Santana blasts Georgia immigration bill before Braves game

AJC ^ | May 15, 2011

[La Lydia]

Legendary rock guitarist Carlos Santana, in town to be honored for a “Beacon of Change” award at Sunday’s MLB Civil Rights Game at Turner Field, called the state's new immigration law "anti-American. "Santana took his turn at the podium on the field in a pre-game ceremony before the Braves-Phillies game to criticize the immigration bill just signed into law by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal Friday.

“I represent the human race,” the Mexican-born Carlos Santana said. “The people of Arizona, the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

The Georgia immigration law, HB 87, cracks down on illegal immigration by increasing enforcement powers and requiring many employers to check the immigration status of new hires.

Supporters of the new state law have long contended it's needed because the federal government has failed to adequately enforce the nation's immigration laws. One estimate ranks Georgia seventh nationally among states with an estimated 425,000 illegal immigrants.

Shortly after the game started, Santana met with the media in an impromptu gathering in the Turner Field press box after word of his comments began to break on the Internet and through social media.

He said the law is based on racism and economic anxiety....

[wardaddy]

I am Carlos Santana:

[Razz Barry]

“This is about fear, that people are going to steal my job,” Santana said of the law. “No we ain’t. You don’t clean toilets and clean sheets, stop shucking and jiving.”

Shucking and jiving? That sounds racist to me. He's showing how much we needed this law. We don't need people who will side with their ethnicity or race over what is best for America. We already have to many politicians doing that job.

[Razz Barry]

I wonder if he has a fence around his home(s). I wonder if anyone has gone to his wed-site to ask for his address, so they and five of their family members can show up, uninvited, to move in. He'll, I'm sure, be willing to pay for their health care and education. All they have to do is clean his toilets and sheets.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

He speaks with the knowledge that if one has to pay full wages for semi skilled and unskilled workers on his tours that the overhead goes way up and money in his pocket goes down. He doesn’t care about the side effects on society of carrying illegals on our backs.

[La Lydia]

Really. What an idiot. He said “shucking and jiving” to an audience in Georgia.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks La Lydia.

"I represent the human race," the Mexican-born Carlos Santana said.

No, Carlos, you don't. You represent your class, which is that of a bunch of underworked rich entertainment industry a-holes. If you don't want to play and sing, stay home and shut up.

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

He represents the human race? Very cocky.