MEChA reacts to controversial law

By Joanne Santomauro

In response to the recently passed Senate Bill 1070, MEChA, the Latino Student Organization, is taking action. Immediately after learning that the law was passed, the executive board rallied together around 2 a.m. on Friday morning to organize tabling for the day and make flyers to hand out showing images of CNN and the Latino community gathering in Arizona.

MEChA organized the event "Blackout!" to take place that day. The Facebook event description said, "Please wear black tomorrow to be in solidarity against the SB 1070 bill in Ariz.! Come by the MCC between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to sign the petition against this bill!"

"(Blackout!) was successful in that we got information about the bill Wednesday night, started working on it Thursday and got people to sign petitions overnight," Co-cultural Chair sophomore Jose Dorador said.

Freshman Alex Pineda, another member of MEChA said, "Any event where you have one person fighting against injustice is a success. There were a number of us standing outside the MCC...It was successful in that there was a response and that there are people on this campus that have been deeply disturbed by the law in Arizona."

The bill was signed into Arizona law on Friday, April 23 by Governor Jan Brewer. It requires that "reasonable attempt be made to determine the immigration status of a person during legitimate contact made by an official or agency...if reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the U.S."

The bill essentially states that if individuals in question by the police cannot immediately produce the required legal documents, they can be arrested, jailed for six months and fined for $2,500.

If 1070 survives the anticipated legal challenges to follow, it will be put into effect in three months.

The law has received various criticisms, including from President Obama. During a naturalization ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, Obama stated, "Indeed our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only open the door to the irresponsibility by others...that includes the recent efforts in Arizona, which threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe."

Dorador adds that the issues with the bill will not increase safety among neighborhoods, but rather, abolish it,

"(The bill) will build tension within communities. If you live in this neighborhood, and you're this race and you're in trouble and need to call the police, you have to worry about whether they'll ask for your legal status or for you to provide papers before helping you out. People will have to start carrying around passports."

MEChA is in the process of organizing a stream of events to take place over the next two weeks.

Today is the Day of Silence, during which students are encouraged to wear black as an emblem of being "silenced by the broken immigration system."

On Friday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Free Speech Zone between the bookstore and the Shapell Lounge there will be an Immigration Rally, to which students are encouraged to wear white. During the rally there will be information about facts and myths regarding the immigration and citizenship process.

The rally is organized by the Labor Action Committee, a division of Santa Clara Community Association Program. Faculty and students are invited to speak about their opinion of the bill, along with an open mic opportunity for anyone who wishes to voice their thoughts on this issue.

On Saturday, MEChA and various student organizations from around the area are joining together at the Mi Pueblo Plaza in San Jose to march for just and humane immigration reform. MEChA is in contact with several organizations at Santa Clara, including SCCAP, Sigma Lambda Beta, and the Latino Business Students Association.

The bill has provoked response from student organizations all over the nation. At Yale University student representatives from MEChA, Jews for Justice and Fierce Advocates and the Undergraduate Organizing Committee staged a mock raid, hounding unsuspecting students and demanding them to procure proof of residency. When unable to do so, students were informed that if they lived in Arizona, they would have been detained.

"I'm concerned that this law could lead to racial profiling by Arizona law enforcement," said Dorador. "Cops are going to be stopping Hispanics and (the question will be asked) 'What does an immigrant look like?' I feel as though this law is just a misdirected law to deal with immigration problems."

"The bill itself is a very negative thing," said Pineda. "I think it's unconstitutional and socially unjust. However, that being said, in the end the bill will be a decidedly positive thing for this country because now the conversation can happen. The fact is that people don't like to talk about racism and they don't like to confront the flaws in our society, but when such a blatant flaw comes out, such as the bill, people are forced to talk about it."

MEChA will be handing out flyers throughout the week with current immigration statistics and a calendar of upcoming events.

"All MEChA wants people to know is that there needs to be immigration reform as soon as possible," said Dorador. "There are always two sides to the issue, but in the end...there just needs to be change."

Contact Joanne Santomauro at jsantomauro@scu.edu or at (408)554-1918.