Debate over new Arizona immigration law may heighten racism in state

[pinboy3niner]

Poll: Debate over new Arizona immigration law may heighten racism in state
by Ronald J. Hansen and Sean Holstege - Aug. 2, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic


Regardless of how Arizona's new immigration law eventually fares in court, many Arizonans say the heated debate it has generated exposes a deeper problem with racial discrimination here, an Arizona Republic poll indicates.
<snip>

• Nearly half, 46 percent, of Arizona adults agreed that the immigration debate has "exposed a deeper sense of racism in our community." Thirty-eight percent disagreed. Non-Hispanics disagreed slightly, but three-fourths of Hispanics agreed, swinging the overall answer.

• Non-Hispanics were nearly evenly divided about whether people are more likely now to wonder about the legal status of those who look Latino than they were six months ago. By comparison, 72 percent of Hispanics agreed.

• Forty-five percent said immigration has provided an overall positive community impact by adding cultural diversity, while 26 percent disagreed. Supporters of SB 1070 were evenly divided, but 64 percent of opponents agreed.


Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/08/02/20100802immigration-racial-profiling.html#ixzz0vTdD1Nab

[qb]

1. The headline is misleading - it's not increasing racism, it is exposing racism.

That's a good thing, IMO.

[pinboy3niner]

3. It's both

I had the same reaction as you, and had to re-read the story to figure out how they got 'heighten'. It's from a perception that discrimination has INCREASED since the debate over the law began:

"...nearly half of respondents - 48 percent - said Latinos are more likely to be discriminated against compared with non-Latinos than they were six months ago."

[qb]

5. I see that now. I hope it brings more federal Civil Rights & EEOC scrutiny of the state.

[pinboy3niner]

6. I'm confident it will

Arpaio's tent city jail conditions were found to violate civil rights protections and remains under court oversight. DOJ's Civil Rights Division and a federal grand jury also have been investigating him for violations in his sweeps to round up illegal immigrants. The feds also terminated a cooperative immigration enforcement program with his office because of civil rights complaints.

There were concerns about racial profiling and discrimination long before the debate over the new law. More than a year ago, activists in Phoenix began videotaping police stops to monitor civil rights violations.

As AG, Eric Holder also said that if the AZ law goes into effect, DOJ will monitor enforcement and will file a new lawsuit against the state if violations are detected.

[EFerrari]

2. So much for the "Latino citizens back it, too" talking point. n/t

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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