Documents in: Bahasa Indonesia Deutsch Español Français Italiano Japanese Polski Português Russian Chinese Tagalog
International Communist League
Home Spartacist, theoretical and documentary repository of the ICL, incorporating Women & Revolution Workers Vanguard, biweekly organ of the Spartacist League/U.S. Periodicals and directory of the sections of the ICL ICL Declaration of Principles in multiple languages Other literature of the ICL ICL events

Subscribe to Workers Vanguard

View archives

Printable version of this article

Workers Vanguard No. 870

12 May 2006

"Guest Workers" and Apartheid

(Letter)

7 April 2006

Dear Workers Vanguard,

The bipartisan “war on terror” that has targeted Muslims in particular and all immigrants in general finds its logic in the latest attempt to criminalize a significant swath of the U.S. workforce for the “crime” of being undocumented immigrants.

The U.S. House of Representatives proposes building a 700-mile apartheid wall along the U.S./Mexico border after stealing half of Mexico’s territory one hundred and fifty years ago. Twelve million undocumented immigrants including children will be turned into felons. The so-called alternative bills proposed in the Senate with Democratic Party support combine draconian enforcement measures with massive “guest worker” programs.

These racist “guest worker” programs are reminiscent of South African apartheid. Blacks were only welcome as temporary “guest workers” to toil in the homes, mines and plantations of their white bosses. Under notorious pass laws, blacks were forced to carry documents at all times that gave their work authorization and employer’s monthly signature, to be produced on demand by police. Termination of employment, violation of any of the numerous apartheid laws, or a finding that one’s presence was “detrimental to the maintenance of peace and order” were grounds for immediate detention and deportation to desperately impoverished, rural reserves.

The massive protests across the U.S. by immigrants and their allies must be backed by the social power of labor demanding: No deportations! Down with racist anti-immigrant repression! Organize the unorganized! Down with apartheid-like “guest worker” programs! Full citizenship rights for all immigrants! It will take a socialist revolution on a world order to put an end to neocolonial exploitation that gives rise to the desperation forcing masses to leave their home countries.

Comradely,
Adwoa
Bay Area Labor Black League for Social Defense

 

Workers Vanguard No. 870

WV 870

12 May 2006

·

Imperialist Hypocrisy over Darfur

U.S./UN Hands Off Sudan!

·

Class Struggle and the Fight for Black Liberation

·

Build the Campaign to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal!

Mumia Honored in France

·

Moussaoui Case: 9/11 Show Trial

·

On Abortion Article

(Letter)

·

"Guest Workers" and Apartheid

(Letter)

·

Imperialism and War

(Quote of the Week)

·

ISO, RCP to Bush: Disarm Iran, "Lead the Way to Peace"

Imperialists' Bootlickers

·

Scrap the Sex Offenders Register!

Britain: Anti-Sex Witchhunt in Schools

·

After Anti-Militarist Protest

D.A. Drops Charges, UofC Threatens Ban Against SYCer

(Young Spartacus pages)

·

Black Journalist Herb Boyd:

Rally for Mumia's Freedom!

·

Remember May 1985 MOVE Massacre

·

Correction