Chicago Businessman calls on Africans to fight US Discriminatory Policies

A Chicago businessman has called on fellow Africans to fight immigration policies that discriminate against Africans and people of African origin. Mr. Joseph V. Amankwah was reacting to the 14-3 vote by the Cook County commissioners, led by John Stroger (a Blackman) to recognize identification cards from a dozen Central and South American consulates.

The county ordinance, known as the "Matricula Consular" will help legal and illegal immigrants get health, banking and other services. Identification cards from the Mexican consulate in Chicago already are recognized.

Mr. Amankwah, who holds a bachelors degree in business administration, voiced his concerns about the adoption of such policies across states,cities and counties in the United States, that give preferential treatment to Mexicans, Cubans and immigrants of other South American countries.

He was furious that a demographically diverse community such as Cook County in Chicago, with the largest immigrant African population, could be practicing policies that favored a section of its inhabitants. He compared such policies to the then Apartheid system in South Africa where all people are not considered as equal.

Mr. Amankwah appealed to the Ghana National Council of Metropolitan Chicago, the Nigerian National alliance and the caucus of African consulates in Chicago to fight this latest face of apartheid ordinance to the hilt.