Remembering Fred Hampton

The Peoples' Coalition For Justice And Humanity News Service

VOL 1 EDITION I

Winter 2007/07

Who's Right On The Mexican Immigrant Issue
by Joi Williams
PCJH Commentator

    The topic of illegal immigration is on the forefront now more then ever. It seems as if whenever the subject is brought up, people fail to mention all of the different nations that these illegals are coming from. It's always Mexico, or other central and south American countries. I find this to be quite odd because the Natives of these countries are also the indigenous people of this continent. You would think because of this fact, they would be given some form of respect. Instead in a lot of cases they are looked at with scorn or as a burden. The very people who were slaughtered during the genocide to make this country are now resented for seeking opportunity on the very land that was once theirs. I only ask why?

   No one deserves the benefits of living in this country more then the Native peoples of this continent. It is an obvious fact that the Mexican people and other central and south Americans are still suffering from the effects of European colonialism. At the time of the European invasion, the indigenous tribes were doing just fine with a culture that was flourishing. Then the systematic breakdown of their empires and people began with the Europeans arrival.

    They claim that the Aztecs and like nations were blood thirsty savages, when famous conquistador Hernando Cortez himself engaged in hours of bloody mass murder. The Native peoples welcomed him into their homes and treated him like royalty. His attack was totally unprovoked....who would you say is the savage now? This treachery and mass murder was repeated throughout the Americas by different people, leaving a history and legacy that many would not like to own up to.

   If you break a man's back, cripple him to his knees....then murder his wife, child, and family, take away his culture, his homeland and nation, his religion, his language, his very identity and everything that he has ever had and lived for....how can you expect for him not to be broken? Now he tills, farms, and works on the very land that was his until he bleeds...only to have his oppressors grow rich off his sweat, tears and blood. How can you expect for him to jump right back up and be sucessful and have everything that his oppressors have? To me the man in this story is not only the Native peoples of Nothern America, but also the nations of Mexico, central and south America. Oppresion has been aflicted on them for hundreds of years.

    It will at least take that long to turn things around, and that's if radical change happens.We live in one of the richest countries in the world. The least thing we can do as citizens of the United States of America is welcome these so called "illegal immigrants" into this country like they welcomed us so many years ago. It's long overdue and deserved.

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