TMZ.com Adds to Anti-Immigrant Hysteria

If there’s one thing that the Immigrant Rights Movement has been working hard to do, it’s to change the public’s perception of undocumented immigrants as criminals. Because the term criminal already holds deep racial connotations, conflating it with immigration status further racializes the immigration debate. The conservative right has done its job in equating immigration with criminal activity, which unfairly tilts the debate against those who enter this debate from a human rights perspective.

And while the conservative right has a clear anti-immigrant agenda, they are not the only ones supporting the criminalization of immigrants. In fact, some might not even have the explicit intention to criminalize immigrants. Take TMZ.com for example.

Yesterday, TMZ.com posted a piece under the WE’RE JUST SAYIN’ section of their website, which emits a dubious xenophobic and racially charged tone. The post features a photograph of emotionally distraught Nicky Díaz Santillán (California Gubernatorial Candidate Meg Whitman’s former housekeeper) juxtaposed with a photograph of an arrested Jersey Shore star Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki. The placement of the two photographs disturbingly suggests an immediate similarity between the two.

However, it was not enough to suggest that a distraught Latina has something in common with a woman being arrested. The folks at TMZ further outdo themselves by adding the following lines under the photographs:

“Neither was born in the United States.”

“We’re just sayin’.”

Apparently Nicky Díaz Santillán is comparable to Snooki because they were both born in another country. Furthermore, the fact that they utilize a photograph of Nicole Polizzi being booked after an arrest also suggests that Nicky Díaz Santillán has committed an arrest-worthy act. Of course, all of it is in the name of comedy. After all, they’re just sayin’.

Giving TMZ.com the benefit of the doubt, I’ll presume they did not intend to criminalize immigrants in the same manner that the conservative right does so blatantly. Yet, these actions provide a perfect example of how intention has little to do with the ultimate impact. Regardless of TMZ.com’s intentions, they have created a false comparison between two people and in so doing, contributed to the criminalization of immigrants.

Xenophobic policies such as Arizona’s SB1070, as well as racist vigilantes such as members of The Minuteman Project are already unfairly targeting immigrants. Public displays such as the one done by TMZ.com irresponsibly add more fire to today’s anti-immigrant climate. And while TMZ.com is not known for objective or ethical reporting, this time they've added irresponsible to the list.

I'm just sayin'.

Photo Credit: Mr Q2