The American South can't seem to shake off the Civil War. Or Jim Crow. And yet, that region of the U.S. is undergoing some dramatic changes. How the South responds to these changes will determine how easily it will enter the modern world and usher out the racial demons of its past.
I am proud to live in a country where the rule of law and federal immigration preeminence enshrined in the constitution are tools to undo what legislatures in Alabama, South Carolina, and elsewhere have tried to do when politicizing and polarizing the immigration issue.
Favianna's latest feat is helping organize, the first coalition of artists, writers, and filmmakers working to expose the negative effects of SB1070.
Deporting children's parents creates just another obstacle for them, but this is the one that is the most difficult to overcome.
Georgia is wise in not applying E-Verify to businesses with fewer than 10 employees, but the smartest policy is avoiding invasive workplace regulations like E-Verify altogether. A flood of new regulations from Washington is a major reason why the economy is so rotten. Adding E-Verify on top of that will only hurt Georgia's recovery.
If George Wallace and his family could change their minds on the issue of civil rights and discrimination, so can the legislature and the current governor of Alabama on HB 56.
The Department of Labor will vigorously protect the right of all workers in Alabama to have their federal right to a legal wage protected.
"I'm looking forward to the Latino community demanding immigration reform designed by us which will be inclusive of all marginalized people of this nation and backed by a long-term ideology of justice and respect for human values."
Neither proposal will actually do much to solve the situation of millions of unauthorized immigrants, many of whom have been here for many years and have families.
But even as Republican state legislators meet in a special committee to plot their move against unauthorized immigrants specifically, and Latinos in general, a different view is emerging.
As we begin a new year, let's take a step forward toward recognizing the fundamental human rights of all people. The United States must change course.
For many immigrant communities, everyday struggles with the legal system and the economic crisis encapsulate some of the core issues driving the Occupy ethos. Yet those same issues can be a hindrance to organizing.
Let's all make the decision to reconnect with our own cultural values by educating ourselves about the authentic portrayal of immigrants in America.
Being questioned about my immigration status while testifying before Congress was certainly an insult, but what happened afterward was actually more disturbing to me.
The kind of destruction that the immigration system imposes goes much deeper than police aggression or incarceration; it rips apart the very fabric of communities.
I think more people should be talking about and defending the Bill of Rights-- before we lose the precious liberties that were supposed to be inalienable to us all.