January 18th, 2011 at 7:41 pm » Comments (0)

From the VIA Blog Staff:

It’s a new year, but little is changing for Hispanic Immigrants in the South. November election victories in the South are bringing on a torrent of anti-immigrant Arizona SB1070-type bills in at least eight Southern states (Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Virginia).  (There are 24 nationwide.) New proposed legislation banning undocumented students from entering Colleges and Universities are another angle to the growing intolerance within this country.  These are actions that incite fear and misplaced anger.

As expressed through the Voices of Immigrants in Action (VIA) project, the injustices experienced by Hispanic immigrants (documented and undocumented) lead us to consider its affects not only on that community, but all in the South; those who continue to battle the historical, racial intolerance instead of addressing its ugly brother, profit.

Many know that Arizona’s anti-immigrant bill just didn’t come out of nowhere.  Immigrants in that State, dating back to the times when everyone else was an immigrant, have been the backbone of that State as a labor force and taxpayer.  It wasn’t until such companies as Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) decided that to strengthen their bottom line it made good sense to increase detainee numbers. Immigrants are merely the group de jure.

Here, in the Southern United States, CCA is once again behind many of the new anti-immigrant bills.  And it really means that State governments and its citizens will have to decide if we will vote in favor of CCA’s bottom line, or in favor of the millions of dollars a day that immigrants bring into our State coffers and businesses.

25% of Hispanic Immigrants surveyed in the South by VIA worry about the insecurity that these laws bring.  And, States’ businesses and citizens are reviewing the exorbitant legal challenges to anti-immigrant laws brought against these states, the loss of stable workers in positions seldom held by non-citizens and most of all our sense of decency?

VIA will continue to release information on Immigrants in the South, their role, their commitment to good citizenship and the affects of policies on public health.  Stay with VIA to explore these issues so that you can be part of the informed community?

To see more about States examining new immigration legislation based on Arizona SB 1070:

http://washingtonindependent.com/104713/many-states-look-to-arizonas-sb-1070-as-a-model-for-new-immigration-legislation

To learn about CCA:

NPR News reported the story last November,  (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131191523), as have other news sources.  You can learn more about their winning lobbying campaign which lead to Arizona’s SB 1070. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130833741&ps=rs) and (http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/cca-trying-buy-immigration-bill-here-similar-arizona-s)

January 18th, 2011 at 7:38 pm » Comments (0)

——

VIA TREND #6

———-

25% of Hispanic Immigrants surveyed by VIA identify the lack of documents as their primary concern.

————

Source: VIA 1/17/11

————–

VOICES ✺ VOCES

————

Sin papeles estamos siempre bajo de la amenaza de la migra la cual no deja de trabajar, vivir, ni divertirse a la gente indocumentada.

———

——————————

———

Without legal documents we are always under the threat of “la migra,” which doesn’t let us, as the undocumented work, live, or enjoy ourselves.

- 18 year old women, FL

January 18th, 2011 at 7:26 pm » Comments (0)