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Carlos Santana Visits Georgia, Blasts State On Immigration

ATLANTA, GA - MAY 15:  Musician Carlos Santana prior to receiving the MLB Beacon Awards at the Civil Rights game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies at Turner Field  in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kevin C. Cox
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ATLANTA, GA - MAY 15: Musician Carlos Santana prior to receiving the MLB Beacon Awards at the Civil Rights game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia.

English / Spanish

Carlos Santana made news this week, and not by playing music.

According to this article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Santana spoke out strongly against immigration legislation in Arizona and Georgia.

What made news this time was his statement that "the people of Arizona, the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves..." for passing what he considers to be anti-immigrant laws.

He made his remarks while receiving a humanitarian award in a stadium full of baseball fans before an Atlanta Braves game. The contest with the Philadelphia Phillies was Major League Baseball's annual Civil Rights Game. The other honored guests were Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman; rapper and Atlantan Ludacris performed afterward.

Santana was referencing recent legislation signed into law just last week by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal that requires employers to check on the immigration status of potential employees. It also authorizes law enforcement officials to check on the immigration status of some suspects.

It should surprise no one that Carlos Santana would speak up on social issues.

His '60s-era ideals of social justice for everyone have been firmly in place for decades, whether he was talking about farm worker rights in the '70s, apartheid South Africa in the '80s, previous immigration laws in California in the '90s or his very public support of troops fighting in the two wars the U.S. has been waging over the last decade.

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English / Spanish

Carlos Santana Visita Georgia, Expresa Fuerte Opinión Sobre Las Leyes De Inmigración

Carlos Santana hizo noticias esta semana, y no por su música.

Según un artículo publicado en el Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Santana habló en contra de las leyes de inmigración en Arizona y Georgia: "Gente de Arizona, gente de Atlanta, Georgia, debería darles vergüenza..."

Santana hizo estos comentarios cuando recibía un premio humanitario en un estadio lleno de fans de béisbol. Se trataba del juego de los derechos civiles, organizado anualmente por la liga mayor de béisbol de Estados Unidos, y en esta ocasión jugaban los Philadelphia Phillies contra los Atlanta Braves. Otros invitados de honor en el evento: Ernie Banks, legendario jugador para los Chicago Cuba, y el actor Morgan Freeman; también Ludacris, rapero de Atlanta, tocó en el evento.

Santana se estaba refiriendo a la reciente ley aprobada por el Gobernador Nathan Deal de Georgia, la cual requiere que los empleadores chequeen el estatus migratorio de sus potenciales empleados. También autoriza a que los oficiales de la ley pidan prueba de ciudadanía a quienes consideren sospechosos.

No es sorprendente que Santana exprese su opinión al respecto. En la década d 1960, el prolífico músico se estableció como un activista, y continuó dando su opinión acerca de los derechos de los trabajadores agropecuarios en los '70s, la segregación en Sudáfrica en los '80's, y las leyes migratorias en California en los 90's. También ha hecho público su apoyo por las tropas norteamericanas en el exterior.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Felix Contreras is co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010.
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