Are Illegal Immigrant Hispanics Today’s Chattel?

By

Sherman N. Miller

6/06/2006 

As the 2006 midterm election comes into full view, Americans might expect to hear complaints of some unsavory antics at the polls to prevent various segments of the population from voting. One ploy is for “good ole’ boys” to dress up in paramilitary goons’ garb that might make black voters feel intimidated on Election Day. This disquieting paramilitary symbolism may also be exploited by today’s nativist zealots in the present anti-illegal immigration tide sweeping the nation.

            I teach College Algebra in 2006 Summer School at a Pennsylvania college, so on my way back home to Delaware I may stop in Boothwyn, PA to buy fruits and vegetables at the Produce Junction, a wholesale outlet. Spanish is the language spoken by the young people serving at the counter and most of the other workers on hand. You are lucky if you see two Anglo-Americans. When you see an Anglo-American it appears that they are management.

            In late May 2006, I was taken aback by a delivery van truck that looked like a military combat vehicle parked directly in front of the Produce Junction. The body of the truck was painted in a military paisley camouflage manner. It had what appeared to be two rockets mounted to its top that appeared ready to be launched against an enemy. This scene initially appeared threatening until I looked closely at the rockets where I recognized that they were probably homemade props.  

Once inside of the Produce Junction, I look around at the people to guesstimate who might be driving this vehicle. I saw a Hispanic-appearance chap with military paisley colored pants, but he didn’t get into the vehicle when he left. On the way out the door, an Anglo-American lady looked into my eyes with great concern. She said, “It sends a terrible symbolic message.” I attempted to calm her fear by calling her attention to the fact that the missiles on the truck’s top were not real. 

            When I headed for my car I saw an Anglo-American manager come out. His face appeared drawn as he looked at this obvious attempt to rattle the nerves of his Hispanic workers inside.

            Then I saw an Anglo-American chap coming from around the outside of the store who appeared to be a good ole’ boy. This good ole’ boy was dressed in white clothes and white hat. He got into the truck. It was quite obvious that his symbolic message was to intimidate the Hispanic workers.

            The above incident made very clear the deleterious power of symbolism. What was troubling was I had concluded that yesterday’s cross burnings in minority peoples’ yards had morphed into today’s paramilitary truck with two fake rockets mounted on it. I worry that this paramilitary zealot was exploiting the symbolism of sending the National Guards to the Mexican border to make his point that these Hispanics were persona non-grata without really knowing if they are illegal immigrants.     

            While I am strongly against illegal immigration, I feel it imperative that we don’t give nativist zealots (yesterday’s white citizen council – Ku Klux Klan) a license to intimidate people in our zeal to solve the illegal immigration crisis now underway. America does not need a reincarnation of the Age of Jim Crow where illegal Hispanic immigrants are dehumanized into today’s chattel.