Executive Director, Bruce Iwasaki

September 11

October 8, 2001

A poster I have hanging in my office dates from May 1942. It is a directive from the U.S. military to certain U.S. citizens. The heading on the poster reads: "Instructions to All Persons of Japanese Ancestry." Thereafter, in bold black letters, the Western Defense Command ordered my mother and her parents to gather what they could carry and report for "evacuation" from the West Coast. The internment into concentration camps of Japanese Americans during World War II has shaped my views on the law and the limits of law, America's promise of equality and the failures of that promise, and the distinction between democracy and justice.

The poster is a constant reminder of how good people and a great nation can make tragic mistakes for noble -- or at least deeply felt and well-intended -- purposes.

With the search for bodies at Ground Zero still proceeding, and with missiles and bombs striking targets in Afghanistan, things that once were ordinary seem out of place. In the context of inconceivable horror and inconsolable loss, in an environment of heightened security and fear of retaliation, nothing is as it was. So it may seem too early -- or even unseemly -- to discuss how the September 11 tragedies and the long war that has just begun will affect our clients and our work. Yet, as advocates, our job is to anticipate developments, plan for them, and take steps to protect the vulnerable.

Erosion of civil rights - by private parties and the government - is a serious threat.

Harassment and attacks on Arab Nationals, Arab Americans and Muslim Americans -- and Sikhs, Latinos and South Asians mistaken for people from the Middle East -- have been reported across the country. The FBI is investigating more than fifty possible hate crimes. And civil rights organizations estimate the number of incidents at ten times that. A poll reported that nearly half of Americans favor a requirement that Arab Americans carry special identification.

In addition to ethnic and religious intolerance, more institutional discrimination is likely to apply to aliens. Racial profiling will become more widespread - whether expressly or not - in a variety of ways. Immigration law will become more restrictive, undermining efforts to unify families. Many clients could encounter discrimination on the basis of being an alien regarding access to government benefits, housing, consumer credit, employment, and educational opportunities. The odds are now low that the Legal Services corporation (LSC) will relax restrictions on representing aliens. Just as important, procedural hurdles to discrimination claims will increase, as courts defer to asserted justifications for discrimination and cede authority to the political branches.

Government funding priorities will shift away from domestic programs, especially those benefiting the poor.

No one is talking anymore about the sanctity of the Social Security "lock box." Vital needs, such as low-income housing, health insurance for families, job training programs, and legal services, are going to be at the end of the line - at best. This is particularly worrisome because unemployment is on the rise. In September, payroll employment in the U.S. fell by nearly 200,000, the largest decrease in over a decade. Economists predict that California could lose as many as 300,000 jobs before the downturn ends, with unemployment as high as 6.5%. Many of our clients, who have left welfare for work, will not have worked long enough to be eligible for unemployment insurance. In the short run, neither federal funding nor foundation funding -- with declining stock portfolios and shifted priorities -- are likely to be increased for human services or advocacy.

Similarly, attention to overhauling major domestic programs will be limited.

Until last month, a wide range of vital policy issues were awaiting action in Congress. TANF reauthorization, surely the most far reaching change in government policy affecting our clients -- encompassing welfare, health care, immigrant benefits, child support, child care, job training, education -- was going to be the top of the Congressional agenda in the coming year. Similarly, reforming Social Security and Medicare, and encouraging development of more affordable housing, were key legislative priorities. If these issues are addressed now, distracted policy makers may defer serious reform, with long term harm to client communities.

In all of these areas it is clear that we must forge new and broader coalitions. Protecting civil rights, urging appropriate resources to support those in need, and advocating for policies that strengthen communities and encourage healthy families are vital goals that will need to be presented creatively and clearly. Old arguments and tactics won't work. We will have to be more strategic about reaching out to unlikely allies, and more effective at conveying the human face of what we are about.

Being a voice.

LAFLA has been doing developing stronger community ties and improving its ability to communicate its message. Our challenge will be to do even more. That we must be an effective, principled partner in a community of advocates for equal justice. We must ensure that our clients -- ignored and forgotten in the best of times -- have a voice in this time of grave emergency.

The unity of America in times of crisis, and the generosity of its people in times of hardship, are powerful, sometimes awe inspiring things. In its history, however, the country's patriotism has magnified racist undercurrents that harmed innocent people, and ultimately, undermined the very principles this patriotism supposedly embraced. I don't think we will see the kind of posters I have on my wall, but as advocates for those who are powerless and despised, these times impose a further duty of vigilance and dedication.

BGI