Voting pro-Obama & Anti-immigrant

The New York Times declared on their Nov. 5 cover, “Racial Barrier Falls in Decisive Victory.” Yet, despite Obama’s victory, in Oregon's rural communities many people seemed to 'split the difference' and vote against immigrants, promoting racial barriers of another sort. How is this cognitive dissonance justified in the voters’ minds? A black man can be President but immigrants should not be allowed to work?

People voted for Obama, voted against huge Klan-style signs and voted in favor of financially strangling immigrants. In one breath the majority of voters in Columbia County tried to exonerate their racism and then, on inhalation, reinforce modern nativism.The successful measure, of course, fines employers $10,000 per undocumented worker, potentially shuts down their business during investigation and forces all new hires to be run through the Department of Homeland Security (5-190)

This is our post-modern era of smart racism – like a smart bomb, it is targeted, strategic and dressed up like a deceiving yellow ball. Voters undoubtedly asked themselves, “Well, how can it be racist to just enforce the law, stop exploitive workers from hiring illegals and keep illegal people out of our county?”

Economics have always been used as an excuse for institutional oppression – people who are too “risky” for loans, too “lazy” for good wages or too “gullible” to handle their own finances.

In the case of Columbia County, some voters were enabled to vote against flamboyantly ridiculous “LEGAL WORKERS ONLY” signs and therefore felt justified in passing a more realistically damning measure that sanctions employers for hiring undocumented workers. The passed measure, while less ferocious in approach, actually does more damage than a bunch of obnoxious signs. Preventing someone from working is the equivalent of a financial strangling. And, even though the signs didn’t pass, their message is still the primary language of this county. Maybe, in the interest of giving the benefit of the doubt, the voters didn’t know what to do with these two anti-immigrant measures; but it actually doesn’t matter because the majority ultimately decided that they don’t want undocumented people, or maybe immigrants at all, in their community.

Even before these voters canonized this perception of the community as anti-immigrant, the reality was already clear. The wave began in the week before the elections when employers began laying off Latino workers. Though the lay-offs have not been as bad as rumor has it, nevertheless, the workers fear for their jobs as employers react in anticipation. Workers get laid off and can’t get new jobs because there are not that many jobs and, even if they have papers, being Latino is enough to make you a suspicious employee.

Naturally, workers are broke and desperate. They work for lower pay, under the table or any other poor substitution for family wages. So, the cycle of cheap labor, fear and exploitive employers does the opposite of what the petitioner promised. In fact, the employer sanctions in Columbia County might affect Latinos most immediately but will create a 2nd class of worker that drives down wages for everyone. Moreover, as legitimate businesses come under investigation for who they hire and are not allowed to do business, the ripples will be felt deep into Latino, black, white and all communities. The man behind this measure, Wayne Mayo, not only enabled legislated racism but he also has created another situation where in targeting immigrant communities we have hurt all working people. And the county's Democratic identity and Obama-mania only makes this turn of events all the more disappointing.

Columbia County Anti-Immigrant Ballot Measures ask us to report our undocumented neighbors.

A Citizens’ Initiative on the ballot in Columbia County, Oregon would mandate that all construction sites post 4'x8' signs that say “LEGAL WORKERS ONLY,” provide the Homeland Security telephone number and ask us to report people we think might be undocumented. (5-190 & 5-191 )

The obvious premise behind reporting undocumented people is that you can spot them. How does one spot an undocumented person? Do they look a certain way, or sound a certain way? That is assuming criminality about someone based on their color or race.

Wayne Mayo, the man who put these measures on the ballot, insists that his motivations are raising wages and enforcing laws. But in reality, he is pedaling fear and discrimination as economic and worker justice.

Mayo is asking us to tattle to the government on people who we think might not have papers. Let’s remember that Homeland Security (DHS) is currently marching into peoples’ homes, arresting them in front of their families, breaking families apart and deporting hard working people. These measures would not only increase the ability of DHS to enter our lives based on what others think an immigrant looks like, they also encourage a culture of fear as we are put on high alert of the ‘others’ by screaming billboard-sized signs.

Using signage to ostracize immigrants or non-white communities as a long historical precedent. This plays on the same social distress as "Whites only," & "Irish need not apply;” classic immigrant bashing on a sign.

These measures are not about economic justice. They will drag down Columbia County’s already sputtering economy, but these measures will not bring it back to life. Mayo is implying that the burden of Columbia County’s failed economy lie on the backs of Latino immigrants, making these measures about race. These signs are intended to instill fear, drive out 'unwanted' people & reinforce a hierarchy based on race.

Working class people realize that shoving immigrants farther underground will only drive down wages and create a second-class of worker. We know that to build strong industries and family wage jobs all workers must have equal rights, be organized and empowered to stand together.

So if these measures are not about economic repair but instead drive a wedge into our community, then what leg does Mayo have to stand on to say that these are not race motivated measures? None. Mayo wants to make it clear that immigrants are not welcome, especially not those that we can identify with our eyes or ears.