Fear Tactics

The following texts were among the many i received Thursday afternoon:

" Wei ay redadas de emigracion"
" Just received news that ICE is doing a sweep in Bay area be careful"
" ICE check points in san jose"

Memories of 2006 came back. Hearing about an immigration raid next door to where i worked. Hiding in the back of the warehouse through my lunch. the fear.

The word was spreading, even while i was at work. Immigration Check points in multiple streets. Immigration checking people's status at bus stops. The streets and the bus stops all where in predominantly Latino neighborhoods. profiling.

It makes me angry.

Angry to feel so impotent to the fact that at any given moment i could be driving down the wrong street, at the wrong time. With a flash of a light, a criminalizing procedure and one question, my whole life, my whole foundation is uprooted.

Angry at the impotence i feel because i want so bad to change this system, where a father is torn from his family because he was taking the bus home from work. Where a mother driving her kid to karate practice is now in a detention center, because she took a wrong turn. Where a student is afraid to drive to class, because there is a check point.

"papers please" = Fuck you. you second class citizen, you're a criminal in our eyes and you will be hunted like one. Who cares if you have a family. Who cares if your son is a US citizen, or your case is pending.

What? you have a degree, well use it in your country. What you pay taxes? go pay them in Mexico. Huh? your wife is a US Citizen, well she will need to go with you.

Sorry.

My father was here in 1978. He told me of how Immigration would stop a man on the street if he looked "illegal". Looked "illegal".

It's 2010. Obama administration. Change. progress. yet the persecution. the fear mongering. the separation of families still occurs.

I want that Change Mr. Obama. Because so far i don't believe in what ever "this" is.