By Elvira Arellano
On January 28th, President Barack Obama will give his “State of the Union” address before Congress and the nation. I recall waiting on other major speeches by the President, dating back to his inaugural address, during which we waited.. .and waited…and waited for a clear statement on immigration reform. It seems that during those times when the President’s party held clear majorities in the Congress we heard very little but during recent times, when the Republicans held power to block his legislation in the House, we hear quite a bit. To me that smacks of hypocrisy and political manipulation.
Actually, we hear from the President every day on the subject of immigration reform. We hear from him 1100 times a day when each one of our people is deported. We hear the cries of children and husbands and wives 1100 times a day and we know what the President is telling us. The President’s deportation policy is very well known to us.
I know there are some who take comfort in statements by the President in support of legislation that would legalize many. Some say that these statements represent a great victory for the unity and influence of the Latino community. Yet two million deportations and separations of families cannot be considered a victory. Nor can someone who has the power to extend the deferments he offered the dreamers to their parents and the parents of U.S. citizen children be considered a friend or ally of the Latino community.
The most important “unions” in society are the unions between a husband and wife and the unions between parents and their children. What is the state of those unions? Those unions in our community are under attack. When the President speaks on the state of the union will he explain that he is responsible for two million deportations? Will he explain that he has the power to grant temporary legal status to the people who are being arrested and separated from their children, their husbands or wives, but that he refuses to use that power? Will he explain that five million U.S. citizen children live in the constant fear of having their father or mother taken from them?
The state of our unions is one of fear and separation.
The state of the union, as it relates to Latinos, depends on the state of our unity, of our Latino unity. There can be no unity without accountability. To the good, almost all of our Latino members of Congress have signed a letter demanding that the President offer at least temporary protection to the families and young people in our community. The city councils of Los Angeles and Chicago have done the same. On the other hand, many organizations and “leaders” persist in defending the President, attempting to deflect our outrage towards the Republican Party alone. And while they abandon us, they prosper. These leaders and organizations will not face elections in our community. Instead they owe their positions to funding from outside our community – and a friendly establishment media.
The U.S. supported, through its war on drugs agreement with Mexico, the recent assault and murder perpetrated against the self-defense groups in the state of Michoacan. These groups had formed to defend their communities against the drug cartels. While the comfortable relationship between the U.S. and Mexican governments and the cartels remained in tact, these murderous attacks left people, including children, lying dead and bloody on the streets of our pueblos. Yet did our prosperous leaders raise their voices against President Obama’s policies?
The President is pursuing new trade agreements similar to NAFTA, agreements which are destroying the means of survival of the people of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Yet have our prosperous leaders raised their voices in opposition to the President’s policies?
Closer to home, the longest held political prisoner in the United States, Puerto Rican independence leader Oscar Lopez Rivera languishes in prison. I want you to remember and reflect that overwhelming Puerto Rican support for legalization of the undocumented was critical in uniting our Latino community. Puerto Rican leaders of all the parties have called on the President to release Oscar. Yet have the prosperous leaders of the immigrant rights organizations raised their voice to demand that President Obama set Oscar free?
While we listen to the President talk about the state of the union we should reflect on the state of our unity. I believe our unity is strong at the base. Our numbers increase every day. A new generation is rising up. Yet we must learn to hold accountable those who claim to speak for us.
We will watch the President when he explains the state of the union. We should also watch the response of our leaders. If they do not stand up to this President on our behalf then we must hold them accountable. If they continue to prosper from their silence in the face of the President’s attacks on our community, they must be held accountable.
We should be very clear that the state of the union as it relates to Latinos depends on the state of our unity.
