Edited by Azizi Powell
This post documents some examples of chants and signage that have been used in protests in Arizona [USA] in favor of immigration reform and against Maricopa County's Sherriff Arpaio (2008-2015 to date).
This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on protest chants. Other posts in this series can be found by clicking the "protest chant" tag at the bottom of this post.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all of those who participated in these protests. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the videographers & publishers of these videos on YouTube.
****
FEATURED ARTICLES
These excerpted articles are presented in chronological order with article with the oldest date given first. The sentences with chants in these articles are given in italics to highlight them.
From http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/06/19/20080619countybudget0620.html "Protesters demand crackdown on Sheriff Arpaio" June 19, 2008
"Critics of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio staged a raucous show Thursday in hopes of pressuring the Board of Supervisors to monitor more closely his enforcement of immigration laws and the amount of public money spent on lawsuits that involve his office. The protesters, hundreds strong, were unsuccessful in holding the five elected officials to any promises....
About 200 of the protesters were from a new group, the Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability. They helped pack the room to capacity, and many were sent across the plaza to watch the hearing on TV.
Many wore red T-shirts, with a message to the supervisors on the back: Stop Wasting OUR money. No more lawsuits. No more media circus. No more money for Arpaio...
The group walked out shortly after, shouting at the Supervisors and gathering in the plaza with megaphones and signs.
Chants of "No justice, no peace" gave way to "We will be back" and then to "Si se puede" the rallying cry of farmworker leader Cesar Chavez.
-snip-
Note that in that video clip, the chant "No justice, no peace" is said in unison, and not in the call & response way that it is said in majority African American protest marches & rallies.
****
From http://uncova.com/this-law-kicked-off-immigration-crackdowns-across-the-country-5-years-later-lots-of-people-still-hate-it
"This Law Kicked Off Immigration Crackdowns Across The Country. 5 Years Later, Lots Of People Still Hate It
PHOENIX -- Hundreds of protesters rallied before the Arizona state Capitol on Thursday, demanding that state police stop collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The march from the Capitol to the 4th Avenue Jail was timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of SB 1070, the Arizona law cracking down on illegal immigration that has become emblematic of conservative-led efforts to use state power to expel the undocumented...
The protest highlighted how controversial SB 1070 remains. The Supreme Court stuck down some provisions of the law in 2012, but left intact the most contentious part -- a provision instructing police to check the immigration status of those they suspect are undocumented….
Protesters, who traveled from all over the country to attend the rally, met at the state Capitol grounds, where they played music and rattled off a series of chants. Some of the rallying cries -- like "sí, se puede," or "yes, we can" -- are mainstays of Latino political protests. Others had been crafted for the occasion: "Arpaio, sin nada, se va a la chingada," the protesters chanted -- Spanish for "Arpaio, with nothing, go to hell."
This chant referred to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who, a federal judge found in 2013 had illegally profiled Latinos in his search for undocumented immigrants. Arpaio has been sitting through a contempt of court hearing this week over his noncompliance with the judge’s orders to stop detaining undocumented immigrants or no reason other than their immigration status. The sheriff has already admitted wrongdoing in an attempt to avoid the hearing, and could face jail time if the judge refers him to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to face charges of criminal contempt for defying court orders.
When they arrived at the 4th Avenue Jail, protesters broke in to a sustained chant of "jail Arpaio, not our people!" They then poured out into the street, where four of them sat down, fists raised, as the crowd chanted "aquí estamos y no nos vamos" -- "here we are, and we’re not leaving." Police arrested the four seated protesters, who refused to move."
****
From www.statepress.com/2012/03/25/...arpaio-protest/88029269 [[This is from the Google Search summary. The website is no longer active.]
"Conference spurs Arpaio protest - The State Press
www.statepress.com/2012/03/25/...arpaio-protest/88029269/
State Press
Mar 25, 2012 - ... to protest against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's tactics used to ... Sanchez rallied the crowd to chant “undocumented and unafraid” ...
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
These videos are presented in chronological order by their publishing date with the oldest video given first.
It's interesting that some of these protest chants are the same as or very similar to African American protest chants (for example "Power to the people!" and "No justice/No Peace".)
The chants that I transcribed from each video are given after the video. The words written in brackets are the response to call & response chants. All other chants are spoken in unison. I don't know enough Spanish to document the chants in these videos that are given in Spanish, except "sí, se puede". Additions and corrections are welcome.
Example #1: Thousands March Against Arpaio, 287(g) Phoenix, Arizona
Barriozona, Uploaded on Mar 7, 2009
http://www.barriozona.com/maricopa_sh...
Phoenix, Arizona. February 28, 2009 - Several thousand demonstrators protested against Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio's enforcement of immigration laws. Video by Yolie Hernandez | Edition by Eduardo Barraza | BARRIOZONA Magazine | www.hisi.org | All Rights Reserved © 2009 HISI
-snip-
The text at the end of the video is a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.
"We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools."
-snip-
Examples of protest signs in this video:
"We are human."
**
"Arpaio is not my America."
**
"Revoke Arpaio’s 287(g)"
**
"Stop I.C.E. raids and deportations." [I.C.E = Immigration and Customs Enforcement]
**
"Reform
Not
Raids"
**
"I cry daily for my daddy.
Please don’t destroy families."
**
"Your great grandparents were immigrants.
Give everyone a chance."
-snip-
Examples of protest chants in this video:
"Hey Hey!
Ho Ho!
Sheriff Arpaio’s got to go."
**
"The people
United
Will never be defeated."
**
"No more Joe!"
**
A call & response chant in Spanish:
___ [?]
[Ahora!] (translated to English: Now!]
-snip-
Note that the supporters of Sheriff Arapaio held signs saying "We Support Sheriff Joe" and chanted "USA! USA!"
****
Example #2: Students Against Arpaio (march/ protest), Phoenix, AZ, 3/23/12
Michael Royer Published on May 2, 2012
Puente Human Rights Movement organized a march/ protest labeled "Students Against Arpaio", in a series of actions/ protests against notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County.
Examples of protest chants in this video:
"Hey Hey!
Ho Ho!
Sheriff Arpaio’s got to go."
**
"Arrest Apaio
Not the people!"
-snip-
This was also written on a t shirt.
**
"Show me what community looks like.
[This is what community looks like.]
Show me what community looks like.
[This is what community looks like.]
Show me what unity looks like.
[This is what unity looks like.]
Show me what unity looks like.
[This is what unity looks like.]
Show me what the people look like.
[This is what the people look like.]"
(repeat from the beginning.)
**
My people
[What?]
I have got
[What?]
To tell the whole wide world.
This is people’s territory.
(repeat entire chant multiple times.)
-snip-
Read my comment about this chant in the comment section below.
****
Example #3: Chants from the Students Against Arpaio march/ protest, Phoenix, AZ, 3/23/12
Michael Royer, Published on May 2, 2012
Puente Human Rights Movement organized a march/ protest labeled "Students Against Arpaio", in a series of actions/ protests against notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County.
-snip-
Examples of protest chants in this video:
"Hey Hey!
Ho Ho!
Sheriff Arpaio’s got to go."
**
"Ole Ole!
Ole Ole Ole!"
**
"Power!
[Power!]
Power
[Power!]
Power to the people
People power."
**
"No justice
No peace"
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post documents some examples of chants and signage that have been used in protests in Arizona [USA] in favor of immigration reform and against Maricopa County's Sherriff Arpaio (2008-2015 to date).
This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on protest chants. Other posts in this series can be found by clicking the "protest chant" tag at the bottom of this post.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all of those who participated in these protests. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the videographers & publishers of these videos on YouTube.
****
FEATURED ARTICLES
These excerpted articles are presented in chronological order with article with the oldest date given first. The sentences with chants in these articles are given in italics to highlight them.
From http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/06/19/20080619countybudget0620.html "Protesters demand crackdown on Sheriff Arpaio" June 19, 2008
"Critics of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio staged a raucous show Thursday in hopes of pressuring the Board of Supervisors to monitor more closely his enforcement of immigration laws and the amount of public money spent on lawsuits that involve his office. The protesters, hundreds strong, were unsuccessful in holding the five elected officials to any promises....
About 200 of the protesters were from a new group, the Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability. They helped pack the room to capacity, and many were sent across the plaza to watch the hearing on TV.
Many wore red T-shirts, with a message to the supervisors on the back: Stop Wasting OUR money. No more lawsuits. No more media circus. No more money for Arpaio...
The group walked out shortly after, shouting at the Supervisors and gathering in the plaza with megaphones and signs.
Chants of "No justice, no peace" gave way to "We will be back" and then to "Si se puede" the rallying cry of farmworker leader Cesar Chavez.
-snip-
Note that in that video clip, the chant "No justice, no peace" is said in unison, and not in the call & response way that it is said in majority African American protest marches & rallies.
****
From http://uncova.com/this-law-kicked-off-immigration-crackdowns-across-the-country-5-years-later-lots-of-people-still-hate-it
"This Law Kicked Off Immigration Crackdowns Across The Country. 5 Years Later, Lots Of People Still Hate It
PHOENIX -- Hundreds of protesters rallied before the Arizona state Capitol on Thursday, demanding that state police stop collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The march from the Capitol to the 4th Avenue Jail was timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of SB 1070, the Arizona law cracking down on illegal immigration that has become emblematic of conservative-led efforts to use state power to expel the undocumented...
The protest highlighted how controversial SB 1070 remains. The Supreme Court stuck down some provisions of the law in 2012, but left intact the most contentious part -- a provision instructing police to check the immigration status of those they suspect are undocumented….
Protesters, who traveled from all over the country to attend the rally, met at the state Capitol grounds, where they played music and rattled off a series of chants. Some of the rallying cries -- like "sí, se puede," or "yes, we can" -- are mainstays of Latino political protests. Others had been crafted for the occasion: "Arpaio, sin nada, se va a la chingada," the protesters chanted -- Spanish for "Arpaio, with nothing, go to hell."
This chant referred to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who, a federal judge found in 2013 had illegally profiled Latinos in his search for undocumented immigrants. Arpaio has been sitting through a contempt of court hearing this week over his noncompliance with the judge’s orders to stop detaining undocumented immigrants or no reason other than their immigration status. The sheriff has already admitted wrongdoing in an attempt to avoid the hearing, and could face jail time if the judge refers him to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to face charges of criminal contempt for defying court orders.
When they arrived at the 4th Avenue Jail, protesters broke in to a sustained chant of "jail Arpaio, not our people!" They then poured out into the street, where four of them sat down, fists raised, as the crowd chanted "aquí estamos y no nos vamos" -- "here we are, and we’re not leaving." Police arrested the four seated protesters, who refused to move."
****
From www.statepress.com/2012/03/25/...arpaio-protest/88029269 [[This is from the Google Search summary. The website is no longer active.]
"Conference spurs Arpaio protest - The State Press
www.statepress.com/2012/03/25/...arpaio-protest/88029269/
State Press
Mar 25, 2012 - ... to protest against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's tactics used to ... Sanchez rallied the crowd to chant “undocumented and unafraid” ...
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
These videos are presented in chronological order by their publishing date with the oldest video given first.
It's interesting that some of these protest chants are the same as or very similar to African American protest chants (for example "Power to the people!" and "No justice/No Peace".)
The chants that I transcribed from each video are given after the video. The words written in brackets are the response to call & response chants. All other chants are spoken in unison. I don't know enough Spanish to document the chants in these videos that are given in Spanish, except "sí, se puede". Additions and corrections are welcome.
Example #1: Thousands March Against Arpaio, 287(g) Phoenix, Arizona
Barriozona, Uploaded on Mar 7, 2009
http://www.barriozona.com/maricopa_sh...
Phoenix, Arizona. February 28, 2009 - Several thousand demonstrators protested against Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio's enforcement of immigration laws. Video by Yolie Hernandez | Edition by Eduardo Barraza | BARRIOZONA Magazine | www.hisi.org | All Rights Reserved © 2009 HISI
-snip-
The text at the end of the video is a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.
"We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools."
-snip-
Examples of protest signs in this video:
"We are human."
**
"Arpaio is not my America."
**
"Revoke Arpaio’s 287(g)"
**
"Stop I.C.E. raids and deportations." [I.C.E = Immigration and Customs Enforcement]
**
"Reform
Not
Raids"
**
"I cry daily for my daddy.
Please don’t destroy families."
**
"Your great grandparents were immigrants.
Give everyone a chance."
-snip-
Examples of protest chants in this video:
"Hey Hey!
Ho Ho!
Sheriff Arpaio’s got to go."
**
"The people
United
Will never be defeated."
**
"No more Joe!"
**
A call & response chant in Spanish:
___ [?]
[Ahora!] (translated to English: Now!]
-snip-
Note that the supporters of Sheriff Arapaio held signs saying "We Support Sheriff Joe" and chanted "USA! USA!"
****
Example #2: Students Against Arpaio (march/ protest), Phoenix, AZ, 3/23/12
Michael Royer Published on May 2, 2012
Puente Human Rights Movement organized a march/ protest labeled "Students Against Arpaio", in a series of actions/ protests against notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County.
Examples of protest chants in this video:
"Hey Hey!
Ho Ho!
Sheriff Arpaio’s got to go."
**
"Arrest Apaio
Not the people!"
-snip-
This was also written on a t shirt.
**
"Show me what community looks like.
[This is what community looks like.]
Show me what community looks like.
[This is what community looks like.]
Show me what unity looks like.
[This is what unity looks like.]
Show me what unity looks like.
[This is what unity looks like.]
Show me what the people look like.
[This is what the people look like.]"
(repeat from the beginning.)
**
My people
[What?]
I have got
[What?]
To tell the whole wide world.
This is people’s territory.
(repeat entire chant multiple times.)
-snip-
Read my comment about this chant in the comment section below.
****
Example #3: Chants from the Students Against Arpaio march/ protest, Phoenix, AZ, 3/23/12
Michael Royer, Published on May 2, 2012
Puente Human Rights Movement organized a march/ protest labeled "Students Against Arpaio", in a series of actions/ protests against notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County.
-snip-
Examples of protest chants in this video:
"Hey Hey!
Ho Ho!
Sheriff Arpaio’s got to go."
**
"Ole Ole!
Ole Ole Ole!"
**
"Power!
[Power!]
Power
[Power!]
Power to the people
People power."
**
"No justice
No peace"
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
The last chant that is transcribed for the video given in this post as Example #2 (from 1:29-2:10) has a structural pattern that is very similar to certain African American girls' foot stomping cheers. ("Foot stomping cheers" is my term for a particular sub-set of children's cheerleader cheers).
ReplyDeleteFor example, here's a portion of the foot stomping cheer "Get Down" that I collected from my daughter and her friends (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, mid 1980s):
..."Group - Hey, Shayla
Shayla - What?
Group- Hey, Shayla
Shayla - What?
Group - Show me how you get down...
Shayla- I saida D. O. W. N.
And that's the way
And that's the way
And that's the way I get down."
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/11/an-overview-of-foot-stomping-cheers.html for that complete cheer and other examples of foot stomping cheers. A description of foot stomping cheers is given in Part I of that series. The link for that post is given in Part II.
However, my guess is that the woman who led this call & response chant probably created it from a cheer (based on that 1980s foot stomping cheer) that she heard children or teens do . An example of a variant form of that 1980s foot stomping cheer can be found in a 2014 video of three White teenagers chanting a cheer entitled "Hey Cheerleaders Hey What" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSLUvK4vQMQ.
While that cheer's textual structure is quite simila to that of the "Get Down" * foot stomping cheer, its performance is quite different. Those girls in that video don't do any percussive, synchronized bass sounding foot stomping movements that were done by the African American girls who chanted that "Get Down" cheer in the 1980s. Also, foot stomping cheers were done for recreation by girls pretending to be cheerleaders, and there usually wasn't any audience. Therefore, the girls wouldn't have directed their demands to "show us how you get down" to the crowd as those "real" cheerleaders did.
*"Get Down" is African American slang for "Show me your best dance moves."
Returning to the Latino protests marches that is the focus of this post, it was interesting to note the presence of Latino men playing West African djembe drums (in each of the videos) and a person playing agogo (West African iron bell).
ReplyDeleteAlso, I noticed Latinos in these protest marches with raisedr fist in what I learned as the "black power salute".
Very informative post on Latino Protest Chants For Immigration Reform & Against Arizona Sheriff Arpaio .
ReplyDeleteimmigration attorney