[KR: In the case of immigrants and transnationalism, the work of consulates is typically treated as from "above" and the activism of residents as from "below." This story complicates the framework, of an individual consul who innovated beyond what the Mexican government may have envisioned.]
Outcry over consul’s removal in Santa Ana
Community leaders say Luis Miguel Ortiz Haro can’t be replaced and plan to protest. The Mexican government asserts that it’s a routine change.
By Jennifer Delson
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 14, 2007
The Mexican government has announced that it will remove Consul Luis Miguel Ortiz Haro from Santa Ana, provoking ire among community leaders who view him as an outspoken and unbending advocate for immigrants in Orange County.
Community leaders are collecting signatures to petition for his reinstatement and planning a trip to Mexico City to speak with government officials. They are also planning to protest when Mexico President Felipe Calderon visits Los Angeles next month.
Some residents in this largely Latino city say they have found in Ortiz Haro the sort of fiery leader the town has lacked in recent years.