Interesting...
Quote:
|
"Our potential competition appears almost unlimited as thousands upon thousands of green carders pour across the border during peak harvest seasons. These are people who, though lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, have not now, and probably never had, any bona fide intention of making the United States of America their permanent home. They come here to earn American dollars to spend in Mexico where the cost of living is lower. They are natural economic rivals of those who become American citizens or who otherwise decide to stake out their future in this country. - Navy Veteran, Yuma Arizonan, Cesar Chavez
|
Chavez and his UFW lobbied for stricter border control and marched against the hiring of illegal immigrants in 1969. Chavez and his UFW actually reported illegal immigrant workers to the INS.
Chavez UFW in 1973 set a "wet line" along the border to block crossings of illegal immigrants. The UFW, believing the Border Patrol unresponsive to reported border crossings, set outposts to stop illegal immigrants. Beatings and weapons were reported.
Only in late 1973 under pressure from the Chicano movement did Chavez begin to relent, as the UFW was losing support.
Still...
Quote:
|
"most of the [Chicano] left attacking us has no experience in labor matters. They don't know what a strike is." "They don't know," he continued, "because they're not workers. They don't know because they've never felt the insecurity of being on strike. And they don't know because really they haven't talked to the workers." - Chavez
|
... and as late as 1979 the UFW organized "wet patrols" along the border, again complaining the Border Patrol wasn't doing it's job.