The State That Does Not Want Tourism

After a series of violent kidnappings related to the Mexican drug wars, Arizona passed legislation late last month aimed at curbing illegal immigration: "The law, which proponents and critics alike said was the broadest and strictest immigration measure in generations, would make the failure to carry immigration documents a crime and give the police broad power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. Opponents have called it an open invitation for harassment and discrimination against Hispanics regardless of their citizenship status." New York Times, April 23^rd.

Needless to say, this controversial statute – which has yet to pass constitutional muster – was immediately opposed by liberal and Hispanic groups across the land. Even some local law enforcement officers voiced opposition to imposing a burden on them to root out "illegals" in addition to their normal crime-fighting duties. While government officials have gone out of their way to say that law officers would not engage in racial profiling, critics argue that the very basis of the statute requires stepping over that very tenuous constitutional line; the actual wording of the law applies sanctions "where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States." Officials state that requests for documentation will only occur in conjunction with other matters… like after a traffic violation. Damned Mexican drivers and those jay-walking pedestrians!

Arizona legislators argued that since the federal government seemed unable to enforce the national borders, and since the recent wave of violent crime sweeping normally peaceful communities like Scottsdale and Phoenix seemed to be tied to a recent influx of Mexican criminals involved in the drug trade, the state had little choice but to defend itself as best it could. The backlash against Arizona has been well-beyond anyone's expectations, from boycotts of out-of-state Arizona Diamondbacks MLB baseball games to Phoenix' losing out to Tampa, Florida as the site of the 2012 Republican Convention site. The Washington Post (May 12^th): "Hispanic civil rights groups are boycotting Arizona and urging others to do the same. Officials at the National Council of La Raza, one of the groups driving the boycott, had privately asked the RNC not to meet in Phoenix.

"The boycott's biggest target: Major League Baseball's 2011 All-Star Game [which is scheduled to be played in Chase Field in Phoenix]… 'We've been very encouraged by the response,' said Clarissa Martinez, director of immigration and national campaigns for the National Council of La Raza, which announced the boycott [on May 6^th]… Nearly 30 organizations have come on board, including the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, People for the American Way, the Japanese American Citizens League and the Service Employees International Union." CNN.com (May 11^th). Not to mention this statement from the player's union: "The Major League Baseball Players Association opposes this law as written. We hope that the law is repealed or modified promptly. If the current law goes into effect, the MLBPA will consider additional steps necessary to protect the rights and interests of our members."

But wait, it gets worse: " 'Our message has been, regardless of how you feel about the law, don't punish the 200,000 tourism associates working in this state who are trying to feed their family,' said Kristen Jarnagin, VP-communications for the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association… Ms. Jarnagin said Arizona has lost $6 million to $10 million in convention business in the last week alone -- among them the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which canceled a conference scheduled for later this fall in Scottsdale. Alpha Pi Alpha, the nation's oldest black fraternity, said it is moving its July convention out of Phoenix and into Las Vegas… 'In our business, conventions book two, three, four years out,' she said. 'A lot of politicians here are saying it will be a short-term issue, but this is a clear indication that it's affecting business three years down the line.'" AdAge.com (May 5^th)

Or this: "The Los Angeles City Council, protesting Arizona’s crackdown on illegal immigration, on Wednesday voted [13-1] to ban most city travel to Arizona and future contracts with companies in that state… During a morning-long debate on the resolution, council members compared Arizona’s action to Nazi Germany and the beginning of the Holocaust, as well as the internment and deportation of Japanese Americans during World War II. A new Arizona law, which will take effect July 23, will require police to determine whether people they stop are in the country illegally, which critics say will lead to racial profiling." Los Angeles Times (May 12^th).

Wow, they're really getting slammed over this; they really have to be thinking about back-tracking. Well, not exactly. On May 12^th, Governor Jan Brewer signed another controversial bill: "The law, which takes effect Dec. 31, bans classes that are designed for a particular ethnic group, promote overthrow of the U.S. government, foster resentment toward a particular race or class, or 'advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.'"AOLNews.com (May 12^th). According to the May 12^th Los Angeles Times, the real target of the law was a bit more focused: "The measure … prohibits classes that advocate ethnic solidarity, that are designed primarily for students of a particular race or that promote resentment toward a certain ethnic group…. The Tucson Unified School District program offers specialized courses in African-American, Mexican-American and Native-American studies that focus on history and literature and include information about the influence of a particular ethnic group."

The timing of the signing of this statute was particularly unfortunate: "Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed [this] bill targeting a school district's ethnic studies program, hours after a report by United Nations human rights experts condemned the measure… State schools chief Tom Horne [also candidate for State Attorney General], who has pushed the bill for years, said he believes the Tucson school district's Mexican-American studies program teaches Latino students that they are oppressed by white people." The Times. I think Arizona's Grand Canyon just got a whole lot shallower. The feds really should shore up our border defenses, and illegal immigration really needs some pragmatic attention sooner rather than later, but there is a right way to address the matter or the way Arizona seems to be dealing with it.

I'm Peter Dekom, and I remember the adage about cutting off your nose to spite your face.