Racial Profiling and the Arizona Immigration Law
The Classical Argument Final Draft
Breauna Nooks
September17, 2012
Racial Profiling and the Arizona Immigration Law The Arizona Immigration Law is a form of racial profiling, and it is wrong for the following three reasons 1) it is racists, 2) it is unconstitutional, and 3) it is regressive in today’s modern society. Supporters have taken the position that the Arizona Immigration Law should be welcomed in our society since similar legislation has been accepted in Utah, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and South Carolina. However, articles, cases, and research have proven that the position of the supporters to be wrong. (Fox News). The first reason why the Arizona Immigration Law is wrong is that it is racist. Joseph Healy in his book, Race, Ethnicity and Class, defines ideological racism as, the belief system that asserts a particular group, or social class that justifies their prejudice towards someone. This is used to rationalize the prejudice of one cultural group over another in society (Healy 27). Following, is an example that demonstrate how the Arizona Immigration Law is racist. The Alabama Immigration Law is similar to the Arizona Immigration Law. In an article by Maureen Costello she states that the Alabama Immigration Law states that “schools are required to determine the immigration status of every student at the beginning of each school year” (Costello). This, according to Costello goes against the case of Plyer vs. Doe where schools are not allowed to deny an education to undocumented immigrants. Like the Jim Crow law of separate but equal education of black and whites, the parents of children in the state of Alabama would seem to be facing similar issues of discrimination. Another racist point of the Arizona Immigration Law is the provision in the “Legal Arizona Workers Act” which does not allow employers to knowingly hire illegal immigrants. If an employer does violate the “Legal Arizona Workers Act” an employer can lose their business license.
Breauna Nooks
September17, 2012
Racial Profiling and the Arizona Immigration Law The Arizona Immigration Law is a form of racial profiling, and it is wrong for the following three reasons 1) it is racists, 2) it is unconstitutional, and 3) it is regressive in today’s modern society. Supporters have taken the position that the Arizona Immigration Law should be welcomed in our society since similar legislation has been accepted in Utah, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and South Carolina. However, articles, cases, and research have proven that the position of the supporters to be wrong. (Fox News). The first reason why the Arizona Immigration Law is wrong is that it is racist. Joseph Healy in his book, Race, Ethnicity and Class, defines ideological racism as, the belief system that asserts a particular group, or social class that justifies their prejudice towards someone. This is used to rationalize the prejudice of one cultural group over another in society (Healy 27). Following, is an example that demonstrate how the Arizona Immigration Law is racist. The Alabama Immigration Law is similar to the Arizona Immigration Law. In an article by Maureen Costello she states that the Alabama Immigration Law states that “schools are required to determine the immigration status of every student at the beginning of each school year” (Costello). This, according to Costello goes against the case of Plyer vs. Doe where schools are not allowed to deny an education to undocumented immigrants. Like the Jim Crow law of separate but equal education of black and whites, the parents of children in the state of Alabama would seem to be facing similar issues of discrimination. Another racist point of the Arizona Immigration Law is the provision in the “Legal Arizona Workers Act” which does not allow employers to knowingly hire illegal immigrants. If an employer does violate the “Legal Arizona Workers Act” an employer can lose their business license.