A Forgotten Injustice-A Forgotten Phone Call
Some months ago, I gave Senator William Delgado a copy of the film "A Forgotten Injustice" I directed and produced with a group of friends. He watched the film with his wife (That's what he told me) and inspired him to immediately moved the pieces and introduce a bill in the Illinois' Legislature. "A Forgotten Injustice" it's the first and only documentary about the illegal and unconstitutional deportation of almost 2 million people, the vast majority of them U.S citizens of Mexican descent. My Grandmother was one of them.
During the 1930's, Mexicans (Back then Mexican was a label given based on the color of the skin and not on the place of birth or legal status) were identified as the enemy and some government officials came up with a banner: American Jobs for Real Americans. All of the sudden, Mexicans were "responsible" for the economic problems of the nation and the government came up with a solution: Deport as many Mexicans, not foreigners in general, only Mexicans. Sounds familiar right?
Anyway, last week Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the bill introduced by William Delgado in the Senate and sponsored by Lisa Hernandez in the House of Representatives. Pat Quinn signed into law the bill inspired by "A Forgotten Injustice". An initiative we were asked to support by testifying in the Senate and the House.
I have been waiting for a phone call from Senator William Delgado or Representative Lisa Hernandez to let us know that Governor Quinn decided to sign the law. Just like the many they made to us to discuss how we were going to address the committees in Springfield.
I learned about the new law that requires all public schools in Illinois to include the chapter of the Mexican Repatriations of the 1930's in their history classes reading The Chicago Tribune.
I guess both Senator William Delgado and Representative Lisa Hernandez are too busy making sure their new law goes in effect next year but they forgot to share the good news with the people who helped them pass it.
That's why I have called their phone call: A Forgotten Phone Call. I have asked my friends to start calling as many of our elders to let them know that their suffering was finally recognized. Delgado and Hernandez forgot that my Grandmother is one of those elders waiting for a phone call.
1 Comment
Teresa Puente said:
Thanks for calling awareness to this important issue. I saw your documentary and it is powerful. It's frightening to see the parallels to what is happening today with the separation of families of mixed immigration status.
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