Intolerable Rhetoric

The leader of the largest Latino organization in the country warns that extremist, intolerant groups are influencing migration policy and places the blame in part on American means of communication by giving them legitimacy in the debate.

During a speech at the National Press Club, Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, made a call for counteracting the rhetoric of these groups which she affirms ferment prejudice towards the Latino community in the country.

“Those voices that would be better if marginalized from the political debate have moved to the front and center of defining the debate,” she said. “Their cruel rhetoric has filled the migration debate with words that demonize and dehumanize not only the immigrants, but also the Latinos, as a menace to the American way of life”.

Murguia added, “They portray us as an ‘army of invaders’. They call us a ‘multitude’ and ‘a massive horde’. They say that we bring sickness and crime to our country”.

The media has been responsible for giving space to the spokespersons of these intolerant organizations that act as “experts” on the migration theme, Murguia maintains, without checking previous facts and rarely presenting alternative points of view.

This lack of partiality is observed in reputable networks such as CBS or CNN, says Murguia, the latter motivated by its conductor Lou Dobbs.

Murguia assures that the majority of the American public is in favor of comprehensive migration reform that includes border security and legalization of undocumented residents under the completion of certain conditions.

“These voices, however, are being drowned out by a group of voices that is small but extremely noisy and persistent”.

In agreement with the accounting by the organization, televised cable has quoted members of these groups at least 120 times in the last three years, without counting written and radio press.

The organization affirms that groups as the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and the Minutemen have contributed to the climate of intolerance.

Murguia maintains that it is not an accident that racial crime towards Latinos registered its highest index in history.

FBI figures confirm that between 2004 and 2006, crimes of racial prejudice against Hispanics grew by 25%.

FAIR, a national organization, defines itself as an entity that advocates “improving border security, detaining illegal immigrants,” and reducing levels of migration.

FAIR as well as other “antiimmigrant” groups say that they are not against legal immigration.

However, a national organization for civil rights, the Southern Poverty Law Center, classified it this past December as an organization that promotes “hate” because of its multiple bonds with racist groups.

Murguia declares that her organization is not against diversity of opinion in regard to solving the migration problem, but affirms that “hate [should be] removed from the debate”.

She explains that the most effective means for giving voice to Latinos and ending the “groundswell of hate” would be by voting in the November election.

“Our next march shall be toward the ballot box”, she concludes.

As part of the campaign against intolerance the organization has launched a web page www.wecanstopthehate.org