Hispanic Heritage Month Editorial # 4

Hispanic Heritage Month

By Josh De La Ossa

I find it rather ironic that Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) crosses a border.  Even the month devoted to celebrating Latino culture cannot shed the yoke of the assumption that everything Hispanic crossed a border at one point in its life. 

All joking aside, I hope Hispanic Heritage Month presents more than just an opportunity for you to “tour” Latino culture.  I hope that Hispanic Heritage Month presents more than just an opportunity for you to don a sombrero and drink a Dos Equis.  Instead, I hope that Hispanic Heritage Month has provoked you to think about issues that are important to Arizona’s Latino community. 

For example, Arizona’s “one-issue” political leaders are engaged in a culture war over the role and position of Latinos in Arizona.  Mexican and “illegal” are used interchangeably.  Russell Pearce characterizes every undocumented person as a cop killer.  Others are convinced that “la raza” has an underground agenda to reclaim the Southwestern United States.  Joe Arpaio frequently references the “flood” or “invasion” of “illegals.”  Our very own governor, Jan Brewer, nonsensically claimed that people were being beheaded on the U.S.-Mexico border, a claim that she later recanted. 

I can look past the rhetoric on some days.  I manage to look in the mirror and still find great pride in my brown skin, brown eyes and black hair.  I can still listen to mariachi music and not feel unpatriotic.  I can speak Spanish and not feel like I’m speaking a foreign language.  I can still sit at my dinner table and find comfort in tacos, beans and rice.  What I cannot accept, however, is that fear and racism have manifested themselves in deplorable public policy. 

I am most disturbed by Russell Pearce’s latest activist efforts to redefine the 14th Amendment to the Federal Constitution.  Mr. Pearce plans to introduce legislation that would preclude the state from issuing birth certificates to children born in the United States whose parents are undocumented.  These innocent children are known as “anchor babies” in Mr. Pearce’s circles.   It’s one thing to dehumanize an adult, but dehumanizing babies is simply unforgiveable. 

Sure, I know that “illegal” is not a race.  But, if you believe for one second that Mr. Pearce’s immigration measures are race-neutral in their intent or simply mirror federal law, then I’ve got some beach front property in downtown Phoenix that I’d like to sell to you.  It’s time that we wake up Arizona!  Let us recognize that Russell Pearce’s agenda is aimed at displacing Latinos.  Let us recognize that Mr. Pearce’s sense of entitlement or “belonging” in Arizona at the expense of innocent babies is ungodly and unjust. 

I’m sure that Mr. Pearce hopes that his latest effort will force Latinos, undocumented or not, to leave the state.  I’m sure that he dreams of an Arizona free of brown people; in other words, an Arizona where everyone speaks better English than Jan Brewer.  Well, I’ve got news for Mr. Pearce.  I am not going anywhere!  I’m going to stay right here and best of all . . .  I’m going to vote!  And know this Mr. Pearce, I’m not drinking Tea when I go to the polls!