Boomer Blog: Mexico, migration and Arizona

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The Mexican consulate in Phoenix invited me to join a three day conference in the country's capital to talk about the issues and concerns facing migrant communities in North American cities.

I am joined by 39 journalists who were also hand-picked to participate in this symposium.

Check out my blog entries below!

July 18th - 6 p.m.

Alex Nogales is President and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

During the conference he said there is a growing tide of hate building against people of Mexican origin.

He quoted controversial figures such as radio personality Michael Savage and CNN’s Lou Dobbs.

He also read from internet comments posted on various websites. Wanting to end hate speech, he argues that the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission, should open investigations into broadcast companies that allow hate speech. He wants to find a way to punish people, to prosecute them.

Alan Leveritt, publisher of El Latino news magazine in Little Rock, Arkansas expressed his opposition to the idea.

He first explained how the effort itself would be difficult to pursue since repeatedly hate speech has been protected under the 1st amendment. His said Nogales is entering dangerous waters.

The 1st amendment guarantees free speech for everyone in our country.

As soon as you begin to chip away at that by trying to decide whose free speech is appropriate then you put the entire concept and our freedom to express our opinions in jeopardy. He said Nogales doesn’t have to do this because many of the statements made by extremists discredit themselves. Leveritt believes too much is at stake. It is better to defend our right to free speech than try to stop a few people from saying bad things about a group of Hispanics.

Others in the room did support Nogales’ comments and current effort to fight back against hate speech. This included Enrique Morones, founder of Border Angels.

Border Angels is a non-profit that helps to prevent the deaths of people trying to cross the Imperial Valley desert.

Volunteers will leave water in the summer and blankets in the winter. Morones says once someone’s hate begins to incite a high degree of anger than it could prompt violence which is why he thinks it’s important to curtail hate speech.

July 17th - 1:30pm

No three words bring forth the ire of many members of Phoenix's Hispanic community more than Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

They are not alone. More than twelve hundered miles away in a Ministry of Foreign Affairs conference room his name was mentioned, shortly after a criticism of CNN Anchor Lou Dobbs.

Both men have a commanding personality, booming voice, a penchant for making headline-grabbing remarks, and a particular view of the immigration debate that doesn't sit well with those seeking reform.

It's no secret that many in the Latino community consider the Sheriff's tactics a form of racial profiling.

Critics site his crime suppression operations and illegal immigration hotline as examples.

After all, as critics have said all along it's hard to determine one's legal status just by looking at them so the criteria for the hotline is suspect.

In this conference, which aims to discuss the issues and concerns facing Mexican communities in North America, it really wasn't the Sheriff himself that was the main target of concern, rather, it was some of the people who most adamantly support him.

The Minuteman organization and other like minded groups often champion "America's toughest Sheriff" at the protests that predictably surface when the Sheriff descends on a Valley city to fight crime.

There is just something about the Sheriff's policies that seem to attract a very vocal group of people with a very clear message that they want anyone who came into this country illegally to get the heck out.

That opinion in and of itself isn't the issue. The beauty about America is that we are allowed to state our opinion freely. Case law has also found that hate speech is also protected by our constitution.

Let's move forward to further isolate the chief concern.

At these rallies you will see plenty of American-flag waving and chants about protecting our country and safety through a secure border.

The question: Could some of this be racism masked by patriotism?

Immigration is a highly political issue that generates strong and passionate emotion from both sides.

When I was at CNN they said that if you do a story, and both sides think you were biased, then you know you got it right.

Cover immigration in Phoenix and your inbox will be packed with e-mails from multiple voices who will passionately express how they feel about the subject and the coverage. I think it's great because it shows people are invested in our community and that democracy is alive and well. Think back to Iran's recent conflict from June's election and you are reminded why it is so wonderful that no one is persecuted for saying what they believe...no matter how mean or how extreme.

That said, sometimes a person's opinion isn't always backed up with facts. That is what has people across North America talking about what is happening in communities like Phoenix.

You are allowed to say anything you like even if it is not true. Say it over and over again however and then suddenly some people start to believe it is the truth. If you've ever been the target of a rumor you know exactly how quickly that can happen.

So part of the discussion here is Mexico is about the importance of combating what they say are myths or mistruths about the Hispanic community.

Language is also important.

For example. Yes, of course we all know that it is a crime to cross the border illegally. It is a misdeamenor.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines criminal as, "relating to, involving, or being a crime".

So you could say someone who crossed the border is a criminal just as you could say the same for someone who got a speeding ticket.

Here's where it gets tricky. To say that Mexican Nationals who are in America illegally are "criminals" quickly strikes a different perception. In our vernacular the word "criminal" is generally reserved for people who commit crimes that we consider to be egregious like rape, murder, aggravated assault, serial bank robbery, and so forth.

To say that illegal immigrants are "criminals" then may imply to some people that the population as a whole are engaged in horrendous crimes against our persons and property.

Advocates for the Hispanic community argue this is simply not true. More to the point, if you begin to think one segment of the Hispanic population is all criminals it doesn't take much to extend those feelings to the entire Hispanic population.

I've taken this time to explain their perspective because: 1) you rarely are exposed to it and it might be new for many of you; and, 2) it illustrates the power of language.

Words can be used to quickly add spin and an angle to an issue just by saying them.

The difference between calling someone an "insurgent" or a "freedom fighter" for instance is huge.

Language is a touchy subject in the debate over immigration.

Calling someone an "illegal alien" or defining them as "undocumented" puts you in hot water with one group or the other. Someone will charge you with deliberately attempting to bias the report.

In fact, so many words in the immigration debate have become so politically charged that just writing copy for an anchor introduction to a story can generate a long newsroom discussion.

So why does what someone heard a Sheriff Arpaio supporter say during a Phoenix protest matter to a bunch of journalists and foreign dignitaries in Mexico City?

The answer is there is a growing concern that hate speech could become hate crime.

That is what they are trying to prevent.

This is why any remark even slightly tinged with racist implications generates so much alarm.