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May 15, 2005
Vicente Fox's Comments
Recently Vicente Fox made comments which have shocked many Americans:
Speaking in Spanish, he said, "There is no doubt that Mexicans, filled with dignity, willingness and ability to work, are doing jobs that not even blacks want to do there in the United States."
I think this says alot about how Vicente Fox and the Mexican elite view those of African descent.
His comments however have opened the door, slightly, to discussing illegal immigration and how it affects African-Americans. This is a taboo subject mostly because in the United States real class analysis has been absent among the left with many viewing societal issues through a lens of 'politically correct' notions about race. It also doesn't help that those most affected by illegal immigration are those with the least amount of voice in our society.
I worked for 10 years in a low wage plant in NJ and in those years I saw how African-American workers were systematically pushed out and purposely not hired. In many cases immigrant workers sided with company managers of the same ethnicty in attempts to "ethnically cleanse" different departments. We had a union and there were larger problems that brought everyone together and I witnessed some amazing moments of cross-racial solidarity but I also admit there were serious underlying racial problems.
UNITE-HERE is the only union, or in fact only group i have seen, take up the immigration issue and how it affects African-Americans. They may be the best to deal with it since HERE is known for its progressive work on immigration.
UNITE-HERE dealt with this problem by adding new language to their Hotel agreement in the San Fransisco area:
This year, Locals 2 and 11 added new language to their existing contract proposals on immigrant rights, and the hotels agreed. But the Multi-Employer Group, the hotel owners' bargaining collective, didn't accept a related proposal asking the hotels to set up a diversity committee and hire an ombudsman to begin increasing the percentage of African-American workers.
There is also a recebntly completed academic study that looks at the issue. I will try to find a link for it.
May 15, 2005 in Current Affairs, Globalization, Immigration | Permalink
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» So how do Mexicans view African-Americans? from Daniel W. Drezner
While Latinos critics in the United States have their hands full combating discrimination in the Star Wars movies (link via Glenn Reynolds), Latinos south of the border have a slightly bigger problem.... dealing with their own racial prejudices. Traci ... [Read More]
Tracked on May 17, 2005 11:42:34 AM
» Not Even Blacks from Cobb
If we blacks were simply what Vicente Fox implied by his 'even blacks' comment, nobody would be explaining and nobody would be reporting. We need to recognize that some things, like the building of economic, intellectual, social and political capital, ... [Read More]
Tracked on May 17, 2005 2:49:06 PM
Comments
It is just my experience than think about it, I worked for over 9 years cleaning toilets, taking trash out and doing overall cleaning in buildings, bars, gas stations etc., Also cutting grass 2 years in the cleaning side of my experience I shough two blacks that worked for this company and in my crew; these guys took the this company for a ride all of the time, they left all the work to their "amigos" as they called us until the boss/owner got it right and relize what this people were doing, and this is a fact blacks did not come to seek employment and the story above has nothing to do with it they just never came. As for the cutting lawns as what I remember 2 came and lasted 1 day each one more came and lasted 2 lawns and his mom came and pick him up 30 years old and his mom had to do the talking for him; many came, but as soon as they knew how much the pay they never came back.
So please give my a break and quit this bull crap about we want an apology, just as an itelligent person ask a lawnscaping crew supervisor how many blacks have seek employment to cut grass all day long, or a cleaning crew supervisor at the near big company building how many blacks have aplyed to clean and scrub toilets and yes race has a lot to do with it, but not in the form blacks are making it to be.
Good nite.
Posted by: Martin | May 23, 2005 10:13:10 PM
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