Arizona’s tough new anti-immigrant law gives Police broad authority to demand papers or other documentation of anyone they suspect may be in the state illegally but exactly how will Police make this determination? What does American history teach when anti-immigrant sentiment previously was racing across the country and legislation enacted to exclude others from opportunity in “the land of the brave and home of the free.”
129 years ago anti-Chinese sentiment brewed in the United States and on the 06 Match, 1881 California in its zeal to exclude Chinese from its borders, organized wide spread protests to support anti-Chinese legislation.
California subsequently enacted various laws to rid the state of Chinese immigrants, newspaper editors picking up on the anti-Chinese sentiment, began to discredit the Chinese community for many things such as “unemployment.” The Police discriminated and harassed Chinese immigrants by using the slightest opportunity to arrest them.
Sounds eerily familiar to Arizona’s New Anti-Immigrant Law as anti-immigrant sentiment once again is resulting in unrealistic fears and hatred of persons based on ethnicity.
Sixty Six years ago, President Roosevelt signed into law legislation ending an unfortunate chapter in American history, which symbolized that our nation was moving towards diversity and equality of all people. How soon some forget.
“Those who can not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” —George Santayana
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[…] year, I wrote here and here 129 years ago, anti-Chinese sentiment brewed in the United States…newspaper editors […]