Xeno-News on Arizona

[Guest guest]

Thanks to for calling attention to a recent WEB article on

Proposition 200 as one of several issues that currently affect migrants in

the state of Arizona. The effect and impact of La 200 boil down to what has

been closed to migrants and what complicates life for others such as

citizens moving to Arizona, who must show more identification (effect), and

what no longer is sought as public services, given the inconvenience and

" The Wave of Fear' (called La Ola de Miedo) toward discovery and

deportation (impact). What the article that has been made available to a

wider audience does not mention is that the Governor of Arizona vetoed one

initiative that would have expanded La 200: It remains to be seen how many

other " bills " mentioned in the WEB article make it to her desk. As

suggested, various groups in Arizona continue to campaign " against "

anti-immigration sentiments and activities.

The article cites references from major sources of information on Arizona -

but once each. From another Spanish-written newspaper in Arizona (La Prensa

Hispana was listed in Endnote #10), for June 8, 2005, in 'La Voz' (fifth

year, number 284), I can read an article on La 200 on the front page

(providing notice of the Governor's veto), where below there's an article

on the pro's and con's of day laborers, according to a public forum in

Chandler, AZ [one of ten fastest growing cities in America - two others of

the ten are located in Arizona]; and to one side there's an short article

on the McCain-Kennedy proposal to reform the immigration system. When I

turn to page two, I find a full page devoted to years of violence against

women in Ciudad Juarez, a city across the border two states away in Texas

(El Paso).

I continue turning pages and find a human interest story on page 7 de La

Mujer Embarazada who gave birth inside a helicopter over the Arizona

desert, after her son went for help when her contractions started. She

wisely insisted that her husband remain with her, which he (wisely) did.

She will be permitted to remain in Arizona for a month (the article tells

us), until she and the newborn are able to return to Mexico. Page 17 I find

a story on how the Minuteman Project is moving to Texas -- if they are not

already there. Somewhere there's another count of deaths in the desert. And

so on…

Yesterday I retrieved the recent list of Top Ten Cities for Hispanics to

Live In (released annually by Hispanic Magazine) and find that Tucson AZ,

one hour from the border, is again ranked Number Seven, as it has been over

the years we've lived in Arizona. That same list shows cities of Austin -

Miami - San Diego - San - El Paso/Las Cruces ranking

first-second-third-fourth-fifth. Interestingly, three of the five are Ports

of Entry into this country for persons from Latin America. Mixed with

rejoicing is somber knowledge that some of these cities face serious

problems: low per capita, school dropout, etc.

This morning, I listened to a corrido that compared " Esta gran nacion " to

" una prision " ( " Tengo miedo de salir de la casa... que me van a deportar " ).

Some may recall the song 'La Aula de Oro' a few years back. Conditions

shift; lyrics change from references to persons who feel enjauladas to

feeling that one esta encarcelada. Must the theme remain the same?

V Bletzer

Medical Anthropologist