Family Values at Face Value (Page 2 of 2)

In Tennessee, the immigrant population jumped 40.3 percent between 2000 and 2005. Hernandez says anti-immigrant backlash has grown along with the rate of immigration to the region.

“The presence of anti-immigrant groups is being felt a lot stronger, and we’ve had some incidents here in East Tennessee in the last year and a half,” Hernandez said, noting the vandalization of a Mexican store in Maryville by white supremacist youth, the presence of a hate group called the Tennessee and Volunteer Minutemen in Morristown, and a former Klansman convicted of planning to plant pipe bombs on buses transporting migrant farm workers near Chattanooga.

“I just got an email today about incidents happening now in Dayton, Tennessee—residents are harassing and threatening Latino immigrants on the streets, stopping them and threatening them,” Hernandez said. “This kind of dangerous environment also fuels a lot of anti-immigrant legislation.”

Nineteen anti-immigrant bills were introduced in Tennessee in the 2005-06 legislative session. “This is a pattern around the country, and it has definitely hit the state government,” Hernandez said. “This year we had proposals denying basic health services to immigrants, deputizing highway patrol officers as immigration agents, and denying services in other languages.”

In fact, the TIRRC was created in 2001 out of a successful advocacy effort to pass legislation allowing immigrants with no Social Security numbers to obtain drivers’ licenses. Attempts to repeal this access in 2002 and 2003 failed, and ultimately Governor Bredesen preempted efforts to end driving rights by implementing a driver certificate program that replaced drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants. Even this effort has been suspended amid reports that the certificates are being used fraudulently in other states.

 “After 9/11, the scene obviously changed. Terrorism has been used as an argument for militarizing the border and cracking down on immigration,” Hernandez said. “The impact of 9/11 on Muslim and South Asian immigrants and refugees has been specific to those communities but has had the wider impact of creating mistrust and fear within the broader immigrant community.”

This climate led to the 19 anti-immigrant bills proposed by Tennessee state legislators, but it also created momentum for supporters of immigrant rights resulting in the defeat of 18 of those proposals. Hernandez credits that achievement to a strong coalition between local activists from immigrant communities and non-immigrant allies.

“The massive immigrant mobilizations nationwide and statewide had a lot to do with it, but we also have a strong network of allies we can call on to perform traditional advocacy activities, like calling legislators and writing letters,” Hernandez said.

TIRRC has held regular meetings since its formation in 2001, but participation in the organization has exploded in 2006, leading to several local events in support of immigrant rights. A rally against the House’s anti-immigrant proposal H.R. 4437 was held in February, drawing a crowd of almost 50 from both the immigrant and non-immigrant communities. An immigrant rights march held a month later gathered 350 supporters, and a drive to deliver letters to local members of Congress at their downtown Knoxville offices drew a crowd of approximately 1,500 on April 10. These events were followed by a large gathering on May 1 at World’s Fair Park to celebrate the contributions of immigrant workers.

“Participation has been inspired by the momentum that has gathered nationally, but none of it would have been possible without Lisa Barba, TIRRC’s new organizer for East Tennessee,” Hernandez said. “With her contributions, we have started getting more involved in local organizing and have also been able to participate in the massive mobilizations taking place around the country.”

Congressional debate of the very different proposals from the House and Senate is currently stalled as the House holds mobile immigration hearings across the U.S., but TIRRC has used the legislative lull to plan another Knoxville gathering on Labor Day, Sept. 4, at Victor Ashe park.

The event is planned as a celebration of immigrant cultures and families and will include a soccer tournament, cultural performances and activities, food and music, and children’s events.