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No Immigrant Backlash Here (UPDATED)
(UPDATE 9:45 PM: I have provided some links containing photos of some of the protests I refer to below. My bad for not putting these up originally).
Miami Herald columnist Fred Grimm wrote an interesting and thought-provoking column on why South Florida immigrants didn't protest in large numbers this past weekend, as opposed to the throngs of people in other immigrant-heavy cities.
Grimm suggests the reason may be because many immigrants here are content with their special status, particularly Cubans and Central Americans. He has a point, although I wouldn't say all Cubans are content with the wet foot/dry foot policy. Haitians certainly aren't happy with their status, but you still didn't see them protest en masse.
It's certainly not because there are a lack of illegals here.
I suspect the main reason is something Grimm didn't address: lack of resentment for the United States of America.
Many (not most, but quite a few) of the protesters in the other cities had anti-American signs, chanted anti-American slogans and in an isolated case even burned an American flag. You will be hard-pressed to find an hardcore anti-American immigrant in South Florida. They don't have the "history" factor that many Mexicans in California and Texas have, for example. They just want to come here for a better life and hold no grudges. They work hard and are grateful for what they have. Sure, they complain occasionally, but I have never seen blatant anti-Americanism.
Everyone remembers the reaction to the Elian fiasco. Cubans didn't protest against Americans and America, only against those in charge. It is totally different to the reasons behind some of the protests I saw in other cities.
I'm not saying that all the protesters are anti-American. Those who love this country and have a legitimate beef have my respect. But the anti-American factor is definitely present.
Miami Herald columnist Fred Grimm wrote an interesting and thought-provoking column on why South Florida immigrants didn't protest in large numbers this past weekend, as opposed to the throngs of people in other immigrant-heavy cities.
Grimm suggests the reason may be because many immigrants here are content with their special status, particularly Cubans and Central Americans. He has a point, although I wouldn't say all Cubans are content with the wet foot/dry foot policy. Haitians certainly aren't happy with their status, but you still didn't see them protest en masse.
It's certainly not because there are a lack of illegals here.
I suspect the main reason is something Grimm didn't address: lack of resentment for the United States of America.
Many (not most, but quite a few) of the protesters in the other cities had anti-American signs, chanted anti-American slogans and in an isolated case even burned an American flag. You will be hard-pressed to find an hardcore anti-American immigrant in South Florida. They don't have the "history" factor that many Mexicans in California and Texas have, for example. They just want to come here for a better life and hold no grudges. They work hard and are grateful for what they have. Sure, they complain occasionally, but I have never seen blatant anti-Americanism.
Everyone remembers the reaction to the Elian fiasco. Cubans didn't protest against Americans and America, only against those in charge. It is totally different to the reasons behind some of the protests I saw in other cities.
I'm not saying that all the protesters are anti-American. Those who love this country and have a legitimate beef have my respect. But the anti-American factor is definitely present.
posted by Robert at 7:47 PM
17 Comments:
My friend you hit the proverbial nail flush on the head!
So I just sat through 143 photos of the protests out in California and Dallas (Yahoo) and didn't see one anti-American photo. Plenty of Mexican flags, some upside down American flags, plenty of Mexican nationalism....but not one anti-American banner or sign. Oh, there was one that had Bush as Hitler and there were some Spanish signs that I couldn't read, but I would be curious to where you've heard or seen "quite a few" expressions of Anti-Americanism during these protests.
I was thinking that the Cuban-American community's blind allegiance to the Republican Party might be stifling their outrage but that doesn't explain the Haitian-American complacency in this matter. I really should give up trying to figure out the thought processes of Miami's residents because there is no logic to it at all.
I think that the many Cubans in the local and state government who are blatantly corrupt are anti-American.
Cuba became a communist nation because the people were tired of the never-ending corruption of the Batista Regime.
Unfortunately all of the rich and powerful Cuban families that corrupted and destroyed Cuba came to Miami and their childred are corrupting and destroying Miami and South Florida.
Rick,
Don't forget some of the Che t-shirts in the crowds.
Check out the links I just provided, I think they back up what I said. By quite a few, I meant a significant number. I did not say MOST, I made that very clear in my post. I also made it clear that I respect the valid concerns of those who are here illegally but who have contributed positively to this country. This is not an easy issue for me to take sides on.
You really should check out Spanish TV here in Miami, especially the show A Mano Limpia. On that show tonight they had the leadership of the Cuban-American National Foundation being very critical of GW Bush's lack of progress vis a vis Cuba. CANF, the historical leader of the Cuban-American community (although that title is shaky at best these days). CANF, a stalwart "evil Republican" entity for the most part, criticizing Bush in public.
If somehow it was possible for you could get subtitles or closed captioning for local Channel 41, do so.
Robert:
Leave it to Malkin to dig up the photos necessary to focus the worse light on a minority population.
I don't see the same anti-Americanism that you see. I see a fierce pride in their Mexican heritage and what they've contributed to this country and it's economy. Che is being used as a call to protest what they see as a direct attack upon the Mexican population. I'm not saying that it's the best or most effective form of protest, but to characterize it as anti-American is inaccurate, in my opinion, and ignores all the American flags that people were carrying at the same time. Are their flag-burning photos there that I missed?
universalspectator: I live in Broward County, if that's what you're asking. I'll be interested to see where you're going with this.
corrected to read: Are there flag burning photos there that I missed? Jeez.
Rick, I didn't see pictures of flag burning, just read a news account of that. It was an isolated case.
For the record, I disagree strongly with Michelle Malkin on immigration issues. On that issue, she comes from the dark side of the right. I used her post for examples of the signs that illustrate my point, not as a indication that all immigrants are anti-American.
Some of the comments in the pictures I think are definitely anti-American. Whether you agree with their statements or not, I think you have to acknowledge that there is an anti-American undercurrent running pretty strongly in those people.
"We are indigenous, the ONLY owners of this continent"
"Stolen Continent"
"If you think I'm illegal because I'm Mexican, learn the true history because I'm in MY HOMELAND".
"This is stolen land"
"Don't cross the border, the borders crossed us".
Ummmm....don't look now but that "lack of resentment" argument may have just went the way of WMD's in Iraq.
(CBS4 News) MIAMI There are few more passionate issues in the US today than immigration, and that passion ignited South Florida streets Wednesday. Protesters gathered in South Florida to express anger and frustration at a new US immigration law under debate in the US Senate.
Protesters gathered at Tamiami Park, carrying the flags of a number of Hispanic countries, prepared to drive down Flagler street to Biscayne Boulevard, and from there to NW 79th street, where the South Florida headquarters of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is located.
The protesters tell CBS4 they are prepared to break the law, by engaging in what they called ‘acts of civil disobedience’, to express their anger at the proposed changes to US immigration law.
The South Florida "protests" I just saw on the CBS-4 news clip were specks of dust compared to the massive throngs in LA.
Sorry Rick, the news clip didn't show even a fraction of the resentment I saw in the pictures from LA. No anti-Americans signs, slogans, etc. People have an honest gripe and that's OK.
The report said 100 people participated in the protest. For an area with as many illegals as South Florida, those are incredibly small numbers.
We'll see if the protests here get larger and more hostile, but I doubt it.
I'm betting that Michelle will find some pictures. You gotta give her a chance.
You're right, they were small. But they were there.
A stunning article on the secret reason the government does not want to seal the border - a VERY novel idea.
http://futurist.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/02/what_is_the_rea.html
For the URL above, a link. (to a great article on why the government wants the border to be open)
Heh, I like how in his 9:32 post following Robert's rebuttal, Rick COMPLETELY ran away from his "durrr, what anti-americanism?" argument and switched to the standard, "ooh, look at THIS instead!" tactic.
Seriously, dude, at least admit that you were wrong.
An article on which countries in the world hate America, and which are pro-American. Quite a few surprises here.
Fatmouse/Clay: I stand by my opinion that the pictures I've viewed, including the ones linked to by Clay, do not show an anti-Americanism but an intense nationalism and and dislike for the politicians that make anti-immigration policy. It doesn't surprise me that these people are considered as unAmerican by conservatives. It's the same approach that many conservatives take with those who don't walk in lock step with the Bush Administration.
And I still haven't seen one photo of an American flag being burned.
.
Loco,
Funny how you criticize me for what you perceive as a anti-Mexican bias, when your latest comments are full of anti-Cuban remarks.
It is true that most of the anti-Americans comments on display came from Mexicans, like it or not. The vast majority of Mexicans there behaved themselves appropriately and I have absolutely no problem with them protesting. But the fact remains that there was a portion of the crowd in L.A. that was motivated by anti- American feelings. That is something we have not seen even a hint of here in South Florida.
I'm not going to explain my post over and over and over again. I've already given you way too much attention, especially after you called me a racist xenophobe. If you don't understand qualifying terms such as most or many or quite a few, then there's not much I can do except encourage you to read more carefully.
If you still don't get it, then so be it and let's move on.
Oh, so your anti-Cuban remarks were in response to my perceived anti-Mexican comments. I get it now. You wanted me to feel bad. Too bad it didn't work.
You still don't understand, do you?
OK, here it is, for the one millionth time: My displeasure was directed at THOSE WHO CARRIED ANTI-AMERICAN SIGNS, not at MEXICANS IN GENERAL.
Do yourself a favor and read my latest post. Then perhaps you may finally understand where I'm coming from.
I really appreciate that you admit to being an angry liberal. Now I understand why those signs make sense to you and why you would see them as anger instead of anti-Americanism. Extreme bias can blind someone, as is obviously evident in your case. I don't agree with everything the Bush administration has done, but I'll be damned if I resort to making ridiculous and baseless comments such as many on the left make on a daily basis.
Loco...consider this comment thread offically closed. Frankly, I'm running out of patience trying to explain myself to you and trying to fend off your accusations without being mean spirited myself.
If you want to continue this conversation, send me an e-mail. I will delete future comments posted on here. You can only go round and round so many times.
The average person would have cut you off a long time ago. Fortunately I have patience.
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