Fatt 2002 The West View Immigrants - Don t Blame When airived the Europeans in the New first World, the WW. mistaken.” _ The Tribune suggests that islative only attempts laws, like English deputizing local policeas INS agents, etc. We cannot allow immigrant bashing to rear its ugly head. A distressing and growing trend among political leaders, 2 the media and the general public is to capitalize on prevailing fears and insecurities about the erowing number of immigrants in Utah. — | Blaming immigrants won't solve economic woes. A 1993 report by California’s State exploited by too many. politi- cians or im the past year so, of longer standing. ly varied ranks of the new and future Americans is unjust to the ereat majority and is simply | My name is Clifton it at all! There is no ceiling, dust we will no longer have to canry our Uckerman. I am_ twenty-years old and live on the West Side in the Poplar Grove. area. I love. falls out on us, the floor in the halls backpacks and put them on our where I live. I can’t imagine liv- able to be used, there are ugly walls and computer stations in each ‘classroom. Then we can look up information and write reports. instead of lockers, there is no electricity in portables, the playground is dusty and ugly, etc., etc., etc. We will have a better play- Tt affects us in a million ways. eround! Then we will he able torun We can’t hear the bells at recess. It’s hard to concentrate with the bangine. We have to eat in our classrooms. The dust gets in our eyes. We can trun on the track because of the storage containers. It sucks bie on the track and play more. Soon we will be able to eat in the cafete- time! : _ Even though we are in the middie of an ugly school right now, we are still getting an education. We ria again! Then we will be able to sit with friends and we won't have to worry as much about spilling food. We are happy and excited about our new school. It will be bigger and better when it’s done. Even though it is not finished, it’s still a good school. Were mad it wasn't still have our regular classes, like ready at the beginning of the school reading and math. We have nice, er eat teachers. - year, but were glad it’s almost finWe still do a lot of things. We go. ished. We can't wait! to PE.. Music and Library. We haven’t had any assemblies yet, but as soon as the auditorium is fin_ ished we will. by Mrs. Johns’ 6th grade class, Edison E lementary brothers and sisters. — is portrayal of cultural | Latinos, by definition, are Americans. Is the hyphen in “Latino-American” a symbol of a bridge or a minus sign? The irony of our history is that the true natives of this land are now considered the aonigt allie by J. Michael Cléra: Grove oD : Poplan | Giving Back to the West Side Welcome to our Unfinished School © chairs. We will also have computers children diversity as a threat to our society. These students and their’ parents are viewed as inferior and responsible for their own school failure and poverty. Critical scrutiny is taken off the public education system, legitimizing the educational status quo, which deflects pressure for positive change. Almost 50 years ago, Spencer This dismissal of the immense- _ are without tiles, the cafeteria is not of these media economy and an imposition on need. We won't have to wait for Ir. High for our lockers. This means value lash residents Soon we will have everything we _ The cluded: “The unfortunate back-— immigrants, den ounced “It is ironic that [members] Furthermore, children are not. who profess to believe the failing in school just because Book of Mormon would hiss they lack English fluency. and spur a people to whom There is also a lack of dignity such spectacular promises are and respect shown by public made by the Lord,” Kimball education policy makers. said. His message is relevant Failure of the public educatoday. Sadly, not much has” tion system to educate all stuchanged in Utah since then. — dents carries an enormous ecoAs a member. of the LDS nomic and social cost. If students don’t graduate from church, I remind members not to participate in immigrant school with skills to contribute bashing. Joseph Smith said the they may be productively, second coming would be preexcluded from the economy. ceded by the Lamanites The Tribune should expose (Latinos) “blossoming as a institutional abuses rather than rose.’ Church members have a make our children scapegoats for the failure of the schools. 2 part in the “blossoming” of our reduced in the public’s mind by tends to belittle newcomers to the country as a drag on the Our school is a disaster! Ye came back to school and it is still being remodeled. We don’t like ers. The few Latino’s who already express an ethnic selfhatred for their own people (Raza) don’t require help from the Tribune. | ‘Senate Office of Research con- . against Kimball “unchristian discrimination” and “intolerant expressions” that were being aimed at immuierants. He said the fastesterowing segment of the Chur ch membership was not black or white, but brown ~the “Lamanites of the Americas.” existing communities _ of Latinos compete with newcomThe Europeans, on the other hand, asked, “Are . they human?” Perhaps that. same question is still asked about people of color today by those. who sit on the Salt Lake Tribune’s editorial board. I believe that attitude is what leads to national and local leg- Page Le to expand on. Instead of run away from or ignore these things, like some do, I will continue to stay on the West Side and work to make things better. I know that there are ing in any other neighborhood. When I meet people from other’ people here of many neighborhoods or other cities, I ages, nationalities, and that will also do the can’t help but tell them I’m from support the ae the West Side. It means something to me; it’s part of who I whole. In my abiclibocheod. My. understanding of other | more positive aspects people “given a lot of different religions same to as a there are that out- cultures and openness to diver- weigh the negative. There are a sity has only come to me lot of people (and I am one), who don’t have a lot of money. - because I live where I live. They don't have the nicest housBeing able to understand that a es, or drive the fastest cars, but community can consist of so many different people of differyet, still seem to make it. through the strugele. To me, for ent beliefs and still function, is truly a= gift. When I drive someone to struggle and still live day after day with a smile around, ride my bike, or take on their face, making ends meet, - walks, I feel like this is the place for me. is the most inspirational thing ceed. I to sive youth That’s impact can be in my life, me who have opportunities to suc- believe that the best way back is to invest mn the of our nei ishborhoo ds. where I feel the most for change for the future made. The most impor- tant thing that I can give to them is hope and inspiration - hope for their futures and inspiration for their success, because that’s what other people have done for me. ze | by Clifton Uckerman | Editors Note- | | - Uckerman is an employee with Youth Corrections and is active | in several youth programs. He is on the "YouthWorks” steering committee, sponsored by Neighborhood Housing Servic es, which provides job-building | skills for at-risk youth. He is | there is. Of course, just like any other The most positive aspect in - also a counselor for “Camp neighborhood, there are going to Anytown”, which is a youth leadbe some negative aspects, like my neighborhood is the youth, andI love working with them I ership program that fosters cul crime, violence, drugs, or any tural and diversity awareness.— am fortunate to have some great other things that the media love | } | } |