[Marxism] Jorge Ramos: "We are all Elvira" (La Opinion, Los Angeles, English)

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here in Los Angeles we have a very spirited protest against the 
arrest and deporation of Elvira Arellano. The them of the march,
WE ARE ALL ELVIRA reflected a sentiment very widespread among the 
immigrants of Los Angeles, and, I assume, of the nation. The item 
here is from LA OPINION, the largest Spanish-language newspaper 
published in the United States. When its alliance with the L.A.
Times ended a few years ago, the Times tried to destroy it by 
putting out a free tabloid, HOY. That hasn't succeeded, though 
both continue to come out (LA OPINION, a full-sized paper, costs 
25 cents daily and .75 on Sunday. Elvira has been on the front 
page of both papers repeatedly. This whole episode helps further 
confirm the assessment of Ricardo Alarcon on the centrality of the 
immigrant issues within the working class of the United States.

Elvira Arellano has become something of a folk heroine, both in
Mexico and in the United States. She may turn into a kind of Mexican
Pimpernel, magically showing up where immigrants are fighting for
their rights. She asked the Mexican government to appoint her a
representative on immigration issues, so she would be able to return
to the United States and speak out for them, and to be with her
native-born citizen son Saul (age 8) Mexico's Foreign Minister,
Patricia Espinosa, is "exploring" this possibility at present.
DETAILS: http://tinyurl.com/yrf6hc 


Walter Lippmann
Los Angeles, California

==================================================================
Ricardo Alarcon: Marx and the Work of the 21st Century
http://www.walterlippmann.com/alarcon-05-03-2006-e.html
==================================================================

IMMIGRATION 
We are all Elvira
Jorge Ramos
http://www.laopinion.com/ 

BI-LINGUAL ELVIRA LEAFLET FROM JUVENTUD REBELDE STORY:
http://www.walterlippmann.com/elvira-arellano-leaflet.pdf   

http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs1507.html 
A CubaNews translation by Ana Portela. 
Edited by Walter Lippmann.

Friday, August 31, 2007. I arrived late. Elvira Arellano was no
longer here.

A few days ago she was deported to Mexico. But in Chicago everyone is
talking about her. Elvira is a symbol.

Arellano is the Mexican alien who, for a year, defied the deportation
order by taking refuge in a church of the city. But she was arrested
two weeks ago after her surprise arrival in Los Angeles.

I wanted to participate in a march in favor of legalizing the 12
million aliens. She could not. She was unceremoniously deported to
Tijuana. However, her case is the best example that United States
migratory laws are no good.

The arrest of Elvira separated her from her 8-year-old son, Saul, who
is a US citizen. Millions of families have been separated during
recent raids by the immigration authorities throughout the United
States.

Elvira was arrested but Osama bin Laden continues free. The so-called
?war against terrorism? should be waged against the real assassins
and criminals, not against defenseless immigrant workers.

Do you know what crime Elvira committed? Obtaining false papers to
work cleaning airplanes in Chicago?s O?Hare airport. Yes, it?s true,
she broke the law. But her work benefited many US citizens and, also,
she took the job from no one. She just wanted a better life for her
son. That is all.

It is ironic that a country founded by immigrants and which needs
them more today than ever, sets its sights on the weakest and
unprotected foreigners. Elvira and millions of immigrants are not
enemies of the United States. Osama is.

Elvira and millions of immigrants are not responsible for the
terrorist actions of September 11, 2001. However, they are the ones
paying the price for a migratory policy which does not seem to see
the difference between good immigrants and potential terrorists.

This has caused a lot of fear among the immigrants. I took the Blue
Line subway in Chicago ? the same that Elvira surely took coming and
going from the airport ? and conversations there, in Spanish, often
included the words ?la migra? (slang referring to immigration
authorities) and ?redadas? (raids).

I do not exaggerate the fear. During the Book Fair which successfully
presents Giron book since 1985, I met Gabriela. She and her husband
have decided to return to Zacatecas, Mexico, with their three sons
after 13 years in the United States for fear of the raids. And there
will be many more if the laws are not changed.

More than for the economic contribution by the immigrants, migratory
reform should be approved according to the same argument of national
security: the United States benefits from knowing who lives here. But
the hope of legalization has been, perhaps, moved back until 2013 as
suggested by the Democrat congressman (representative for Illinois),
Rahm Emanuel.

He believes that the migratory debate will not revive until the
second term of the next president.

In spite of these signs of hopelessness, last week Los Angeles was
the scene of a pro-immigrant march which Elvira could not attend.

But her personal tragedy did not go unnoticed. The slogan of the
protest was ?We are all Elvira?.

That?s right. With few exceptions all of us, Hispanics, who
immigrated to the United States (or our families) came from another
side.

But a fierce and noisy minority of native US citizens, pumped up with
hate and prejudice, are imposing its anti-immigrant message on a
country which has traditionally opened its arms to new arrivals.

I was sad for having arrived too late in Chicago to talk with Elvira.
But what was strange was that I found her in conversations with each
immigrant like her who does not give up hope. Yes, in this country we
are all Elvira.

 

Jorge Ramos is host of Noticiero Univision.


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