Santana blasts Georgia immigration bill before Braves game

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By Carroll Rogers

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Legendary rock guitarist Carlos Santana, in town to be honored for a “Beacon of Change” award at Sunday’s MLB Civil Rights Game at Turner Field, called the state's new immigration law "anti-American."

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Musician Carlos Santana makes some critical remarks about immigration upon accepting the Beacon of Change award during the MLB Civil Rights Game at Turner Field in Atlanta on Sunday, May 15, 2011.

Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com Musician Carlos Santana makes some critical remarks about immigration upon accepting the Beacon of Change award during the MLB Civil Rights Game at Turner Field in Atlanta on Sunday, May 15, 2011.

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Santana took his turn at the podium on the field in a pre-game ceremony before the Braves-Phillies game to criticize the immigration bill just signed into law by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal Friday.

“I represent the human race,” the Mexican-born Carlos Santana said. “The people of Arizona, the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

The Georgia immigration law, HB 87, cracks down on illegal immigration by increasing enforcement powers and requiring many employers to check the immigration status of new hires.

Supporters of the new state law have long contended it's needed because the federal government has failed to adequately enforce the nation's immigration laws. One estimate ranks Georgia seventh nationally among states with an estimated 425,000 illegal immigrants.

Shortly after the game started, Santana met with the media in an impromptu gathering in the Turner Field press box after word of his comments began to break on the Internet and through social media.

He said the law is based on racism and economic anxiety.

“This is about fear, that people are going to steal my job,” Santana said of the law. “No we ain’t. You don’t clean toilets and clean sheets, stop shucking and jiving.”

Santana referenced his 1960s rock-n-roll background and said he is an artist unafraid to speak out.

"It’s an anti-American law. It’s a cruel law, actually," Santana said. "If you all remember what it was like here with Martin Luther King and the dogs and the hoses, it’s the same thing, only it’s high tech. So let’s change it.”

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