Young Conservatives of Texas UT Chapter Cancels Catch An Illegal Immigrant Game
The University of Texas chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas will have to find another way to vent their frustrations against the issue of undocumented Latino immigrants, as officials have canceled their controversial "Catch An Illegal Immigrant" game after the vociferous public outcry.
According to NPR, the game was founded by the chapter's president (himself, ironically, a Hispanic-American). Lorenzo Garcia said he called off the game because he "feared retaliation" from the university officials, and he was also concerned that his "volunteers" faced a safety issue.
According to the chapter's Facebook page (via The Los Angeles Times), the offensive game was to be played as follows: a select group of students would walk around campus wearing an "illegal immigrant" sign. The (presumably white) students who "caught" these illegal immigrants and brought them back to the Young Republicans of Texas headquarters would receive a $25 gift card.
Garcia argued that the game was meant to provoke debate and discussion on a so-called "hot button" issue. “The purpose of this event is to spark a campus-wide discussion about the issue of illegal immigration, and how it affects our everyday lives,” he said.
The University of Texas's officials, however, disagree. “Such tactics are inflammatory and demeaning. And once again in trying to be provocative, the YCT is contributing to an environment of exclusion and disrespect among our students, faculty and staff by sending the message that certain students do not belong on our campus,” said the university’s vice president for diversity and community engagement, Gregory J. Vincent.
When the event was canceled, Garcia released a statement, saying that such cancellation was a violation of his First Amendment rights. He also said that he was "shocked" that he was called a "frontman" and an "Uncle Tom" by opponents to the game. “Students on college campuses, conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between, should not be silenced when they attempt to make their voices heard about a subject that is so important to our futures,” he said.
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