This online writing environment digitally archives the embodied rhetoric, issues and projects that relate to me as Associate Professor at Santa Clara University and Bread Loaf School of English faculty. E-mail me at: cnmedina AT SCU DOT edu.
On William Nericcio's Tex[t]-Mex Blog, there's a thought-provoking post on Lady Gaga's recent entrance into the conversation on SB 1070. What I noted in the video from her concert in Phoenix was her dismissal of what she could do as a pop musician, ignoring the pleas of other musicians to participate in the boycott of Arizona. Taking an all-too-literal interpretation of the boycott, Gaga comments that her concert, and the concerts of other musicians, will not economically break Arizona. As a performer who is very conscious of the images she steals and allusions she makes to other musicians (mainly Madonna), Gaga seems to be playing a bit obtuse, implying that the boycott is purely financial and not about anything more.
Notice in the video below, from the concert Rage Against the Machine put on in Los Angeles with Conor Oberst and other musicians, the performers are clear about their message of the concert that they held outside of Arizona, in conjunction with the boycott.
Reality Mirroring Art With the passing of SB1070, I genuinely hope that this politicized issue is only that: a political ploy to get McCain and Brewer reelected by the conservative majority. Immigration is a much more complex issue that requires reform beyond turning Arizona into a police state. I am glad to see Obama has criticized the immigration bill that will potentially ruin many lives for political gain of few. Which leads me to film Born in East L.A., in which Cheech Marin plays a Mexican American wrongfully deported to Mexico because he is unable to provide a green card during an INS raid. In this scene, we see that SB 1070's provision to provide documentation hasn't previously proven to have a track record as a panacea for immigration reform.
Undocumented laborers, like everyone following the flow of capital, will respond with innovations to work the system in much the same way that global companies pursue higher profit margins by switching to countries with cheaper labor forces, with no regard for human rights violations. Arizona's economy is in the tank and the conservatives in power know that if they support any anti-immigration issue, they'll get the votes they need. It's the unfortunate reality of politics and power using fear to motivate the majority without concern for what happens to communities.
As with any discussion of race, many non-minority or racially marked persons have difficulty speaking about this bill because their standpoints do not allow them to live the experience of a racially marked person. For this reason, there is a lot of discussion of legal rhetoric in order for supporters of SB1070 to play the rhetorical shell-game of, 'we're not talking about race, we're talking about a legal issue.' It would be helpful for people who do not see it as a racial profiling issue to acknowledge that this is not something they have experienced in their realities, and might therefore respect the opinions of those who have, and fear for its institutionalization within the spirit of this law, if not in the letter.
The toughest anti-illegal-immigrant measure in a generation passed the Arizona legislature this week. If signed, as expected, by Republican governor Jan Brewer, the law will give local police sweeping new powers in regard to undocumented workers. Currently, immigration offenses are violations of federal, not state, law, and local police officers only can inquire about a person's immigration status if that person is suspected of another crime. Under SB1070, however, Arizona police will have the right to stop anyone on "reasonable suspicion" that they may be an illegal immigrant and can arrest them if they are not carrying a valid driver's license or identity papers." (source Yahoo News)
Jan Brewer's contact information (photos from Jan Brewer's Photo Gallery)
The full mailing address is: The Honorable Jan Brewer
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Brewer is responding to the conservative scare-tactics that try to make the people of Arizona worry about hard-working undocumented laborers; instead, the people of Arizona should be worrying about the massive school district layoffs.
If you're not sure how to voice your outrage, feel free to mention some of these points:
Arizona's budget crisis has state resources stretched thin, making the stress on state law enforcement even greater
Many undocumented people work for substandard living, providing services to many small and larger local businesses in Arizona, contributing to Social Security funds that they will never cash in on, and paying retail taxes for all of their purchases in this country.
this law is a misappropriation of state funds that will only serve to weaken an already stressed economy.
Instead of putting this money into harassing hard-working people in our country, this money would be put to better use, reinvesting into the educational system of our state that has been hit with many school district firings.
With an emphasis on education in our state, we might better strengthen our state infrastructure, making it a more attractive option for businesses to bring revenue and job-creating industry.
Border patrol fulfill a certain need, one of which being the enforcement of illegal drug smuggling
What I noted in the video from her concert in Phoenix was her dismissal of what she could do as a pop musician, ignoring the pleas of other musicians to participate in the boycott of Arizona. Taking an all-too-literal interpretation of the boycott, Gaga comments that her concert, and the concerts of other musicians, will not economically break Arizona. As a performer who is very conscious of the images she steals and allusions she makes to other musicians (mainly Madonna), Gaga seems to be playing a bit obtuse, implying that the boycott is purely financial and not about anything more.
