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From
the Borderline to the Colorline: A Report on Anti-Immigrant Racism in the
United States |
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From the Borderline to the Colorline: A Report on
Anti-Immigrant Racism in the United States, finds that a
disturbing pattern of racism against immigrants is on the rise in the United
States. Based on a nationwide survey of conditions for immigrant communities
conducted by twenty-five organizations, this groundbreaking report concludes
that anti-immigrant racism poses significant barriers to equality and
inclusion for citizens and non-citizens alike. This report is the first comprehensive assessment of its
kind, and will be delivered to the United Nations World Conference Against
Racism, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa by a
delegation over 50 U.S. immigrant leaders. Through an in-depth look at key
areas, such as work and housing – as well as recent incidents of hate
violence, this survey finds that anti-immigrant racism imperils the lives and
well-being of a growing sector of the U.S. population. New U.S. Census figures show that immigration is
changing the racial character of the United States. However, most discussions
of racism in the United States leave immigrants out of the picture. From
the Borderline to the Colorline finds that immigrants in the U.S. face a
rising tide of racial discrimination because of the color of their skin,
accent, or national origin. In addition, those who are perceived to “look
like immigrants,” including U.S.-born people of color are subjected to the
double blows of racism and xenophobia. This report not only addresses anti-immigrant racism as
it plays out in community relations. It also concludes that, nearly 120 years
after the Chinese Exclusion Act, immigration policy continues to reflect
racial bias. The report points to a disturbing pattern or racism visible in
the application of U.S. immigration laws, and concludes that those who are
African, Asian, Latino, or Caribbean are more often detained, deported, and
denied legal status and protections. In particular, the US government has implemented a program
of anti-immigrant legislation that justifies racial discrimination against
immigrants, both by law enforcement officials and civilians. The climate of
racial hostility towards immigrants is fostered by laws and practices that
effectively tolerate racial discrimination in the workplace, in civil
society, in schools, in access to social services, and in access to legal
protections. Based on testimony and accounts of immigrants in 20
cities throughout the United States, the report finds: ·
Immigrants are increasingly the targets of racial
profiling by law enforcement officials. Law enforcement officers
routinely stop and harass Latinos, Africans and others because they “look
like immigrants.” ·
Immigrants of color are often victims of hate
crimes, where they are targets of civilians acting on racist and
xenophobic motives legitimized by the state. Legal definitions for hate
crimes, in the states where such legislation exists, do not extend to
anti-immigrant bias. ·
Anti-immigrant racism imperils lives. Immigrants have been
increasingly subject to violence, and even death, due to racist hostility and
biased immigration policies. ·
Immigrants, and those perceived as immigrants due
to their race, continue to suffer from employment discrimination.
Legislative provisions written to safeguard workers who appear “foreign” from
discrimination, remain unenforced. Immigrant workers also remain vulnerable
to workplace abuse and exploitation, and often face greater challenges in
attempting to fight for fair working conditions. ·
Heightened military and law enforcement along the
U.S.-Mexico border have escalated human rights abuses of migrants
and people of color in the Southwest and other regions of the United States. ·
Immigrants and refugees suffer unequal treatment
within legal and criminal justice systems and face standards of evidence and
punishment unequal to those of citizens. Legislation impacting immigrants in
1996 created a distinct standard of rights and protections for migrants,
including access to judicial review, due process, and equal protection. ·
Immigrants and refugees are the fastest-growing
incarcerated population in the U.S. Recommendations: In addition to its participation in the UN World
Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance, the US will
undergo review by the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination. This body enforces the International Convention Against
Racial Discrimination, to which the US is a signator. In light of this, this report calls
upon the United States government and other member nations of the United
Nations to: ·
Ratify or accede to the U.N.
International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrants and
Members of Their Families. ·
Remove all reservations and fully
implement the International Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination and ratify or accede to all international instruments
for the protection of human rights. ·
Recognize the right of mobility and
return for all displaced peoples, refugees, asylum seekers, trafficked
persons, and migrants, affirming their human rights. ·
Implement multilateral amnesty or
legalization programs to regularize the status of all migrant workers; and
end policies that punish and criminalize immigrants. ·
Recognize the inter-connections
between globalization, displacement, and migration and affirm the right of
workers to cross international borders. ·
Recognize the right of all people to
sustainable social and economic development and stable healthy community –
recognizing that societies are multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-ethnic,
and multi-religious, with respect for the human rights and dignity of all –
so that migration is not the only option for survival. The report further recommends that the U.S. ·
Stop
employment discrimination and uphold the rights of immigrant workers
·
Uphold
the rights of immigrants to due process and equality before the law
·
Stop hate crimes against immigrants
·
End
Law Enforcement and Human Rights Abuses at the US-Mexico Border
·
Uphold
the Economic, Social, Political, and Cultural Rights of Immigrants, Refugees,
Asylum-Seekers, and Trafficked Persons
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