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Legal Battles Begin Around Arizona’s HB2281

1:19 pm By Maegan La Mala · arizona|Education · 6 Comments

4 Jan 2011

Just like part of the push back against Arizona’s SB1070 includes legal wrangling, so does the fight against HB2281, which bans Ethnic Studies in the state.

Arizona State Attorney General, Tom Horne, started the year by claiming that the Tucson Unified School District is out of compliance with HB2281 because of a Mexican-American study course, If found out of compliance and do not cut the course within a 60 day period, TUSD could lose 10 percent in state funding, an estimated $15 million.

TUSD has some options. The first is a hearing to prove that they are in compliance with HB2281. Additionally 11 teachers are filing a lawsuit claiming HB2281 violates the first and fourteenth amendments.

Via / KGUN9 and UPI

New Year in Arizona Brings More Anti-Latino Laws

7:31 am By Maegan La Mala · arizona|Culture|Education · 14 Comments

2 Jan 2011

In the Show Me Your Papers state of Arizona, ringing in the new year means that bells won’t be ringing to start Ethnic Studies classes in the state since effective yesterday HB2281 bans them.

The official reasoning behind the ban is to prevent courses that “promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group or advocate ethnic solidarity “instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.” But really what the ban does in precisely the opposite. It codifies the normalization of whiteness with furthers the “othering” of everything else. It socializes young people into consent and acceptance of “American” culture as dominant and superior, meaning everything else is inferior. HB2281 is like the changes made to textbooks in Texas but applied to the art and liberty of teaching.
Read more…

Toy & Food Drive for Arizona

7:00 am By Maegan La Mala · arizona|holidays|Immigration · 1 Comment

14 Dec 2010

The fine peeps from the The Sound Strike (founded by Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine), PUENTE, NDLON and Presente.org are in the middle of a toy and food drive for familias in Phoenix impacted by anti-immigrant laws like SB1070 and by unjust deportations and family separations.

There are 3 easy ways you can help out:

1) Donate online by clicking here: http://bit.ly/donateaz
2) Get out your cell-phone & text “ARIZONA” to 50555 to donate $5 to help purchase toys, or
3) Donate a toy at one of our drop off locations. Get a list by clicking here: http://bit.ly/donateaz

Your contribution will be delivered to children and families on December 18th in Phoenix, Arizona, where the largest concentration of deportations has taken place. PUENTE, a grassroots organization in Phoenix, will be hosting a traditional Posada Celebration on this day, which is also International Migrants Day!

Con la Vista al Voto : In Arizona Things Get Worse Before They Get Better

9:30 am By Maegan La Mala · arizona|Con la Vista al Voto|Immigration|Midterm Elections 2010|Politics · 8 Comments

4 Nov 2010

Continuing our look at the results of the midterm election, we would be remiss if we didn’t look at Arizona, especially as the media runs wild with the story about the Latino electorate saving the West (mainly Harry Reid). Nowhere was Democratic failure more apparent than in the Show Me Your Papers State, where anti-migrant candidates cleaned up at the polls. But before you blame the Latino vote or lack thereof, Latinos did indeed represent at the polls.

According to a poll done by Latino Decisions and co-sponsored by National Council of La Raza, SEIU, and America’s Voice, the issue of immigration was incredibly important to the Latino voters of Arizona, no doubt because they are being threatened with the anti-Latino/anti-migrant policies of the state.
In Arizona, immigration (45%) polled ahead of jobs and the economy together (41%) in terms of issues that voters want policymakers to address. In Arizona, 40% said immigration was the single most important issue in their voting decisions.

Jan Brewer turned from the Governor select to the Governor elect but not because Latinos bought her cries of “I’m not a racist”.
85 percent of Latino voters chose Terry Goddard over Brewer, with Latinos making up 14% of the voters.

Today : 9th Circuit Arguments In USA v State of Arizona (SB1070)

8:15 am By Maegan La Mala · arizona|Immigration · 2 Comments

1 Nov 2010

Today, beginning at 9am PST/12noon EST, Oral arguments in USA v. State of Arizona, Case No. 10-16645, will be heard by a panel of three judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Courtroom One on the third floor of the James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse, 95 7th St., San Francisco.

The case involves the constitutionality of Arizona Senate Bill 1070, which requires state law enforcement officers to check a person’s immigration status under certain circumstances, and authorizes a warrantless arrest where there is probable cause to believe that the person has committed an offense making him/her removable from the United States. The U.S. government, arguing that SB 1070 was preempted by federal statutes, sought a preliminary injunction to block enactment of the law. The preliminary injunction was granted in part and denied in part by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. The State of Arizona and its governor have appealed, seeking to remove the injunction imposed by the district court on certain portions of SB 1070. Other provisions of the law not subject to the injunction went into effect July 29, 2010.

This is slated to be shown on C-Span television. I am not sure if it will also be aired online.

Con la Vista al Voto : Sheriff Joe’s Latino Voter Suppression Army

6:54 am By Maegan La Mala · arizona|Con la Vista al Voto|Immigration|Midterm Elections 2010|Politics · 2 Comments

31 Oct 2010

Con la Vista al Voto : From now until election day 2010, VivirLatino is going to have at least one post a day looking at the midterm elections and issues around the election including policy and the much hyped Latino vote.

As if things in Arizona, especially in Maricopa County, weren’t hard enough for Latinos, Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced on Friday:

“STOP ILLEGALS FROM STEALING THE ELECTION! Our grassroots army of VOTER FRAUD PREVENTION VOLUNTEERS will stand vigilant across the nation. We will be the first and strongest line of defense to ensure that only legal citizens vote on November 2nd.”

We already know that Sheriff Joe decides who is and isn’t legal by looking at who looks Latino. And while the part of SB1070 that allows for asking for people’s papers based on their ethnicity, alleging voter fraud is just an attempt to make Latinos walk around with their “papers” and to intimidate people who may be voting against Jan Brewer.

Almost immediately after Arpaio’s shout out, America’s Voice launched a petition targeting Attorney General Holder, demanding that he send election monitors to Arizona.

On Friday afternoon, the Justice Department announced that its Civil Rights Division plans to deploy more than 400 federal observers and department personnel to 30 jurisdictions in 18 states for the Nov. 2, 2010, general election. One of those jurisdictions is Maricopa County in Arizona.

The other areas being monitored are:

o Autauga County, Ala.;
o Bethel, Alaska;
o Apache and Navajo Counties, Ariz.;
o Riverside County, Calif.;
o Randolph County, Ga.;
o Kane County, Ill.;
o Salem County (Penns Grove), N.J.;
o Cibola and Sandoval Counties, N.M.;
o Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
o Shannon County; S.D.; and
o Dallas, Fort Bend, Galveston and Williamson Counties, Texas.
o Maricopa County, Ariz.;
o Alameda County, Calif.;
o Seminole County, Fla.;
o Honolulu, Hawaii;
o Neshoba County, Miss.;
o Colfax County, Neb.;
o Passaic County, N.J.;
o Orange County, N.Y.;
o Lorain County, Ohio;
o Philadelphia, Pa.;
o Bennett and Todd Counties, S.D.;
o Shelby County, Tenn.; and
o Harris County, Texas.

SB 1070′s Direct to Prison Pipeline?

6:30 am By Maegan La Mala · arizona|Immigration · 2 Comments

29 Oct 2010

In August and September of this year, VivirLatino drew your attention to a possible connection between Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signing SB1070 into law and the for profit prison corporation Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). Now a new report from NPR draws a line connecting the author of SB1070, Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, and “a secretive group called the American Legislative Exchange Council. Insiders call it ALEC”. Members of ALEC include the tobacco company Reynolds American Inc., ExxonMobil, the National Rifle Association, and Corrections Corporation of America.

According to Corrections Corporation of America reports reviewed by NPR, executives believe immigrant detention is their next big market. Last year, they wrote that they expect to bring in “a significant portion of our revenues” from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that detains illegal immigrants.

In the conference room, the group decided they would turn the immigration idea into a model bill. They discussed and debated language. Then, they voted on it.

“There were no ‘no’ votes,” Pearce said. “I never had one person speak up in objection to this model legislation.”

Four months later, that model legislation became, almost word for word, Arizona’s immigration law.

They even named it. They called it the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.”

Con la Vista al Voto : Attacking from all Angle(s)

26 Oct 2010

Just a week away from the midterm elections an Republicans across the United States are pulling out all the stops, that is appealing to the lowest common denominator by representing all immigrants as Latinos and Latinos as criminals, hellbent on riding in limos and denying little white children access to the English language.

Think I’m exaggerating? Look at Louisiana Senator David Vitter’s ad. Then we have Republican Senate candidate in Nevada, Sharron Angle who can’t tell the difference between Latinos and Asians (and those that may be both) when speaking to Latino youth, but seems to be crystal clear as to who (white) families need to blame and be afraid of.

Quick Link: SB 1070 Florida Style

11:45 am By la Macha · arizona|Florida|Immigration · 2 Comments

20 Oct 2010

Just saw this over at Change.org:

Tim Elfrink at Miami New Times (full disclosure: I work for the paper) reports that the law drafted by Florida state representative William Snyder, and supported by GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott, includes a clause that “Even if an officer has ‘reasonable suspicions’ over a person’s immigration status … a person will be ‘presumed to be legally in the United States’ if he or she provides ‘a Canadian passport’ or a passport from any ‘visa waiver country.’” Elfrink points out that aside from four Asian countries, all other visa waiver countries are located in Western Europe.

What the…? Yep, that’s right. The Florida law in a nutshell: If you’re a white non-Hispanic, you’re presumed to be in the country legally and don’t need to show any proof. If you belong in the “all others” category, better carry your papers.

Of course, there’s an explanation for such blatant racism, as Snyder told a radio host: “What we’re doing there is trying to be sensitive to Canadians. We have an enormous amount of … Canadians wintering here in Florida … That language is comfort language.”

Ah, yes tons of Canadians wintering here in Florida … along with MILLIONS of South Americans. In the biggest tourism destination in the state, Miami, people from South America comprise 52% of the visitors alone. That’s not even counting tourists from Central America and the Caribbean. These are people with plenty of disposable income, and plenty of tourism options. If Florida became a state suspicious of Latinos, they would just take their billions of dollars elsewhere. For a state whose economy relies so heavily on tourism, especially from Latin America, you’d think politicians would be a little bit more worried about making everyone feel comfortable. But that’s what makes it obvious this little clause isn’t about tourism at all. It’s about using every thin veil and pretense possible to try to legalize racial profiling.

Things just get ever better, don’t they?
Read the whole thing here.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Jail

6:38 am By Maegan La Mala · arizona|Phoenix · 4 Comments

14 Oct 2010

Maricopa Country Sheriff Joe Arpaio (yup he’s still around) was trying to not fix the inhumane conditions inside the jails within his jurisdiction as ordered by a lower court’s ruling. The court ruled that jails in Maricopa County do not meet constitutional minimums when it comes to food quality and housing conditions for inmates on psychotropic drugs. Yesterday, The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s appeal of the 2008 U.S. District Court Judge Neil V. Wake’s decision.

Now Arpaio must end severe overcrowding and ensure all detainees receive necessary medical and mental health care, be given uninterrupted access to all medications prescribed by correctional medical staff, be given access to exercise and to sinks, toilets, toilet paper and soap and be served food that meets or exceeds the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s dietary guidelines. Basically, the judge ordered that yes Sheriff Joe, the incarcerated are humans and need to be treated as such.

The ACLU proved at the 2008 trial that the sheriff routinely abused pre-trial detainees at Maricopa County Jail by feeding them moldy bread, rotten fruit and other contaminated food, housing them in cells so hot as to endanger their health, denying them care for serious medical and mental health needs and keeping them packed as tightly as sardines in holding cells for days at a time during intake.

Via / AZ Central and the ACLU

Image Via / SPLC

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