A vigil was held tonight near the Patchogue (Long Island) train station where the Ecuadorian national Marcelo Lucero was stabbed to death by seven High School students. This murder is the latest in a series of heinous crimes targeted towards immigrants of Hispanic origin. Nearby Farmingville had been the epicenter of xenophobic policies and attacks a couple of years ago. This past Saturday Marcelo was attacked by a "gang" of seven teenagers who were roaming the streets of the charming village of Patchogue with the premeditation to "jump a beaner".Now, don't get me wrong. Suffolk county is a place full of hard-working people who have moved away from the city to raise a family and own a home. Although conservative values permeate the politics of the region, a strong feeling of community and the belief that anything is possible with a good education is shared across the board. The one issue that has not been properly addressed is that of labels, in particular those that establish a demarcation between "us" and "them", that is, "illegal", "immigrant", "Mexican" and "Spanish".
These labels produce antagonistic feelings even among the sophisticated, well-traveled, and educated. This reaction is mainly due to the language utilized by the local media (News 12, Suffolk News) and right-wing politicians who bank on the us/them dichotomy to secure votes from hard-working Long Islanders whose only source of information are these unilateral news outlets.
Something has to be done in our schools, community centers, and the local media to either get rid of these labels or deconstruct the inflammatory rhetoric that often times accompanies images of day laborers "loitering" our streets. Phrases like "I hate Mexicans" must be combated by roaring crowds shouting "No more hate" just like the hundreds of people, from all walks of life, who gathered tonight to pay tribute to Marcelo.
This tragedy is an opportunity to build bridges and reach out to "them". We must start to value their hard-work ethic, perhaps the most visible common denominator among all Long Islanders, native or itinerant, English-speaking or not, documented or otherwise. Let us remind our kids that violence only breeds more violence. We must teach our children to fight fear and ignorance with love and compassion.
Que la muerte de Marcelo no haya sido en vano.
