Young Conservaties of Texas "Immigrant Hunt"

[Kevin Spidel]

Due to a lot of responses that this account is false, here is evidence of this group's event last month. They plan to do the same event this month and some are encouraging other schools in Texas to participate. Whether they are planning to do another event or not, people should speak out in opposition of practices like this.

See the links below:


Dallas Morning News Article: http://www.yct.org/newsillegal.htm

Pictures: http://www.yct.org/illegal.htm




-----Original Message-----
From: Manatos, Tom
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 4:01 PM
To: Manatos, Tom
Subject: Young Conservaties of Texas "Immigrant Hunt"


The Young Conservatives of TX are organizing an "Immigrant Hunt" on the West
Mall at the University of Texas and giving out taco bell gift certificates
as prizes....see more information below:

Note that Rep. Tom DeLay is on the group's advisory board. Take a look at
the list of the advisory board:
http://www.yct.org/board.htm




Well, the YCT (Young Conservatives of Texas) are at it
again. This time they've organized a so-called
"Immigrant Hunt" for this Wednesday, March 2nd on the
West Mall on campus-- they have reserved the space
from 11:00am-1:00pm. They recently organized a
similar event at the University of North Texas
(http://www.yct.org/illegal.htm) and appear to be
emboldened by the post-9-11 anti-immigrant climate.
They plan to wear color-coded anti-immigrant shirts
and "hunt for immigrants" who will be YCT-ers dressed
in brown for Latina/os, yellow for Asians, etc. and
offer rewards.

A counter-demonstration is planned by a multi-ethnic
coalition of student organizations in response at the
same time. Folks are asking for a huge turnout, and
that people wear black shirts and white bandanas if
possible, and bring signs and chants-- some folks will
be linking hands in silent protest, others will be
vocal and hold signs and pass out flyers outlining a
progressive position on immigration. Please pass this
information along to all your listserves. Thanks.

[mitchtv]

1. I hate to say this

but if one got his head blown off by an American of color, or gets mobbed by several, I would laugh.

[CottonBear]

2. They hold "Affirmative Action Bakesales" too

:mad: WTF?

[CottonBear]

3. They also organize "Professor Watch Lists"

:mad: :wtf: They are brownshirts in training.

[NoPasaran]

4. For what it's worth, YCT in Austin denies this is happening

But it has created quite a stir. See http://www.burntorangereport.com/archives/003405.html

[Kevin Spidel]

10. UPDATE...

The Daily Texan - Top Stories
Issue: 3/3/05

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Protest ends YCT West Mall event
By Ashley Eldridge


A cake lay smashed on the marble tile in front of the Undergraduate Library, its fluffy white guts a sign of the tumult that occurred in the early afternoon Wednesday.

Last week, a posting on the UT Young Conservatives of Texas Web site and a discussion at a YCT meeting led some members of the UT community to believe that a "Capture an Illegal Immigrant Day" would be held, said Marcus Ceniceros, the president of the University Democrats.

On Jan. 26, the YCT Denton Chapter held a similar event in which members dressed up in orange T-shirts to represent illegal immigrants and ran around campus. Students who "captured" a YCT member and returned him to the YCT booth were rewarded with a candy bar. This event was staged to protest President George W. Bush's immigration policies, but many viewed it as bigoted.

Despite the rumors, when protestors turned out Wednesday, all that could be found was a YCT Texas Independence Day celebration.

"The only reason they didn't do it is because we found out; they lost shock value," said Missy Chavez Quintela, a government sophomore. "And we're a university that's supposed to be progressive."

"YCT does not support bigotry and hatred - we never have, and we never will," said Lauren Conner, chairperson of UT YCT. While she acknowledged the UNT chapter's inflammatory stunt, Conner maintained that the Texas branch of YCT was hosting a booth only to celebrate Texas Independence Day.

"We had discussed the idea because another chapter had done it. After we realized the numerous consequences and how the event could be misconstrued, we as an organization decided not to go through with it," said Michelle Putman, YCT treasurer. "I would like to apologize to those who were given incorrect information about our intentions today."

The information, incorrect or not, encited anger in more than 200 protestors of all races.

"YCT, come get me!" the crowd shouted. They surged toward the booth set up at the southeast corner of UGL. "Racist, sexist, anti-gay! YCT bigots, go away!" chanted the group. "YCT - KKK!"

Members of YCT, who declined to identify themselves, responded to the crowd with offers to cut them slices of cake.

From street slang, "Your mom's an immigrant," to historical, "Give us your tired, your poor..." and multilingual, "Hass ist aklerimus nicht," meaning "Hate is not activism," the protestors made their point known.

Members of Teatro Liberacion, a guerilla theater group, presented an impromptu "Immigrant Auction," in which Lady Liberty was sold into slavery to Superman for $25,000, the message came across loud and clear.

The Latino Leadership Council sent out mass e-mails after discovering, through an LLC member who attends YCT meetings, that the UT chapter had been celebrating the Denton event and were planning a similar one. Groups banded together at a meeting on Monday to decide which action to take. They decided to take a silent, vigil-like approach and to wear black T-shirts to demonstrate their unity.

"We realize that the event did not happen, but the fact that it was even considered was reason enough to come together," Ceniceros said.

Julio Vela, a business junior, was outraged to discover that props such as a "Wetbacks, go home" poster used by members of Teatro Liberacion in their satirical skits had been redistributed with malicious intent to kiosks across the South Mall. "It's wrong, it's immoral, on so many levels," he said after shredding the poster into tiny pieces.

Back in front of the Tower, a tired-looking Felipe Aramburu, a Latin-American studies senior, was peacefully ensconced in an aqua tent decorated with flags from all over the globe.

"Today was about asking questions and hoping to get answers. We're not going to allow these things to happen without our voices being heard - and as strongly as we feel about it, we're going to say it a lot louder and with a lot more people," Aramburu said.

[pnorman]

5. Long ago, in a distant country,

a similar band of patriots carried on similar activities. Their hearts were moved by patriotic anthems which included soul-strirring phrases like: "When Jewish Blood Spurts from German Knives ...". Not much has changed.

pnorman

[johncoby2]

6. Wussies! Instead of a peace march, shove your boot....

up one of those conservatives ass.

They would think twice about doing it again.

Or sitting down.

[Chipper Chat]

7. I would like to remind these "young conservatives"

that they should hunt themselves.
Native Americans must be appalled at these descendants of European foreigners who stole their lands.
And Mr. DeLay needs to be the first to be deported. I'll be delighted to come down to Texas and help him pack.

[NoPasaran]

8. Here's a followup story

Protesters confront UT conservative group

Mock roundup of illegal immigrants doesn't materialize

On Tuesday, a flurry of e-mails emanating from the University of Texas warned that a conservative student group planned a mock roundup of "illegal immigrants" the following day in a demonstration against illegal immigration.

The mock roundup, similar to one in January at the University of North Texas in which students were encouraged to capture people posing as illegal immigrants, never materialized.

On Wednesday, the conservative student group, the UT chapter of Young Conservatives of Texas, held a modest observance of Texas Independence Day, saying that was its plan all along and that the reports of an illegal immigrant roundup were the product of misinformation spread, among other ways, in cyberspace.

Behind two tables, about a handful of students offered cake, cookies and candy. They were soon met by an impassioned crowd of about 250 to 300 students protesting what they claimed were the group's original plans for an "illegal immigrant hunt" like the one at North Texas that stirred outrage among students and civil rights groups. The protesters maintained the conservative group scuttled the plans after word of the immigrant hunt leaked out, a charge the conservative students denied.

-more-
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/stories/03/3tension.html
(sorry, painfully intrusive registration required)

[hector459]

9. You asked if the Bush policy was working? Well...what do you think?

It is working at least in Texas.