Reply #7: And Tucson is a hotbed of radical liberals

[Tansy_Gold]

compared to parts of the Phoenix metro area.

Actually, there are many reason why Arizona has more than its fair share of rightwing crazies. One is its high number of Mormons -- who for a long time held as part of their religious dogma that black and brown people were not welcome in the church. Another is its high number of planned retirement communities -- Sun City, Sun City West, Youngtown, Leisure World, etc. -- which were established at a time when it was pretty much only white people who could afford "retirement." Moving to a nice, clean, all-white community in the sun belt was just another way for financially comfortable white folks to flee the rising numbers of people of color moving into the cities and even suburbs of rust belt America. Throw in a high number of retired military -- Arizona has/had a substantial military presence due to excellent weather for flight training -- who are traditionally more conservative, and it's a volatile mix.


Add to that the fact that many of the white families that had "pioneered" in Arizona -- the Goldwaters, the Haydens, the Babbitts, among others -- established themselves at a time when the native population was completely vanquished. This was the heyday of the Phoenix Indian School, an institution hardly less racist than chattel slavery. Racism is therefore institutionalized in Arizona.

Arizona also has a very porous border, and for native populations that were accustomed to routinely crossing that border, there are family and ethnic ties that go back generations on both sides of that arbitrary line. Spanish-speaking families that have been settled in Arizona for four or five or more generations may still have connections through extended families in Sonora. In at least some cases, individuals in these families may not have ever been treated like citizens and may not have adequate documentation. Their children and grandchildren may likewise not have adequate documentation, simply because it was never considered necessary because the white authorities didn't accept it anyway.

Understanding institutionalized racism in Arizona requires understanding the history of the state, how it was 'settled' and by whom and for what reasons. It's a much more complex story than most people expect.



Tansy Gold, who's only been here 25 years and is still learning