Hey ya’ll, if you got the time, check out this article from Cracked.com. The article was written by an Australian man who immigrated over to the US in order to be with his American-citizen wife. This article gives a good depiction of the long, arduous immigration process. At the end of the article, the writer even jokingly suggests that it’s easier to just pay someone to smuggle you into the US.
Have fun reading~
- Phil Jeng
I actually don’t follow current events as much as I should, so it took me until yesterday to hear about Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signing some ridiculous bill on Friday. SB 1070, the Arizona law enabling and requiring police officers “to detain people they reasonably suspect are in the country without authorization and to verify their status with federal officials,” was met with immediate protests by immigrants and advocates for the illegal.
The law aims to “identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants,” but in actuality, will probably just increase harassment and racial profiling, especially of the Mexicans and Hispanics. Brewer did respond to critics’ concerns, “saying she would work to ensure that the police have proper training to carry out the law. But she sided with arguments by the law’s sponsors that it provides an indispensable tool for the police in a border state that is a leading magnet of illegal immigration. She said racial profiling would not be tolerated, adding, ‘We have to trust our law enforcement.’”
I guess I’m just wondering exactly what kind of training the police will be receiving. How to spot an illegal resident? Or as my friend Dan Ping pointed out in her blog, “tiny people with green skin and antennas jumping off spaceships or…people who look and are Mexican?” I also find the newly installed honor system to be quite amusing. Sorry, Arizonians, you’re just going to have to trust your police not to pull you over because they simply can’t be racists.
I wonder how this whole thing will work out. Will Obama follow through with his promise of a federal overhaul of immigration laws? In any case, like my professor said, “You’re in trouble if you’re really tan and you find yourself in Arizona…”
▲
Welcome to the Asian American Youth Action Blog!
Chinatown Youth Initiatives' blog run for youth by youth!
"We speak with the intention of being heard." - Kelly Tsai, spoken word artist
A place dedicated to the personal stories and experiences of New York City Asian American youth on issues important to them. An inspirational start point for Asian American youth to stand out, help their community, find events, and discover themselves. Behind the masks of first impressions, false judgments and stereotypes are individuals with fresh perspectives that should be acknowledged. With our title in capital letters and an exclamation point, AAYA! screams out to Asian American teens and anyone who recognizes communities and individuals that call out for their own genuine voices.
If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please e-mail us at aaya@cyinyc.org
