Fingerprinting sounds like a great idea but....Felicidades a todos! Hope everyone is starting 2012 con fuerza! Es un año nuevo pero mismo chanclaso.
The first chanclaso of 2012 goes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) officials for deporting a 14-year-old girl to Colombia after failing to match her fingerprints. Jakadrien Turner was arrested in Houston for theft and gave authorities a fake name. The fake name belonged to an undocumented immigrant from Colombia and that's when ICE officials got involved. Even after taking the girl's fingerprints, ICE officials botched the procedure, failed to match her identity, and deported her to Colombia. Turner isn't Colombian, doesn't have any connections to Colombia, and doesn't speak a lick of Spanish. She's African-American. Turner was given a government work card in Colombia where she was forced to work long hours as a maid. Also, what is up with Colombia accepting individuals without verifying their identity?
Next, I was shocked to read that certain states required electronic fingerprints of food stamps applicants. Fortunately, most states have done away with that requirement, however, the city of New York and Arizona still require fingerprints. Mayor Bloomberg of NYC argues that fingerprints deter fraud without providing any evidence. I'm certain the only thing that fingerprinting applicants cause is more paper work, more delays, and another hurdle that poor families have to jump through to put food on the table. I'm giving Mayor Bloomberg a chanclaso for requiring unnecessary obstacles when all you want is to feed your family.
Aplauso:
Un gran aplauso to Washington Governor Christine Gregoire who came out in full support of marriage equality and wants to make Washington the 7 state to offer full marriage rights to same-sex couples. Slowly but surely, state by state, this great country of ours will offer marriage equality to all of its citizens, simply, because it's the right thing to do. Governor Gregoire, who is also Catholic, gave a resounding speech in support of marriage and will be a strong advocate to make this happen in the legislative session. Fuerza Gregoire!
About El Chanclaso:
For many Latinos, a chancla is more than summer footwear. The flip flops on our mothers' feet were also impromptu and easily accessed weapons. Back talk, ignoring orders or fighting with your siblings could, without warning, result in a chancla on the rear end or, if distance was a factor, flying at you.
Now we're all grown up. But some people still deserve chanclasos. And we're going to let them have it here in our weekly column, El Chanclaso. Every Friday, Sergio, our resident chancludo, will turn a critical eye on political shenanigans, and current issues and events with his chancla firmly in hand. Depending on the severity of the misbehavior, being on the wrong end of the chancla could get you one or two chanclasos. Sergio will also give aplausos to those who make us proud.You've been warned. Now, behave!
Read more Chanclasos here.
Sergio Lopez hails from the great city of San Antonio and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He thanks his mother for judiciously using her chancla to set him straight.