The Borderlands Witness Drive has entered the southeast, a region historically familiar with storms both natural and socio-political. For the migrant laborer the region is fraught with hazards, both institutional and random, communal and governmental. For the first time in the Drive we are hearing accounts of a climate of hate crimes directed against Latinos. Fueled by inflammatory, racialist local media, talk show radio and small town newspapers, random acts of violence are more the rule than the exception in the so called "deep south."
A series of state and local laws have further complicated and criminalized the lives of undocumented residents. A driver's license is now required in Georgia in order to register a motor vehicle. Some county sheriff's departments are trained and charged to carry out federal Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE) tasks. Legislative initiatives have been proposed to make 3 citations for undocumented entry (currently a civil offense) into a felony. Local police routinely set up check points and stop traffic at intersections near factories where large numbers of migrants work.
Meanwhile, ICE raids and deportations continue apace. The middle of the night is not an uncommon time for such raids here. As elsewhere in our travels, talk of more detention centers is frequently heard in the background.
In short, we are witnessing, in the southeast, a collision of forces designed to intimidate, abuse and criminalize the Latino community... from vigilante to police, from media to legislative. A perfect storm of hate and dehumanization.
This community under siege is rising with creative nonviolent responses. Marches have been organized. Monies are being raised to initiate English language talk radio programs to put a human voice on the Latino community which has borne the brunt of vitriolic, racialist talk radio. Volunteer cross city trash pick-up drives have begun in Charlotte, NC. Some churches are stepping forward in advocacy roles. Latino workers and families are being educated about their legal rights when ICE raids occur.
The southeast is woven with a fabric of white, black and Latino histories. The economy is an integrated one. Small towns and large cities are dependent on Latino labor and Latino buying power. These communities are richer for this cultural diversity, and Latinos here, despite all, are seeking to raise community awareness to this reality.
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2 comments:
Hi my name is heather my kids father is detained in the stewart couty detention center for being an illeagle imagrant. I have two children at home that cry their self to sleep at night for their dad. they ask me where their dad is my answer to them is daddy went on a vacation to see his mom. they are to young to understand that daddy is being deported back to mexico and cant return to the states for 10 years. these people are taking him away from his children and forcing me to be a single mom i was not prepared fo this at all i have to give up every thing we have worked so hard for. i am being forced to move from a 3 bedroom house because i can not afford it by myself. we are having to move in with my parents and my brother that only have a two bed room house so we are stuck in the living area. now I am going to have to apply for goverment assistant like food stamps because i cant afford to feed two children alone. imgration should take clidren in concidertion
if anyone is going through what i am right now and needs to talk please email me at carrillo_heather@yahoo.com
I think it is so unfair the way illegal's are treated in this country. they are human being's to, they have feeling's just like we do. there is so much hate and discrimination in this world, we are all god's childern, we are all one nation under god, bless all the little childern, alot of them don't understand, i feel for all the family's that are split apart, we all hurt, the best thing to do is be honest with your kid's, maybe thing's will change one day.
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