Community Voice: Palestinian Resistance is a Latinx Issue
Negligence by oppressors connects communities across borders—from the disregard of local government during Cicero’s recent flooding to the oppression of Palestinians facing displacement and genocide. Police in Cicero and forces like the IDF in Palestine embody systems that undervalue and marginalize these communities. Illustration by Ayla Mortado
By José Quinones
Oppression has been at the forefront of many resistances, including those experienced within the Latinx community by white Americans, mirroring the challenges faced in the Cicero community.
Oppression from a government that won’t listen. Oppression from voices not being heard. Yet, that challenge is minimal compared to the oppression felt by our Palestinian siblings halfway around the world.
You may ask yourself, “What is even happening?”
Currently, Gaza is under a siege by Israel for the events that took place on October 7th. The Israel government is indiscriminately bombing civilians under the guise of “eradicating Hamas.” The death toll has surpassed more than 40,000 Palestinians, around two-thirds of those murdered are women and children. The Israeli government is led by a far-right figurehead, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the Prime Minister and was able to be re-elected into office last summer by strong support from ultra-orthodox and religious Zionists, according to Vox.
While that doesn’t fully explain the extent of the current suffering of the Palestinians, it showcases their oppression from a government that doesn’t recognize them as fully human.
Recently, when the town went through flooding caused by heavy rainfall, it yet again revealed how poorly the Town of Cicero thinks of its residents. My mom and aunt went to the Town Hall to ask questions about the nonexistent support they were getting from the town regarding damages caused. They were met with town workers who refused to tell them when and where the hearing was happening.
The Cicero community often feels ignored not only by local government officials but also by the U.S. government, which has frequently vilified our communities and treated us as inferior individuals.
Latinx Communities and the Interconnectedness of Oppression
The fear and loss tied to forced displacement connect immigrant communities here with Palestinians experiencing the Nakba. Both share the painful reality of leaving behind the homes they once knew. Illustration by Ayla Mortado
Most people don’t understand that the oppression of one group is an oppression on all of us.
I sat down with a friend, Omar Asad, who is Palestinian. Omar is now in his 30s and lives in the city, but remembers his brief stint living in Cicero with his family. In short, he recalls how family-friendly and tight-knit the community was and how neighbors looked out for each other.
“We can’t be selective with our human rights. We shouldn’t. There shouldn’t be conditions for our vigilance and who we look out for,” said Asad.
Asad explained that his family was affected by the Nakba and mentioned how inhumane the checkpoints are in Gaza.
The Nakba, or 'the catastrophe,' involved the displacement of numerous Palestinian families from their homes by Zionist Jewish settlers. Palestinians were exiled from their homes, sent to live in the Gaza Strip and moved to the occupied West Bank, according to Britannica.
“I visited when I was younger and this guard at the checkpoint was giving my parents a hard time,” Asad said. “When he wrote down my name when I went into Gaza, he wrote down my information incorrectly on purpose. My mom was detained when we came back out, because my info didn’t match what was written.”
The fear of being detained, much like our migrant neighbors in Cicero, is visible with the conditions many Palestinians were living under before the events of October 7th.
Back in 1998, when I was 8 years old, my undocumented cousin worked at a factory in the city. Randomly, one day, ICE showed up to her work and asked for proof of citizenship. Since my cousin didn’t have any, she and several of her coworkers/friends were deported back to Mexico.
The oppression felt by our Palestinian siblings is intertwined with our own oppression and liberation. The residents of Cicero should know first-hand how it feels to be treated less than others. Their struggle to flee their home, either because they were forced to or in search of something better, is a similar experience to that of the Palestinian plight.
While not everything is black and white in terms of similarities, it’s those gray areas that truly connect us in our struggle for a just world and dignity.
A free Palestine means the opportunity to break free from the shackles of those who want to undermine us. It means knowing that the liberation of one group is possible for others who could also suffer the same.
José Quiñones, a Cicero native with family still in the area, now lives in Chicago and works in tech. As a first-generation Latinx and queer individual, he brings a unique perspective to local issues and their intersections with global challenges, which impact his communities in powerful ways.
Our “Community Voice” section gives Cicero and Berwyn residents an opportunity to share their thoughts, experiences and opinions. Information is fact-checked for accuracy. To contribute a “Community Voice” article email info@ciceroindependiente.com.
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