In the wake of the harshest immigration law in the U.S. enacted in Alabama, William Anderson, a student at the University of Alabama – Birmingham, writes about his experience as a USASer in the immigrant rights movement and the labor movement, noting that they are one in the same and neither will win alone:
When I first started college I had a completely different view of immigration. I began to look at immigration reform differently when I gained a sincere understanding of class and color. There is narrow cell that holds the disenfranchised people of color hostage in this country. I see no reason for the people who need to form solidarity to struggle with each other. I live about 12 hours from Immokalee, Florida in Birmingham, Alabama. Early last year I took part in an action in my city with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers against Publix Supermarket in support of Florida farmworkers. Publix refused to pay 1 cent more per pound to their tomato pickers for produce purchased from growers. I won’t go into the details of Publix and why their refusal is an insult. I learned extensively from that time to now about the attacks on immigrants and their human rights. The struggle for immigrant rights is not just about civil rights, it’s also about human rights. What we fight for does not just encompass the law and it’s fettered arms of protection for the people. What we fight for is tied up in the blood, sweat, and tears of labor and human rights. People have the right to work, eat, be healthy, and feed their families. I do not need a UN declaration to tell me this because I am a human first and foremost, I desire nothing more than to see people treated with respect.
We have watched a series of discriminatory immigration laws pop up in the last year or so. With that being said, I knew when it started with SB1070 in April 2010 that Alabama would not be far behind. A little over a year later, my state has enacted a more redundant, racist, and stringent version of this law. A law sponsored by a man named Scott Beason who said the solution to the immigration problem was to “empty the clip”. Our conservative governor: saw the other states lose money, get sued, he heard Scott Beason, and picked up his pen smiling as he signed our damnation. I was not really that surprised. The Alabama anti-immigrant law is actually the “strongest” or, the most “ignorant” in the country. It mirrors everything Arizona started with SB1070 with extra regression added to make it “strong“. The reason being it targets school children for documentation as well as good samaritans who might choose to help immigrants by housing, aiding, or giving them a ride. The latter parts of that being taken out by a judge recently. The only parts blocked by Judge Lovelace so far have been the provisions that might directly affect people other than immigrants. The parts that will affect our state economically and socially still remain. I say this as we watch local waterworks check immigration status, over 2500 students skip school in fear, and families pack up to leave everything behind in the night. The first person arrested under the law was a Yemini man who turned out to be a legal citizen. With all this being said, Alabama has certainly thrown it’s hat back into the ring to be the shame of the nation on social equity.
I joined United Students Against Sweatshops for a number of reasons. The one that’s relevant to this statement is that I saw a clear connect between organizing students and solidarity with workers. I understand the privilege that I have in being able to help workers and organize students around their causes. I see the clear connection between workers and immigration reform. People who are exploited are one and all struggles involving class, race, and labor are connected. I want to use my opportunities and my membership with USAS to connect with other students on immigration and direct action against heinous abuse. If we do not connect the dots in the conflicts that we face, our organizational efforts will either be a lot harder or simply in vain.
Peace and love to all of you who read this. I love my brothers and sisters of all colors. I will be here in Alabama fighting this law as a human first and foremost, but also as a person of color, a working class student, and a USASer.
¡De la Verdad, Justicia y Libertad!
Photo credit: Rod Guajardo
