The Furious Spinner

Sixty-two years ago today, President Roosevelt signed into law Executive Order 9066 which essentially took away all civil rights from Japanese Americans and forced more than 110,000 into internment camps.

United for Peace and Justice reminds us that "the similarities with today are striking. Under the guise of the 'war on terrorism,' the Bush administration uses the tragic events of September 11th to impose the domestic and international agenda of powerful, right-wing forces, including an assault on new immigrant communities. While their policies threaten the civil liberties of all, people of color bear the brunt of the domestic impact of the Bush administration's empire building agenda. From secret detentions and deportations of immigrants, to increased racial profiling, to cuts in social programs alongside massive increases in military spending, the war is expanding the scope and depth of racial injustice within the US."

I live near Hood River, Oregon, where many Japanese Americans lived before the executive order. Many lost their homes, land, and orchards. We had a program at the library a couple of years ago where area Japanese Americans came and spoke about their experiences during that time. It was heartbreaking. I asked them if the Patriot Act and the obvious anti-immigrant sentiment in the administration (and from many citizens) reminded them of what happened to them. They all agreed it was alarming, and they hoped we, as a country, had learned from the terrible mistake of Executive Order 9066.

United for Peace and Justice urges peace groups to incorporate immigrant rights into their agendas. "To build the broad-based, powerful peace and justice movement we need, it's critical that anti-war activists incorporate work against the domestic impact of Bush's agenda into our efforts and work closely with communities of color taking on this agenda. A major piece of that involves standing up for immigrant rights."

Here are some suggestions from UFPJ on how you and your peace group can help with immigrant rights issues:

•LEARN MORE. United for Peace and Justice has just launched a new section of our website that includes information on the most pressing immigrant and civil rights issues. Please read the information on this link and share it with other members of your group. We also strongly encourage you to invite an expert on immigrant rights from one of your local immigrant rights organizations to speak at your group's next meeting.

•PARTICIPATE IN THE FEB. 20 NATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH MUSLIM, ARAB, AND SOUTH ASIAN IMMIGRANTS. Join the Blue Triangle Network and dozens of other organizations in a national day of solidarity to resist the scapegoating and criminalization of Muslim, Arab and South Asian immigrants! Take action and speak out on February 20th, 2004 as part of the National Day of Solidarity with Muslim, Arab, and South Asian Immigrants!

•OPPOSE THE CLEAR ACT. The Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003 would demand that local law enforcement agencies enforce federal immigration laws. Its passage would mean that immigrants could become afraid to approach the police—whether for protection from crime or to report suspicious activity—because the police could deport them or their family members. And state and local police departments are not trained and do not have the resources to enforce immigration laws. This act would encourage racial and religious profiling, leading to a greater number of civil rights violations. You can add your group's name to a growing list of Organizations that oppose the CLEAR Act by emailing the National Immigration Forum at ltramonte@immigrationforum.org.

•SUPPORT THE TACO BELL BOYCOTT. Another way that immigrants are oppressed is through sweatshop working conditions. Employers are taking advantage of this post 9-11 environment, where immigrants know they're easily subject to deportation, to intimidate workers and discourage them from exercising any of their rights. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a group of over 2,500 immigrant farm workers who are spearheading a boycott of Taco Bell. Taco Bell is the one of the primary purchasers of tomatoes in South Florida. Immigrant farmworkers must pick and haul nearly 2 tons of produce to make $50 in a day. They face systemic harassment and violence at the hands of their employers, including documented cases of forced labor. Until the tomato pickers in Florida are assured fair wages and better working conditions, CIW is encouraging everyone to boycott Taco Bell and to actively seek the removal of Taco Bell restaurants from school campuses.

My husband is an immigrant to this country. I'm sure many of you either are immigrants or have friends and family who are. When we stand up for one, we are standing up for all.

May you Walk in Beauty.
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