Todos Somos 'Ilegales'
CUÉNTAME Presents New York City’s Outernational video for “Todos Somos Ilegales/We Are All Illegals.”
Featuring: Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Residente of Calle 13 and Pop/Latin Rock Producer Thom Russo - As Well As Video + Photo Submissions From Over 100 Fans Worldwide!
The video follows the album’s bilingual cinema-in-sound concept about the border, the USA and the system that criminalizes those who create the wealth it rests upon.
While bringing to the fore the lived experience and stories of immigrant people, with this release the band ridicules the absurdity and obsolescence of the very notion of human beings deemed "illegal" in the year 2012: "See that border ain't sacred or chosen, the land we stand on, every inch of it stolen, how obscene that there's people 'illegal', vilified survival, the journey is lethal," declares lead singer Miles Solay.
The message of Outernational comes behind the backdrop of President Obama’s “administrative relief” for young undocumented Americans as well as the Supreme Court’s upholding of “Papers Please” racial profiling in Arizona.
It is against the backdrop of heightened drama around issues of immigration, race, and class that Cuéntame would like to make it clear that we stand alongside and in solidarity with undocumented peoples inter Outerationally and say, “Todos Somos Ilegales/We Are All Illegals.”
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Statement from lead singer Miles Solay:
Many people are once again talking about the anti-immigrant laws in Arizona and other states and the dehumanization of immigrants. As we see it, there is no so-called 'immigration problem' but there is a capitalism problem. Together with Rene Perez Joglar, Tom Morello, Chad Smith, Thom Russo, and many others, we hope to spread the 'We Are All Illegals' music video to all corners of the US, as well as throughout Latin America with the purpose of sending a clear message that the very notion of any human being deemed illegal is obscene, absurd, and obsolete. We are also making it abundantly clear that there is a growing force of people who refuse to sit idly in the face of ominous laws. One day it will seem as ridiculous for a human being to be deemed "illegal" by a government as it now seems for one person to own another person. Just as many different kinds of people need to fight back and get justice for Trayvon Martin, many different kinds of people need to stand together with our immigrant brothers and sisters. Until that day in a future society, we hereby declare, "WE ARE ALL ILLEGALS."
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What a lot of anti-immigration zealots forget is the large number of “non-immigrants” that do exactly the same thing, minus the language barrier.
My problem is not with immigrants, unless you have Native American in your DNA, you are an immigrant. My problem is with anyone who takes anything and everything that they can get without working or contributing to society in any manner. That, in my opinion, is the problem with modern society. Lazy, worthless people who think that society owes them something. A lot of people who immigrate here work their butts off to try and provide for their families. These folks should be welcomed with open arms, not vilified because they are not “real” U.S. citizens. A track record of employment should be required as part of the permanent citizenship process.
Those who come to the US and jump on our welfare system, refuse to learn English, constantly pop out more and more kids so were even more overpopulated and are just a drain on resources.
The illegals I’m against are the ones who come here to commit crime and/or do not contribute to society.
I can see the point this song is trying to make, but it only looks at a very small perspective of the issue. Every Country has immigration laws, and believe me the US treats it’s illegal immigrants far better then many other countries do.