Photojournalist challenges Western community

A wide array of students, staff and community members trickled into the ITC auditorium on Super Bowl Sunday, keen not on watching football, but on discussing issues of immigration and globalization with author and photojournalist David Bacon. With 20 years of experience as a labor organizer and immigrant rights activist, Bacon has continually promoted equality for the entire working class of America. As a reporter and photographer, Bacon has had a variety of his articles and photographs printed within such magazines as "The Nation," "American Prospect" and "The San Francisco Chronicle," and had his work recognized internationally in such countries as Mexico, Germany and the United Kingdom. Within his presentation, Bacon focused on the human side of globalization, which is also the theme of his new book, "Illegal People: How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants." His speech dealt primarily with illegal immigrants from Mexico, explaining how immigrant workers continue to be exploited by corporations while simultaneously battling the government for the right to make a living. "If we wish to talk about where we want to go," Bacon said, "we have to talk about where we have been." Referring to the continual struggle that immigrants from around the world face in their quest for a better life, Bacon said, "Traditionally, our immigrant policy has not been to deter people from coming. Instead, the United States has told immigrants: come when you are needed and disappear when you are not." Bacon articulated the integral part that U.S. corporations play in immigration, and how they-along with government policies-have continually terrorized immigrant people. "Call someone 'illegal', and you can do to them things that you cannot do to others," Bacon said, explaining the mindset of many American corporations. However, the average U.S. citizen is not aware of the variety of issues surrounding immigration. Instead of analyzing the larger social implications, a sense of antagonism builds between many American and immigrant workers. Bacon explained the need for the working class to come together, emphasizing the idea that, "When you demonize immigrants, it threatens us all." Bacon showed photos of immigrant mothers who were forced to wear monitoring bracelets that allowed the US government to track them until they are deported. For most Mexican immigrants, these monitoring bracelets act as another measure to show them that they do not belong. In addition to monitoring bracelets, immigrant prisons across the nation have been growing in number as the government has shifted from simply deporting illegal immigrants to placing them in federal prisons. Bacon said globalization only adds to the poverty of poorer nations, pointing out how Wal-Mart has now become the major retailer within Mexico. Multi-national corporations have been able to effectively out-compete many suppliers within Mexico, forcing individuals out of jobs. When faced with the prospect of feeding their families, many Mexican workers come to America in search of the money to pay for basic human needs, such as food, shelter and healthcare; however, this overwhelming burden of competition is only made worse by a severe lack of human rights in many of these countries. "It's not just economic pressures that cause [Mexican] immigrants to come to America," he said, "but an inability to make change within Mexico because they are threatened when they attempt to stand up." With 12 million illegal immigrants in America, these workers make up an important part of the United States' economy. "We need to get rid of laws that make it a crime to organize labor unions," Bacon said. "Everyone has a right to support their families." Bacon also encouraged all workers to unite under a universal banner: "One of the most fundamental questions facing our society today is: do we like the idea of dividing up our community into those with rights and those without rights?" "There are many powerful people out there who do not want us to move forward," he said. "We all have to combine our needs to create a better life for immigrants and non-immigrants alike."