminative law.
For further research:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8656533.stm
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100430/tpl-uk-mcfarlane-immigration-39349ed.html
