March 24, 2007
"La Cucha Gotcha"
The Jersey Guys, afternoon drive hosts on WKXW in Trenton, New Jersey, have begun an online listener participation game that encourages people to turn in illegal immigrants or report anyone suspicious. The game is set to wrap up on May 5th, Cinco de Mayo.
Of course, Hispanic activists are angry.
At a news conference Thursday, Hispanic elected officials and others condemned the campaign as “dehumanizing,” “poisonous” and “idiotic,” threatening boycotts of the show’s advertisers unless the Jersey Guys apologize.
“Scapegoating and stereotyping Latinos does nothing but give bigoted individuals a platform to make ethnic slurs and racist comments,” said Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo of Newark, calling the campaign a “publicity stunt” that could incite violence against Hispanics.
More:
But anyone expecting an apology was sorely disappointed when Mr. Carton and Mr. Rossi held an on-air news conference a few hours after Mr. Caraballo’s comments. Seeking to profit from the recently ignited firestorm, the Jersey Guys gathered a corps of journalists, most of them Hispanic, in their Trenton studios and gleefully refused to back down. They insisted that the campaign was not anti-Hispanic and that the phrase “La Cucha Gotcha” was inoffensive, likening the song “La Cucaracha” to a lullaby or a patriotic standard like “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
After calling Assemblyman Caraballo a “pathetic liar,” Mr. Carton repeated his call to deport every illegal immigrant in the country. “If you’re here illegally, you are breaking the law — no better, no worse than the guy who robs the liquor store or the guy who waits to case your house out and robs you of your belongings,” he said. “You are a criminal.”
He went on to blame illegal immigrants for the state’s high property taxes, problems with uninsured drivers and violent crime. He also hinted that illegal immigrants were more likely to become terrorists. “Our country is at war right now, and it’s very important that we protect our kids, and one of the ways you can protect them is to not let undocumented immigrants into this country,” he said.
Exactly. Illegals are not just from south of the border, they can be from anywhere...although Hispanic illegals seem to make up the bulk of the group. And apparently, many New Jerseyans agree with the Jersey Guys, as they have gotten a slew of supporting phone calls.
By making opposition to illegals a "racist" issue, apologists for illegals are trying to take attention away from the facts...that these people are here illegally and therefore breaking federal law...by getting people all riled up about perceived racism. Perhaps the argument is beginning to lose its luster.
To be honest, though, I'm surprised the radio station is allowing the game to go forward. It'll be intersting to see if they cave to special interests or stand firm.
Show Comments »
If by the phrase "violence against Hispanics" they mean throwing illegal aliens in police cars, then in jail, and then deporting them, I guess that I am Pro-Violence Against Hispanics.
But, you notice that in your article, Carton and Rossi never uttered the word "Hispanic." They said illegal immigrants. Which is sugar-coating what they actually are anyway.
That would go for anyone that is in this country illegally. Irish? You betcha, and they aren't even Hispanic.
Posted by: Two Dogs at March 25, 2007 08:56 AMWhy is a stand AGAINST ILLEGAL immigration considered bigotted and anit-Hispanic by the liberal media?
If you don't understand how obsured this is then read this:
Certain people are angry that
the US might protect its own
borders, might make it harder
to sneak into this country and,
once here, to stay indefinitely.
Let me see if I correctly understand
the thinking behind these protests.
Let's say I break into your house.
Let's say that when you discover
me in your house, you insist that I leave.
But I say, "I've made all
the beds and washed the
dishes and did the laundry
and swept the floors. I've
done all the things you don't
like to do. I'm h ard-working
and honest
(except for when I broke into your house).
According to the protesters:
You are Required to let me stay in your house You are Required to add me to your family's insurance plan You are Required to Educate my kids You are Required to Provide other benefits to me & to my family
(my husband will do all of your yard work because he is also hard-working and honest, except for that breaking in part).
If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my RIGHT to be there.
It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm a hard-working and honest, person, except for well, you know, I did break into your house
And what a deal it is for me!!!
I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my k eep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of cold, uncaring, selfish, prejudiced, and bigoted behavior.
Oh yeah, I DEMAND that you learn
MY LANGUAGE!!! so you can
communicate with me.
Why can't people see how ridiculous
this is?! Only in America
I think the radio show has something really productive going on. Hats of to them.
I think we can get rid of illegals very easily and here's how.
1. offer to give citizenship for every illegal who identifes 15 other illegal aliens.
2. the identified illegals can only be identified one time for the program.
3. the identified illegals will be escorted to their true place of residence.
4. if illegals are identifying eachother, the first who gets to 15 wins.
5. if they purposely try and create a tie they are disqualified and are deported immediately for once again cheating the system.
What do you think of the plan?
Posted by: nona at March 26, 2007 11:15 AMIt has promise, Nona!
Posted by: Pam at March 26, 2007 02:07 PMJust to clarify. It's not a game or a contest. There is no winner. There aren't and "rules".
It's just a movement, with the goal of ridding the state of illegal immigrants. The deadline was just to nothing more than a deadline on when they would have liked to reach their goal, not the day the 'contest' (which it isn't) ends and some one is awarded a prize (which they aren't).
Opinion:
Deporting every one of the one 16 million illegals int he country is not a reachable goal. However, letting the world know that we will be cracking down is.
Other things need to be done as well, like holding employers responsible, as well as corperations that view illegals as a marketable demographic (for instance bank of america handing out credit cards [with sky high intrest rates]).
