Gov. Jan Brewer can kiss my big, strong Puerto Rican ass

Every Monday morning, I greet my first class with the brightest smile possible, even if I haven't had the day's first cup of coffee (which, fortunately, is rarely the case).

"Good morning! How was your weekend?" I ask enthusiastically. Sometimes they even respond.

"What did you read over the weekend?" is my next question, which often meets curious glances. I'm still trying to instill the idea that not only is reading outside of class acceptable, but it can often lead to further enjoyment and enrichment. It's a work in progress.

Never one to shy from controversial issues in the classroom, I then asked, "what does everyone think of the new immigration law in Arizona?"

Blank stares.

So, I pulled up a news report and filled them in. Their initial response was confusion.

"Why would anyone make a law like that?"

"How are they going to get away with that?"

The confusion quickly gave way to frustration and hurt. They knew, without my suggesting it, that this would lead to racial profiling. Most of my students have at one time or another fallen victim to profiling, and some face it on a daily basis.

What weighed heaviest on my heart, though, was the eyes of my students who are first generation immigrants. Hurt, betrayal, frustration, anger. One wrote in her creative writing assignment that day, "Why do they treat immigrants like criminals?"

According to the new law, a legal immigrant who is caught without immigration papers could be charged with a state crime. Yep. That's right. It will be illegal to leave home without their papers.

I looked into the beautiful, gentle face of R___, one of my top students, and a scene flashed before my eyes. I saw her hurriedly racing from school to work (the young woman is always in class, at work, or studying), and being pulled over by a police officer because she looked suspicious. What if she had rushed out the door that morning without her papers? I saw them arresting her, processing her, charging her a fine that she most certainly couldn't pay.

Even if she were not arrested, even if she produced her papers when they were demanded, I can not imagine the humiliation of being singled out, pulled over, and questioned to prove that she belonged in the country that she has made her home, that she has worked feverishly night and day to make her home. She does not deserve to be treated this way in her own home, nor does a visitor deserve this treatment. It's demeaning, demoralizing, and downright cruel.

My father is still searched more thoroughly in the airport than his fairer skinned friends and family. This is only one example of the times I've seen him singled out or left out because of his skin color. I cringe when I see this proud, loving man treated as less than. Even a college education and a lifetime of white collar work has not rescued him from insidious racism.

We wonder why we still struggle so much with race relations in this country. Really? It seems that we are going out of our way to bolster the mistrust between people, to damage tenuous relationships.

Shame on you, Jan Brewer, for giving into the fear and overreaction of a few of your constituents. This was an unwise move that reflects poorly on your state and sets us back decades.