Spanish-Language Media Promoted The Protests (All Planned Weeks Ago!)

Red State ^ | 3/29/06

[areafiftyone]

The Associated Press reports many of the 500,000 people who crammed downtown Los Angeles last Saturday to protest the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act learned where, when and even how to demonstrate from the Spanish-language media.

The mass protests against the legislation designed to stem the tide of illegal immigration were not spontaneous. According to the Associated Press the protests were organized, promoted or publicized for weeks by Spanish-language radio hosts and TV anchors as a demonstration of Hispanic pride and power:

Read the rest.

In Milwaukee, where at least 10,000 people rallied last week, one radio station manager called some employers to ask that they not fire protesters for skipping work. In Chicago, a demonstration that drew 100,000 people received coverage on local television more than a week in advance.

"This was a much bigger story for the Latino media," said Felix Gutierrez, a professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication. "If the mainstream media had been paying better attention, there would not have been the surprise about the turnout."

Adrian Velasco first learned of House legislation to overhaul immigration policy on Los Angeles' Que Buena 105.5 FM. Over two weeks, the 30-year-old illegal immigrant soaked up details about the planned march against the bill from Hispanic TV and radio. On Saturday, he and three friends headed downtown.

I have always found it annoying that I am forced to pay for Spanish language channels from my cable provider. Why should I pay for something I won't use and don't desire. Now that it has become a political tool I find it objectionable and offensive.

From California Yankee.

[The Electrician]

This is a touchy subject, because it invites comparisons to talk radio, however the similarities end pretty quickly. Talk radio (in English) is effectively operating "in plain sight", while ethnic language radio and TV programming and newspapers and blogs are not. There are sources, such as MEMRI, that translate, catalog and publish the contents of America's Arabic-speaking enemy broadcasters and newspapers. That way, it is possible to compare public statements by public officials and opinion leaders made for Western consumption with those made in the comfort of their native language that reveal their true beliefs and plans and incitements. Does something similar exist for other ethnic languages?

[absalom01]

03/28 : Student protest Whittier area students from Pioneer, California and Whittier high schools walked out of classes to protest the proposed federal immigration bill March 27, 2006. The protestors put up the Mexican flag over the American flag flying upsidedown at Montebello High. (Leo Jarzomb/Staff photo)

Spanish-language cable people don't want to pay for is the least of our troubles.