Michele R. Marcucci is a staff writer for the ANG Newspapers Group who appears to be based out of the Oakland Tribune. She offers the long article "Immigration group may not be what they seem" (orovillemr . com/news/bayarea/ci_4777376). It would be good journalism if she covered all sides of the issue, which she does not. Instead, while she reports on two supposed "nonwhite" groups actually being initiated by - gasp! - white people, she doesn't report on questionable activities by those on her apparent side of the issue. It reads like something ripped from the pages of the SPLC, and in fact the article appears to have been fashioned from their "research". Those on her side are considered to be the gold standard of truth; those on the other side are condemned with innuendo:

Pro-immigrant advocacy organizations say Vietnamese for Fair Immigration (fairimmigration . com) may be one of an increasing number of groups that appear to be nonwhites gathering to ask for greater immigration controls, but are actually groups started with help from whites or from major, mostly white anti-immigrant groups that are seeking greater legitimacy for their views.

One wonders why they would be seeking "legitimacy" for views that are widely held. Marcucci is obviously assuming that those views are somehow disreputable.

As for VFI, they have unbelievably wasted their money on a billboard in Berkeley saying "No Racist Amnesty", and refering to the pro-Mexico bias in the proposed amnesty schemes. It turns out that the head of the group is one Tim Brummer, but he had presented himself as "Tim Binh" and initially denied that the first was his real name. Certainly a stupid move. (That might be a picture of him and his wife and daughter on the billboard and on their site).

Now for the other group:

Earlier this year, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, one of the nation's largest immigration control groups, created and backed a group called Choose Black America, which was supposed to be an organization created by blacks who feel illegal immigration has hurt blacks. But its leaders later acknowledged their kickoff press conference in May was funded by FAIR. And they were unable to name any of Choose Black America's members when asked.

In the next paragraph, we're informed that the Southern Poverty Law Center not only has "tracked such groups" but "broke the story about Choose Black America". Actually, while the 5/19/06 press release [1] announcing the 5/23 press conference doesn't mention FAIR, it does give the name Ira Mehlman as a contact person. He works for FAIR and has been quoted in countless newspaper articles, including the current one. If FAIR were trying to hide their involvement that's an extremely sloppy thing to do. And, the 5/24 Washington Times article [2] discussing the press conference of the previous day says this:

Choose Black America is the second minority-based group created by the District-based Federation for American Immigration Reform that opposes illegal entry... FAIR last month helped create "You Don't Speak for Me," a national coalition of Hispanic Americans who oppose the idea of amnesty for illegal aliens and who spoke out against immigration rallies held recently.

Obviously, while FAIR wasn't trumpeting their involvement from the rooftops, they also weren't trying to hide their involvement as Marcucci implies. You can read the SPLC's "ground-breaking" interview with two participants here: splcenter . org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=673. She also smears VDare over this article, and accuses Mehlman of FAIR of seeking "legitimacy" in a truly McCarthy-esque fashion.

If Marcucci wants to offer a less biased report, she can now go ask the members of the various pro-illegal immigration groups that were formed to agitate foreign citizens to make shows of force in our streets to name the other members of their various coalitions. For instance, she could start with the Fair Immigration Reform Movement or the We Are America Alliance.

Even better, she could give her readers background information on the SPLC, such as disclosing that they have at least one indirect link to the Mexican government. Or, she could discuss their academic McCarthyism. Or, their other issues discussed here [3], in The Church of Morris Dees [4]. It's not like this information is hidden [5] Why is she considering such a group to be the gold standard of truth?

This might be the wrong contact person, but the Oakland Tribune's Managing Editor is Leanne McLaughlin: lmclaughlin *at* angnewspapers.com

[1] releases.usnewswire . com/GetRelease.asp?id=66145
[2] washtimes . com/metro/20060523-112231-6327r.htm
[3] discoverthenetwork . org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6989
[4] freerepublic . com/forum/a3a3e5cb925c4.htm
[5] en . wikipedia .
org/ wiki / Southern_Poverty_Law_Center#Critical