Video: Wilmer Valderrama Sounds Off On SB 1070

By Elis T. Ortiz

Recent arrests have been made under Senate Bill 1070 and the debate over how it will continue to be enforced is far from over.

Recientemente hablamos con el actor venezolano Wilmer Valderrama acerca de este tema,
and he has a very clear opinion on the matter. Miren este videoclip of Valderrama during his interview with Tr3s at the New York International Latino Film Festival:

Born in Miami, Wilmer moved to Venezuela with his family at the age of 3 and came back to the U.S. a decade later. Con mucho trabajo y esfuerzo, Wilmer ha logrado captar ese sueño americano . He feels it's "shameful" that "we are called the United States of America, but we are not United." He also cites that, with the exception of Native Americans, we are all immigrants or can trace our roots to immigrants.

Wilmer isn't the only celeb who opposes Arizona's SB 1070. Many entertainers have joined The Sound Strike (minus Lady Gaga), refusing to perform in the state as long as this law continues to exist as written. Artistas latinoamericanos han dejado en claro que apoyan a los inmigrantes de Arizona y se han unido al esfuerzo. There are those who've posed the question of whether the same policies would be taken up with regards to our neighbors to the North.

Many feel that it isn't possible to enforce this law without racial profiling and violating basic civil rights when the only thing officers require in order to detain someone is to have "reasonable suspicion" that they're in the state illegally. On July 28th, District Judge Susan Bolton ruled to modify the law, but activist group Copwatch has reported that Tucson police are enforcing banned portions of SB 1070 anyway.

Activist group Cuéntame, which boasts a membership of close to 40,000, funded and set up a billboard in Pheonix on August 9 that reads "Have Your Papers Ready, Racial Profiling Just Ahead." They intend to send a strong message to the governor and those who have consistently supported the law.

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Tags Cultura, Exclusive Entrevistas, Immigration, new york international latino film festival, Politics, SB 1070, Video, Videos, Wilmer Va