On Immigration, Wilson’s Talking Sal Juarez’s Language

Sal Juarez came with his family from Mexico to California when he was 3 years old. He grew up in the Imperial Valley, worked as a meat cutter and then, as a middle-aged father of six, moved to Santa Ana 22 years ago where he and his wife bought a house for $24,000. They still live on the same quiet street off the beaten path. Now six years into his retirement, Juarez, 66, spends some of his time driving around the Santa Ana he loves, painting over graffiti, notifying authorities of dead animals he sees and letting residents know that their properties could use some cleanup.

Denoting his faith, his Mexican heritage and his political conservatism, Juarez’s living room sports pictures of all six children, numerous religious icons and a framed photo of Richard Nixon. Draped over the sofa is a jacket with the inscription “Keep America Beautiful.”

In sum, Sal Juarez is just the kind of Silent Majority homeowner/citizen that Gov. Pete Wilson is counting on as he embraces the heated subject of illegal immigration.

It’s a subject to which Juarez warms easily, frequently lamenting the media coverage that the well-established Latino groups receive. In Juarez’s mind, those groups are mere rhetoricians who encourage illegal immigration, actions he says are just short of national disloyalty.

“It upsets me very much, because some of these people are right there on the brink of treason, because they’re creating eventual riots, fighting for citizens of another country. Where do they stand? Are they Americans or are they not Americans? Who do they pledge allegiance to, the American flag or the flag of Mexico?”

When I suggest that those groups are fighting for basic human rights or guarding against majority-group reactions against all Latinos, Juarez doesn’t buy it. “I don’t think they are sincere,” he says.

Juarez says he’s been paying taxes since 1945 and that he and his wife now receive about $1,000 a month in federal benefits. “It burns me up to hear that an illegal alien is getting the same or more.”

I interject that illegal residents aren’t entitled to federal benefits, but Juarez says he knows personally of situations where people have defrauded the system.

He is well-versed on the immigration subject, at least as far as numbers are concerned. He quotes off the top of his head such figures as the ones Wilson has used, for example, about the number of Los Angeles County births to “illegal aliens,” as Juarez calls them.

As for the Latino activist groups like MALDEF and LULAC that have reacted strongly to official statements about the immigration issue, Juarez returns their fire.

“It’s not a race issue, but those activist groups make it that way for their own financial gain,” he says. “To me, they’re nothing but captains without soldiers, because they sit in their offices, and I doubt whether they have any contact with the population in general.”

I remind him that those groups don’t espouse unlimited immigration, but Juarez scoffs. “To my way of thinking, these people are on the brink of treason, because they’re advocating people to break the law, and by preaching and asking for more benefits and rights for illegal aliens, that brings more people across the border.”

I asked Juarez if he thinks Wilson went too far in calling for sweeping immigration reforms, especially in cutting off health and education benefits to people here illegally.

“I don’t think he goes too far,” Juarez says. “I don’t believe there’s a country anywhere--Mexico doesn’t give any benefits whatsoever to any illegal aliens. On the contrary, it throws them out.” Juarez says he experienced job discrimination and, as such, sympathizes with the plight of minority citizens. He says he doesn’t hate the illegal immigrants, but “hates the consequences they’re causing to our population here.”

For example, he chides a local activist for linking gang troubles to teen-age boys’ inability to find jobs. “How can they find a job if they go to a hotel? They can’t find it there. A carwash? No. Anywhere. Restaurants, they’re all filled up with illegal aliens.”

Juarez repeats Wilson’s assertion that the problem has worsened because larger families are getting into the country illegally, instead of a single worker who might come just for a job and then send money home.

Whether Juarez is the Silent Majority or a Voice of One, I don’t know. He doesn’t purport to speak for anyone but himself. “I don’t hide my views, because I’m for law and order,” Juarez says. “If people don’t have rules in their homes, their church, their country, then nothing’s to be left. Chaos will take over, and that’s not right.”

Reflecting on Juarez’s feelings, I had only one certain thought:

As Pete Wilson attempts to convince people he’s not race-baiting on the immigration issue, homeowners like Sal Juarez on quiet little Santa Ana streets could suddenly find themselves mighty popular around the governor’s office.

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by writing to him at The Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626, or calling (714) 966-7821.