A sliver of sanity: Cesar Chavez was against illegal immigration

[nonconformist]

Cesar Chavez, the prominent Mexican-American labor leader and activist who fought for migrant worker civil rights, was opposed to illegal immigration. He believed, like progressives generally used to, that the hiring of illegal workers drove down the wages for the legal workers. He founded the United Farm Workers union and he would turn in illegals and report their employers during his presidency. He even organized marches opposing illegal immigration and the hiring of illegal workers, right along the border of Arizona and Mexico.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Chavez in 1987. He was a great man. I wish he was still around to be a voice for labor and for sanity on this issue.

[magellan]

1. Second that. (nt)

[lonestarnot]

10. Third that, now let us return to the real issues.

[ugarte]

2. Yes and no, He opposed illegal immigration BUT...

...advocated on behalf of those already here. No question he would not have supported criminalizing those already here. In fact he would have supported some form of amnesty. What he really opposed were not illegals per se, but strikebreakers, illegal or otherwise. The bosses were bussing in illegals as strikebreakers, so let's put things in context.

[Boojatta]

3. Just wondering

No question he would not have supported criminalizing those already here. In fact he would have supported some form of amnesty.

Do you believe that we can be confident about whether or not a particular person from history would have supported a given policy?

Do you believe that if a particular person from history actually supported a given policy then that is a good reason for us to support the policy?

[ugarte]

6. You don't really believe Chavez's farmworkers were all legals, do you?

Historically, no, I don't like putting words in people's mouths. But saying he would support deporting 12 million people, splitting up families, etc...that was not Chavez.

[nonconformist]

4. In context

I feel pretty confident in saying that Chavez would be pretty disgusted at the state of labor in America today.

[ugarte]

5. I absolutely agree,,,nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. The UFW supports amnesty and citizenship for immigrants.

"A harsh, anti-immigrant enforcement-only bill will not fix our broken immigration system. We need the Senate to come up with a real bipartisan solution that offers the chance for hardworking undocumented immigrants performing work crucial for the U.S. Economy to earn the right to stay in this country permanently with a path to citizenship."

Above is a copy of the letter the UFW suggests sending to the senate.

http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/hr4437eng

[Boojatta]

8. "work crucial for the U.S. Economy"

...the chance for hardworking undocumented immigrants performing work crucial for the U.S. Economy to earn the right to stay in this country permanently...

If the work is crucial for the U.S. Economy, then can we assume that workers who spend their entire working lives doing that kind of work are able to retire without facing financial hardship?

After they have earned the right to stay, will they perform a kind of work that is classified as "crucial for the U.S. Economy"?

[Coexist]

9. kick

[UTUSN]

11. He also used a psychotherapy nut cult to purge his outfit

of ALL of the people who started out with him, turned the "union" into a family cash cow, and his "union" has not had a single labor contract in decades. Somebody posted yesterday hearing a wingnut say on t.v. that CHAVEZ would probably be a Repuke today, which given the preceding sentence just might be true.

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Definitely a feather in his cap.

I have utmost respect for any South American leader who figures out that the U.S. isn't the dumping ground for the social & economic misery they cause due to inept leadership.

[Don Claybrook]

14. you may be thinking of Hugo Chavez

and of course, you may wish to look closer to home for examples of inept leadership.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. Believe me, I was.

And, yes, I was thinking of Hugo Chavez.

[madokie]

13. Thanks for the reminder, I remember when he worked so hard for

the migrant farm workers, if only we could be so lucky to have some one like him today.

[Cleita]

16. People keep bringing this up but please put out the whole

story out if you must post this. Cesar actually tried to bring the undocumented workers into the UFW, his union, but when he did the farmers in the Imperial Valley which is along the border with Mexico would bring in workers from Mexico. Those worker were also intimidated and frightened by the farmers into not joining the union when approached. So in exasperation Chavez had to fight this.