← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · JAT
Thread ID: 11238 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2003-11-24
2003-11-24 08:32 | User Profile
By Liz Mineo / News Staff Writer Sunday, November 23, 2003
FRAMINGHAM -- The phone at the small studio of the Brazilian radio show "Bem Vivir" (Come to Life) didn't stop ringing.
During one hour, between 1 and 2 p.m. on Thursday, Brazilians called the radio program, run by a Brazilian church, to have their say about the main topic of conversation in town these days.
"The news of an anti-immigrant group has brought concern to the community," said Pastor Elias Meireles of the Brazilian Renewed Baptist Church, introducing the topic to his listeners. "What struck me the most is that they said Brazilians are doing harm to Framingham, that we're destroying Framingham. That's nonsense."
Callers to Meireles's show reacted strongly.
"If someone breaks the law, they can't generalize and say we all break the law," said a caller. "We're people who work hard and suffer a lot."
"We're here to work," said another caller. "We want to legalize our situation. We're praying for that to happen, and we'll pray for those who oppose us."
It was one of the many ways Brazilians found to express their feelings of frustration at the comments made last week by Joe Rizoli, co-founder of Concerned Citizens and Friends of Immigration Law Enforcement, a group that opposes illegal immigration.
At the meeting attended by 12 people, Rizoli said that Framingham was being "raped" by immigrants and said some immigrants treated the town as if it were "the Wild West." Others on hand at the meeting said Brazilian immigrants drain the local economy by sending thousands of dollars in wages each month back to Brazil and tapping social programs for support.
At Thursday night's Board of Selectmen meeting, Nancy Morse, executive director of the MetroWest Latin American Center, asked selectmen to investigate whether the group broke civil rights laws with some of its comments, particularly if those comments "coerce individuals to harm the immigrant population." Town Counsel Chris Petrini said he is looking into the matter.
Jeffrey Buck and Rizoli, CCFILE co-directors, said they started the group because they were concerned about how illegal immigrants were breaking the laws. They also said their group is not racist and doesn't target Brazilian immigrants.
"As an American citizen, we're concerned about the well-being of our community," said Buck. "American citizens, native and naturalized, and legal immigrants who are coming here should respect our legal system."
"It just so happens that the largest group of illegal aliens in this community are Brazilians," said Buck. "If we were in Dorchester, it'd be Irish."
"According to sources in the Brazilian community, 90 percent of the Brazilian community here is illegal," said Rizoli. "I think that's conservative. I think 98 percent is illegal."
Across Brazilian stores, churches and civic organizations, the sentiment was outrage. For many Brazilian business owners, the group fails to recognize the contributions Brazilians have made to the local economy.
"Ten years ago, downtown was filled with thefts, drug dealers and prostitutes," said Elias Fernandes, who owns the Brazilian bakery on Concord Street. "Brazilians came and revived downtown. Look at downtown, there isn't an empty spot here. We saved downtown Framingham, we didn't rape it."
Vera Dias Freitas, board chairwoman for Framingham's Brazilian American Association and owner of a downtown jewelry store, agrees.
"We have filled up empty and abandoned buildings and made a beautiful marketplace," said Dias Freitas. "Brazilians are helping rebuilding downtown. We're working hard to make a living and make a better world for everyone. We need to remember what God said, 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'"
Dias Freitas invited people who want to learn about their Brazilian neighbors to check the Web site of her group ([url]http://www.bramas.org[/url]) or contact them at [email]info@bramas.org[/email].
Brazilian community leaders worry the new group could lead to a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment and that its emergence is moved by racial prejudices against Brazilian immigrants.
"People are afraid," said Fausto Da Rocha, director of the Brazilian Immigrant Center in Allston. "This is a hate group that reminds us of the Ku Klux Klan. People fear they could start attacking and killing us. I hope local authorities keep an eye on this group."
Pastor Murilo Crispin Dasilva of the Brazilian Philadelphia Baptist Church feels the same way.
"There is a paranoia after Sept. 11," said Dasilva. "The group makes generalizations. Not all Brazilians are illegals. If half a dozen people commit crimes, that doesn't mean they're all criminals."
Immigrant advocates are planning to hold a meeting to debate the emergence of the Framingham group and quell the fears among the Brazilian community. Others see no reason to be afraid.
"This is the first time I heard something negative about the Brazilian presence in Framingham," said Mauricio Cortes Costa, consul general of Brazil in Boston.
"My impression is that the large majority of people in Framingham and MetroWest not only likes immigrants, but to a large extent, depends on immigrants. They are not only welcome, they're essential to the economy. I believe the feelings of this group are hardly representative of Framingham."
In his radio program, Meireles defended the role of the Brazilian churches and called for tolerance.
"As a church, we cannot deny help to those who are illegal," said Meireles. "We don't ask those who knock on our doors if they have a green card or not. We help everyone regardless of their color, race or immigration status. We need to learn to be more tolerant of each other. Let's tolerate those who don't understand the immigrants' plight."
(Liz Mineo can be reached at 508-626-3825 or [email]lmineo@cnc.com[/email])
[url]http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/local_regional/fram_brazilians11232003.htm[/url]