Breaking News
“Case of runaway convert leads to Muslim-Christian clash”
An Ohio teenager who converted from Islam to Christianity says that she fears that her father will kill her for this conversion. Because of this fear, she ran away to Florida, and now, she is fighting to avoid being placed back in her home. Authorities from both Florida and Ohio have investigated the case and said that no threat of violence exists, but nonetheless, the teenager has been placed in an Ohio foster home. Experts say that the teenager’s situation presents a issue that has been growing in the West due to Muslim immigration. Muslim groups say that violent punishment for violation of religious laws is a “cultural” or “tribal” practice rather than a Muslim practice.
This case presents a clear situation in which a practice accepted by some immigrants in their home culture must be abandoned when immigrating somewhere else. As much as I support cultural tolerance and flexibility, there are some areas where Western values clearly stand on higher moral ground, and this is one of those areas. Western courts should treat violent crimes related to religion-based punishment just as they would treat violent crimes that are not religion-based. This article serves to illustrate why figuring out how the government deal should deal with other cultural practices is so difficult. While the attitude that we should take towards violence is pretty easy to figure out, it’s not so easy to figure out how to accomodate religious diet, clothing, or even behavioral restrictions in public settings. I’m hoping to find a news article about a conflict over these types of restrictions as I move along with the project.
Read the full article:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1015/p02s07-ussc.html
“President García outlines positive influence of Chinese immigration in Perú”
As part of a celebration of the 160th anniversary of the arrival of Chinese immigrants to Peru, President Alan Garcia Perez gave a speech unashamedly honoring the contributions of Chinese immigrants to Peruvian history and culture. Perez emphasized that more than 3 million Peruvians have at least some Chinese heritage and pointed out the influence of Chinese cuisine on Peruvian cuisine. He also described the hardships endured by Chinese immigrants, who have been crucial to Peru’s agriculture and infrastructure construction. Because of these contributions, Perez declared, Peru celebrates the anniversary of the arrival of Chinese immigrants as a national festival.
Taking this article and President Perez’s speech at face value, this is a model example of how national governments should work to encourage positive views of immigrants. Rather than having a second-rate government official give this speech, President Perez gave it himself, emphasizing the gratefulness that Peruvians should feel towards Chinese immigrants. While I am not very knowledgeable of the relations between Chinese immigrants and “native” Peruvians, this speech suggests that Peru and its government foster an attitude of appreciation for and welcoming of immigrants. While the U.S. government cannot have President Obama give a speech honoring every single group of immigrants or hold a national festival for all immigrant groups, it could still do a better job of emphasizing the positive contributions of immigrants by teaching about them in the way that black history is taught. American students honor Black History Month every year by learning about the contributions of blacks to U.S. history. Why can’t a similar approach be taken with “immigrant history”?
Read the full article: (Translate using Google Toolbar)
http://www.andina.com.pe/Espanol/Noticia.aspx?id=r3jEW6ogulU=
“UK Police Arrest 48 as Far Right, Opponents Clash”
Last week, 48 arrests were made in the British city of Manchester after a total of about 2,000 far-right protesters from the English Defense League clashed with anti-racism protesters from a group called Unite Against Fascism. The English Defense League was formed in response to left-wing protests against British soldiers returning from Iraq. Far-right groups are making political headway in Britain, and experts say worry that more violence could result from tensions between immigrants and working-class whites as next year’s elections draw near.
This article certainly provides some cause for concern over immigrant relations in the U.K. Perhaps due to recent economic woes, it appears that some British whites are becoming more protective of their race and may see immigrants as a threat to their well-being. This is not unsimilar to attitudes seen here in the U.S. towards Latin American immigrants. From the news report, it seems that immigrants were not directly involved in the protests in Manchester. While it may not be good for them to start protesting, they should work to have their voices heard in the media. This will hopefully counterbalance any anti-immigrant rhetoric that might be on the rise.
Read the full article:
“Hate crimes against Mexicans rejected in New York”
Community leaders, politicians, and ordinary citizens have united in rejection of a recent wave of attacks against at least 5 Mexicans in the Bronx. The founder of the local Mexican Community Center said that Hispanics fear that the attacks will spread throughout the city. The attacks have occurred not only against individuals, but also businesses, and seem to show a general lack of recognition of local laws and the Spanish language and rights associated with it. They are particularly worrisome because New York is considered to be a forefront port to the United States for immigrants from around the world. A New York state legislator has promised to involve government officials and community leaders in an effort to increase community involvement in putting an end to intolerance towards immigrants.
As disturbing as these attacks are, they need to be well-publicized. Public awareness of this sort of extreme hatred will go a long way in decreasing its prevalence. Just as Uncle Tom’s Cabin was instrumental in raising white awareness of the plight of slaves, publicity of crimes like these will help ordinary Americans realize the need to fight the attitudes that provoke them. While I am pleased by the state legislator’s commitment to ending intolerance, I am generally skeptical of promises by politicians. If he is able to make progress in the area of immigrant relations, great. I’m much more hopeful that the public outrage over hate crimes like this one will bring about a larger change in attitudes towards immigrants.
Read the full article: (Translate using Google Toolbar)
“Contributions of immigrants in U.S. recognized as Nobel Prize winners announced”
Of the seven U.S. citizens who have been honored with the Nobel Peace Prize this year, four are immigrants. The four immigrants awarded the Nobel Peace Prize are originally from Canada, Australia, China, and the United Kingdom. Advocates for immigration reform say that the news is evidence of the importance of immigrants to the future of the United States’ economic growth and innovative spirit. Furthermore, data from the National Science Foundation has shown that foreign-born science and engineering students earned 1/3 of all Ph.D. degrees awarded in the United States in 2003.
This is the type of story that needs to be more thoroughly covered in newspapers and on TV and radio stations across the country. Americans, especially children, need to understand that immigrants aren’t destined to be economic ‘dead weight’. While most immigrants will not go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize, they are also not going to rely on social programs and low-paying service industry jobs for survival. They can take advantage of the American education system to do great things, ultimately helping the United States and its economy more than hurting them. Stories of these Nobel Prize winners need to be clearly conveyed to immigrants, especially children, as well. Hopefully, they can provide a bit of inspiration and optimism amidst what is often a dismal beginning to life in America.
Read the full article:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/10/content_12206779.htm
“Immigrant youth sanctuary proposal moves ahead”
In San Francisco, a public safety board has laid the groundwork for a change in policy that will require underage illegal immigrants arrested by police to be convicted of a crime before being turned over to immigration officials. The move, which has met resistance by San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom and the local district attorney, is viewed by immigrant advocates as an advancement in immigrants’ rights because it allows underage illegal immigrants to be given due process and to remain in contact with their families while be prosecuted. Opponents of the law fear that it will increase the threat of crime by illegal immigrant youth who are set free after not being convicted.
Both sides in this debate have it wrong. The policy change is a bad idea. Being convicted of a crime should not be a prerequisite for immigration officials to punish an illegal immigrant. At the same time, those who oppose the policy change have the wrong attitude. While the odds that underage illegal immigrants who are arrested but not convicted of a crime will go off and commit a crime later are significant, the more important issue in this debate is that there even are illegal immigrants in the United States. If someone is found to be here illegally, their case must be pursued and resolved with deportation, amnesty, or a fine. Whether or not they were discovered because of an arrest is not important. While is encouraging that the supporters of this policy change feel positively enough towards immigrants to want them to receive due process, they must recognize that the US still has immigration laws that must be enforced. Instead of pushing for measures that avoid enforcement of these laws, they should push for changes in the laws, most importantly, measures that allow for admittance of more legal, documented immigrants.
Read the full article:
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_13492327?nclick_check=1
“In Paris Without Papers, and Seeking Visibility”
Every Wednesday in Paris, thousands of undocumented West African, Pakistani, Chinese, and Turkish immigrant workers take to the streets to rally public support for their petitions for legal status. They live in a large camp inside of a warehouse, making their presence obvious to immigration officials, yet the French government hardly bothers them. While many French people view illegal immigration as a drain on public resources, they are also proud of their history as the ‘birthplace of human rights’ and a supporter of workers’ rights. Support of workers seems to extend from that mentality. French labor unions are supporting the cause of these workers, called ‘sans-papiers’, and although French president Nicolas Sarkozy has promised to crack down on illegal immigration, people continue to move to the country with hopes for a better life. France remains one of Europe’s most generous countries in awarding citizenship to immigrants and in granting asylum to refugees.
The general French support for immigrants and asylum-seekers that is expressed in this article is of great encouragement. The fact that labor unions support ‘sans-papiers’ shows that they do not view them as competition for jobs, and it provides a breath of fresh air for those who fear that anti-immigrant sentiments are becoming prevalent in France. The article also describes a serious problem in mentioning the drain on public resources—health care, education, and transportation—that uncontrolled immigration creates. For this reason, the French government, along with the US government, must find a way to expand and encourage legal, documented immigration, giving ‘sans-papiers’ and other undocumented immigrants a way to pursue their dreams of a better life while still paying their share of taxes and not going ‘under the radar’ in French or American society.
Read the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/world/europe/11illegal.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=world
”West Portal immersion program still thriving”
In San Francisco, parents, students, teachers, and officials are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the opening of America’s first Chinese immersion school. The program was originally designed to serve Chinese families looking to preserve their heritage and affluent families who might otherwise move out of the school’s district. Now, it has become the model for language immersion schools nationwide and a very popular concept in San Francisco. The classes attract a mix of students who don’t speak English, bilingual students, and students whose parents want them to become fluent in a second language. In these programs, children are initially taught completely in the non-English language. Gradually, English is added to the curriculum, and the children communicate competently in both languages by the end of elementary school.
This is even more encouraging of a story than the one about the Group Educa language program. This program brings students who are often first- or second-generation immigrants and students whose families have lived in America for a long time together, emphasizing the value of being bilingual and the importance of cross-cultural relationships. It began with a small group of immigrants and Americans who believed in creating positive cross-cultural experiences and understanding among their children. As these children grow up, their willingness to accept and appreciate foreign languages and cultures will hopefully encourage others to take on a similar attitude. If this occurs, the influence of this program and others like it will be exponential. For this reason, I strongly support programs like this and hope that the federal government encourages their development across the country, especially in areas with large immigrant populations or immigrant integration problems.
Read the full article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/25/MN8L19P9C5.DTL
“Probes Test Trust That Authorities Strove to Win From U.S. Muslims”
Following the arrest of Muslims Daniel P. Boyd and Najibullah Zazi for their involvement in suspected terrorist plots, the relationship between the American government and the Muslim community is being tested. The FBI tried to investigate Zazi by asking a New York mosque leader for information about him. Instead of helping the FBI, the mosque leader allegedly tipped off Zazi and is now also in trouble for interfering with the investigation. Earlier this year, Muslim groups threatened to severe ties with the FBI over worries that mosques were being infiltrated in order to conduct intelligence work. Now, distrust of the FBI seems to be even greater. At the New York mosque where the FBI tried to investigate Zazi, attendance is reportedly down significantly. This comes after years of hard work by the FBI to gain the trust of local Muslim communities.
As difficult as it is, the FBI must find a way to appear less invasive in dealing with the Muslim community. Otherwise, all Muslims, especially immigrants, will feel forever suspected and distrusted by the American government and, consequently, Americans in general. In the case of Zazi, surely he could have been investigated through another avenue, just as any American with no religious affiliation would be investigated. Perhaps his current or former coworkers or neighbors could be questioned. His financial records could be investigated. There are many ways to track someone down. Questioning a religious leader (especially one who wasn’t going to cooperate) should have been a last resort, which I doubt it was. The arrest of Daniel Boyd’s wife, described in the article as a cruel trick in which she was lured from her home to see her supposedly hospitalized husband, was completely fumbled by the FBI. Now, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the American Civil Liberties Union have complained, and the case has become a nationally-publicized reason for Muslim immigrants to think that the FBI is out to get them. All in all, this article illustrates the importance of continuous conscientiousness and sensitivity on the part of the American government to the relationship between Americans and Muslim immigrants.
Read the full article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/04/AR2009100402783.html
“Language as a bridge and an identity”
At the Group Educa language school in Los Angeles, families of Spanish and Latino heritage are taking special measures to ensure that the Spanish language is not lost as their children are brought up in an English-dominated environment. Every Sunday for three hours, families meet to sing, read, write, and converse in Spanish. While it seems that it would be difficult to avoid Spanish in southern California, many say that understanding Spanish is one thing, but being able to speak it at a fluent level is difficult without practice. Spanish is often seen as ‘the language of hard labor,’ while English is seen as the language of ‘success.’ Parents are hoping to fight this mentality by encouraging their children to embrace Spanish while still being well-integrated with American society.
Way to start off the Breaking News page on a positive note! It appears that the families attending this class are finding a way to balance their Spanish-speaking heritage with taking on a new life in America. They are teaching their kids not to be ashamed of the Spanish language. At the same time, they recognize that they are in America, and English is the dominant language here. As more immigrants are having children in America and Europe, immigrants should work to emulate this attitude, and governments and private organizations should support efforts such as Group Educa. While learning their new country’s language is crucial to their success and the success of the documented immigrants’ children, stereotypes about those who speak the Spanish language should cause it to be left behind. These children’s ability to speak both English and Spanish perfectly will allow them to serve as a bridge between those who only speak English and those who only speak Spanish. As they grow up and reach their full potential, these children will become people of Latino heritage that can be fully understood by Americans, hopefully helping reduce misconceptions about the social status or career possibilities of Latinos.
Read the full article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tobar22-2009sep22,0,5869385.column?page=1
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Just a thought on the article about the protests in Manchester a few weeks ago. I’d heard about the incident from a friend attending Manchester University, and it made me think of what he’d told me about his views on Muslim immigrants in the UK. His biggest concerns lay with how they have gained an amount of political sway that makes most natives nervous. In his home town (Belfast) earlier this year, they had abused privileges to use an old church, a national heritage site, as a place of worship (when they were denied permission to alter the building to better suit their congregation’s desires, the church mysteriously burned down, and a new mosque was built in its place). To me this example shows that the problem is mainly a religious one, as their religious practices are expanding and disrupting Christian and nonsecular citizens’ lives. Those citizens’ protests which the article covers would be better described as their attempts to protect their way of life than as racially or religiously biased attacks towards immigrants, as the UAF implies.
You were right, according to witness accounts there were no immigrants involved – it was merely a fight over the fight about immigrants.
Great job on this blog, by the way! ^_^
Thank you for providing that additional insight, Sarah. I have to wonder why the Muslim congregation was asking for permission to use the church in the first place–it should be either an actively Christian church or a government-run historic site, and either way, it is not reasonable for Muslims to expect to hold services there.
From what I was told, they had been given access to the church because it was no longer being used – but they were told they couldn’t change anything about the building. I think the government was feeling increased pressure from the Islamic Party (http://www.islamicparty.com/) about curbing anti-Islamic sentiment, so they gave them use of the site as a sort of act of good will. The local feeling for some is that the Muslims were given an inch and they took a mile. But it’s so hard to tell if one side is really in the right or not, since each have valid cases for their own right to live the way they want.
(Don’t feel like you have publish this, just thought you might be interested to know.)