Re: Prop 187 - Forwarded

richley crapo (RCRAPO@WPO.HASS.USU.EDU)
Tue, 29 Nov 1994 09:26:00 -0700

I am forwarding the appended message just
because I thought it might be of interest to those
who have been discussing Prop. 187. The opinion
is the author's, so--whether you agree or
disagree--please respond to him, not me.
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Date: Mon, 28 Nov 1994 18:19:36 -0700
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From: Cihuacoatl@aol.com
To: Multiple recipients of list <femisa@csf.colorado.edu>
Subject: Re: What About Our Privilege?
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X-Comment: FEMINIST THEORY & GENDER STUDIES

Andrew DeWit writes:

>other nationalities make it difficult even to get visas, and >certainly do
not provide a range of services to illegal >immigrants that make such
behaviour economically rational

The issue here is not whether people have the right to economic incentives to
work as undocumented laborers, it is whether or not they have basic human
rights. People do not come to this country for the health care or schooling.
They come to work and put food on the table for their families. It does not
make sense to stop health care for a group of people when this can, and will,
promote death and disease. It does not make sense to deny children access to
an education, when doing so will have generational repurcussions.

What is not being talked about is the historical use of undocumented laborers
in this country and specifically in California. Mexicanos were encouraged
and even bused up from Mexico at various times in our history. Chinese
peoples were shipped to this state to build levies, roads and railroads. And
just as surely, they were excluded from equal justice from the law. Their
contributions were minimized. But no one complained when they got low priced
food on their table or were able to ride the railroads from coast to coast.

The issue is not so simplistic to say that we must protect our borders. This
proposition 187 does not do this as much as it denies basic human rights to
peoples. And, it also opens the door for more bigotry and violation of civil
rights for those who might "look or sound like they are immigrants", from
fifth generation U.S. born citizen to newly documented or undocumented
immigrant alike.

Josefa Molina
Cihuacoatl@aol.com