Nine-11 and the Undocumented Worker

Prior to the terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox had been contemplating ways to help the millions of undocumented people living in the United States. The ideas circled around immigrants who had been in the U.S. for several years, even decades, and yet were still undocumented. Words like amnesty and legalization had been tossed back and forth, tossed that is until nine-11. The attacks allowed Bush to put amnesty on the back burner. The new "War on Terrorism" also gave the American people the necessary fuel to hate and suspect all immigrants.

Unfortunately, the media did not do a good job of reminding the American public of all the undocumented, immigrant workers who were killed in those attacks. Unfortunately, the media did not do a good job of informing us of the undocumented families who were left behind. Instead, we see images such as white, blonde, blue-eyed, pilots' wives announcing trillion-dollar lawsuits.

Ironically, the immigrant backlash following nine-11, coupled with the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Hoffman Plastics, has helped the undocumented worker. The double-whammy awoke many sleeping giants in the labor and religious communities. Now, more than ever, these giants have joined hands with immigration folks to strategize how to put amnesty and legalization back on Bush's desk. These strategy sessions have paid off. Campaign efforts have begun! My only hope is that the media do a better job in covering these upcoming pro-immigrant and pro-worker events.

Marisol Cruz is a recent graduate of CTP, currently working as a union organizer in Chicago. She can be reached at marymoon73@yahoo.com