On January 6, 2009, ABC Television premiered a reality show called HOMELAND SECURITY USA – a racist program that demeans the Latino, Middle Eastern and other communities of color and vilifies the immigrant community by glorifying a government agency that terrorizes and denigrates it. Since 2002, when the Bush Administration created the Department of Homeland Security, all living beings living in this country have been subjected to live in a climate of terror and fear. Many, however, have been the victims of hate crimes while others have been imprisoned wrongfully and without legal representation simply because they looked too ‘ethnic’. These government-sanctioned crimes have worsened over the years and there is no end in sight. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, created and charged with the specific task of handling immigration enforcement, has been the biggest perpetrator of human and civil rights violations against the immigrant community. With growing pressure put on Border Patrol agents to meet new quotas, the number of workplace and neighborhood raids will increase and the number of innocent, hard-working people held in any one of the over 250 detention centers across the country will have to sit around and wait for weeks or months to hear from or be reunited with their loved ones. The Southern California Immigrant Coalition – an organization comprised of activist groups, community leaders, student organizations and individuals who support human rights – condemns these inhumane crimes by the Department of Homeland Security and accuses The Walt Disney Studio and its ABC Television Group of contributing to this climate of fear and racism by broadcasting a show that masquerades itself as a show about ‘American Heroes’ when it in fact portrays the Latino, Muslim and other communities of color as criminals, drug traffickers and terrorists. Looking back at the history of ABC Television, specifically during its first major broadcast produced by and starring Walt Disney himself over 55 years ago, ABC has had very few programs that have included actors, directors, writers or producers from the Latino or Muslim communities that did not have characters that were depicted in a stereotypical and demeaning manner or dealt with themes that did not create a sense of panic and fear. Instead, ABC and Disney have promoted themselves as companies committed to making ‘family-oriented’ programming but have exhibited an “anything goes” attitude towards the Latino community. Their indifference and lack of support and representation has helped shape the opinions of those who oppose legalization for all immigrants. We cannot and will not allow this to continue any further. Disney/ABC Television has offended the immigrant and the Middle Eastern communities with this program. If it stays on the air the network will continue to perpetuate and condone racism. Those who sign this petition, along with the Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC), demand that ABC/Disney take HOMELAND SECURITY USA off the air immediately!

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