A Xicanita in the making, Arizona, 1982

My earliest memories of experiencing the Southern Border are of trips to the place where my dad grew up and where my tio Tony and tia Maria lived-Nogales. They lived on the Arizona side of the border but my uncle and my dad were born on the Mexico side.

 Todos Somos Arizona

When Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 170 into law last month, any officer of the law at the state, county, or city level in Arizona would be able to stop anyone to inquire as to their legal immigration status  at anytime and demand they produce papers to show their immigration status if questioned. Police can ask to see papers even when they are enforcing a local law--like not jay-walking. Civil rights groups have said SB 1070 is unconstitutional; five separate lawsuits are  challenging it.

Editor's Note: This is part of a Community Voices series on AZ SB 170.

Last Friday, a crew of revolutionary Youth Speaks poets and I put on this youth forum in Oakland on immigration & human rights called RED, WHITE, & BROWN! We’d been planning it for a couple months, but with all the legalized xenophobia coming out of Arizona these days, the event took on a feeling of serious urgency. And it turned out that way — almost 100 youth, artists, parents, organizers in a standing room speaking truth and telling powerful, often painful stories of the reality of immigration in America.

 Arizona's just passed SB 170,  amazingly biased anti-immigrant law that allows racial profiling and robs not only immigrants but all Americans of their civil rights.