By: Daniel Nardini
On May 2, members and supporters from Familia Latina Unida and La Fuerze Juventud formed a human chain in Chicago to remind the residents of the City of Chicago and indeed the rest of the country about one neglected legacy left by the Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden—the anti-immigrant climate that still exists in America today. It all began on September 11, 2001. After the Al Qaeda attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., all of the politicians and a good part of the American public saw immigrants, Muslims and Latinos in particular as “the enemy.”
What happened was the beginning of stricter immigration quotas, immigration raids, mass discrimination against Latinos in particular (“show us your papers”), and even murder of Latinos by extremist racist groups. Because of the attacks against the United States by Al Qaeda operatives, a number of Americans were looking for scapegoats, and immigrants became the perfect target. The Great Recession has only made it worse. Long hidden hatred against immigrants that had been there for some time has begun to emerge on a larger scale because of the economic upheavals. Even as I speak, Latino immigrants are being jailed and deported. Whole families are being broken up because of the hysteria started by bin Laden almost a decade ago.
Although Osama bin Laden is dead, and his Al Qaeda organization is in disarray, the anti-immigrant legacy is still very much around. Leading politicians in both ruling parties have not taken up immigration reform, and many seem to be giving in to more immigrant bashing. If we as a nation and a people are truly to get away from the terrible things Osama bin Laden has done we must get away from the anti-immigrant hysteria that has gripped this country for a decade. Only then can we again embrace those who come to our shores and try to make this a good country to live in. Only then can we lay the evil bogeyman Osama bin Laden to rest.
Immigrant Bashing: The Other Bin Laden Legacy
By: Daniel Nardini
On May 2, members and supporters from Familia Latina Unida and La Fuerze Juventud formed a human chain in Chicago to remind the residents of the City of Chicago and indeed the rest of the country about one neglected legacy left by the Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden—the anti-immigrant climate that still exists in America today. It all began on September 11, 2001. After the Al Qaeda attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., all of the politicians and a good part of the American public saw immigrants, Muslims and Latinos in particular as “the enemy.”
What happened was the beginning of stricter immigration quotas, immigration raids, mass discrimination against Latinos in particular (“show us your papers”), and even murder of Latinos by extremist racist groups. Because of the attacks against the United States by Al Qaeda operatives, a number of Americans were looking for scapegoats, and immigrants became the perfect target. The Great Recession has only made it worse. Long hidden hatred against immigrants that had been there for some time has begun to emerge on a larger scale because of the economic upheavals. Even as I speak, Latino immigrants are being jailed and deported. Whole families are being broken up because of the hysteria started by bin Laden almost a decade ago.
Although Osama bin Laden is dead, and his Al Qaeda organization is in disarray, the anti-immigrant legacy is still very much around. Leading politicians in both ruling parties have not taken up immigration reform, and many seem to be giving in to more immigrant bashing. If we as a nation and a people are truly to get away from the terrible things Osama bin Laden has done we must get away from the anti-immigrant hysteria that has gripped this country for a decade. Only then can we again embrace those who come to our shores and try to make this a good country to live in. Only then can we lay the evil bogeyman Osama bin Laden to rest.