From Massachusetts to California, immigrants today are the target of government raids and deportations. A massive wall is being built between Mexico and the United States. Armed vigilantes, self-styled Minutemen, patrol the border. U.S. history has been marked by periodic outbursts of anti-immigrant racism fueled by jingoism. One notorious example was the case of the Italian immigrants Sacco and Vanzetti in the 1920s. Their arrest and jailing on trumped up charges was informed not only by xenophobia but also a deep hostility to their dissident politics. Their trial, presided over by a blatantly prejudiced judge, was a travesty. The case sparked a huge national and international uproar but to no avail. They were electrocuted on August 23, 1927. To this day they are remembered in story and song all over the world. This program marks the 80th anniversary of the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti.

Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn, professor emeritus at Boston University, is perhaps this country's premier radical historian. He was born in Brooklyn in 1922. His parents were poor immigrants. During World War II, he saw combat duty as an air force bombardier. After the war, he went to Columbia University on the GI Bill. He was an active figure in the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements. Today, he speaks all over the country before large and enthusiastic audiences. He's a regular contributor to "The Progressive" magazine. His masterpiece, "A People's History of the United States," continues to sell in huge numbers. His latest books are "Original Zinn" with David Barsamian, and "A Power Governments Cannot Suppress."