Hayes’ activism

Re “Activist gaining little ground among blacks,” Dec. 31

The article on activist Ted Hayes glossed over one important piece of information that may help explain why he hasn’t galvanized the African American community around his anti-immigrant crusade. The Times writes that Hayes’ Choose Black America organization was “launched and financially supported by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.” The Southern Poverty Law Center officially recognizes FAIR as a “hate group” with “ties to white supremacy.” FAIR is attempting to use Hayes to manipulate perception of the “anti-immigrant” movement -- portraying its members as patriots of all races, not as the nativists they are. The Community Call to Action and Accountability executive committee understands this, and thankfully, so do most people in this city.

Carlos Cordova

Los Angeles

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It’s time someone acknowledged that Hayes’ outspokenness and radical ideas have served Los Angeles well for many years. You don’t have to like his politics to respect his work. I’ve watched Hayes fight to create Dome Village as a self-governing transitional community for homeless people. He persisted when officials dismissed or mocked him. He contravened common wisdom to treat homeless people as capable citizens rather than dependent clients. He persuaded corporations to fund a village that was organizationally and architecturally radical.

I wish his concern about immigration would turn from supporting the Minutemen to asking why African Americans are competing with anyone for bottom-rung jobs in the 21st century. I wish he would use his powers of persuasion to create more Dome Villages and fewer anti-immigrant clubs. But Hayes accomplished what he did because he’s unconventional, confrontational and unyielding. He deserves respect for that.

Kay M. Gilbert

Santa Monica

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Your article on Hayes was disturbing to me as the daughter of immigrants. War, free-trade agreements and racist lending practices -- not immigrants -- are the reasons African Americans face high unemployment and homelessness. These same reasons force immigrants to risk their lives to come to this country. Workers of all colors are losing their jobs because U.S. corporations open sweatshops overseas and steal pensions here. These same businesses make billions from the cheap labor of undocumented workers.

In my experience, the African American community opposes immigrant-bashers like Hayes because it knows well what it is like to face racism and economic hardship. We don’t need scapegoating of other working people, but a movement to defend all the targets of exploitation and discrimination and to make a world with open borders and union-wage jobs in which everyone’s needs are met.

Yuisa Gimeno

Los Angeles