Pedro Aviles came to the United States from El Salvador when he was 15. Since that time, he’s been a youth activist, and a member of the Mayor’s Commission on Latino issues and he now is director of the National Capital Immigration Coalition. He is coordinating regionwide opposition to various Virginia county ordinances that seek to crack down on illegal immigration.
How did you get involved in community activism? What was your first cause?
It was during my teenage years that I got involved in organizing. Adams Morgan was being gentrified. I was a victim of that. We were kicked out. That’s how I actually became involved in community affairs.
Are you surprised to see so many Virginia counties following Prince William and Loudoun’s efforts to discourage illegal immigrants from residing in their jurisdictions?
No, I’m not surprised, but I am concerned that this kind of xenophobic and racist tension can lead to a clash between the haves and the have-nots, the undocumented and the natives, blacks against browns, whites against browns.
Is there anything anti-illegal immigration groups believe that you find reasonable?
I think there are legitimate issues in terms of “OK, if you are going to come over here, we would like for you to learn English.” OK, that sounds reasonable.
What do you most disagree with?
Just because something is a law doesn’t mean it is morally right. For many years it was lawful to discriminate in this country. For me, this is truly an issue of morality.
What do you miss about El Salvador?
I walk down the street and I know I am not dealing with the race issue. Here I have to deal with that every day. At times I feel very threatened here: When you hear the Bill O’Reillys and the Lou Dobbs and those types, you think, ‘Why am I here? Am I crazy?’ ”
