Peligro, California. (Photo: Flickr)
The recent Arizona immigration law has been nothing short of controversial, and many experts believe that California immigration will be the next battleground for lawmakers. Reuters reports that Latinos in California – many of them illegal residents, others not – are stepping forward to protest the Arizona law. Liberals consider tougher immigration laws to be a gateway to human rights violations, while conservatives stand fast in their position that illegal immigration has gone too far. Both groups wonder if California will be the next to crack down on illegal immigrants.
California deals with immigration in its backyard
California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, who live in San Francisco, support amnesty and welcome the flow of immigrants. Boxer has gone so far in the media as to say she’d be happy if illegal immigrants became legal via amnesty and came to live in her city. Of course anyone with a sense for Real Estate prices knows that illegal immigrant wages – even if supplemented by a small loan – will never be able to support living in San Francisco. Thus, take Boxer’s open-armed invitation with a grain of margarita salt. Upcoming state elections will certainly have a major bearing on California immigration.
California has the highest population in the U.S., illegal immigrant or otherwise
Because of the large illegal immigrant population, the stakes in California would be tremendously high if California immigration law comes into question. Members of the Latino community who previously avoided political involvement are making their voices heard. Jose Rodriguez of the El Concilio community center in agricultural Stockton, Calif., told Reuters that “It is a large number of young people, those under 30, who speak English but realize that it doesn’t matter that they speak English. It has to do with the color of their skin.”
However, as former G.W. Bush speechwriter David Frum points out, the letter of the Arizona immigration law specifically forbids stopping anyone on the mere basis of skin color. What remains to be seen, George Will argues in the Washington Post, is whether good police officers in Arizona can aid this “worthwhile experiment in federalism” by making properly nuanced judgments regarding immigration law enforcement. If the experiment proves to be successful, California might decide to go in a similar direction.
Conservatives see a changing tide
U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Republican from San Diego County, has called the Arizona law “a fantastic starting point,” but it is still unclear whether the upcoming California elections will take immigration as a major point of argument. Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman, the leading candidates in the California governor’s race, agree that the federal government needs to take action.
What it may come down to is whether candidates are too afraid to lose the Latino vote. If Arizona – which is 30 percent Hispanic by some estimates – can get a majority to agree on tough immigration law, will California follow suit? The 2008 census estimate is that 36.6 percent of the state population was of Hispanic or Latino origin, but it’s safe to assume that not all of that minority group will be politically active in the California elections.
(Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/noborder/ / CC BY 2.0)
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When did all of this start, and why? The economic fall? Unemployment rates? I have a difficult time understanding this. The United States seem to be the only country with such a huge issue with everything, and everyone. It's so dramatic. This is still a young country compared to the rest. There are still other countries learning, but if you notice the countries that formed at the beginning of it all have had to grow. They weren't perfect, still aren't, but have gotten quite far in making their mass of dirt a little more equal or less dramatic at the least.
Why doesn't anyone see it like that. Americans? That's just pride. It's just the environment our ancestor grew up in that makes us all look different. There was a time when the United States was only occupied by Natives. Whatever happened to make this country the United States is still controversial, however, when this country was barely beginning to receive foreigners no one made up a law banning illegal immigration. Right? This country grew and grew. New York became the harbor accepting, with warm open arms, illegal immigrants from all countries. It sounds to me like all of a sudden The United States decided to post a "NO VACANCY" sign at its gates.
We are all the same species on the same mass of dirt. Really. Genetically. True.
We wont forget that. trust me.
but there were no further attempts or scenarios that followed the events to take back the land the Mexicans lost.
i respect your thoughts and opinions.
but we live in a country where its a dog eat dog world.
everything goes by the piece paper that has lots of fancy words on it, and with lots of fancy signatures and seals.
please refer to this time-line of that particular period.
http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/timeline_fla…
Any illegal immigrants who want to work should have some kind of tempary visa, within limitations, this way farm worker that are illegal would get paid better, and the wouldn't be afraid,the truth must be said, the vast majority of Americans are not racist, it is about immigrants being here illegally and stand in the front lines to almost everything leaving Americans waiting second in line in there own country! and them gettting to much catering to on their illegal status, they can do just about anything to Americans, when Americans start fighting back suddenly they are racist, they just don't like Mexicans, and soon as a law start asking them for their status they start hollaring racial profiling like they did in Arizona, In Arizona, they made up that the new immigration law was racial profiling, because hundreds of them are afraid that they will be found out that they are in Arizona illegally, so they made an diversion, to stare the law away from their illegal status, what is so mind boggling, is that our weak politicians fell for their crap as usual, to them illegal immigrants can do no wrong in America, they are sneaky, and they are terrible liars and kniving, Americans are so force by our politicians to endure in all of illegal immigrants and their advocates bull crap, Americans are the one in reality are the law abiding citizens, Americans are the one's who are required to abide all American laws not illegal immigrants, and they still have not been correted of their wrongdoings,by our American politicians, i think they are afraid of them, or what they may do, illegal immigrants get pampered instead by our politicians. Americans know if illegal immigrants get amnesty or a path to citizenship they would have more power to do what they want to do in America,they will be doing the same thing, they will never be satisfied,they are going to want more, they are already doing what they want to do now in America, and it is sickening! And because there is just to many of them now, and they are steady multiplying by our American birthrights, and pass amnesties they will over populate, making America feel and look more like Mexico,America automatically will be second class citizens in their own country, Americans know that they will be force to live in this new found Mexico that is made up by millions and millions of illegal immigrants! Which will not be right or fair! It will be that our new president and congress, regardless of what Americans say and want,they just will give America to millions of illegal immigrants on a silver platter!! Americans do not really want to hurt any one they just want to be treated fair in their own country and they want to be heard not voiceless! They do not want to end up second in line, like they are now due to illegal immigration in America!
Let us not forget that Arizona, New Mexico, and California were NOT part of the US. They were part of Mexico occupied by Mexicans!
These states were taken, by force, and by the US military.
Who is the illegal population anyway?