By Jose G. Moreno, RPMA Media Team
Day Two: Is “Another World Possible” within the U.S. Empire?
(Detroit, Michigan) Today over 10,000 people gathered at the U.S. Social Forum to discuss the burning social and political problems in the US Empire. Day Two there were many workshops and assemblies that highlighted the anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, and anti-colonialist struggles and ideological frameworks of the people movements of the las americas.
What are some of burning social and political problems facing Mexicans/Latinos in the U.S. Empire? During the last three decades, there has been a rise of neo-liberal policies around the world due to the concepts of modern globalization and imperialism. The historical development of the North America Free Trade Agreement between the nations of Mexico, Canada, and the United States changed the political and economical direction of modern Mexican/Latino migration and immigration settlement in North America. For example, Mexicans/Latinos started to migrated and settled in the US Southeast, Midwest, Pacific Northwest and Northeast. The rise of the contemporary global market has led to massive growth of Mexicans/Latinos in North America over the last three decades. Mexicans/Latinos have become the largest ethnic group in the US Empire due to neo-liberalism and imperialism.
Why is there a rise of modern nativist and racist immigration policies in the U.S. Empire? In 1994, over 50 % of California voters passed Proposition 187, which would prevented undocumented people from receiving any type of public services from the state. By 1996, Proposition 187 was found unconstitutional under US law. At the same time, the Clinton Administration developed Occupation Gatekeeper, which further militarized the US/Mexico border. Occupation Gatekeeper pushed the migration patterns of Mexicans/Latinos into the desert regions of California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Why Arizona? For the last 15 years, Arizona has become the “Alabama of the Southwest” due to the development of racist and nativist laws toward Mexicans/Latinos. For example, in 2004 over 50% of the voters in Arizona passed Proposition 200, which prevents undocumented people from receiving any type of public services. Proposition 200 was developed by the authors of Proposition 187, which was unconstitutional under US law. In 2006, over 50% of the voters in Arizona passed Proposition 300, which prevents undocumented people from receiving any type of financial and state aid to attend college in the state. Currently, SB 1070 and SB 2281 have targeted the Mexican/Latino population of the Alabama of the Southwest.
Finally, Day Two has touch upon some of these burning issues and problems in the US Empire. I hope the next day of the USSF 2010 will cover and provide more problem-solving solutions to nativist and racist immigration policies toward the Mexican/Latino community. Only a counter hegemonic, anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, and anti-colonialist struggle will change the social and political conditions for the Mexicans/Latinos in las americas. This is the only organizational ideological framework that would make an “Another World Possible” a reality in the US Empire.
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