Arizona Legislature’s 10 Worst Bills of the 2010s

Among progressive circles near and far, Arizona is widely considered a laughing stock for many of the regressive bills drafted– and sometimes passed– by its Republican-controlled legislature. But to those negatively affected by many of these measures, they are no laughing matter. Last week, both houses of the state legislature approved SB 1062, the so-called “Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” which aims to “restore” the right of Arizona business owners to refuse service to anyone whose beliefs, appearance, lifestyle choices, association or even genetics (think LGBT) don’t jibe with their particular religious beliefs, however odious, discriminatory or mythical those may be.

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More of the Same

"This past January, House Republicans announced what they call a “step by step process to common sense Immigration Reform,” the sum of which regurgitates the same old enforcement and punitive-based framework that we’ve seen for nearly a year. It calls for more border militarization, more criminalization of immigrants, biometric tracking systems, and harsher penalties for those they deem in violation. The Republicans in the House have put forward a scheme completely in line with previous prescriptions, such as the Safe Act, proposed by the House Judiciary Committee in June, and the Senate Bill that was passed in April 2013."

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Óyeme Voz: U.S. Latin@ & Immigrant Communities Re-Sound Citizenship and Belonging

Arizona SB 1070 Protest, May 2010 by xomiele

Óyeme Voz: U.S. Latin@ & Immigrant Communities Re-Sound Citizenship and Belonging

"Citizenship is (mis)understood as a privilege that guarantees protection by the nation-state. The current nation-state’s dominant discourse of national security creates draconian federal, state, and local legislation that belie immigrants’ differences. Rising anti-immigrant rhetoric attempts to homogenize both Latinas/os and immigrants as criminals. In other words, such discourse is used to justify the nation-state as the reference point for recognizing a legitimate community. The Department of Homeland Security’s agenda deems who may be tolerable and who is deportable, even if you are a U.S. citizen. Distinguishing, for example, between exceptional students who “deserve to be here” and those who do not, creates a hierarchy of immigrants. Consequently, public discourse over the worthiness of recognition and belonging creates limitations that categorize immigrants in restrictive ways. Similarly, attacks on bilingual education and ethnic studies attempt to displace Latinos as foreign and “alien” within US territories."

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