By signing a racist “show me your papers” bill into law, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has made it clear that if he can’t scare Latinos and immigrants away, he at least wants them to live in a constant state of fear and shame because of who they and their families are. This week, a group of 15 young girls plan to fight back against Abbott’s hate, donning “quinceañera” dresses for a demonstration that will both celebrate their culture and “send the message that young Latinas are standing up to the ongoing attacks on our community by our elected officials who work at the Capitol”:
At the event – which takes place on Wednesday, July 19 – the women will take turns reciting 15 reasons why they’re against SB 4. And much like at any quinceañera, the young women will perform a choreographed dance. The only difference is they’ve strictly chosen songs with strong political messages. K’naan, Residente, Riz MC, and Snow Tha Product’s “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” as well as Los Tigres del Norte’s “Somos Más Americanos” will blare through the capitol.
The quinceañeras hope their efforts will motivate other young Latinx to join the fight, and as September 1 nears, Texans’s resistance is especially crucial. Enacting the law will do more than ban sanctuary cities. SB 4, which has earned comparisons to Arizona’s “show me your papers” law (SB 1070), allows police officers to ask children about their immigration status, encourages racial profiling because of a “show me your papers” clause, and gives law enforcement permission to target the most vulnerable undocumented immigrants at homeless shelters and domestic violence centers
“The idea for Quinceañeras at the Capitol came from one of our volunteers,” Jolt organizer Tania Mejia told Remezcla. “She had been going to the Capitol for rallies and events against SB4 and saw young women taking quinceañera photos at the Capitol. We thought that this event would be a great way to show people that this is our home.”
The creative effort from the young women adds to the fierce statewide and national blowback to Abbott’s legislation, with immigrant and civil rights advocates recently pressuring the Houston City Council to pass a resolution joining El Paso County, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas in the lawsuit against the racist “show me your papers” legislation.
As the Texas Observer recently noted, Abbott’s Trumpian move stands to do “long-term damage to the Texas Republican brand,” where Latinos will be the majority by 2030, a fact not lost on those who support hateful, mass deportation efforts. As for Abbott himself, his disapproval rating among Latinos “has skyrocketed” since he signed the legislation, which is scheduled to go into effect in September.
It’s these young women who stand to be the future of Texas, not Abbott. “Quinceañeras aren’t just about parties—they are coming-of-age celebrations that strengthen the bonds of family,” Mejia said about the event this week. “They are also about uniting community in celebration, which is what we need to do to stop hateful and racist policies that hurt Latinos.”