Glad I don't live in the US with my tanned complexion

[Darth Garth]

If only for a few minutes, Maria felt like an "illegal alien" in her homeland -- the United States of America.

She thought she was going on break from her job at the Swift & Co. meat processing plant here [in Hyrem, Utah] on Tuesday, but instead she and others were forced to stand in a line by U.S. immigration agents. Non-Latinos and people with lighter skin were plucked out of line and given blue bracelets.

The rest, mostly Latinos with brown skin, waited until they were "cleared" or arrested by "la migra," the popular name in Spanish for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), employees said.

"I was in the line because of the color of my skin," she said, her voice shaking. "They're discriminating against me. I'm from the United States, and I didn't even get a blue bracelet

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4829962

 

[LabAnimal]

racism abroad alive and kicking!.

 

[Darth Garth]

racism abroad alive and kicking!.

Racial profiling actually ... still terrible though in such a supposedly enlightened free society like theirs ... used to be like that anyway before 9/11 and people signed away their freedoms because they were so scared.

 

[bwana]

Racial profiling actually ... still terrible though in such a supposedly enlightened free society like theirs ... used to be like that anyway before 9/11 and people signed away their freedoms because they were so scared.

I consider it a terrible practice regardless of the supposed enlightenment of the country but I guess we differ in that regard.

 

[rwenzori]

Racial profiling actually ... still terrible though in such a supposedly enlightened free society like theirs ... used to be like that anyway before 9/11 and people signed away their freedoms because they were so scared.

It is awful. But it happens here too. When the cops are looking to catch illegal Zimbabweans in JHB and they stop taxis to do so, they always go for the guys with really dark skins. I have had to go trying to get our gardening assistant out of police custody on more than one occasion, and once even from that horrible Lindela repatriation camp near Randfontein.

 

[IanC]

Has anyone here watched the movie "Five Fingers" starring Laurence Fishburne?

It's an education in profiling ...

 

[BandwidthAddict]

Hello.

How many of you guys on this site hate the USA?

Have any of you considered that the reason the US is starting to clamp down on ppl is because the world at large has chosen to hate it and are acting on that hate?

Did you know that a significant percentage of Mexicans that cross the border do not bother to learn english, nor do they wish to be a part of America. They want all the benefits of America but at the same time, want to claim a large portion of the south as part of Mexico?

America has a huge problem with latinos at the moment, so much so that they put more emphasis on them then al quaida.

There was once a time when Mexicans would cross the border and integrate into America. In fact, immigration and naturalisation are the cornerstones of American life, aka the global American Dream.

But things have changed.

People around the world either see America as an evil entity that must be destroyed, or they see America as owing them something. For the Mexicans of today, they believe that America owes them the ex-spanish states.

This is a big problem, one that will end in blood an tears.

To all those that hate America, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Peace.

 

[Paul_S]

Oh great - another "let's bash USA" thread.

There are approximately 7 million illegal immigrants in the USA of which 70% are of Mexican origin.
Mexican traffickers supplied 77% of the cocaine, 53% of the methamphetamine and approximately 50% of the heroin that enters the U.S.

If you have a pen full of sheep and are trying to get rid of some foxes do you treat each animal the same or do you look for the bushy tailed foxes and chuck them out first?

Call it discrimination if you like but they are trying to sort out a problem and we do exactly the same thing in South Africa.
Another case of the pot calling the kettle black.

 

[AntiThesis]

Well this isn't a US bashing reply

I like the US But racial profiling isn't the greatest thing to be keen for. Remember that short bloke? Bit of a mustache? Kept telling certain people to wear little stars to say they were Jews?

Racial Discrimination = Bad. No matter how you cut it.

the world at large has chosen to hate it

You don't think maybe, just maybe there might be some reason for that? I guarantee a great big load of people didn't just wake up one morning and go. "US? Nah we hate them."

 

[RompelStompel]

Remember that short bloke? Bit of a mustache?

The Austrian Corporal , could have had the surname Schicklgruber

 

[vespax]

Hello.
Did you know that a significant percentage of Mexicans that cross the border do not bother to learn english, nor do they wish to be a part of America. They want all the benefits of America but at the same time, want to claim a large portion of the south as part of Mexico?

Disagree with this strongly.

America has a huge problem with latinos at the moment, so much so that they put more emphasis on them then al quaida.

Doubt this.

There was once a time when Mexicans would cross the border and integrate into America. In fact, immigration and naturalisation are the cornerstones of American life, aka the global American Dream.

Are you kidding? Nice dream

But things have changed.

No they haven't

People around the world either see America as an evil entity that must be destroyed, or they see America as owing them something. For the Mexicans of today, they believe that America owes them the ex-spanish states.

No they don't. What Mexicans want is jobs. If that means crossing a river, so be it. No one is trying to annex the southwest in Mexico.

This is a big problem, one that will end in blood an tears.

Doubt it. But you can dream if you want. Just stay on your side of the world with that dream please.

To all those that hate America, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Peace.

I think more people like America than hate it. It is just the minority that ruins things for the majority ussually.

 

[AntiThesis]

That's the kitten...

 

[Geriatrix]

The world doesn't really mind the States, its a certain politician and his cronies that ruffles some feathers around the world.

Regarding discrimination, get over it. Its everywhere. Go to Japan and see how some of the people give you dirty looks, shout obscenities at you or laugh at you in your face if your not Asian.

Hell, light skinned Indians discriminate against dark skinned Indians.
Tanned Caucasian sports jocks discriminate against pale Caucasian geeks.

 

[chiskop]

Regarding discrimination, get over it. Its everywhere. Go to Japan and see how some of the people give you dirty looks, shout obscenities at you or laugh at you in your face if your not Asian.

Hell, light skinned Indians discriminate against dark skinned Indians.
Tanned Caucasian sports jocks discriminate against pale Caucasian geeks.

Ahh, so that makes it all alright?

 

[mancombseepgood]

Racial and gender profiling is worldwide... whether it is policy or not, the attitude is the same. The US is often made an example of for obvious reasons... It is alot worse in many other contries... we won't even talk genocide and ethinc cleansing...
Europe, Asia, etc. etc. its a worldwide phenomenon. I understand black and white women who travel abroad have a very hard time in the arab world for example. Of course it isn't right... but we need to call a spade a spade - hate comes from both sides - those being discriminated against and those doing the discriminating.

 

[Geriatrix]

Ahh, so that makes it all alright?

No, but don't be so surprised when it does happen to you. It will. It happens to everyone, everywhere, regardless of race, social class, wealth or smarts.Its like old age and disease.

I do find it mildly irritating though, when people act like it only happens to them and then go and label a certain group of people as the demons who are the only ones evil enough to commit this sin. "Whites are racist", "Arabs are terrorists", "liberals are gay", "conservatives are greedy".
You get my point.

 

[AntiThesis]

Didn't say we were surprised it was happening, just that it is wrong.
Because humans are such assholes it's probably going to be a part of our society forever but it's still not right to sit and say "Oh well"

 

[Geriatrix]

Didn't say we were surprised it was happening, just that it is wrong.
Because humans are such assholes it's probably going to be a part of our society forever but it's still not right to sit and say "Oh well"

Yeah people suck.

Anyway, just to make sure I'm understood. I didn't say I support what happened. My comments were more like "thinking out loud", sort of like a random thought on the subject that seemed to be relevant to the topic.

 

[mac_mac74]

"I was in the line because of the color of my skin," she said, her voice shaking. "They're discriminating against me. I'm from the United States, and I didn't even get a blue bracelet
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4829962

How different is that to being denied the opportunity to apply for a job because of the colour of your skin.

 

[w1z4rd]

If only for a few minutes, Maria felt like an "illegal alien" in her homeland -- the United States of America.

She thought she was going on break from her job at the Swift & Co. meat processing plant here [in Hyrem, Utah] on Tuesday, but instead she and others were forced to stand in a line by U.S. immigration agents. Non-Latinos and people with lighter skin were plucked out of line and given blue bracelets.

The rest, mostly Latinos with brown skin, waited until they were "cleared" or arrested by "la migra," the popular name in Spanish for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), employees said.

"I was in the line because of the color of my skin," she said, her voice shaking. "They're discriminating against me. I'm from the United States, and I didn't even get a blue bracelet

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4829962

I actually followed this news article on Radio Netherlands the other night. Firstly those people who are getting fired are illegal immigrants who have bought US social security numbers.

However the big bad entity here is Swift and Co. They knowingly hired people from the southern countries for cheap labour. They had to threaten the prosecuting authority with a massive law case to escape prosecution themselves. However the DA in charge of this said she has will not stop investigating Swift and Co.

The police came in because many members of the community including local police officials complained about the amount of illegal immigrants working at that factory.

Tibby... you would have just as many problems working in America, as a Nigerian would have in South Africa. So by your logic, you do not want to be a "black black" or white man in South Africa.