NEW YORK, New York… May 18, 2010. Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (OPBSI) is uniting with fellow Latinos in opposition to Senate Bill 1070. The Bill, also known as Supporting Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, was recently signed by Governor Jan Brewer and is scheduled to go into effect on July 28, 2010, ninety days after the legislative session ends.

OPBSI firmly stands behind its principles of diversity and inclusion as well as its vision of a world without oppression. Conversely, the interpretation of Senate Bill 1070 is susceptible to promote racial profiling and discrimination as it gives authority and jurisdiction to state and local police officers, including those on college campuses, to ask those whom they suspect to be illegal immigrants to provide evidence of their being in the country legally.

In response to Senate Bill 1070 several entities of OPBSI have connected with other fraternal and community-based organizations to spread awareness of the issue nationwide. Phi Chapter of OPBSI at University of Southern California participated in a Solidarity Demonstration against Senate Bill 1070 in April. Similarly, Eta Chapter at Rochester Institute of Technology, University at Rochester, and SUNY Brockport University took part in a rally on May 1 in opposition to the legislation (read more here). Upsilon Chapter at Rutgers University had t-shirts made with "Do I Look Illegal?" printed on the front, which they wore alongside other Rutgers University student organizations on May 16 at New York City's AIDS Walk. Psi Chapter at DePauw University facilitated a rally addressing legislation in Arizona and racism on their campus. Finally, Beta Beta Chapter at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign participated in a march in front of the Champaign Court House.

In addition to the efforts made by its entities, OPBSI supports the efforts of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) to challenge the Bill’s violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause which gives the federal government authority over the states in immigration matters and declares that only the federal government can enact and enforce immigration laws.

OPBSI is hopeful for change and invites you to take action and promote unity for the Latino community in Arizona.

 

Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, a NALFO organization member, is a Latina-oriented sorority founded on March 15, 1989, at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Seventeen women of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds came together to defy the injustices suffered by women, particularly women of color, in the academic, professional and political arenas. The purpose of OPBSI is to serve and educate people of diverse backgrounds through sisterhood, leadership, and guidance. As positive role models, we promote unity of all cultures, focus on the empowerment of our gender and raise the standards of excellence in our academic, social, and personal endeavors. For further information visit: www.OmegaPhiBeta.org.

 

# # #