Houston United protests Arizona-style bills in Texas and Clear Channel Radio
Houston United (HoustonUnido.org) protested in front of Houston’s Clear Channel offices. They were protesting Arizona-style bills proposed by State Representative Riddle, and the racist, slanted rhetoric found on 740 AM.
Michael Berry, a Clear Channel commentator, ridiculed the Latino community by saying that the protest would make his office look like a Home Depot. In his normal style he imitated a Spanish-language accent, in what many observers are calling a modern-day black face or “brown face” style.
Houston Unido protested many bills which have been presented by State Representative Debbie Riddle. Among the package of bills include legislation which would effectively require public school administrators to act in certain capacities as federal immigration agents, and legislation which effectively legalizes racial profiling. One bill would impose what some are calling a “Conservative Tax on Small Business,” because it would require employers to go to extraordinary costs to verify the residency status of job candidates or face felony charges. Many say this same bill will encourage racial discrimination, as many employers may not wish to consider Latino prospective employees at all, since unintentionally hiring an undocumented worker could foreseeably lead to felony charges.
