Hands Together: January 2008

Friday, January 18, 2008

THE 2008 ELECTIONS AND IMMIGRANTS

By Sijisfredo Avilés

The 2008 elections are here and the most conservative elements (the right wing) of the Republican Party are geared to place all the shortcomings of the country on immigrants, particularly those of Mexico and the rest of Latin America to win this election. The presidential candidates, as well as the chorus of right wing television, talk radio and newspapers personalities, are bombarding the public with all kind of lies and accusations against immigrants, in particular the undocumented workers

Why do they blame the immigrants?

The major reason is that the Republican Bush government has failed the American people.

Using the tragedy of 911, this government has started a global war against people and countries that question the policies and directions that has left this country devastated socially and economically and isolated from the world. At the same time, the administration attacks the democratic and constitutional rights of its own citizens, intercepting their mail, e-mails and phone calls using the excuse of national security, defense of the fatherland and the so called war against terrorism.

Despite being the richest country in the history of the world, yet its medical health care system is in shambles and is failing to provide care and medicines to its most vulnerable citizens, the poor, the seniors and children.

This Country has failed miserably when it comes to building housing for low and moderate income families. The mortgage crisis is affecting even the so called middle class with the loss of their homes and very little is offered to the ones who need the most help. At the same time, the homeless rate continues to grow.

Another failure is the “No Child Left Behind” program of the Bush administration. Many of the schools in urban areas are overcrowded, under financed and under staffed. The policy of the government is to blame the children and their families for the shortcomings. Instead of correcting the situation many schools are closed and the students are sent to other schools with similar conditions, then the closed schools are rehabilitated, or newly constructed, to serve other children leaving the former students in worst conditions and facing the fear of continually being moved from school to school. Rural and other communities are finding more difficulty to provide adequate resources because educational financing is tilted in favor of wealthier communities.

But what is the truth?

It is easy for Bush and his cohorts to blame the immigrants for the social and economic condition of the country for their errors.

The truth is that Immigrants are "not getting a free ride". They work hard to create profits for corporations. They pay income taxes on their earnings, sales taxes on purchases, and property taxes as homeowners. Like other workers, immigrants pay the same federal, state and local taxes which finance schools, health clinics and other services. Undocumented immigrants pay billion of dollars into social security but they cannot collect any benefits.

The undocumented were not involved in the 911 destruction of the towers as Homeland Security is insinuating and promoting with its raids on the undocumented immigrant communities. The fact is that every one of the terrorists came into the country on legal visas issued by the United States.

What must we do to stop the attack against US citizens and immigrants?

In this 2008 election, we have to sweep from office all of these conservative, right wing rascals and liars from all levels of governments. We need to petition, demonstrate, vote and continue to struggle for justice, equality, peace and a true government of the people, by the people and for the people. We need to focus on defeating our enemies. We need to stop arguing among ourselves because we differ on ways to defeat them. Let us respect each other and look at ourselves as comrades. Let us organize to defeat them.

The people united will never be defeated!

NEW GROUP AFFIRMS ITS AFRO-LATINO IDENTITY AND STRUGGLE AGAINST RACISM

By Sijisfredo Avilés

The Afro-Latin@ Institute of Chicago was recently inaugurated at the San Lucas United Methodist Church.. Its mission is to help strengthen research and build activist networks among Latinos of African descent in the United States. Carlos Flores, chair of the institute, explained that the organization “questions the separation of Black versus Brown” and is proposing “a unifying Black and Brown agenda.“ Some Blacks are also Latinos — and that many Latinos are victims of racial as well as cultural discrimination,” he said. Afro-Latinos are here to stay, and “we will not continue to be invisible.”

As if to illustrate, Dr. Ricardo Millet, formerly of the Woods Fund and the Kellogg Foundation, related how, when he arrived in the U.S. as a student from Panama to attend an East Coast school, he waited at the station to be picked up by his host family. Millet waited and waited, but the family did not show up. He finally called them. The family said they had gone to the station but did not recognize him. They told him they only saw a Black person at the bus terminal, not a Latino."

Afro-Latinos are often 'invisible' in the history textbooks of their home countries, too" said another speaker. "For example, few people know that the army of Simon Bolivar, the Great Liberator of South America, was composed of large numbers of blacks who joined Bolivar on the promise that his movement would abolish slavery."

"It is the same story in Latin America and here in the United States,” said a musician from the Spiritual Journey Percussion Ensemble. “The contributions of people of the African diaspora are ignored and not recognized.” Izabel Leme-Harris, host of the radio program “Gateway to Brazil,” said many people in U.S. think that Brazil’s population is mostly white, when the reality is that Brazil has the largest black population in the continent. The marginalization of blacks in politics, education and entertainment contributes to that impression, she said, not only in Brazil but also elsewhere in Latin America.

A member of the audience noted how racism causes “many problems of alienation and division.” He related his experiences as a poor, black child in Puerto Rico. Each day, his sixth-grade teacher called him to the front of the class to ridicule him about his clothes, and to demonstrate that because he was poor and black, he was not intelligent or worthy enough to be in school.

Another person said, “That is why the institute is very important, so that we all know our true history and accomplishments as a people in Latin America and here in the U.S.”

The program concluded with a musical and dance celebration from Sones de Mexico, the Spiritual Journey Percussion Ensemble, Africaribe, Nuestro Tambó and Grupo Yuba, all of which showed how “the spirit of Mother Africa survives in the New World,” as one person said. The audience responded enthusiastically.

For information about the activities or to become a member of this organization contact Carlos Flores, Afro-Latin@ Institute of Chicago, San Lucas United Methodist Church, 2914 West North Ave., Chicago IL 60647. E-mail: afrolatinstitute@sbcglobal.net.

FREEDOM, WELL-BEING OR OPPRESSION: THE GREAT ENIGMA OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.

By Arquímides Stevenson-Carrillo

Are we perhaps puppets or victims of the reality of an utopia democracy where we live?

When I moved to United States I did it convinced that I would come to a nation full of opportunities, peace and freedom. Nevertheless, the reality I have lived has been another one.

Since my arrival to the yearned for "Land of the American Dream", I have experienced the hysteria that one lives every day in our diverse communities and, in my case, the life I have experienced here in the Logan Square and Humboldt Park communities of Chicago, Illinois.

Here one lives a collective hysteria created by unscrupulous people who benefit from the excessive enrichment and the concentration of power. At the same time these are the "birds of prey" who accuse the gangs, the poor people and to the most disadvantaged of the social crises and the evils that affect our environment; without admitting that society is a reflection of their government and political leadership.

I found a society full of absurd regulations and restrictions that in anything contribute to the quality of life and well-being of the individual. When I go out I can feel the injustices of the government and its other entities. For example, the police, whose mission is to provide security and protection, abuses its law given power to create legal cases against innocent young people. Crime, unemployment and poverty reach high rates while the government spends public funds in frivolous and superficial items.

At the same time, the social inequality and bad distribution of wealth reaches almost all the spheres of society leaving behind thousands of families without homes, medical insurance and food.

To this you add the 911 incident, which transcendentally changed the way to make public policy and inaugurated the imposition of laws that control our daily decisions and activities. As a result of that so called extreme preventive security, we feel intimidated in airports, train stations, parks, festivals, in short, in all public places.

From a practical point of view, I think that national security can be handled strategically by establishing an assertive logistic that entails prevention, effective planning and citizen education.

It is not just that psychological terrorism is continually fed to people and that unnecessary conflicts like the war in Iraq that obviously contribute nothing to the common welfare are organized. The system has used its foreign policy simply to advance the private and economic interests of the few.

Doubtlessly in this search of the coveted "American dream" I have found a nightmare of which it has not been easy for me to escape. As of now, the solution is to encourage citizen participation and train new leaders so that they take charge of the future of humanity

Hands Together

Friday, January 18, 2008

THE 2008 ELECTIONS AND IMMIGRANTS

About Us

NEW GROUP AFFIRMS ITS AFRO-LATINO IDENTITY AND STRUGGLE AGAINST RACISM

FREEDOM, WELL-BEING OR OPPRESSION: THE GREAT ENIGMA OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.

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