Sunday marks my official 6 months as a Phoenix resident. This week Arizona's House of Representatives passed an immigration bill that makes it a crime to be in the US illegally. The police here would have the right to ask anyone they "suspect" is illegal for documentation proving that they are in the US legally.
Basically it's racial profiling because really what non-stereotypical clues would you look for in someone you "suspect" of being illegal. It's not like you can see some big bulge in a pocket or catch a certain twitch in the eye that says, "Hey, I'm illegal!" What does the "I'm an illegal" walk of guilt look like?
Some of my friends wonder out loud
Some of my friends back in the San Francisco Bay Area where I used to live asked me what kind of gun-carrying backward state did I move to. For a moment, I started to wonder too because technically under this new bill if passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, I could get pulled over if I look suspicious to a cop for whatever reason and get randomly asked for my papers since I'm Asian and could be an immigrant. I would be very pissed if that happened.
How could you tell by looking at me that I was illegal or that I was born in Connecticut, and have lived in this country my entire life like any other white American? Would my Canadian or European friends ever be "suspected" of being illegals because they too could have ditched out on their Visas or skipped the border. I realize the intent behind this bill is to target those from Mexico, but the bill is written as a general statement to anyone who is illegally here in the US, so technically anyone could be deemed suspect.
Indeed, the news of this bill un-nerves me because it could personally affect me, but mainly it is just wrong on all kinds of levels. I get that there is a very big and serious problem in this state dealing with the border and illegals, but a law like this isn't going to fix the problem, and in my opinion is going to make things worse. I would really hate to be a cop right now because they are being put in a really bad place.
Are we helping or hurting our state?
My two cents, this law will not help the reputation of our state, but instead hinder it. Those for the passing of the bill will argue that it shows we're being tough and not taking it anymore. In reality, it shows that we think the only solution to the immigration issues is through force. Is force really the only solution?
Gandhi fought a war with the British and won without any guns. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired people to look at their humanity and see beyond color. We may not have great leaders like those two here in Arizona, but I'd like to think we can be level-minded, and can collectively figure out something more rational and neutral to solve our problems here without force. I realize that I'm being idealistic in a state where it is legal to carry a gun into a bar, but again America was built on and thrives on dreams.
The news of this bill is creating PR for our state that is painting a really ugly one-sided picture of really a beautiful and friendly place. In my 6 months here, I'm still happily amazed at how friendly everyone I've met here is. In fact, I've made more friends here in 6 months than I have in the last 3 years in California. Here I see plenty of opportunity.
The awesomeness that is Arizona
There is a reason Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the US and one built mainly because of people moving here. It's rare to meet a native born and raised here. Not all is backward and effed up in Arizona or else no one would move here. In fact, [via CNNMoney], here are the top 7 states in the US that people are leaving more than coming in and Arizona is not on that list. California, my former home state, is #1.
In the bigger scheme of things, Arizona is no different than any other state in the US that has problems and has leaders that are making ridiculous decisions. Yeah, this bill is a doozie, but we can equally point the finger to any other state who's done backward things.
Let's remember we have democracy here and if we put those leaders in, we can take them out and put new ones in. We as a people here can take action and say no to this kind of behavior from our leadership. This bill hasn't passed the Senate nor has it been signed by the governor yet, so there is still a chance to put the major squeeze on and get this bill denied. I say we do that. How is the next question.
I made the best decision for me
Me, a cultural creative, left California for a multitude of reasons, and even though there are things and ideologies I don't agree with or support here in Arizona, I am still glad I moved here. At the end of the year, we'll see, but for now I'll focus on why I came here to Phoenix in the first place and what I enjoy:
- I love the beauty of the desert and the magnificence of the mountains.
- There is plenty of wide open space, and the traffic here is minor compared to California. You can turn left almost everywhere, and "expensive" parking downtown is $12. In SF, you'd easily pay $35 for downtown parking.
- The cost of living is 1/3 that of the Bay Area...at least what I was paying. I have almost all the same stores and quality of life I had back there without the stress of having to work to live. I get to have a life here, and can buy a house as a single person. There is no way I could afford to buy a home on my own in the Bay Area without breaking myself working to afford anything decent. I don't have the culture of San Francisco nor the multitude of food options the Bay Area provided, but there are plenty of great places to eat here and it's expanding as more culture creatives and city folks move here.
- It doesn't snow here unless you go to the outer parts of the state, and it's Spring weather on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. This year I wore shorts while I was cutting the Thanksgiving turkey. When it rains here, it's not freezing cold and doesn't last long. Yeah, it gets Africa hot here in the summer, but I'd rather deal with the heat and wear shorts, then have to shovel snow, drive in ice and dress for the freezing cold.
- The social media community is very supportive and growing, and everyone I've met has been very open. This is key for me since I am a professional blogger and publisher of content.
- The New York Times is going to be opening a bureau in Phoenix later this year. This is really exciting from a journalism standpoint. The NYTimes could have easily put a bureau in much bigger media cities on the west like LA, SF, or Seattle, but chose our Phoenix.
- Because I'm into health and wellness, Dr. Andrew Weil is based here and is part of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at The University of Arizona. The Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine is one of the top 5 Naturopathic Schools in the US and Canada. The Mayo Clinic has their west coast facility based here.
- It's spa and resort mecca in Arizona. In fact, one of Oprah's favorite spa resorts in the US is Miraval in Tucson.
- If you're into sports, we have six professional teams including women's NBA, Spring training for several MLB teams, college sports, and golf up the ying yang.
- I'll say it again, people are really friendly here. As my friend @bmok, another California transplant, would say, it's a big town with small town warmth.
Arizona, thank you for being a wonderful place for so many of us. Can we please now find a more neutral solution to our immigration issues besides this bill?
