As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there
And that sign said - no trespassin'
But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin
Now that side was made for you and me--Woody Guthrie, "This land is your land" (1956)
Here at Tonalkalli we like to live peacefully, stay out of trouble, and obey the law. Some laws, however, were made to be broken--among them, those based on the artificial division of land masses and their human populations into separate and unequal bureaucratic entities, those whose purpose is to protect the resources and privileges of a few while reinforcing institutionalized inequality and injustice.
Those who cross borders without legal sanction are made criminals
and stigmatized as "aliens," as if their countries of origin were
in fact located on another planet. In response, immigrant rights activists proclaim,
"we are not criminals." Well, technically, you are. But some laws
were made to be broken.
What is missing, as usual, is the notion of historical context. It's obvious enough to point out that neither Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés or any other so-called "discoverer" landed on this continent carrying a passport with the proper stamps and certifications. But more importantly, neither did any of our ancestors who arrived here in the 18th, 19th or early 20th centuries, since today's restrictive immigration policy did not yet exist. The first laws were enacted to control the inflow of Asian laborers, who had begun arriving en masse to build the railroads and do other messy and dangerous jobs, yet whose conspicuous foreigness had begun to irritate part of the white (self-proclaimed "native") population. At the time, the labor movement sided with the racists on the grounds that the Chinese were being used against other workers because of their willingness to work for lower wages and under worse conditions. Opportunist politicians capitalized on anti-Chinese feelings to bolster their own careers, and the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882. This act was extended in 1902, while the so-called "Gentlemen's Agreement" of 1907, between the U.S. and Japanese governments, ended immigration from Japan. In 1917, the Asiatic Barred Zone Act prevented immigration from South and Southeast Asian countries, with certain exceptions for whites coming from the "barred zone." As these laws made clear, some immigrants were far more "welcome" than others.
Sound familiar?
Another group that found the U.S. to be something less than the land of liberty were the Jews, who suffered terrible persecution in Europe long before the Holocaust, and came here as refugees in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. While many initially entered the country, others were turned away and forced to seek refuge elsewhere, especially in Latin America. The Immigration Act of 1924, also known as the National Origins Act, was aimed primarily at excluding Jewish immigrants, although it also excluded all Asians and blatantly discriminated against other Southern and Eastern European populations.
But even the various ethnic groups that were admitted into the U.S. did not have an easy time of it. Like that of today's immigrants, the cheap labor provided by Poles, Germans, Czechs, Irish and other workers was valued, but their cultures, languages and traditions were not. Traditional holidays and events such as weddings--formerly week-long community celebrations--did not fit into the grueling factory work schedule, which often involved 14-16 hour workdays, six or seven days a week. "English Only" was a policy that many factory owners imposed on their workers as well, not only out of prejudice, but also in an attempt to prevent employees from organizing unions and other such subversive activities.
Yet,
organize they did nevertheless. On May 1, 1886, workers led
a nationwide general strike. The flyer announcing the action read:
"One day of revolt – not rest! A day not ordained by the
bragging spokesmen of institutions holding the world of labor in bondage. A
day on which labor makes its own laws and has the power to execute them! All
without the consent or approval of those who oppress and rule. A day on which
in tremendous force the unity of the army of toilers is arrayed against the
powers that today hold sway over the destinies of the people of all nations.
A day of protest against oppression and tyranny, against ignorance and war of
any kind. A day on which to begin to enjoy 'eight hours for work, eight hours
for rest, eight hours for what we will.'"
In
cities across the country, workers of all races and nationalities marched in
favor of humane working conditions and a decent life for all. And across the
country, reprisals were not long in coming. In Chicago, police openly attacked
demonstrators. A protest meeting in Haymarket Square on May Fourth became the
scene of a bloody confrontation: as police converged on the meeting, a bomb
of unknown origin exploded. In response, the crowd was attacked by police, and
with several deaths and hundreds wounded. When the smoke cleared, eight men
were singled out to take the blame for the violence. Of these scapegoats--August
Spies, Michael Schwab, Samuel Fielden, Albert R. Parsons, Adolf Fischer, George
Engel, Louis Lingg, and Oscar Neebe--six were immigrants. The Chicago Herald
wrote on May 6: "The rabble whom Spies and Fielden stimulated to murder
are not Americans. They are offscourings of Europe who have sought these shores
to abuse the hospitality and defy the authority of the country."
Sound familiar??
On November 11, 1887, without any proof of their involvement in the bombing, Spies, Engel, Parsons and Fisher were hanged. Yet the struggle for workers' rights continued, and now most of us enjoy the eight-hour workday and other protections for which they struggled--although these rights are quickly eroding in this country, and are as yet non-existent in the offshore sweatshops, mines and fields where most production now takes place. This is why May Day--International Workers' Day--continues to be an important holiday throughout the world--except in the United States, where the proud history of working people and their struggles is supressed as much as possible (see our article The Dustbin of History). This year, however, May Day is taking on a new meaning in a renewed battle for workers' rights, this time led by the millions of immigrants laboring in this country without benefit of legal residency. (Some laws....) Activists are calling for a one-day "Great American Boycott": no work, no school, no sales, and no buying. The National Immigrant Solidarity Network writes, "We will settle for nothing less than full amnesty and dignity for the millions of undocumented workers presently in the U.S. We believe that increased enforcement is a step in the wrong direction and will only serve to facilitate more tragedies along the Mexican-U.S. border in terms of deaths and family separation."
TONALKALLI PROUDLY ENDORSES THE MAY FIRST ACTIONS
AND THE MOVEMENT FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS.
In 1886, marchers in Chicago carried signs that said, "DOWN WITH
THE THRONE, THE ALTAR AND MONEYBAGS."
Today we add: "Down with borders and racism! Everything for everyone, and equal rights for all!"
AFTERWORD: SIN FRONTERAS NI BANDERAS! OK, we loved Monday's march, and we understand the rationale for the proliferation of U.S. flags, even though it's a symbol we've never had much faith in, since as long as we can remember, it's gone hand in hand with the senseless spilling of blood in the name of coercive resource extraction and other kinds of domination and exploitation (oops, we mean "freedom"). But when the marchers started chanting "USA! USA!" a chill went up Tonalkalli's spine. For that's the exact chant we've always heard from the goons who hassle the anti-war movement, attempting to silence the just call for peace. That's the chant that assaulted us in the streets in the days after 9/11/01, when anyone not obviously "American" became a potential target of verbal and physical violence. Come on--can't we show what good (potential) citizens we are without sinking to the level of the defensors of murder and torture, Abu Ghraib and "collatoral damage"? We love the energy that is coming to the fore in this resurgent immigrant rights movement, the youth participation, everything. But if it were up to us we'd not be chanting "USA! USA!" but rather singing along with Woody Guthrie (in Spanish, if you like) about the sign that didn't say nothin', and the true freedom that belongs to everyone. No borders, no flags, just one world and one big human race, liberty and justice for all. (ER 5/4/06)