CYPRESS : Panel Agrees View of Immigrants Skewed

Three Chicano leaders told about 200 people at Cypress College on Thursday that immigrants have become the scapegoats of present day society and that combatting xenophobia should be addressed communitywide.

The leaders agreed that immigrants are getting blamed for too many problems, ranging from the lackluster economy to taking advantage of health and social programs.

Immigrants have recently come under attack by a variety of groups and politicians who contend that California should put a stop to continued immigration because the immigrants are putting too much of a burden on state and federal agencies.

This was the first time the college sponsored such a forum. No one took an opposing view during the two-hour discussion.

Citing statistics from university studies and government offices, Occidental College Sociology Professor Marta Lopez-Garza said immigrants in Los Angeles alone pay ample federal, state and local taxes--$4.2 billion in 1992.

“Immigrants come here to work, not to go on welfare, and (they) use substantially less services than people born in the U.S.,” she said.

Susan Alva, an attorney for the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, emphasized that undocumented workers are not eligible for most public benefits, including social security and unemployment even though they pay for the programs through taxes and payroll deductions.

“Taxes are being paid regardless of immigrant status,” she said. “The anti-immigration wave that we’re experiencing, especially in California, is (attributed) to the change in demographics that’s got people freaked out.”

Alva, Lopez-Garza and Cal State Northridge Chicano Studies Professor Rudy Acuna urged the audience to be aware of “racist fears” and to learn the facts about immigration.

Nick Cadena, an Anaheim resident who attended the forum, said the speakers answered many questions he had about immigrant bashing.

The bashing “stirs up desire to get involved and do something against it,” he said. “People should not be so complacent. We need to combat prejudice and we can do it through education and knowledge.”