"You Don't Speak for Me!"

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This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on front groups and corporate spin.

"You Don't Speak for Me!" is a Hispanic-American coalition organized by Dan Stein, president of the "anti-illegal immigration" [1] Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)[1]; Stein's name does not appear on the group's website.[2]

FAIR president Dan Stein wrote in his May 1, 2006, The Dan Stein Report:

"You Don't Speak for Me!" formed "when Col. Al Rodríguez [2] became fed up watching media coverage of the mass protests of April. 'Their leaders were saying it was a march for immigrant rights and a Latino/Hispanic movement,' says Rodriguez. 'I thought to myself, Hey, those are illegal aliens, not immigrants! Col. Rodriguez began speaking out to others saying, 'I'm of Hispanic ancestry and those people are acting like they speak for me. Well, you don't speak for me!'"

Spokesman Peter K. Nunez, former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and a former U.S. Attorney for San Diego, told The Post Chronicle on April 30, 2006:

"In fact, millions of Hispanic-Americans -- including many who have gone through the immigration process the right way -- are offended by the demands being made by people who have broken our nation's laws. We are even more offended that the views of Hispanic citizens are not being accurately portrayed, ...
"The 'You Don't Speak for Me' coalition supports the strengthening and enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, including manpower and barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, denial of non-emergency benefits and services to people who are in the country illegally, and vigorous enforcement against businesses that hire illegal aliens.
"Hispanic-Americans are often the people who are harmed the most by our government's failure to enforce our immigration laws, ... More often than not, it's our jobs, our social services, and the education of our children that are most adversely affected by illegal immigration. A massive illegal alien amnesty, with millions more relatives being allowed to enter the country, followed by what will likely be an even greater wave of illegal immigration will de devastating to the country and particularly to Hispanic citizens."

"Un Dia Sin Inmigrantes" — "A Day Without Immigrants"

On May 1, 2006, illegal immigrants and their allies took to streets across America ... to take part in 'Un Dia Sin Inmigrantes' — 'A Day Without Immigrants' — in an effort to show their economic importance to the country," Fox News reported.

"A group of Hispanic Americans calling themselves, 'You Don't Speak for Me,' participated in a Washington news conference," which was broadcast live on C-SPAN2, "in support of strong border security.
"Led by Ret. Army Col. Al Rodriguez, the coalition formed to dispel the impression that all Hispanic Americans support those who are trying to disrupt the nation on May 1.
"'As the demands of illegal aliens and their supporters become ever more shrilled and outrageous, the silent majority of Americans are remaining silent no longer. We are proud and delighted that will give a voice to the millions of hard-working, law-abiding Hispanic Americans whose views are too often misrepresented,' said Dan Stein, which organized the coalition.
"'These people have been telling us for a long time they hate to be treated like criminals. What they're doing today, throughout the whole country, is behaving just like that,' Claudia Spencer, a member of You Don't Speak for Me, told FOX News. 'We feel really really offended ... they are hurting everything in the United States, including us, the legal Latinos.'"

During the press conference, "several legal Latino immigrants called proposals to provide illegal immigrants a path to citizenship unfair and warned against a 'reconquista' of the United States by illegal Mexican immigrants," Carolyn Lochhead reported in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Members

  • According to an April 28, 2006, news release for the May 1, 2006, coalition news conference, "Members of 'You Don't Speak for Me' include a cross section of the Hispanic American community: lawyers, doctors, teachers, scientists, former government and military officials, who are immigrants and children of immigrants, such as: Pete Nunez (former Assistant Secretary of Treasury, & U.S. attorney for San Diego), Col. Al Rodriguez, Ret., a highly decorated war veteran, Claudia Spencer, Ogla Robles [3], Rosa Candaleria, Mariann Davies, Esq. and more."; Virginia Republican State Representatives [4] Jack Reid, Dave Albo, and Jeff Frederick, and "a Hispanic born American. Sen. George Allen is also invited."
  • According to the coalition's web site, the following are also members:
  • Carmen Morales, Republican Candidate for the California State Assembly [5]
  • Miguel Cruz

Contact Information

Contact Persons:

Website: http://dontspeakforme.org/

Articles and Resources

Related SourceWatch Articles

References

  1. ↑ Carol McKinley, Kim McIntyre, AP (2006-05-01). 'A Day Without Immigrants'. FOXNews.com. Retrieved on 2010-01-15. “"A group of Hispanic Americans calling themselves, "You Don't Speak for Me," participated in a Washington news conference Monday in support of strong border security. Led by Ret. Army Col. Al Rodriguez, the coalition formed to dispel the impression that all Hispanic Americans support those who are trying to disrupt the nation on May 1. "As the demands of illegal aliens and their supporters become ever more shrilled and outrageous, the silent majority of Americans are remaining silent no longer. We are proud and delighted that will give a voice to the millions of hard-working, law-abiding Hispanic Americans whose views are too often misrepresented," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which organized the coalition.”
  2. ↑ Googling Stein site:dontspeakforme.org brought up no results, 2010-01-15.

External resources

External articles

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