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Show TuesAai.Mvth1.1tS4 I -- The Daily Utah Chronicle Cultural blindness perpetuates brown scare, prejudice against immigrants Editor: This letter responds to an editorial written by Judson Bagley on Feb. 16 entitled, "Health care 'crisis' can be blamed on one faction of U.S." This whimsical hate commentary recounts the extreme culture shock suffered by Bagley and four other "partially blind" Utahns upon encountering the browner population of Southern California. Careful scrutiny reveals that Bagley 's cultural blindness persists to this day. Bagley states, "Southern California is not the kind of place that any of us would want to live in" (emphasis added). His reasons are many, but race seems to be the deciding factor. He natural equates California's rising Mexican population with while And etc. mud slides, disasters such as earthquakes, fires, states later he California, are first stating that "people" leaving that illegal immigrants are deluging the state (certainly not leaving). So then, if Mexicans are not leaving, then are they also not people? Mr. Bagley. you should be more careful in the words you choose to describe or not to describe our raza. Based on his painstaking research of USA Today, Bagley characterizes California's Mexican population as freeloading off emergency medical care (He refrains from accusing any In doing so, he European or Asian immigrants of this offense). overlooks the real causes of immigration and emigration everywhere: people are seeking a better life. We seriously doubt that when the Mormons emigrated to Utah that it was for the glorious health care system subsidized by the state's Native American population. Examining Bagley 's special criticism of Mexican immigrants (who, according to demographers, constipopu tute only one third of Southern California's foreign-born lation) reveals the editorial's subtle racism. are "not Bagley states that California's illegal immigrants from jobs are away taking "arguably paying any taxes," called Americans" (Bagley forgets that there is no country "America"), and are "entitled to free emergency medical federal law. Half truths like these and the title, Health care crisis can be blamed on one faction of the U.S." misrepresent the nature of our health care crisis, and only gives "us" someone to blame for our problems. In fact, illegal immigrants do pay taxes: sales taxes, income rent is taxes, and property taxes (anyone who pays a landlord in the Gonzalez Marcial paying property taxes). In an article by contribute to shown were Winter 1994 Venceremos, immigrants more than $90 billion dollars in taxes annually to the U.S. billion spent on economy, which more than balances the $2.3 about costs, we're while And talking care. health emergency let's examine the phrase "emergency health care." The care that care in the everyBagley begrudges illegal aliens is not health or dental prenatal care, a good day sense of the term. It is not for young children. Emergency eye care plan or vaccinations a patient for the purpose of to medical care is treatment given is life threatening. How that or injury stabilizing an illness there out begrudge a person the many Bagley sympathizers solely right to health care for a heart attack or a stabbing because of their race? And it is race we are talking about since the Irish illeBagley is not offended by the prospect of treating death! gals on the east coast or Russian immigrants facing to the contributed have always Mexican immigrants work to labor jobs California economy by providing cheap er care-und- II " " " . whites will not accept (something to think about the next time that you sit down to enjoy a salad in winter or a bottle of California table wine). Just closing the border will never work, and may actually hurt California. According to a recent CNN more than $4 million dollars report. Mexican consumers spent border area alone that of San Diego's stores retail daily in the crackdown border sparked a boycott an experimental is, until than half last more of U.S. businesses that cut this figure by solve our health care not will More border patrol officers the national aliens for isn't care crisis (emergency health California's ecofurther will it handicap health care crisis), but nomic recovery. health care for immiBagley's statement that emergency number of persons of the to "in due significant is part, grants State Legislature" is Hispanic background in the California bizarre. Politicians are politicians everywhere, and California's the inter"Hispanics" are no exception. Politicians represent California and that in elected them, ests of the people that who and growers) vegetable includes the growers (wineries count on the exploitable labor of undocumented workers. What's the cause of immigration? We are. you and I, the U.S. consumers. a whiter California Sorry Bagley, it looks like your dream of won't come true soon. Zeig Heil, Judson Bagley! Alexandria Greg Marcial. Jason Settle, Karen Salas Wheeler, Davis, Kay McDonough Venceremos Editorial Board Angela Romero President. University of Utah MEChA Chapter a car to school can learn to use the Farnsworth from page five What we need to do is be a little more creative. For example, my friend who hates transfers could drive her car to another near by bus stop, which has direct route to the University. Those who for their jobs or for other reasons must drive bus system, bike, or walk to run errands. We have to realize that mass transportation is a necessary part of the future. Salt Lake keeps growing. Already more than half of the land in Salt Lake City is used for roads and parking. The University is experiencing problems with parking. One creative student wrote a letter to the Chronicle suggesting we pave the golf course and turn it into parking. A happier alternative would be to stretch ourselves to take a little more thought and effort in finding alternative forms of transportation to help others as well as ourselves. Then perhaps Americans will only be recognized by their Jansport backpacks. A 4 Science Projects for The Utah Science Center Hands-O-n The University of Utah Women's Club SCIENCE MATHEMATICS ENGINEERING ART MEDICINE ARCHITECTURE MUSIC COMMUNICATIONS offering a 00 $1,2 to qualified women. J.D. Andrade, Instructor 3 credit hours. Index 3904 for the Utah's new ScienceArts Center is a major centennial project state of Utah. Students with strong DacKgrounas in one or more ot the following areas are needed to plan, design and construct innovative interactive science, technology and art experiences: is Scholarship P.jlHLr EDUCATION HEALTH EARTH SCIENCE PHARMACY credit! a lot of stimulating, hard work-a- nd enrollment. 25 students per quarter maximum for further information. Contact J.D. Andrade at 581-437- No pay is available-ju- st 9 Hera! Aoolications forms available at: JL Improve public education in Utah: Volunteer with a Bennion Center School Partnership Project. For more information call or stop by Room 101 581-4- 1 of the Union. ...... JL Financial AidScholarships SSB 105 Womens Resource Center OUB 275 Disabled Student Services OUB 160 Deadline: March 18, 1994 For further information call: 582-921- 7 or 582-240- 3 |