Striding Boldly Into the Past

The Southern California city of Escondido (about 40 freeway miles northwest of my little hovel) has passed an ordinance making it illegal to rent any living space to "illegal aliens." The law would send landlords found to have rented to illegal aliens to jail for up to six months. Obviously, the easist way to stay out of trouble will be for Escondido apartment owners to rent only to white skinned people and to refuse to rent to people who speak with a Spanish accent or, worse yet, speak Spanish.

This law is in the long California tradition of encouraging people of color to sleep in the healthy outdoor environment of our canyon shanty towns. From the 1920 Alien Lands Act, which made it illegal in California for aliens to rent or own any property, through racially restrictive housing covenants, where landowners could legally prevent Jews, African Americans, Latinos, and Asians from buying homes in nice neighborhoods, California has been a leader in efforts to maintain the racial purity of our housing stock.

Of course, in the 1940's and 50's the Supreme Court overturned California's many restrictive laws. But, this is a new time with a new Supreme Court which can be counted on to understand the virtue of protecting Escondido's citizens from being exposed to brown skinned people speaking a strange language.