Kamala Harris: Donald Trump's SOTU fell short of the truth

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U.S. Senator Kamala Harris panned the State of Unioin speech. 'It fell short of the truth," she said.

IMMIGRANTS were a big part of the State of the Union address by Donald Trump. He used immigrants and immigration as a wedge to further divide the nation in his 80-minute speech.

He began the topic of immigration by talking about MS-13, a violent criminal gang with ties to El Salvador that has been linked to grisly killings around the country.

Trump recognized two families from Long Island whose daughters had been killed by members of MS-13 as the camera focused on the grieved parents.

“Many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes in our laws to enter the country as unaccompanied alien minors,” Trump said.

“Tonight I am calling on Congress to finally close the deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13, and other criminals, to break into our country,” Trump said.

He then went on to tout the “four pillars” of his immigration plan: creating a path to citizenship for an estimated 1.8 million Dreamers; $25 billion for border security; attacking family reunification visas for relatives of U.S. citizens; and ending the diversity visa lottery program.

Harris, formerly the Attorney General for California and a former D.A. in San Francisco, argued that Trump acted irresponsibly by citing MS-13 crimes in attempting to justify his demand that broader immigration reforms be attached to helping Dreamers.

“We’re not supposed to convince the American public of policy because we make them afraid. And that’s what this president apparently thinks he needs to do and it’s irresponsible,” Harris said.

Harris further blasted Trump, “MS-13 is an example of some of the worst of criminal gang behavior. To equate that with Dreamers and DACA was completely irresponsible and it was scapegoating and it was fear-mongering and it was wrong,” Harris said, speaking of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, in an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews.

“It was wrong technically in terms of the nature and character populations, and in terms of the difference — in terms of who they are and how they live their lives,” said the Indian/American senator. “And it was wrong because that’s not what leaders are supposed to do."

Dreamers are young adults who brought into the country as young children by their parents and became eligible for protection from deportation under the Obama-instigate DACA program set up in 2012.

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., released the following statement after President Trump delivered his 2018 State of the Union Address:

“With the world watching, I hoped Donald Trump would finally remember some of the promises he made to the American people and display the leadership needed to unify this nation. I hoped he would present a serious infrastructure plan that makes the investments we desperately need to rebuild our crumbling roads, tunnels and bridges. I hoped he would offer a plan to rebuild rural communities that have been left behind like Cairo, Illinois. And I hoped he would finally propose a realistic bipartisan proposal to lift the inhumane threat of deportation countless Dreamers face because of him.

“Instead, the President engaged in more of the reckless rhetoric that divides instead of unites—and that already caused countless diplomatic crises and brought us to the brink of nuclear war with north Korea. He made little mention of smaller communities across America that he promised to help rebuild during his campaign. He failed to propose an infrastructure plan and focused only on public-private partnerships, which would force new tolls and taxes on middle-class families and fall seriously short of what is needed.

“We need our commander-in-chief to change course, try to forge bipartisan agreements on issues like immigration, and present the American people with a more positive and inclusive message that moves us forward as a nation. Tonight, President Trump failed on each of these counts.”

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Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, showed her support of the members of the Black Congressional Caucus by wearing a Kente cloth and wore a monarch butterfly on her lapel. The butterfly was recently adopted by immigration activists for its ability to fly over borders without visas.

At a counter-State of the Union event held a few blocks away from the Capitol, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, joined her colleagues who boycotted the SOTU. She called on members of the audience to hold hands, who stood, lifted their arms and reached for a “vision” of progressive values. There, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal told the crowd that diversity is what makes the State of the Union strong, as members of the audience held hands, stood, lifted their arms and reached for a “vision” of progressive values.

“The state of our union is strong when fearless people stand up against tyrannical policies and don’t confuse xenophobia with patriotism or vitriol with values,” said Jayapal, vice chair of the Progressive Caucus. “You just ground yourselves, and you reach for that vision of the State of the Union that is strong, because of us, because of love, and stories, and listening. My name is Pramila Jayapal. I believe in the power of our union, and I pledge to fight for all of us.”

After the speech, she was interviewed on MSNBC and asked about Trump's comments on immigration. "It was so horrendous," said Jayapal. "I say that as an immigrant myself. I came when I was 16 and now I'm a member of Congress.

"It is so insulting to see him continuously scapegoat immigrants trying to make us the division, when we know all our ancestors came here and helped build this country."

When Trump mentions "chain migration, "He really means family reunification, the cornerstone of immigration in this country for the last 50 years," said Jayapal.

By emphasizing MS-13 first as an intro to the portion of speech about immigration, CNN factcheckers called the claim misleading and false.

"Roughly 50,000 immigrants per year arrive on diversity visas and hundreds of thousands annually come on family-related visas. The Trump administration has linked a fraction of a percentage of those to terrorism.

"But while diversity lottery winners are chosen at random, it is not true that there are no requirements or screening before they actually receive permission to come to the US.

"By law, they are required to have at least a high school education or equivalent and work experience that requires specialized training, and they also must be screened for any form of ineligibility, including security risks, and interviewed before they receive a visa," said CNN.

Rep. Judy Chu introduced her guest to the SOTU, Jung Bin Cho and other Dreamers invited by other members of Congress. Cho's family emigrated to the U.S. from Korea in 2001 with the hope of attaining the American Dream for their children. Thanks to DACA, Jung Bin was able to work and save money that allowed him to graduate from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Information Technology. 

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Gov. Nikki Haley needs to take an ethnic studies class to understand America's racial history

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley gave the Republican rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union.

FRESH OFF her rebuttal to President Obama's final State of the Union on Jan. 12, during which Gov. Nikki Haley criticized some Republican's statements against immigrants, the Indian American South Carolina governor response to a reporter's question what prompted her statement. Haley  clarified that she was thinking about all the Republican presidential candidates. The last straw, she said, was Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.

"When you've got immigrants who are coming here legally, we've never in the history of this country passed any laws or done anything based on race or religion. Let's not start that now," she said.

Whhaa ...?? 

Haley should have known better considering last summer she had to make the decision to take down the Confederate flag in front of the Charleston courthouse after white supremacist Dylan Roof shot and killed nine African/American Bible class students.

There is a lengthy list of American laws based on race or xenophobia. Here are a few examples:

• We can began at the founding of the United States when slave-owners helped write the Declaration of Independence. When they used the phrase, "all men are created equal" they were not referring to their slaves, which they considered "property."
• The 1787 Three-Fifths Compromise was created to make the Constitution - the very foundation of U.S. law - palatable to the slave-owning South. Also written into the Constitution was a provision to make it illegal to assist a slave's escape to freedom, even if it is to a state forbidding slavery.
• The Trail of Tears is the result of the the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forcing Native Americans off their traditional lands. 
• The Jim Crow laws which states used mainly  against African/Americans. Laws that provided segregated schools, separate drinking fountains, separate bathrooms and separate entrances for Euro/Americans and African/Americans. 
• The Chinese Exclusion Act which later morphed into a ban against all Asians and  members of the "Mongolian" race. 
• There were laws in many states, including California, that prevented nonwhites to own land or to buy a home. 
• In the 19th century, there were laws forbidding Native Americans' spiritual practices such as "ghost dancing."
• Anti-miscegenation laws which, if they were still in effect, would have prevented the marriage of the child of Indian/American immigrants to a European/American.
• Executive Order 9066 mandated the internment of the West Coast's Americans of Japanese descent during World War II.
• Operation Wetback allowed federal authorities to deport over one million Mexican/Americans throughout the Southwest. Many American citizens were victimized by the sweeps and forced to leave the U.S.

Because our schools downplay these dark chapters in our history (if they are mentioned at all). The racist laws reinforced a sense of - let's be frank - white exceptionalism that is not wholly deserved. That belief of white American superiority impacts our actions throughout the world and affects the the treatment of foreign visitors, immigrants, refugees or anybody who is "different" from the what is generally perceived as the so-called (white) American image. 

Demographic shifts indicate that European/Americans will no longer be the dominant racial group in the U.S. by mid-century. The popular image of Americans solely being descendants of European immigrants perpetuated and reinforced by our media products (Motion pictures, television and Internet) needs to change, but I digress.

I often wonder why a person of color, including Nikki Haley, chooses to be a member of the current brand of the Republican Party with its hate-spewing rhetoric and xenophobic rants. A lack of historical context might be part of the explanation. That's a topic for another post.

Haley's performance after Obama's SOTU pumped her up in the eyes of the GOP. Her name is in the mix when considering candidates for Vice President. As the child of immigrants, raised as a Sikh, who reportedly experienced racial bias while growing up in South Carolina, Haley needs to brush up on her history to understand whose shoulders she stands on. 

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Asian/Americans will figure prominently in President Obama's final State of the Union address

TONIGHT'S State of the Union (SOTU) will be President Barack Obama's last and with nothing to lose and clearly fed up with the Republican efforts to stymie his proposals, could be one that most people will remember.

If you are familiar with previous State of the Union speeches, the President will often point to the gallery when trying to turn an important issue into a personal story. Seated around the First Lady Michelle Obama will be invited guests who will serve as the President's show-and-tell. This year is not exception. Among the guests will some who by their presence will raise the profile of Asian/Americans and their contributions to America: a formerly homeless veteran from Hawaii, a newly arrived Syrian refugee, a former U.S. soldier who is Muslim and an Indian/American tech engineer. 

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"I'M STILL in disbelief. We're leaving tomorrow, and I'm still in denial," Cynthia Dias, 64, a Vietnam-era Navy hospital corpsman and registered nurse said Jan. 10 to the Las Vegas Sun. 

Cynthia Dias

"I was pinching myself. Am I dreaming? Really? This Hawaiian in Las Vegas is going to see the White House and meet with President Obama and his wife?" she said in astonishment.

Dias served during the Vietnam War on a hospital ship treating wounded soldiers.
"There were so many amputees I was helping when they came in, one after another," she said. "When you have helicopters dropping off wounded on a stretcher, you don't have time to think. You just go and do your job."

Dias said her "most impressionable moments" came later, however, when she was stationed stateside at Naval Air Station Lemoore, 30 miles south of Fresno, California.

"I had to go with the chaplain to tell families that a soldier had been killed in combat," she said. That alone was enough to trigger bouts later on with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Because of PTSD she had trouble holding on to a job. About a year ago, Dias says, she was able to move from a homeless shelter for women and children into a former Las Vegas motel that was renovated through private donations to provide 122 units of housing for veterans.

While staying in Veterans Village, residents like Dias get access to health care, job training and counseling. Now she is a volunteer helping veterans through their issues, help them receive assistance and eventually, stabilize them enough that they can stand on their own.

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Satya Nadella

IMMIGRATION will most likely be a common thread throughout the SOTU citing the accomplishments of recent immigrants and children of immigrants. 

Satya Nadella is one such immigrant. Born in India, he is Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, a position he’s held since February 2014 at the company he joined in 1992.  

In September, the Microsoft announced a new $75 million effort to expand computer science education, including opportunities for engineers from Microsoft and other companies with teachers to team-teach computer science. 

Originally from Hyderabad, India, Satya received a master’s in computer science and a master’s in business administration from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and University of Chicago, respectively.

* * *

Refaai Hamo

IN CONTRAST, Refaai Hamo's journey to America was more treacherous. He and his family spent two years waiting for approval to go to the U.S. before arriving in Detroit on Dec. 18.

He had fled Syria after a missile fired by Syrian government forces destroyed the complex where he and his family lived, the White House said. Hamo’s wife, one of their daughters and five other family members perished.

In Turkey, Hamo was diagnosed with stomach cancer. After being granted refugee status in the United States, he and his children are now trying to build a new life in Troy, Michigan, a Detroit suburb.

* * *

Naveed Shah

NAVEED SHAH, a Muslim and former U.S. soldier, who was a child when his parents immigrated to the country from Pakistan. Shah joined the army in 2006 and served in Iraq.

The symbolism there is also unmistakable, at a time when Donald Trump, the front-running Republican presidential candidate, has fanned anti-Muslim feelings among some Americans, proposing to temporarily ban all Muslims from the country.

* * *

In case someone doesn't get the President's broad drift on the benefits of immigrants and their role in making America great, President Obama will also introduce Oscar Vazquez, who arrived as a child in the United States before voluntarily returning to Mexico as a young adult and struggling to finally obtain legal status in the United States, will underline Obama’s support for putting millions of the undocumented on a path to citizenship.

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STICK AROUND for the Republican rebuttal to Obama's farewell SOTU, it will be delivered by Nikki Haley, the Indian/American governor of South Carolina. 

Gov. Nikki Haley

Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa in Bamberg, South Carolina, on January 20, 1972, to an Indian Sikh family. Her parents, Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, are immigrants from Amritsar District, Punjab, India. Her parents originally immigrated to Canada and then immigrated to the U.S., a roundabout, but well-known path by immigrants who to want to forego the long waiting period for most immigrants from Asian countries. 

Last summer, Haley received national attention when she advocated for the removal of the Confederate flag from her state's capitol after a Euro/American terrorist gunned down  African American in a Charleston church prominently displayed his admiration for the secessionist banner on the Internet. The move gained her respect from both Democrats and Republicans.

In contrast to the GOP candidates running for President, she may appear as a moderate, but everything is relative. However, the wannabes have moved so far to the radical right, that Haley's positions (she's for a more restricted immigration policy and against allowing Syrian refugees into South Carolina) are still far to the right.

Perhaps, the fact that she is from a religious and ethnic minority and a woman, the GOP hopes to appear more inclusive to counter the largely anti-immigrant, anti-woman positions taken by the frontrunners for the Republicans' presidential candidates.

The State of the Union will air live from various television stations, at 9 p.m. Eastern.