California voters are sharply divided and hold very strong opinions about Arizona’s new anti-illegal immigration law. According to the latest Field Poll 49% of this state’s registered voters approve of the Arizona law while 45% disapprove. Most of the voters who approve or disapprove do so strongly.
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• White non-Hispanic voters here are supporting the Arizona law 58% to 37%, as do African-Americans (53% to 39%). This contrasts sharply with the views of Latino voters who oppose the new law 71% to 24%. Asian-American voters are more divided – 50% in favor and 43% opposed.
• Voters who were born in the U.S. favor the law 54% to 41%, while voters born outside the U.S. oppose it by a greater than two to one margin (67% to 28%).(1)
Unfortunately the results of the poll reveal the divisions within the U.S. working class and why it is impossible to sustain any kind of progressive, let alone social democratic movement. We are deeply divided by skin color, place of birth, sexual 'orientation' and the like.
The Filed poll represents what many people know but don't want to say. That the majority of both Blacks and Asians support SB 1070, and the same would probably be true within the native born GLBT community. Support is not just from the fringe Tea Party movement or even the recalcitrant and fading Reagan Democrat. SB 1070 has now become a 'Mexican issue'.
The U.S. working class has let itself be divided into camps of 'Others'. While the very wealthy may be pleased with this, it bodes ill for the future of basic progressive institutions like public education which require working class solidarity.
1Field Poll on Arizona's Immmigration Law SB 1070
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