by Alex Meneses Miyashita
National Council of La Raza president Janet Murguía warned April 16 that groups she claimed promote hate are shaping immigration policy and blasted the mainstream media for giving those voices legitimacy in the debate.
“Voices better left on the fringe of political discourse have moved front and center to define the debate,” Murguía said at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. “Their harsh rhetoric has filled the immigration debate with code words that demonize and de humanize not just immigrants but Latinos as a threat to the American way of life.”
She added, “They depict us as an ‘army of invaders. ‘They call us a swarm and a massive horde.’ They say that we bring disease and crime to our country.”
Mainstream media has legitimized these voices as immigration “experts,” Murguía charged, adding that often these are the only points of view presented. Networks such as CBS and CNN have engaged in such lopsided exposure of the issue, she maintained.
Murguía emphasized that polls have consistently shown the majority of people in the United States favor a comprehensive approach to immigration reform, but their side is being drowned out by a small, but extremely vocal and persistent grassroots network. “A tally by NCLR found that cable television networks have used hate and extremist spokespeople as sources in their broadcast at least 120 times in three yeans.
NCLR claims groups such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform and the Minuteman Project have contributed to a “wave of hate” against Latinos and immigrants. Murguia called it no coincidence that hate crimes against Latinos have reached an all time high. FBI data show a 25 percent spike against Latinos between 2004 and 2006.
FAIR is a national, nonprofit organization that seeks “to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration,” and reduce the annual levels of immigration.
FAIR and other socalled “anti-immigrant” groups claim they are not against immigration, but against “illegal immigration.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center classifi ed FAIR as a hate group last December, pointing to its ties to racist and white supremacist groups.
Murguia said that while NCLR is not against different points of view on how to fi x the country’s immigration system, but stressed that it is necessary “to take the hate out of the debate.
NCLR launched a campaign to “wave of hate” against Latinos and immigrants. Murguia called it no coincidence that hate crimes against Latinos have reached an all-time high.
FBI data show a 25 percent spike against Latinos between 2004 and 2006. FAIR is a national, non profit organization that seeks ~to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration,” and reduce the annual levels of immigration.
FAIR and other so called “anti-immigrant” groups claim they are not against immigration, but against ~illegal immigration.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center classifi ed FAIR as a hate group last December, pointing to its ties to racist and white supremacist groups.
Murguia said thatwhile NCLR is notagainst different points of view on how to fi x the country’s immigration system, but stressed that it is necessary “to take the hate out of the debate.
NCLR launched a campaign to counter the socalled “wave of hate.- For more information, visit www.WeCanStoptheHate.org. Hispanic Link.
