Is Arizona Racially Profiling Latinos To Deny Them Civil Rights?

Arizona political leaders seem to be targeting Latinos to prevent them from exercising their civil rights by banning them from the state Capitol. Two things immediately pop into my head as I consider this. One, this is plainly racist. Two, it’s a potent sign of what’s going on in Arizona and what the future will be like there.

This is plainly racial profiling, but are lawmakers going after Latino activists just because they’ve already gone after workers, students, educators and drivers in Arizona?

No. The reason politicos like Senate President Russell Pearce are targeting Latino activists is because these guys have seen the Census results, they know what the future looks like (hint: a little browner than it is now), and they think if they can stop Latinos from having a voice now, their hold on power might last a little longer. If you recall, last week we wrote about one such activist, Carlos Galindo, who was 1 of 4 people detained by Capitol police. He was speaking to us when yet another activist was arrested for trying to exercise his civil rights at the Arizona Capitol. Galindo’s voice didn’t even hint at surprise.

Arizona blogger Three Sonorans pointed out that, of the 6 people who have been banned from Capitol buildings, all are Latino. Chew on that for a moment. The year is 2011 and a leading political and public figure in Arizona is blatantly banning people from exercising their civil rights in public spaces. But we’re not just talking any people, we’re talking Latinos, who he also points out, are all well-known in the community. So, it seems to me that Pearce and his cronies are systematically targeting community leaders to scare everyone else into not putting up a fight.

I thought the 1960s happened a long time ago.

We live in exciting times. The world is changing, as evidenced from the movements in the Middle East, as well as Census results in our own country. As China, Asia in general and Latin America grow, the U.S. will have to shift its traditional focus on Europe and the Middle East to address leaders in new spheres of influences. The world, because of the Internet and social media, is smaller, yet, because of the flood of opportunities this brings, there are bigger possibilities than ever before.

The U.S., and Arizona, are going to have to be open to this change in order to step strongly and responsibly into this new future. Not doing so is neither going to preserve the “way things have been,” nor will it ultimately bring them prosperity. Denying Latinos civil rights is only going to delay the inevitable, and when Arizona finally catches up, the state might still be behind everybody else.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD