More than two months have passed since Gov. Donald Carcieri of Rhode Island passed an executive order that cracks down on illegal immigration [2] in the state.

Since then, religious groups have protested the controversial order [3], which has been the topic of discussion on Rhode Island's radio airwaves.

On June 6, 2008, Gov. Carcieri announced an immigration advisory panel to "monitor the implementation [4]" of the executive order.

Tony Mendez, general manager of Rhode Island's Spanish-language Poder ("Power") 1110 WPMZ Radio [5], talked to EthnicNewz.org about the impact of the executive order on Latinos, as well as the Spanish-language media market in the state.

Racial profiling and equality of treatment are big concerns in the community, he said.

Following is the edited interview, which took place by phone on June 13, 2008.

What do you hope Gov. Carcieri's immigration advisory panel will do?

I think the biggest issue for the immigrant community is racial profiling. That obviously affects everyone in the immigrant community, whether you're here legally or not. You don't want to be stopped by the police for no reason other than your race.

Also, when you go to state or municipal agencies, you want to be able to be treated with dignity and respect. Sometimes immigrants don't feel they're equally treated. That's the biggest issue.

We know, because of experience, that racial profiling definitely happens here in Rhode Island.

What have you heard about incidents of racial profiling?

On many, many occasions when we have covered this issue on our station, we get plenty of calls from the audience in which they have experienced racial profiling. They have been stopped because of their race, and they're not treated equally.

This has been reported also in the Providence Journal [6], too.

Some people, such as those in law enforcement, would say that racial profiling won't happen, that police and other law enforcement will be highly trained so they don't engage in racial profiling. What is your reaction?

That's not what we hear from the community. Also, police departments in Rhode Island unfortunately do not reflect the community that they serve. The number of Hispanic officers is very low. The number of people of color, for that matter, is very low, in both Providence and Rhode Island police.

FEAR IN THE COMMUNITY

How has Gov. Carcieri's executive order affected Latinos in Rhode Island over the past two months?

Especially in this particular case, with such a visible piece of legislation, the executive order has caused a lot of people to be in fear about what is going to happen to them.

Many in the immigrant community, those that are here legally, they have been concerned about racial profiling.

What have you been hearing from your listeners?

We have been in contact with the community, with our (radio) audience. And on many occasions, we have covered this issue.

Especially in the beginning, there was a lot of fear. People didn't want to go out of their homes. I'm sure, like anything else, with time, there will be a level of trust again. Then, people will start to go out again in the community.

But there is fear of being stopped by the police department, the state police - or ANY police department, for that matter - (in situations like) driving or walking out in public.

 

UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS

What have you been hearing in the Latino community about E-Verify, the federal program that checks for legal-immigration status, which Gov. Carcieri's executive order requires state government and certain private-sector employers to use?

Fortunately it (the E-Verify mandate) has not been approved. I believe it was held for future study.

E-Verify should be a voluntary system. That's the way it was established by the federal government. I don't think it's the job of any state to mandate. It should be a voluntary system.

Some people might argue that E-Verify or a similar type of program is needed to screen for people who are illegally in the country. What's your response to that?

I'm in agreement. We need comprehensive immigration reform by the government of the USA in Washington, DC. We need a reform of our existing laws.

We need to find a way, for those who are here and undocumented, to find a path to gain their legal status in the United States.

We should not leave these people totally in fear.

While people are seeking a pathway to legal status, do you think systems like E-Verify would be better off not being implemented in Rhode Island?

Yes.

How do you feel about employers who want to use their E-Verify on their own, not because they have to by law?

It's their right to use it, to use it on a voluntary basis. But we need to be careful to not get involved in racial profiling. If we cross that line, then we're not being fair to a part of our community.

 

LATINO MEDIA IN RHODE ISLAND

What areas of Rhode Island have large populations of Latinos?

The metropolitan Providence area, Central Falls and Pawtucket, but also Woonsocket and other areas throughout the state.

What media do Latinos in Rhode Island turn to? And what forms - broadcast vs. print vs. electronic, for example - are popular?

Most definitely, if you start with what's offered from the native countries through the local cable companies, (those cable choices are popular).

Radio plays a very significant role simply because it's on daily, it's local, and it's very interactive.

We also have the two major television networks, Univision [7] and Telemundo [8].

Also, through the cable and satellite companies, we have access to DirecTV and DISH networks, access to more than 20 channels.

There are two radio stations in addition to Poder 1110.

What about for print media and the Internet? Are those popular among Latinos in Rhode Island?

Yes! We have very good weekly publications. Providence en Espanol [9] especially has a very good distribution. It's been around for many years. I believe there are two additional publications as well.

How would you describe Latinos in Rhode Island, in general?

Most definitely they are hard workers who pay taxes and support their families.

They go to church. If you look at any mass - particularly the Catholic Church - the mass in Spanish is well, well attended.

Mos of the churches in Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket do offer mass in Spanish, but also other cities like West Warwick and Woonsocket do, too.

source: EthnicNewz.org

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