Immigration foes link flu to Mexican threat claims

The swine flu virus has infected the immigration debate, with talk show comments like "fajita flu" and "illegal aliens are the carriers" drawing vehement protests from Hispanic advocates.

The volatile immigration issue had cooled off on talk shows and in the blogosphere as the presidential election and economic crisis unfolded. Now, some are using the spread of the virus to renew arguments that immigration from Mexico is a threat to America.

There have been no reports of swine flu leading to incidents of discrimination or profiling of Hispanics. But some Hispanics say racist anti-immigration rhetoric fueled the recent rise in hate crimes against Latinos, and they want to prevent another surge.

Since the virus began to spread, talk radio host Michael Savage has said the Mexican border should be closed immediately and that "illegal aliens are the carriers." Another radio personality, Neal Boortz, has suggested calling the virus the "fajita flu," and CNN's Lou Dobbs called it the "Mexican flu," according to the liberal watchdog group Media Matters.

Boston radio host Jay Severin was suspended indefinitely for calling Mexican immigrants "criminaliens" and emergency rooms "condos for Mexicans" during a discussion about swine flu. A member of a New York City commission on women's issues, Betsy Perry, apologized for blogging that Mexico might need to "get a grip on its banditos" and other flu-related remarks.

In an interview, Savage, who says he has a Ph.D in epidemiology and human nutrition from the University of California-Berkeley, said his remarks were based on science.

"The first rule of epidemiology is to find the epicenter of the disease and close it off," he said. "This has nothing to do with race and everything to do with epidemiology. Viruses do not discriminate."

The World Health Organization does not recommend closing borders, saying that would have little effect, if any, on stopping the virus from spreading. President Barack Obama called the idea "closing the barn door after the horses are out."

What some call science, others call racism.

"Using fears over a serious and ongoing public health issue to demonize immigrants is incredibly low and incredibly cynical, not to mention completely unsubstantiated," said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. "Some of these comments are overtly racist and have no place in our public discourse."

Liany Arroyo, director of the National Council of La Raza's Institute for Hispanic Health, said some were trying to exploit the virus "as a mechanism to stir fear."

"This situation is not about immigration, it's about health," she said. "We're all in this together."

But fear is not a rational beast. History is rife with unfounded health scares, some as recent as the 1980s, when Haitians were banned from donating blood in the United States during the early stages of the AIDS epidemic.

So, for anyone who looks Mexican, today's casual cough can turn into humiliation.

In Wilmington, N.C., construction worker Juan Mendoza said he was "working for these rich people ... the other day, and they kept asking me and my co-worker if we were sick. It made me feel bad. Like it's our fault?"

Moises Fernandez, a Raleigh, N.C., resident originally from Tamaulipas, Mexico, said no Americans have openly offended him. "But I know what they're thinking," said the 24-year-old construction worker. "You can tell with how they look at you."

The immigration debate exploded in 2007 when President George W. Bush proposed an overhaul that would have legalized millions of illegal immigrants. Talk radio led the charge against the idea, calling it "amnesty," and the legislation failed to pass. Bush then increased border enforcement and workplace raids, further inflaming tension. continues here

Swine flu could put damper on immigration rallies

The timing is not the best. Immigration-rights rallies are set for Friday as health officials try to clamp down on a swine flu epidemic with roots in the same country as many of the expected demonstrators: Mexico.

Public health officials on Thursday had not advised canceling large-scale events unless they were specifically tied to an institution or location with a laboratory-confirmed case of the illness. They urged people to stay home if they are sick.

Organizers of the May Day rallies, which have drawn thousands and even hundreds of thousands of people in recent years, said they would look to recommendations from public health officials about whether to cancel or modify the events.

"We're monitoring the situation to make sure that anything that is going to be conducive to the health and safety of communities is observed," said Clarissa Martinez, a director for the National Council of La Raza.

Crowds on Friday were expected to be around the same as last year. In Chicago, which has had the nation's largest marches in recent years, about 15,000 participated in 2008. That's a dramatic drop from 2006, when more than 400,000 took to the streets.

Thousands also were expected at events Friday in Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle and other cities. Health officials urged participants to use common sense, including washing their hands and avoiding people who are coughing or sneezing.

"Of course, anyone who doesn't feel well should stay home," said Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health. She added that she doesn't think the march should be canceled.

Some schools have closed because of the swine flu outbreak, and U.S. and Mexican officials have been urging migrant workers to take health precautions and get medical care if they feel sick.

The rallies come as illegal immigrants are being blamed on some conservative blogs and talk shows for spreading swine flu in the U.S. The outbreak is believed to have originated in Mexico, where there are 168 suspected deaths from the disease, before spreading to at least 10 other countries, including the U.S.

The only confirmed U.S. swine-flu death was of a Mexican toddler whose family was visiting relatives in Texas; many reported cases were among U.S. citizens who vacationed in Mexico.

"For people who like to blame Mexicans, they are going to blame us for everything no matter what," said Jorge Mujica, a labor union activist and organizer for Chicago's immigrant rights march. "We are not going to pay attention to that."

For most rally organizers, swine flu was secondary to promoting immigration reform, including pathways to citizenship for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants — hopes buoyed with Barack Obama in the White House and a Democratic-controlled Congress.

More than 1 million people marched in cities across the country in 2006, when some in Congress were pushing for tougher laws against illegal immigrants. Although turnout at the marches has dropped steeply since then, organizers say their mission remains the same.

"It's important for us to continue the fight," said Margarita Klein with Workers United in Chicago, adding that union workers had been preparing for two months for Friday's event.

Union leaders said they have set aside differences to promote a unified immigration overhaul plan they hope will get through Congress this year.

"I think we're in a different position now in April 2009 than in April 2007," said Angela Kelley, vice president for immigration policy at the Center for American Progress. "I think it's become more diverse and mainstream, sort of at the same time." continues here