Arizona Melting Pot Research Paper

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Arizona’s Melting Pot America is perceived as a country of freedom and opportunity. This perception motivates many individuals of foreign countries to settle in the United States in order to obtain the so called, “American dream.” This journey to obtain the, “American dream” has made the United States an extremely diverse and ever fluctuating nation. For many foreign citizens, this dream consists of the basic rights of an American citizen; allowing them to live without fear of racial discrimination. With the establishment of the demanding Arizona immigration law S.B. 1070, many foreigners in Arizona have seen their, “American dream” deteriorate. This law undermines the fundamental democratic principles America is built on because it…show more content…
SB 1070 grants law enforcement officers the power to determine the immigration status of an individual, who they suspect to be an illegal alien, when there is “reasonable suspicion”. It requires individuals to carry immigration papers and declares that it is a crime if they do have these required documents when needed. SB 1070 grants law enforcement officers the ability to transfer suspected aliens to federal custody. The law also prohibits local police agencies from passing policies that limit or restrict enforcement of federal immigration laws. Legal residents of Arizona are granted the option to sue if they feel a local agency’s policies interfere with the enforcement of federal immigration law. It makes it a criminal offense if an individual picking up a day laborer interferes with the normal flow of traffic. The law does not allow an undocumented immigrant to search for work in any public place. These are merely a select handful of issues within SB 1070. Once this law was announced, there was an enormous public outcry of opposition. Many cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, and Seattle declared they would boycott Arizona and refuse to do business with them. This in turn had a harsh impact on the Arizona economy. As identified by, Randall Allen a professor at Southern Utah University, “the most notable lawsuit was by the United States government…show more content…
Racism and discrimination is not accepted in mainstream society. However, SB 1070 contradicts this belief of equal tolerance. This type of law opens the door for racial profiling. It is empowering law enforcement officers to practice a form of racial profiling. As stated by Kristina M. Campbell, “It was heavily criticized as a law whose enforcement would rely on racial profiling of Latinos and other racial minorities and that would require anyone to produce proof of citizenship to law enforcement officers on demand.”(Campbell 1) SB 1070 is visibly targeting immigrants from Mexico. Law enforcement officials can target individuals based on their physical appearance alone. Someone who has a dark complexion or speaks with an accent can easily become a target. The law fails to specify any behaviors that law enforcement officials can actually use to determine if there is reasonable suspicion. Clearly, this leaves the application of the law open to the officer’s interpretation and own personal judgment. In return, this puts many American citizens at risk. Someone may look like a citizen from Mexico and be a US born citizen with every right to be in the US. Why should that individual be questioned and required to produce immigration documents because he or she does not have blond hair or
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