Maria Celeste Arraras from Arizona: “This law is a cancer, came to give chemotherapy”
Throughout her career, Maria Celeste Arraras has proven to be a journalist committed to the important causes and we have seen combat in more than a chance against great injustices.
From Arizona, where “MC” traveled with his team of ‘red hot’ and several programs for the Telemundo Network, to broadcast from the ‘ground zero’ as a protest against law called ‘Anti-immigrant’, Arraras us open your heart and tells how he lived for 24 hours with fear Hispanics living in this state and gives us tips to help make this type of racism and discrimination stops.
And then he answers those who accuse Telemundo to make this kind of campaign on the issue most of its audience to get ratings and advertising: “It’s like saying the same thing to a telethon to help an earthquake in Chile such of things can be a gimmick or that the cause is theirs.
Maria Celeste, why did you decide to move all of your program to Arizona like the rest of Telemundo?
“In a rather early stage we realized how dangerous it was this law for our community and there was a strong commitment strong and immediately put it into the holder not only in ‘red hot’ but in all programs of the chain. We were the first to jump on it with serious commitment and after the law was a fact, came all the others to respond. We did it because we realized that this was a historical issue that if not stopped on time, was a Cancer that began in Arizona and could quickly spread throughout the country spreading to all states. We had to cut the roots so far not been achieved but that we are trying to prevent further spread of these tumors. ”
Why compare anti-immigrant law with cancer?
“No doubt it is a cancer that can be up to the terminal if not given chemotherapy and. And that’s what we’re doing because there are already 12 states are considering adopting similar laws. Even in Arizona is an effort to get teachers who do not have a proper English accent can not teach and are the best teachers in the world. That gives rise to a witch hunt because who says what is a good or bad accent. ”
How does it feel to get to Arizona and see about the fear and frustration of the people?
“I realized immediately that the whole world, as Hispanics, afraid of this law. They feel persecuted, but had no one to guide them in the right direction. In that sense think that Telemundo has been a leader to come up here, not only for reporting the day to day but also to invest, economically speaking, in a hedge of this size to come all the shows,
concert to bring people to hear the message and I am so proud of the commitment makes a big chain with the Hispanic community and the community is grateful. ”
Was there any event which touched you hear that you moved in a particular way?
“When all the coverage ended, I sat down to think five minutes and came a young girl who was in the audience and asked me if I believed that this law was to give and sadly I had to say yes and in a few weeks will to be implemented. She told me she was very scared because I was studying, I told his story and gave me so dearly because I was looking at me an answer that I could not give. I will not say that everything would be okay because this will necessarily happen. We must keep fighting, but no assurances that no further progress to cancer. So you can not let up in no time. ”
We are in the countdown to the law is implemented. Do you think such an effort being made to bring all Arizona programs can help in something that does not happen?
“I think this effort will only work if people support Telemundo Telemundo and supports the community. The effort is going in different directions we must fight in terms of legal aspect that is being done with different claims because a law is unconstitutional which among other things violates the Amendment 4 of the Constitution, which says that you can record arrest or detain unless you have a solid foundation and I think an important thing people should know is that this is not a struggle of a day or two but that is long term. We must do our part in a rather rational peaceful and send a message firmly but not violently because otherwise we give you on a silver platter the argument on the other side, that we are aggressive and violent and they do not have to be here. ”
Would you like to interview the Governor Jan Brewer who signed this law?
“Yes, I love it. He has been on the table even think about it now but the problem is that I am only here today and I’m going to send to New York because on Wednesday I’ll be on ‘Today Show’ featuring a piece on immigration. It is a moving event a family of Colombian children where the mother was deported and have stayed here because it is all they know because they were born here and have to deal with the reality of living without a mother. They must grow at the rate since lightning are very little ones to learn to cook, to keep your home and although it is a story that offers no solutions but raw puts the problem that exists. Whether or not you in favor of illegal immigrants is a reality that is that there are people here that thousands of children left alone because they are a combination of two worlds and is the new America. ”
Did you carry your passport to Arizona?
“No, I did not bring my passport and then I thought but as the law still applies I felt a little calmer. But we were joking that when we were coming here because once the law passes driver’s license to we will not be enough. ”
What do you think no journalist in the chain but the immigrant Maria Celeste Arraras of everything that is happening after the adoption of this law?
“At times like this you have to keep a cool head but not lower our guard. Every individual has the power to take action and make a difference. We must attend all demonstrations in support of immigration reform writing to Washington the House White state governors to tell them that we want immigration reform. When you start to bomb all the offices and secretaries begin to complain it makes a difference. The boycott against Arizona can be very effective because as is the economy have canceled conventions, concerts people who have suspended their holidays here.
I talked to many people living here who tell me they are concerned that although economically applaud the initiative because it is better to fight a war to fight it one day 100 years. It’s getting which called for him to write to the commissioner of major league baseball to ask that you not bring the All-Star for Arizona in 2011, because it is an event that will give millions and millions of dollars to the state and that just comes with a large majority of players who are all Hispanic and if not, it seem. ”
Some people may think that Telemundo is taking advantage of the greater problem of Hispanics to get ratings or advertising to seduce the audience to follow them. What would you say?
“I disagree totally, is like saying the same thing to a telethon to help an earthquake in Chile this sort of thing may be a publicity stunt or that the cause is theirs and in this case the cause warrants it. What Live chain rating and rating of course we all need, yes but there are other ways of rating and not spend a fortune on having to fly around the world to Arizona. We can do a concert in Miami happy life as the we did here and it cost us a fraction. The important thing is that before it became popular because, Telemundo is committed. Before anyone saying that this would be terrible for us, Telemundo was here and that I say with the greatest of pride because I was in meetings with heads editorials and news and I can say that ours was a visionary strong and based on a principle of what is justice and what is not. “
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