human rights | Ahna Hendrix

Today I attended and participated in a march protesting SB1070, the new law in Arizona that will make it a crime to be illegal/undocumented and will make it legal to ask a person to show proof of their citizenship based on the way they look.

This was the first protest I have ever participated in and I am proud that it was my first. As someone who strives to see both sides of any situation I can name on one hand the reasons that I would actually protest for. Arguments and debates happen every day, but this debate stirs me from the inside out.

The call for the protest came through Facebook from someone who attends Duke University. He asked that we wear our school colors and meet in the Pit at UNC.

I don’t know what I expected, but I was nervous. I found out that none of my friends would be able to attend due to finals or previous plans they could not break, so I was left to join the protesters on my own.

I arrived early and prepared. The sky looked like it would open up at any minute so I brought my umbrella and plastic bags to put my personal things inside of.

It wasn’t long after I arrived that people began showing up. UNC students wearing their prided blue and laughing loudly stood in the Pit awaiting the crowd, and it did come. Students began trickling in one-by-one and then groups from different schools began showing up. The students from N.C. State quickly outnumbered the others and red shirts were everywhere. The red seemed so appropriate that I almost wished I had worn it.

Red, the color of pain, strife and passion. Red is such a bold and powerful color and it stood out against the light and navy blues from the other colleges.

At the crowd continued growing a girl with a megaphone began getting everyone hyped up with chants like “What does Democracy look like? Democracy looks like this!” and “Shame on who? Shame on you Arizona!”

As the march began I fell into the crowd and softly began repeating the different chants. It was overwhelming for me to be with such a huge of people without knowing anyone. It is not easy for me to participate in events such as these and while a part of me just wanted to run, a greater part made me stay and march.

We marched across campus and the stares and looks from some of the students and faculty reminded me of the day laborers that stand on the corner in Carrboro, waiting to be chosen for work. Day after day they stand there and stare at the road. They wait with hope to be picked up, they pray to be asked to join a crew.

But while they wait cars drive by, parents tell their children to shield their eyes and people look away in embarrassment. And yet these men return every day….with hope.

After leaving campus grounds we headed into downtown Chapel Hill. People stared out through the windows of restaurants, boyfriends held their girlfriends tighter as we passed, and children looked completely confused. As I listened to our chants and the words we were yelling into the evening, I wondered how it is that we have gotten here – to this place in our country. Who’s fault is it? Why hasn’t immigration already been dealt with?

The protest chose it’s landing place at the courthouse in the middle of Franklin street and the speakers began. The first two speakers were both undocumented students who were sharing their stories and struggles. A girl about 22 years old said she wasn’t ashamed to say that she was undocumented anymore and the boy, still in high school, read us quotes from an Arizona representative entailing how illegals could be picked up “because they will stand out, they will look the part.” He then asked the crowd if it looked like he was wearing illegal shoes or if his clothes made him look illegal.

It is a profound thing to realize ones place in an event such as this. I could not find my voice in the chanting and I felt numb as I watched the speakers. I almost felt useless as a follower – I wanted to be a leader and I wanted to do something. But for now all I could do was be there. I was falling in and out of reality, back and forth between memories and the protest.

A third girl has just returned from a long trip to Arizona and told us what was happening there. She said that a prayer vigil had been going on since the law had passed. Families were praying from five in the morning until ten at night, taking turns, but always leaving at least one representative of their family to pray.

My mind raced and I remember walking the dusty streets in Panama. I was headed to the store for some fruit. I was starving and craving a mango. I had left the house quickly. I entered the supermercado and began hunting for my mango. At that moment I became aware of several policia standing close to where I was. They were whispering and looking at me. The second that one of the men began to walk over I realized that I had left my passport. My heart began beating so loudly I knew everyone could hear it. “Hola senorita, como esta usted?” the smiling officer said. My mind rushed and I uttered, “No hablo espanol, solo frances.” I told him I didn’t speak Spanish, I spoke French. He then began to proceed to try and flirt with me while the other officers laughed and pointed.

I knew he could easily have asked to see my passport and if I had not produced it, then they could have thrown me into jail and I would have been lost. Lost in another country. And believe me, women have no rights in their jail. This is a taste of what immigrants will feel in Arizona and are already feeling on some level.

The speakers finished up and no one stepped forward to speak so we returned to the streets. Lights changed and we walked and chanted. Different colors of clothes and different nationalities, all wearing signs taped to our clothes that said, “Do I look Illegal? No To SB1070.” Arms and fists in the air, the voices grew louder and louder and I began to find my voice.

As my voice grew my spirit began to understand the energy of the voices surrounding me. Their shoes skidding across the pavement and their hearts in unison. We were a group, a sole beginning of hope. African American, Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, Indian we marched side by side and felt for that time as though we were united as one family.

The protest ended back at the Pit where one last speakers stood in front of us. She received her degree from a community college, but is unable to use it. She has volunteered for the crisis unit in town from over two years, yet her driver’s license has now expired and she can no longer participate. Tears on her face she told us how much she wants to be a part of our country and be considered one of “us.”

I have always said they work harder than I ever will and they appreciate my country more than I ever have-why can they not be a part of this country? Our nation stands on the edge of ruin and yet we do not educate the intelligent minds of these people and their children. Our nation could be amazing.

America needs to wake up before this law takes effect and before other states begin implementing similar legislation. Our rights as Americans are diminishing along with these immigrants and the people who do not see that are fools.The extent of this law is much greater than I have outlined and is even reaching into Arizona’s schools where teachers with accents will no longer be able to teach.

Is this America – the land of the free?

I have been keeping up on the bill that was brought up in Arizona against immigration. The man who proposed it was personally hurt by an immigrant who shot down his son. He said that this had nothing to do with him drafting the bill-but a measure so strongly opposed made me wonder.

I didn’t believe that it was possible that such a law would be passed in America. I felt there was no way that an American could allow such a direct violation of human rights. We are a free country, we are able to walk the streets and not fear the violence and abuse that is often seen in other countries.

When I lived in Panama my home was two doors down from a mini supermercado and I always took my passport just to go there. The police were brutal and were always wanting to see identification. Panama’s passport visa has been up for debate for a few years, and so the police have enough power to throw whomever they want into jail if they feel they are a threat. Can you imagine what type of fear that put inside of me whenever I saw a police officer? I was petrified.

And this is what we are doing to the immigrants. The immigrants who for the most part would prefer to be in their countries where they can live life at a reasonable pace-not this crazy rat race we have in the US. They come because they want their children to have an education, they want to support their families, or they come because their countries, like Mexico are becoming too dangerous.

I am not saying there are not immigrants here because they want the American dream-of course there are and why would anyone not want it? We represent freedom in a confined world where dictators and communism prevail. America is certainly far from perfect, but if you have traveled at all then you can understand that we have more rights than any other country.

At lunch I was discussing this issue with a friend because I had read that Obama had come out opposed to it in a speech. I was relived that Obama was taking a stand and that he was opposed to this ridiculous law.

But when I came back from running, I jumped on Twitter and saw article after article saying that the Gov. Jan Brewer had passed the bill.

I cannot even describe the emotions that ran through me as I read the NY Times article. I was angry and so very sad-tears ran down my face and even now I want to go and do something about it immediately.

I hope this backfires on Republicans and ignorant citizens that have no idea who it is that resides in our country. Our families were all immigrants at one time or another-we are a mixed nation and this is wrong.

This law will break the trust of law enforcement in Arizona, it will give more power to the officers who are against immigration and may cause severe racial profiling.

That does not even include what it will feel like for these immigrants to live in Arizona. They will fear going to the grocery store or paying a bill. They will fear and fear and that fear will bring anger and when the anger cannot be contained anymore it will explode.

I do agree that the United States government has dropped the ball concerning immigration for a long time. It has not been dealt with and therefore this woman feels like she needs to march out the troops and sound the alarm on something that I am sure she does not even understand. But our country has been dealing with an economic depression-immigration was put behind for the time being.

President Obama needs to act quickly before other states begin to think about enacting the same laws and we become a country that is daily losing human rights.

I am fiercely against anything that undercuts the freedom we have been given and if Americans do not believe that this will affect them then they are sorely mistaken.

America loses more and more rights every day. And if we don’t do something about it, then we will only have ourselves to blame.

Do I look Illegal To You?

Arizona Is NO Longer A Part Of Free America