"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