Project Runway Canada was better than Project Runway Season Two. I do not know who the famous people are on this show, no Iman! But I'm watching.

Saltypepper, I love love love you! Happy Birthday!

We've been busy, Thursday I stayed home with Leroy and instead of doing schoolwork, reading or just sleeping I did some housecleaning and it felt great. After I cleaned out the refrigerator it was empty so yesterday Leroy and I went to the store. Chel goes to the store that has the best deals but she also eats a lot of things I normally don't, for example American Cheese. I know those slices are delicious, it is just not on my radar. So yesterday I went to the store nearby, not the most expensive or the second most but not the warehouse either. I came home and made chicken and peanut noodles on a bed of raw chopped spinach and topped with chopped cucumber and shredded carrots. I have been craving it. I have watermelon and limes in the refrigerator. Mmmm.

Chel did not want to but she took Leroy to see Prince Caspian. I have been with him for the past three days. I love him but my temper is getting shorter as time to get something done for school runs out. I have a two page response paper for tomorrow, I need to begin my final paper for that class and I really need to format my MA thesis and make an appointment with OGS because it has to be submitted by the end of spring term. I have been formatting it according to the workbook, I also made a to do list and now I need to read Foucault and think about how I am going to write my paper. If I get something done then when they get back in two hours I will be off the edge.

I also bought a bag of ice, I love bagged ice. And fish sauce, we've been out. I'm listening to a mix cd raybear sent me, I think I owe him perfume. I used to be the queen of mail, my superpower, I bragged, was going to the post office. I have been dethroned, demoted, I have no usps mojo. I will try try try.

My sister made appointments for us to get our hair cut in a salon in Pacific Beach. You know I have been burned, having a haircut scheduled makes me nervous. Plus it was really hot yesterday. I also hate being covered with pieces of hair and you can't wear shitty clothes because then they don't see who you Really Are, you know? I just cancelled. Chel went, she was pissed at first but I couldn't deal. Plus she was giving me some heavy handed unasked for advice about seeking medical care for my heavy cycles. I was not in the mood.

At least I have been doing most of the cooking lately, she's been working until 5:30, she is only working five hour part time shifts and the job is not as enjoyable as it was. It is not really enough money to save so she is looking for something else. I'd like to help more but it has been a long broke year and I have been paying the bills since she has not been working very much. I will find out on Friday about the summer fellowship. Anyway, I like doing the cooking. Chel is a pretty good cook but I like my own food better, it's not as heavy.

Raybear put my favorite song from 8th grade on this cd. I was so into this song. It still feels like a part of me. I love everybody!

I knew it was coming and I still missed it! Sorry baby, it's a day late but HAPPY BIRTHDAY Chloesha!

I like the way you do it! Package coming - I'll send it next week!






I love you so much!

A dear friend has court tomorrow because the state is trying to get custody of her son. This began over some issues of homeschooling and is out of control. She is a terrific mother and friend and her son has benefited so much from her love and support. I am in shock.

Please take a moment to say a prayer, I am lighting a candle and have been praying all day. If you do not pray I would appreciate the good thoughts, wishes for justice and success. She has a neighbor who is going to have some ugly karma to reckon with.

This is pretty cool. Sign up with this new Paypal type site and get $25, and by clicking this button, I earn $10! I got this from vfc on my friends list and it is legit. I'm psyched, paypal is fine but I like having options and of course, free money! $25 is a bottle of perfume! They are just offering this through April 15, so sign up and then put it on your journal.



I taught two sections today back to back, I was hoping my class numbers would stay below 60 but they are higher, that's fine. I have a class where the desks are bolted to the floor so I had the students introduce themselves. There are six colleges the undergrads can belong to so we discussed those a bit in their introductions and they seemed loose, lots of majors and minors. I'm happy about spring term, it's strange! I'm having fun, finally, in grad school. I have lots of reading but that's okay, so far there is time. I went off my food plan tonight, I took a long nap, got off schedule and got too hungry. Everyone was sleeping and I made a deep dish pizza. The wheat is making me feel bloated, so that's good to remember.

Drew sent me a copy of the book Tarzan of the Apes. He has been reading it and said it was good and strange and I would like it. I might read it out loud to Leroy. I am sure it is deeply and offensively racist, it's an opportunity when it is presented in just an enjoyable campy package to discuss white supremacy, put the book in context historically. It would be more fun to just read it but I don't really have time. Rac sent Chel a gift certificate for a pedicure, Rac she was so touched!

I also filled out a survey and received the offer to pay $15 S&H for a Senseo coffeemaker, pods (although I will just make my own) and a tin. It would make a good gift, I'm going to put it in my office so I can save money I spend at the coffee cart. Kit bought a refrigerator for our office over spring break, we've had a microwave, it's becoming homey. Here is the link if you want to check it out.

https://www.sharesenseo.com/q6/1.jsp

I am craving a hot cup of coffee but I am just going to go to sleep. Good night!

I'm going to OH. Be back Wed. xoxoxo.

I'm psyched about the Oscars! My dear friend Drew just called and said I should take this poll on amctv.com, he's the editor of the site now. So here it is because it is fun and it's the weekend! Oooh, and they also have the first two episodes of Breaking Bad, I watched them and enjoyed them very much so if you are cable deprived like me, check it out if you want to.

http://www.amctv.com/longliveawards

Drew just called to congratulate me but he pushed me so much, he made a deal to call me every weekend and he'd ask about my progress and it helped a lot. Now I have to go to the post office. I feel happy. I love everybody!

Oh I made such a good peanut sauce last night! With onion, red bell pepper and chicken over rice. I know, simple but it was so good.

1) Ever been in a relationship lasting over 5 years?

2) What was your dream growing up?

3) What talent do you wish you had?

4) If I bought you a drink what would it be?

5) Favorite book?

6) What was the last book you read?

7) What zodiac sign are you?

8) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.

9) Worst Habit?

10) Best attribute?

11) What is your favorite hobby?

12) Do you have a Negative or Optimistic attitude?

13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?

14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?

15) Best thing to ever happen to you?

16) Tell me one weird fact about you.

17) What if i showed up at your house unexpectedly?

18) What was your first impression of me? (hmmm...careful!)

19) What scares you?

20) If you could change one thing about how you are, what would it be?

21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?

22) What color eyes do you have?

23) Ever been arrested?

24) Cake or pie?

25) If you won $100 today, what would you do with it?

26) Tell me something you wanted me to know about you.

27) What's your favorite place to hang out?

28) Do you believe in ghosts?

29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?

30) Do you swear a lot?

31) Biggest pet peeve?

32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?

33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?

34) Strangest place you've had sex?

35) Do you believe in an afterlife?

36) Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?

In my dream last night I was a coquette, my hair was still growing out but I didn't have bangs, I had a side part and it was longer and flipped on one side. I was bent on seducing my hs boyfriend, so many dreams of him. Last night though he was listening to Rickie Lee Jones' first album, and then he was listening to Willie Nelson (my hs boyfriend was a musician and we spent much of our time listening to music) who had a rave on his album liner notes about Rickie Lee Jones that he excitedly showed me. I said I only want to listen to soft music, like in Yacht Rock except substitute soft for "smooth" and we ran around acting out soft music. We were theatre students. We made a soft hill of large cotton balls and hid inside and then broke out, Soft! Anytime the music began rocking we substituted soft music, it went on and we were sleeping, well, he was going to sleep and I was still determined to make him love me and only me. We were talking about friends and mentioned Gwenzilla as someone who might hook up with someone. I said, she'd be great because she is such a good partner to Chad, so soft!

There was intrigue and a lesbian subplot. The lesbian subplot might have been Andrew turning into a lesbian because there was still the soft music and she was also a musician, she was concerned about offending me though, there was some teepee reference she made, I didn't care but she was embarrased about it. Then I was walking to the door and I saw one of those plates you draw on and it was a childs drawing of a teepee, hers from when she was a kid and it was mounted over the door. I walked back into the room and saw another drawing of a teepee she had. Now what was that about?

In other news, my defense is next week, Pal needed another week, he hasn't read it and probably won't. The amazing star quilts my mom made for my committee are here, they arrived yesterday. I will take pictures, my mother is an artist. I was so sick for the past week, I think I am better today, if I wasn't I was going to student health because I was afraid I had bronchitis. Did I mention my sister got a job, a good job? She has not started yet but we are excited because money has been really tight and there are overdue bills, etc. I need to go to GA for this conference but I was worried about swinging it, my dept. gave me $450 towards travel, but that is reimbursed after the conference and the ticket is $550. I also applied for the Dean's Travel Award and if I get that I can use some for registration and the ticket. The rest I have to cover, the hotel room, food. It is an important conference, I just don't have $75 and I won't until next week. Ross offered to loan it to me, when I told him I was not going to go. I am still going to Oberlin, I have a conference here (Postcolonial Futures in a Not Yet Postcolonial World) Miget's conference, I was asked to sit on a panel and I said of course. I'll decide by the end of the day.

Today I meet with Denise Ferreira Da Silva, one of my favorite professors. She wrote a great book, Toward a Global Idea of Race and now I have to figure out how I am going to use it in my dissertation prospectus which I have barely begun to articulate. But oh well, I am ready.

For valentines I burned cds for Leroy's class, I put some Pianosaurus, Jonas Bros, Hannah Freaking Montana and Rihanna, Elvis Costello, The Monkees, like that. Leroy said why don't you call it Leroy's Super Love Jam? I said all right. Social_deixis sent me this CD packaging kit with stickers for the cds that were multicolored and envelopes with monkeys and sea monsters, so it was cool. Leroy wanted candy too so we got some sweet tart lollipops and used the stickers with their names to put them on the cd. It was a good project, Leroy was happy with his valentines this year.

I have coffee, I should cross the street and do a load of laundry, I want to write some before I meet with Denise. This weekend I have the 70 midterms to grade, they are on my desk but I am not dealing with them yet.

I have a more reflective post in me, but it will have to wait. I love everybody!

Movie Reviews

Sorry for the whine yesterday, I'm feeling better today, I got paid, I survived Science Night at Leroy's school, it's no longer January, all things I can get behind. Frak! So Ross said send it and I have not. I have not! I have not because I do not believe I made my argument. I think I was sloppy and now I am taking the time to really think it through and fix it. Ross said yeah there are some things but we'll talk about them at your defense, just fix your abstract because it is too long and repetitive. I'll send it out, tomorrow probably. I feel energized and I just want to do a few more things. Tighten. There's a lot of work but there's a lot of sloppy shortcuts. I would like to sort of wow them, or at least impress them a little.

I have to go to school.

A fun weekend meme from raybear and vfc!

1. Go to the Wikipedia home page and click random article. That is your band's name.
2. Click random article again; that is your album name.
3. Click random article 15 more times; those are the tracks on your album.

Band: Academy of Arch Villains (Look for Marvel or DC to sue!)
Album: Kumyk Language
Track Listing:
1. Chris Gaines (I think this is a tribute album to our heroes and the album title refers to the inability of connecting or communicating - that's the vibe I'm getting)
2. SBA Airlines
3. ECK Master
4. Michael Delp
5. 7 Polytope
6. Kid McCoy
7. James Sullivan
8. Jean E Sammet
9. Harbourside Studios
10. Basic English
11. Sunnyside Gang (our nemesis?)
12. List of Places in Idaho

Bonus Track: Null

Fifteen is too many tracks. We have some long jams on our album.

Happy Birthday to peggianne ! I love you!

Happy Birthday social_deixis! I'm sorry it is so late in the day, for that you get two pictures!
Forty & flirty!



Hot chica with a booming ass is always welcome I know!

This is a little bit me and a little bit you. xoxo!

To: Monica López

Features Producer

Free Speech Radio News

Cc: Democracy Now

----------------------------------------------

Dear Monica,

It was good to talk with you today. I really hope you can broadcast
something a piece what I’m about to reveal to you.

I just spent all day investigating how immigrants are receiving
inferior treatment during the San Diego firestorm.

It is important that people know that the government’s response to
this has not been as benevolent as the news media has made it out to
be. For immigrant families, this is in no way an ‘anti-Katrina.’
Immigrants in San Diego county are being neglected by emergency
evacuators, put in danger by their employers, treated rudely by
authorities and volunteers, refused aid at evacuation sites, and
racially profiled by police and deported by the Border Patrol.

There are two important sides to this story that show has this has
been a recurrent pattern for the past week:

Immigrants are being neglected by authorities and forced to work in
farms adjacent to fires
The San Diego Union Tribune reported today that many immigrants
living in remote canyons and fields near the fires are not
evacuating. In some cases, authorities have not informed them of
mandatory evacuations in their areas of residence. Others don’t want
to leave their homes either because they are afraid of losing their
jobs or scared of getting caught by the Border Patrol.[i]

Today, Border Patrol agents found the charred bodies of four people—
three men and a woman—in a canyon in Potrero.[ii] Authorities presume
them to be immigrants and are trying to determine how they died. Some
are saying they might have been border crossers but some are
speculating they may have been canyon dwellers who failed to
evacuate. Up until today, these amount to roughly one quarter of all
deaths directly and indirectly caused by the fires.

This afternoon, I spoke with Enrique Morones (619) 269-7865;
enriquemorones@cox.net) founder and director of Border Angels. He and
other volunteers have been touring rural areas trying to convince
immigrant families to evacuate. He reports that there have been
numerous instances in which immigrant laborers are being forced to
stay working in farms adjacent to evacuated areas. Employers are
threatening to dismiss laborers who refuse to work under precarious
conditions. This poses a great health risk for them primarily because
of the polluted air they are breathing. This was confirmed both in
the Union-Tribune article I just mentioned[iii] and an ABC news story.
[iv]

I also spoke to Greg Morales from Border Angels and the Mexican
American Poets Associaton (619.266.9067;
mapa_sandiegocounty@yahoo.com). He is the person in charge of
receiving food and water donations for immigrants at the historic
Chicano Park in the community of Barrio Logan. He reports that
authorities are neglecting and in some instances impeding their
efforts to bring critical supplies to immigrants in the affected
areas. In the past three days, they have loaded about two hundred
vehicles full of supplies. Volunteers have been trying to transport
these goods to the immigrant communities that need them most.
According to Mr. Morales, one of them, Adrián del Río (619.849.9713)
attempted to take these supplies to Potrero, a rural community in the
fire zone near the Tecate crossing of the U.S. Mexico Border.
Authorites there tried to prevent him from entering and reportedly
told him: “why do you want to go into Potrero? There’s nothing but
drug dealers there.” I haven’t spoken to Mr. del Río yet but one
person told me he was able to make it in there eventually and found
many immigrant families in need of supplies (and evacuation).

This morning, volunteers gathering donations at Chicano Park received
an unwelcome visit from seven members of the Minutemen. They have
also received visits from people accusing them of distributing
supplies stolen from other evacuee shelters, something that everybody
working there emphatically denied. Volunteers have also been
intimidated by police officers who have scrutinized their operation
all day. When I asked Mr. Morales what help if any they had received
from authorities, he responded: “the only thing we’ve gotten from the
government is police harassment this morning, giving us grief for
being here.”

Immigrant evacuees at Qualcomm Stadium are threatened with
deportation and mistreated by authorities and volunteers
Yesterday, the Union-Tribune reported that six illegal immigrants who
were suspected of stealing relief supplies from Qualcomm Stadium—the
largest of all evacuation sites—and were arrested by Border Patrol
agents. According to the article, a woman who saw them loading
supplies unto a pickup truck reported them to police Sgt. Jesse
Cesena. “They were stealing a lot of stuff,” Cesena said. The article
claims that when officers intervened, one of the suspects confessed
they were being paid to take things of value from the stadium.

“We took the stuff back and we escorted them out. They were stealing
from the people in need.” The article then states that “because some
members of the group spoke Spanish, officers called Border Patrol
agents who were at the stadium for relief efforts. They determined
the people were in the country illegally and arrested them.”[v]

Today, the Union-Tribune wrote a new article clarifying what actually
transpired (they have yet to make a formal correction). The article
reveals that the people the Border Partrol apprehended and deported
on Wednesday were two couples, one with three children. Originally
they tried to deport a third family that was with them but because
they produced documentation, they were released.[vi]

According to a Union-Tribune reporter who spoke with some of the
deportees over the phone from Tijuana, they claim that contrary to
initial reports by authorities, they did not confess to stealing
anything. They said that they were taking items donated to them as
they prepared to return home.[vii] This was also confirmed by
eyewitnesses I spoke to today.

This incident caused a great deal of anxiety for immigrant families
staying at Qualcomm. It prompted immigrant rights activists to go to
the site and serve as legal observers and translators. Today, I spent
half a day today working as a legal observer and a volunteer
translator for the San Diego Coalition for Immigrant Rights. I spoke
to Andrea Guerrero (619.405.0620; aguerrero@aclusandiego.org) an ACLU
immigration rights lawyer and one of the people in charge of legal
observers at the evacuation sites. Guerrero claims that the
apprehensions and deportations of these immigrants are potentially
illegal since San Diego Police Officers are not supposed to report
undocumented immigrants to Border Patrol agents unless they are
formally arrested and charged with a crime. I should note that none
of the individuals deported were charged with robbery by San Diego
police. She and other ACLU lawyers consulted this issue with the
local police chief at the stadium. He admitted that the ordeal was
poorly handled.

All of the ACLU lawyers and immigrants rights volunteers I spoke to
today suspected that the arrest and deportation of these six
immigrants was prompted by racial profiling. Today, I was able to
observe how one African-American woman was accused of stealing
supplies as she loaded her belongings unto her SUV. I asked her what
was happening and she assured me that all the things in her car
belonged to her and her children. I could tell she was telling the
truth because none of the things I saw in her car were the same as
the items that were being distributed at the site. This did not stop
several overzealous European-American onlookers from writing down her
license plate, taking digital camera pictures of her car, and
commenting on her ‘audacity’ for taking so many things.

Wednesday’s arrests and deportations together with what I witnessed
at Qualcomm today reminded me of Katrina. We all know how in the
aftermath of the hurricane, the media portrayed white residents of
New Orleans who were taking supplies from destroyed shops as
‘scavengers’ while simultaneously criminalizing African Americans
doing the same as ‘looters.’ That same type of racial profiling and
criminalization is clearly occurring in San Diego during this
catastrophe.

The deportation of these six immigrants was followed by a security
crackdown at Qualcomm. Authorities set up ID verification checkpoints
at all gates. They began to patrol the stadium asking people for
proper identification. The city of San Diego claims this was done to
prevent those who were not supposed to be staying there from taking
donations, food, and drink. According to many people I spoke to, this
scared a lot of immigrants staying at the site. Guerrero estimates
that about 25 immigrant families left in fear of being apprehended.
Many others were also forced out of the stadium last night for not
showing proper identification. It is hard to tell how many but
Guerrero estimates that up to a thousand were told to leave. We are
assuming that this disproportionately affected immigrant families who
were hesitant to show their ID. It also affecting people who did not
have a chance to bring their identification with them when they were
being evacuated.

At Qualcomm, I spoke to about six immigrant families (approx. 30
people) most of whom confessed to me they were undocumented. All of
them said that after the arrest of the six immigrants suspected of
stealing supplies, they all felt extremely frightened they too would
be deported. Most of them also complained of being treated rudely and
unfairly by authorities and volunteers. One undocumented Mexican
evacuee from Ramona I spoke to said that volunteers refused to give
her a 12 pack of juice boxes as they gave the same pack to white
evacuees. The Union-Tribune reports another similar incident: a woman
said that “she asked a volunteer for diapers for her 2-year-old son,
who had diarrhea, and was handed three individual diapers. Then when
I was leaving, they gave an American woman a whole box, she
said.”[viii] Legal observers/translators I spoke to today confirmed
that they intervened in similar incidents. Another undocumented
Mexican evacuee I spoke to said she has been staying in Qualcomm but
after Wednesday’s arrest, she is too afraid to ask for food and
supplies. Her husband—who is Guatemalan and also undocumented—
reported that on Wednesday night, authorities threatened to evict his
father-in-law from the stadium for not having proper identification.
It was only after he intervened and showed them his driver’s license
that they allowed him to stay.

Lastly, I heard unconfirmed rumors that the Border Patrol has been
randomly checking people’s documentation status in the northern and
northeastern areas of San Diego county. I will try to find out more
information about this but it was brought to my attention by several
evacuees at Qualcomm as well as Border Angel volunteers. This
contradicts the Border Patrol’s claim that they are not actively
seeking out undocumented immigrants but rather assisting with
emergency management and law enforcement duties.

Right now, all Qualcomm evacuees are being relocated to Del Mar
Fairgrounds. The San Diego Chargers need Qualcomm Stadium for their
game this weekend so the city is forcing everybody there out.
Tomorrow, I will go work as a volunteer at the new site and find out
more about what’s happening there. I will send you another update
tomorrow evening.

In the meantime, I would like to know whether you think F.S.R.N. or
D.N. could broadcast any of this information nationally. We are all
hoping that the alternative news media takes interest in these
stories and helps us share them nationally.

People need to know that the same way that the government doesn’t
care about black people in New Orleans, it also doesn’t care about
immigrant families in California.

Let me know how I can be of further assistance.

peace and solidarity,

José I. Fusté
Ethnic Studies Dept.
University of California, San Diego

[i] Leslie Berestein, "Canyon Dwellers Not Joining Exodus," San Diego
Union-Tribune October 25 2007. <http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/>
[ii] Greg Gross, "Fires Remain Stubborn; Four Bodies Found," San
Diego Union-Tribune October 25 2007. < http://www.signonsandiego.com/
news/metro/20071025-1757-bn25fires2.html>

[iii] Berestein, "Canyon Dwellers Not Joining Exodus." <http://>
[iv] Teri Whitcraft Jim Avila, Thomas Berman, "Dangerous Dilemma for
Illegal Immigrants: Seeking Safety from Wildfires, Some Undocumented
Workers Find Border Patrol Instead," ABC News 2007. <http://>
[v] Jeanette Steele, "Wildfires Spread but 'We've Turned the Corner'
" San Diego Union-Tribune October 24, 2007 2007. <http://>
[vi] Leslie Berestein, "Border Patrol Presence at Stadium Causes
Anxiety " San Diego Union-Tribune October 25, 2007 2007. <http://>
[vii] Berestein, "Border Patrol Presence at Stadium Causes Anxiety ".
<http://cfx.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20071025-1911-bn26deport.html>
[viii] Berestein, "Border Patrol Presence at Stadium Causes Anxiety
". <http://cfx.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20071025-1911->

A short video showing Border Patrol cruising around Mexican neighborhood in evacuated Fallbrook.

Feature: Border Patrol Demands Documents, Takes Family Members into
Custody at Qualcomm
by three san diego indymedia volunteers ( imc-sd [at]
lists.indymedia.org )
Wednesday Oct 24th, 2007 7:09 PM

In the midst of a massive wildfire-induced crisis displacing
perhaps 20% of san diego county's residents, i.c.e. officers were
observed asking for papers and separating families at the qualcomm
stadium evacuation center earlier today. Border patrol officers were
also present at qualcomm yesterday.

Reporters for univision and azteca told san diego indymedia
volunteers that i.c.e. officers separated one family into members who
had papers and those without documents, taking the undocumented into
custody for deportation. A family sdimc spoke with said that they
observed border patrol agents demanding documents from folks at the
shelter. When a reporter approached and asked what they were doing,
the agents promptly left.

A family who evacuated from ramona said that, in the chaos of leaving
an area rapidly being overtaken by wildfire, they initially were
scattered amongst evacuation centers in escondido, mira mesa and san
diego because of difficult communications and closed roads, only
reuniting at qualcomm today. Some of their neighbors without papers
stayed behind because of a fear of crossing police lines or a need to
work. The family cannot return home until friday because of a lack of
potable water in ramona, and they have no idea whether their home
survived.

The number of evacuees at qualcomm has dwindled from earlier in the
week, and those folks left appear to be largely working class people
of color. Qualcomm is highly militarized, with soldiers in camouflage
uniforms carrying locked and loaded m-16s - some had recently
returned from iraq. In a surreal vignette, an overzealous phalanx of
sdpd officers desperately attempted to keep a spiffy clean, preppy
looking lieutenant governor john garamendi separated from the
disheveled evacuees as he was being interviewed by the corporate media.
http://sandiego.indymedia.org

Ethnic Studies faculty and grad students are filling up my mailbox, angry about coverage of the fire, taking apart the "natural" in natural disaster, there are so many congratulatory comparisons to Hurricane Katrina, zero coverage of reservations burning (and the lack of help they are getting opposed to middle and upper class white neighborhoods). So I am going to share some of what I am getting with you all.

The coverage has been bothering me for days, especially as the
comparisons to Katrina started almost immediately. Yesterday, there
were self-congratulatory news anchors talking about how there were
clowns walking around Qualcomm entertaining the kids and how that
"proves" that San Diego has performed so much better than New
Orleans...no matter that folks in San Diego can still access stores,
which are almost all open and not under fifteen feet of water, they
have cars, they have credit cards, the infrastructure of the city has
not been demolished, etc. Somehow the narrative is rather about how
much better these evacuees in this community are from those in that
one, especially at the important task of taking care of community
members in a crisis--no matter that the other community members
affected, the less privileges ones, the indigenous, the renters, the
migrants, the non English speakers, get marginalized and/or erased in
the already-entrenched "firestorm" narrative. The tragedy is clearly
defined: the loss of "beautiful" homes; it is a tragedy of the American
Dream itself, housed in the suburbs, explicitly white and well-off. In
Katrina, on the other hand, the tragedy was the loss of national
dignity, and the blame was places squarely on the shoulders of the
victims; had they evacuated like they were told (like we San Diegans
did, in fact), followed orders, refrained from criminal(ized) looting
activities, not revealed themselves to be so poor and racialized within
the borders of the leading democratic world power, etc., the US
government would have saved face. The comparisons to Katrina in the
coverage of the fires contain an almost desperate relief at the
evidence that "we" are not like "them", particularly dwelling on the
artifices of care that reveal "us" to be human (Qualcomm is no
Superdome, just look to the clowns for proof), orderly, civilized.
So these are the things floating around my head, I'm particularly
concerned about racializations organized around "care" and what it
means about us/them. Not to mention the alarming toxicity floating
around our air as all the excesses of modern life, quite literally, go
up in smoke--not only from resource-heavy suburban communities, but
also from the fires at San Diego's numerous militarized locales, as
well as a Superfund site located smack dab in the middle of the Witch
Fire burn zone (!). Whose bodies, communities, and environments will
bear the greatest burden of this toxic air? I'm willing to bet it will
be those who can't afford air conditioning and don't work in
well-maintained office buildings.
I think there's a lot of room for discourse, action, and teaching
points...
Thank you Yolanda, Jose, and Denise for getting the ball rolling.
Traci