Before Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. checked into an Arizona rehabilitation facility to be treated for a “mood disorder,” his father called for a boycott of the state over an immigration law passed in 2010.
Arizona’s immigration law, known as SB 1070, requires police to request papers of any person they believe to be an illegal immigrant. Rev. Jesse Jackson argued it would lead to racial profiling of Mexican-Americans.
“Really, it’s a form of terrorism, for the innocent, not just for the guilty,” Rev. Jackson told MSNBC. “You look suspicious because you are Mexican.”
In a 2010 May Day march in Chicago, Jackson went further. During a rally in Union Park, he promised “we will boycott Arizona until they rejoin the Union. Repeat, boycott until they rejoin the Union.”
Before the 2011 Major League All-Star Game, which was held at Chase Field in Phoenix, Rev. Jackson urged players to speak out against Arizona’s immigration law, saying they would be following the example of Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
The Supreme Court ruled some aspects of the law unconstitutional last month but still allowed police to ask for papers.
Rep. Jackson is not responsible for everything his father says, nor is he expected to agree with his father on every issue. But it’s safe to say the Jackson family’s boycott of Arizona is over.
