Another Internet immigration rumor

In the wake of the protests in Arizona over its SB 1070, and in Los Angeles and many other cities over immigration reform, those of us who write about immigration are getting a new round of e-mails in our in-boxes.

The latest purport to show a recent incident at Montebello High School, just east of Los Angeles, in which a group of Latino students raised a Mexican flag over an upside-down Stars and Stripes on the school flagpole. One e-mail declares: "I predict this stunt will be the nail in the coffin of any guest-worker/amnesty plan on the table  in Washington."

The problem with this declaration is that the incident took place not last week, but in 2006. It's detailed here and also in a Wikipedia entry.

I got another e-mail last week with a clearly doctored photograph showing a protester in Phoenix with a sign that says: "We will shoot more police officers in Arizona until we get free" healthcare and jobs.

Last year, I wrote a column that dissects the exaggerations and untruths in an e-mail that purports to list statistics reported in The Times on the impact of illegal immigration.

-- Hector Tobar

Comments

[Cleo Watts]

Tobar is nothing more than a illegal alien lover.

[Tim]

Hector,

It Doesn't matter WHEN it Happened, IT HAPPENED, and as early as 2006.

[h l slusher]

i can"t beleave that someone with the means hasent put a salt water distiler in the bad lands (as in soler furnis) and produced a large farm and other buisness for hard working people of mex to stay at home.

[Orien Rigney]

I suppose English homework is finished for the semester since the Mexican flag was raised over the American flag at Montibello High School, just east of Las Angeles,Ca.

You will not see or read about these heart-stopping photos on the front page of the NY Times, nor as a lead story of a major news network.
The protestors at Montebello High School took the American flag off the school's flag pole and hung it upside down below the Mexican flag.
I hope this stunt will be the final nail in the coffin of any guest-worker/amnesty plan on the table in Washington .. The image of our flag being hung below The Mexican flag and turned upside down on American soil is already spreading on Internet forums and via e-mail.

Pass this along to everyone in your address books and to every representative in the state and federal governments. If you choose to remain silent and uninvolved, than don't be amazed to eventually find that you have no nationality, nor the thing you worked a lifetime for. This wealth will be 'redistributed' to the activists while you stand around peacefully out of the 'fray' and watch it depart. Check history, nations and empires dissolve when its citizens no longer held viceral core beliefs and values. One person can make a difference if it is; One person plus one person, plus one, plus another, plus another and another...

The battle for secure borders and immigration laws should mean something to each of us, including legal imigrants from whereever. Unfortunately; that fight has yet to begin.

If this angers you...pass it on! If not, it should!

[Bruce]

Good for Arizona, they can start to get their crime problem under control. Anyone ever wonder why we don't have problems with Canadians that want to come and work here in the US? That is three thousand miles of border!

[jsa26]

OMG Mr. Tobar, are you serious?

Do you really mean to say I can't believe as gospel everything I receive by email?

My world is shattered.