Post 9/11 film explores racism, patriotism and fear in America

By Brenda Norrell

TUCSON -- Cynthia Weber's new film, "I am an American," screened tonight in Tucson. The film is a portrait of post 9/11 America, revealing the lives of migrants and Minutemen; patriots and political refugees.
"I am an American," shares the voices of US servicemen who were honored to be an American, and others who either fled America or were brutalized and criminalized by systematic hatred and racial prejudice. Fathers, mothers and children tell their own stories.
The profiles range from Katrina victims pondering being refugees in their homeland to a Chinese Muslim army chaplain prosecuted as an enemy combatant. Shanti Sellz, a humanitarian lending aid to migrants on the Arizona border with No More Deaths, describes her arrest for helping save the lives of migrants.
With these voices, the film documents the post 9/11 hysteria which resulted in prosecution of the innocent, inhumane police and court actions and US violations of human decency. However, it also gives the Minutemen and a proud soldier, fast tracked to citizenship, a voice.
Weber, who makes her home in England, showed the film as a fundraiser for Derechos Humanos, No More Deaths and O'odham Voice Against the Wall. The screening was at the Armory building downtown.
In the film, Ofelia Rivas, interviewed at her home on Tohono O'odham land, describes the violations of human rights and dignity carried out by the US Border Patrol on a regular basis. Rivas descibes how many O'odham, including herself, were born at home and do not have birth certificates. She also described how an agent pointed a gun at her head and demanded she identify herself as an American citizen. She said the O'odham want others to know this: "We do live on both sides of that border and we do continue to cross."
During the screening, Rivas spoke on how the US/Mexico border wall has become a barrier for ceremonies and violated the religious rights of the O'odham, who have lived in this territory since time immemorial.
After the screening, Rivas said it is good that this film is carrying the O'odham voice to England and elsewhere. Rivas said the film shows the diversity of people in America.
"Maybe people can see what is happening to the original people.
"It does show the faces of true Americans. We are not all white, elite people."
Although the rights on paper in the US are supposedly guaranteed, in reality, they are not.
Rivas said it takes more than just casting a vote to bring about a change; people must stand up for their rights.
"We can't just allow this United States government system to push us around any more."
Crossing the US/Mexico border, which divides O'odham communities, has become more difficult than ever. The traditional O'odham find it difficult to find help anywhere. "We have not received any kind of assistance from the Tohono O'odham Nation as traditional people."
Rivas said the O'odham traditional crossing has been cut off by the US vehicle barrier. Now, the elders returning form ceremonies are subjected to harassment by the US Border Patrol. The agents always consider O'odham elders as "suspects," as drug dealers or smugglers. The elders are fearful and must endure the rude agents.
"It is not a good situation when we have just been to ceremonies."
Rivas said the earth is going through a healing now and there has been a lot of rain. She said there are many changes, including changes in nature.
"If we don't follow our traditional ways, we are in for a lot of problems."
"I just encourage people to remain strong."
AUDIO: Listen to Ofelia Rivas' reaction to the new film tonight:
--Click on link
--Click on file name "Ofelia Rivas" in white box
http://censored-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/audio-ofelia-rivas-oodham-voice-against.html
AUDIO: Cynthia Weber's describes the origin of the film:
http://censored-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/audio-race-and-america-filmmaker.html
About the film, "I am an American" by Cynthia Weber
Interviewed in the film:
-Iraq war veteran Guadalupe Denogean, who became a "fast-tracked" US citizen
-Iraq war resisters Phil McDowell and Jamine Apointe, who are seeking political refugee status in Canada
-Peace activist Fernando Suarez del Solar, who refused posthumous US citizenship for his soldier son Jesus who was killed in Iraq
-Undocumented immigrant Elvira Arellano, who until July 2007 was in sanctuary in a US church fighting deportation so she could remain with her US citizen son Saul
-The founder of the Minuteman Civil Defence Corps, Chris Simcox, who organises civilian patrols along US borders
-Human-rights activist with the No More Deaths group, Shanti Sellz, who with Daniel Strauss was arrested for transporting undocumented immigrants to a hospital
-Indigenous-rights activist Ofelia Rivas, who is fighting the construction of the US-Mexico border fence that will divide her nation
-Indigenous-rights activist Jose Matus, who heads the Indigenous Alliance Without Borders project
-Hurricane Katrina evacuees Greg and Glenda Avery, who have at times been treated more like "refugees" than US citizens in their own country
-US army Muslim chaplain James Yee, who was detained by the US government as an enemy combatant.
Weber says, "What I hope my films express is how these US Americans live their differences in an often less-than-tolerant and increasingly disunited nation."