The Immigration Debate and Eliminationism Rhetoric
Put forth on July 20, 2006 by XicanoPwr
Posted in Eliminationism, Immigration, Immigration Debate, Nativism, Racism, Raza
One thing is very clear, immigration debate is a complex problem which many would prefer to view it as a simple problem with a simple solution. For example, Grassfire.org’s “Stop Invasion” billboards that debuted in Houston and Tucson this week. It is a simple sign, with a straight forward message: “Stop The Invasion: Secure Our Borders.”
The debate continues to heat up in the US, which the Natavist continue their efforts to make this issue seem massive therefore scaring this country to death. In fact, many states and cities are coming up with their own reforms. According to a recent USA Today article, 35 states have taken it upon themselves to deal with immigration reform. Out of the 35 states, 27 of them have already enacted 57 bills dealing with the immigration issue according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Bills were enacted in 27 states: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.
What the immigration debate has done is nothing more but incite what Dave Neiwert at Orcinus calls “eliminationism”. Neiwert states that eliminationism is the kind of behavior that shut down any type dialogue for the purpose of “outright elimination of the opposing side, either through complete suppression, exile and ejection, or extermination.”
… Rhetorically, it takes on some distinctive shapes. It always depicts its opposition as simply beyond the pale, and in the end the embodiment of evil itself — unfit for participation in their vision of society, and thus in need of elimination. It often depicts its designated “enemy” as vermin (especially rats and cockroaches) or diseases, and loves to incessantly suggest that its targets are themselves disease carriers. A close corollary — but not as nakedly eliminationist — are claims that the opponents are traitors or criminals, or gross liabilities for our national security, and thus inherently fit for elimination or at least incarceration.
And that is where the problems lies. Nativists, like Grassfire, don’t care. They prefer the easy way out and that is to create a whole class of criminals out of a group of people who come here to work. It’s easier to blame the poverty-stricken pawns in this economic game because they are voiceless. It is easier to take their anger out on them, than to deal with the core problems.
Neiwert will also point out it is this type of behavior that played a part in the driving force behind the Holocaust, which he first encountered it in Daniel Jonah Goldhagen’s text Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust.
Hitler’s Willing Executioners is an important and impressive piece of scholarship, particularly in the extent to which it catalogues the willing participation of the “ordinary” citizenry in so many murderous acts, as well as in the hatemongering that precipitated them. And his identification of “eliminationism” as a central impulse of the Nazi project was not only borne out in spades by the evidence, but was an important insight into the underlying psychology of fascism.
I have mentioned it before, using labels such as “illegals” is only furthering the nativists’ aims of criminalizing the “undocumented” and separating them from the rest of society. It is nothing more setting up a us vs. them situation. It is easy to dehumanize any groups of people in the name of injustice. If they’re monsters, criminals, invaders, you name it its okay to lock them up like cattle or round them up and expel them. Possibly separating them from their families, even though they’ve been here working for decades.
There are legitimate issues surrounding illegal immigration, the immigration debate is a complex issue and it is having an effect here in the US. For one its hurting American jobs and wages. Just recently FL’s Gov. Jeb Bush and Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson announced that millions of Florida oranges could waste because of a shortage of fruit pickers. In AZ, construction companies are also facing a labor shortage.
o get a sense of the challenge employers face filling the need for workers in Tucson, check out newspaper job listings — on Sundays and Wednesdays you’ll find more than 70 employers seeking construction workers. Or look at the stack of yellow fliers inside El Indio Mexican Food Restaurant, 3355 S. Sixth Ave. The ads tout carpentry jobs with “good pay” and “excellent benefits for you and your family.”
The notion of rounding up these individuals, building a border wall, placing National Guard troops on the border, itchy trigger finger “Minuteman project” whackos is not only a joke, its exactly what these eliminationists want to see happen.
There is little discussion about why these people come here. That would require generating empathy for the dehumanized, some that the Nativists lack. In order to solve the complex problems surrounding illegal immigration, there are several issues that need to be addressed. The fact is, most undocumented immigrants did not come over with the intention of staying in the United States. Their intent, for a large majority, has and always has been, to come here long enough to earn some money to help their family back home and later return home. But the current laws make that impossible, therefore, they end up living staying longer than they intended.
Marisa Treviño of Latina Lista points out that in the town of Tendeparacua, in Michoacan, Mexico, currently only has 600 people residing there compared the 6,000 residents who lived there in 1985. She also points out that the rural areas of the country, other towns like Tendeparacua, are totally devoid of any working-age men.
People coming in from Mexico and Latin America know they can make much more money working the US than they can at home ($5 an hour instead of $5 per day for example). Since they already worked in extreme conditions in their home country, they realize they can work in the same extremely difficult and labor intensive jobs here in the US for a higher pay in jobs many Americans won’t do.
As long as cities who are tired of waiting for Congressional action and taking action into their own hands, such as Hazleton, PA, they are doing nothing more but playing into the hands of the Nativist.
A former coal mining town in Pennsylvania has put itself smack in the middle of the raging debate over U.S. border security by adopting one of the nation’s toughest laws against illegal immigration.
The measure, passed by the Hazleton City Council last week, penalizes businesses that hire illegal immigrants and landlords who rent to them.
There is no doubt there are those who are US born Hispanics or who are here legally who are happy to see cities like these take care of the “mojado/a” problem. For right now, they will say they don’t mind being stopped by the police to prove they are citizens because to them the police are doing their job. Nor do they really mind having people suspect them that they are illegally here because these are “dangerous times.” But all these actions do have hidden consequence. History has a nasty way of repeating itself when it comes to racial profiling.
And during these times, the revised version of Pastor Martin Niemoller’s First they came poem by Applied Research Center is very appropriate.
And I Said Nothing (Revisited)
In the United States
They first came for the ARAB AMERICANS
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t Arab American.
Then they came for people from MUSLIM countries
and I didn’t speak up because I was born in the U.S.
Then they profiled PEOPLE OF COLOR as terrorist suspects
and I didn’t speak up because I must not look like a terrorist.
Then they targeted IMMIGRANTS,
and I didn’t speak up because I have legal status.
Then they arrested SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVISTS
and I didn’t speak up because I was afraid to get involved.
Then they came for YOU AND ME –
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
- adapted by Applied Research Center , 2003
None of these issues are being addressed by the Bush Administration and Congress. Its rarely talked about in the media and certainly not by the Nativists who don’t want to regulate businesses or levy fines against those who hire illegal workers for cheap slave labor. To the Nativist and their eliminationist rhetoric its all about catch, detain, and deport.
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This is the blog of Edmundo "XicanoPwr" Rocha, a social worker, an activist, freelance writer and founder and editor of The Sanctuary. My interests include: immigration reform, critical race theory and it's interaction with equality/inequality and freedom/oppression as they relate to the experiences of people of color in the Americas.
Para Justicia y Libertad is a Latino-centered political blog focusing on the humanistic perspective of politics, history, and society as they relate to the Latina/o community throughout Texas and the United States.
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great analysis
XP — Wanted you to see this:
Immigration Enforcement Benefits Prison Firms
Left a comment about it in yr diary over at the anti-anti-american american-exceptionalism blog.
You posted a perversion of Pastor Niemoller’s poem to equate those against illegal aliens invading the US and violating our laws as though this in Nazi Germany. Cute, real cute. The analogy doesn’t hold up as well as most of the entire post.
Your viewpoints are the type trying to silence the opposition. These people are illegals. They are aliens. They are lawbreakers. Stop sugarcoating the truth to suit your views. Stop the newspeak, equating ‘nativists’ with nazis and throwing the race card to stop debate. The word game being played is pretty obvious.
Stop spreading the lie that illegals are doing the work most Americans won’t do. This is a tactic used by immigrant right’s organization, politicans, church leaders and businesses to quench the opposing view, much like calling them racists. The fact is that most illegals work in occupations Americans can and have worked in the past. However, why pay a decent wage to an American citizen when an illegal will work for very little and not complain? This game is the reason why Americans don’t do those jobs. Please be honest and give the full story.
The problem here is not complex; however the solution is. There are masses of people from Mexico and Central American countries who decide, with the aid and blessing of their corrupt leaders to head north. Some look are drug smugglers, some criminals, some look for a better life. But most of them are doing this illegally.
The United States has the right and obligation to secure our borders from those who, think they are better than others. How is that? Unlike so many millions who wish to come to this country through legal channels, these people will violate our laws and borders while showing comtempt for those who patiently wait to immigrate legally. Their arrogance and ingratitude was demonstration earlier this year with their demonstrations and waving Mexican flags shows their real allegience. A country whose government doesn’t care about them but encourages a northward trek is one to be proud of? If that country is so wonderful, why not return and change it for the better? No, that makes too much sense.
The solution is complex because there is a fifth column in this country working to undermind the social fabric and who share your views. Many Americans don’t share this socialistic, multicultural bs and are trying to stop this crap. These group has been pushing amnesty in recent months but hidden under different verbage. It didn’t work in 1986 and won’t work know.
The solution is to stop the hemorrhaging on our southern border, impose strict penalties on employers hiring illegals, stop issuing licenses and ids to illegals and stop playing footsie with the Mexican government on this issue. If the Immigration Act of 1986 was enforced, we wouldn’t have this dicussion. Herein lies the problem.
If you don’t want illegals to be viewed as invaders and illegals, encourage them to go through the proper immigration channels like th
those from other countries and enough of this drivel.
Truth hurts dosen’t it. Same old argument every single time - “how dare you use the Pastor Niemoller poem,” “you call me a racist”, “tell the truth” yada yada yada.
And that is understandable because my words stung because the truth hurts.
The fact the politians continue to use what ever excuses for its own gullible people to swallow to continue to elect them while claiming this is the “Land of the Free”. This is a capitalist country driven by the free market. And in case you forgot, our free market is driven by market competition to keep costs low and sell their “product” for as much as the market will bear. Because the central values of the marketplace are self-interest and the “bottom line.” There exists a market demand for low-skilled cheap labor. A large majority of this demand is being met by vast numbers of undocumented immigrants coming to this country. Immigration is the market supplying a demand. And why do you think big business is working with pro-immigration activist. Believe me, big business does not have the immigrants best interest at heart. It is nothing more but to met the “bottom line.”
Even one of your own talking heads will refute your claim. When Tony Snow was with Fox News before becoming Press Secretary had this to say. Full article
Princeton University sociologist Douglas S. Massey reports that 62 percent of illegal immigrants pay income taxes (via withholding) and 66 percent contribute to Social Security. Forbes magazine notes that Mexican illegals aren’t clogging up the social-services system: only 5 percent receive food stamps or unemployment assistance; 10 percent send kids to public schools….[T]he most comprehensive survey to date of national crime data concludes, “In the small number of studies providing empirical evidence, immigrants are generally less involved in crime than similarly situated groups, despite the wealth of prominent criminological theories that provide good reasons why this should not be the case.”
Here is an article from the Washington post.
The immigration laws are already tough, but because the bill was signed by the Clinton Administration, you see it as weak. Yet, folks like you forget the bill was drafted by a Republican controled House, funny how that slips the minds of so many neo-Know Nothings.
The only reason neo-Nativists see this as a problem is because immigrants are now expecting the same goods and services from the state that they also have paid into, just like the rest of us. But this bothers the all neo-Natavist, hence they start creating a brown boggieman and start spinning a story that all these immigrants are causing a problem in the justice and security system of this country, which doesn’t even work for it’s own citizens, much less for poor immigrants.
This is the reason I right about th
There is little truth in the article so it doesn’t hurt. There is no sting because leftists typically use to worse elements to prove their point. The nazi anology has been used for decades by those with your thinking to silence and demonize. Sorry, it’s not working anymore and the vast majority don’t buy it either. however, keep using it if it makes you feel better.
Politicians are feeling the heat from their constituents and illegals are their puppet masters are feeling the heat because, God forbid, the United States enforces control of it’s borders. Those of your persuasion are running scared because the hemorrhaging at the southern border may end.
So the purpose of a ‘Day without Immigrants’was to prove how ‘valuable’ they are to the American economy? The only thing it proved was a bunch of whining ingrates carrying their mother country’s flag demanding ‘rights’. much like demanding, self centered children. Time to grow up kids. Oh, the day failed miserably. Things when well without illegals working in my metropolitan area and benefited with less congestion on the roads. Please have more Day without Immigrants to ease congestion and nothing was proved in the illegals favor.
The economy may be capitalistic but no one, not even dishonest businesses are above the law. Whether they pilfer from pension funds, backdate stock options to avoid taxes or hire illegals, the law needs to be enforced.
My talking head? Do you think I blindly follow the groupthink like you? If one can think for themselves, they don’t need on others to tell them what to believe. That includes those on the left and right, including Tony Snow.
The sociologist you cited in the article is from the Left and expect you’s agree. However, how is it that illegals who don’t have social security numbers pay into the system. If this is someone else’s (theft) or made up, where is the money going? How is it they pay taxes without ssn? oh that’s right, no proof is needed. If an ‘expert’ states something, it’s believed, sight unseen.
Not clogging up the sstem? Where do you live? Up here in the north, we have special education for the illegal’s children with English as a second language and the schools are always crying for money to ‘help’.
have you heard of public assistance and free medical care in the emergency room. Where do you think these illegals go when they get injured or produce anchor babies? Of course, the generous people of the greatest nation on earth will help them out and at taxpayer’s expense in many cases. Those hospitals who are overwhelmed close. Why would illegals care? Their advocates tell them to take advantage of the system.
The immigration act of 1986 was signed under the Clinton Administration? Do you know your history? Reagan was the president with a Democratic Congress which pushed through the legislation and Reagan signed. in part, it called for tougher penalties on busineeses that hire illegals, so no the law isn’
tough enough because it isn’t enforced enough. Hopefully this will change in the not so distant future despite the whining from the left.
I asked if Mexico is such a wonderful country, enough so that illegals from their come here demanding rights and waving the Mexicans, why not advocate it’s people to change their government instead of making demands on their host? Another question is what makes these illegals better than those from other countries who wait to emigrate legally to live and work? Could it be that illegals have been duped by their advocates to demand rights and expect entitlement like little children? As said before, time to grow up kids!
With everything you had to say, it sounded the same to me, complete gibberish. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah its the spics fault, blah, blah, blah, blah, it still the spics fault blah, blah, blah, blah, send them all home blah, blah, blah, blah you still sound like a xenophobic racist.
Your still stuck in the 80’s, gee, do your own history, the last major update to the immigration laws was in ‘96 - Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
And as for the money, I don’t know where it went, go ask your party’s leaders - they are very good at bankrupting this country.
Have a nice day.
Xenophobic racist? haha that’s a good one! I was waiting for you to call me that. Too bad for you it doesn’t apply. Leftist always resort to childish name calling to silence their opponent’s opinion. However, you need to provide evidence that I’m a xenophobic racist who states ‘it’s the spics fault’. You are the bigot, Mr. ‘ChicanoPower’ not I. Must be projection on your part.
My original post referred to 1986 act, so you need to reread my post. I couldn’t care less about what Clinton signed. My response never referred to him. As said before, if laws were enforced from 20 years ago, this would not be an issue.
Amazing you call my response jibberish when your original post contained drivel and grandstanding. The left can’t stand those who differ with them and resort to cheap shots. You’ve proven my point. To repeat a famous quote “You couldn’t handle the truth”.
Speak your mind
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