By: Daniel Nardini
It seems sad that many southern non-Hispanic whites just cannot accept Latinos. Like in the rest of the country, Latinos are a growing segment in the southeastern part of the United States. Yet for the fact that tens of thousands of Latinos were born and raised in the southern states, many Latinos feel like second class citizens or not citizens at all. The Southern Poverty Law Center’s report, “Under Siege: Life for Low Income Latinos in the South,” bears this truth out.
The report includes 500 interviews of Latinos from everyday life. Those who volunteered that they were undocumented (about 38 of them) only included a small number of the overall number of those interviewed. Most were born and raised in the United States and this includes the southern states. Despite the fact that many were born and raised in the South, many feel that they are not part of the mainstream culture or society in these states. Because of their Latino heritage many feel they have no part in the towns and cities they grew up in. Many feel they are not only being discriminated against but living as some of them describe it in a “war zone.”
All of the Latino respondents said that non-Hispanic whites and many African Americans treated them as if they were not born and raised in America. On this basis many non-Hispanic whites felt it was “O.K.” to cut Latino workers’ wages at work, call the police on them, and tell them to their faces to “get out of America!” Local and state police have not been any better in many southern states on mistreating Latinos. These include arbitrary traffic stops and being given tickets for “no reason.” Latinos have been routinely discriminated against in housing, denied business permits, and been the frequent victims of robbers and other criminals.
This pattern of abuse and harassment of Latinos, according to the report, is endemic in many southern states and thus it comes as no surprise that two southern states—Alabama and Georgia—have each passed state immigration laws that are aimed specifically against Latinos. In fact, of the four states that have enacted state immigration laws: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia and Indiana—two are southern states. Decades ago discrimination was against African Americans. Now we have to add Latinos to this ongoing social problem in many of the southern states. While obviously discrimination against Latinos is a problem throughout the United States in one degree or another, in many southern states it is truly serious. In other words, we are seeing a segment of the U.S. population that is being discriminated against solely on the basis of their ancestral heritage and ethnic group. In some ways it seems almost like a return to the “Old South.” As a nation we must not let this happen.
The South’s War Against Latinos
By: Daniel Nardini
The report includes 500 interviews of Latinos from everyday life. Those who volunteered that they were undocumented (about 38 of them) only included a small number of the overall number of those interviewed. Most were born and raised in the United States and this includes the southern states. Despite the fact that many were born and raised in the South, many feel that they are not part of the mainstream culture or society in these states. Because of their Latino heritage many feel they have no part in the towns and cities they grew up in. Many feel they are not only being discriminated against but living as some of them describe it in a “war zone.”
All of the Latino respondents said that non-Hispanic whites and many African Americans treated them as if they were not born and raised in America. On this basis many non-Hispanic whites felt it was “O.K.” to cut Latino workers’ wages at work, call the police on them, and tell them to their faces to “get out of America!” Local and state police have not been any better in many southern states on mistreating Latinos. These include arbitrary traffic stops and being given tickets for “no reason.” Latinos have been routinely discriminated against in housing, denied business permits, and been the frequent victims of robbers and other criminals.
This pattern of abuse and harassment of Latinos, according to the report, is endemic in many southern states and thus it comes as no surprise that two southern states—Alabama and Georgia—have each passed state immigration laws that are aimed specifically against Latinos. In fact, of the four states that have enacted state immigration laws: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia and Indiana—two are southern states. Decades ago discrimination was against African Americans. Now we have to add Latinos to this ongoing social problem in many of the southern states. While obviously discrimination against Latinos is a problem throughout the United States in one degree or another, in many southern states it is truly serious. In other words, we are seeing a segment of the U.S. population that is being discriminated against solely on the basis of their ancestral heritage and ethnic group. In some ways it seems almost like a return to the “Old South.” As a nation we must not let this happen.