Younger Latinos react to Prop. 200

The passage of Proposition 200 has set off a wave of activism among Arizona's young Latinos, a level not seen since the Chicano movement of the 1960s. Back then, young Latinos engaged for the first time in boycotts, marches and fasts in support of social justice. The Chicano movement shaped the personalities and politics of a generation of Arizona's Hispanic leaders. The new groundswell of activism involves their children, who feel threatened by Proposition 200 and fear what it could mean for them, their parents and the future of Latinos in Arizona. Last month, Grisel Cordova sat outside the control room of the Spanish language radio station, waiting to speak with the talk show's host, Alfredo Gutierrez, a champion of immigrants in Phoenix. Less than an hour earlier, the 21-year-old mail order service clerk had been stuck in traffic on her way home from work. Listening to the radio, she suddenly heard Gutierrez discussing Proposition 200, which requires proof of citizenship to receive public benefits and vote. One U-turn and a 40-minute wait later, she finally got a chance to talk to Gutierrez in person. At the stark studio, Cordova told him she felt like her American dream was in danger. She asked him what she could do. Gutierrez told her to be patient. He'd call her when the group of Hispanic leaders organized and there was a plan. The old and young activists call it the "Proposition 200 movement." [more]