Anti-immigrant sentiment grows into nationwide hate crimes

Final Call ^ | 5-21-06

[SJackson]

Anti-immigrant sentiment grows into nationwide hate crimes By Charlene Muhammad Updated May 16, 2006, 03:32 pm

 

Protesting students from across California march towards city hall in Los Angeles, Apr. 15. The march is dedicated to 14-year-old Anthony Soltero, who committed suicide after allegedly being threatened by a school official for participating in immigration protests. Photo: AP/World Wide Photos

LOS ANGELES (FinalCall.com) - As nationwide pro-immigrant conferences, marches and rallies continue alongside the increasing debate over immigration reform legislation, anti-immigrant sentiments are transforming into hate crimes against immigrants, particularly Latinos.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently informed that some Latino officials, including California Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have received hateful death threats. The announcement came in the midst of mass, nationwide immigrant rights marches, during which millions of Latino and other immigrants saturated the streets of major U.S. cities, including L.A., Chicago, Phoenix, Houston and San Francisco.

According to news reports, an aide to Lt. Gov. Bustamante recalled that he received a postcard that read, “All you dirty Mexicans should go back to Mexico. The only good Mexican is a dead Mexican.” In response, Mayor Villaraigosa stated that such threats come with the territory. The hateful sentiments are not exclusive to political officials. On Apr. 10, the Mariachi’s Mexican Bar and Grill in San Diego was vandalized and set on fire. The act was ruled a hate crime by police.

Half-a-million people were reported in attendance for the Immigration Reform Boycott demonstration in Chicago, Illinois, one of many throughout the country. Speakers for the day included Nation of Islam Minister Ishmael Muhammad (above) and Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez (middle). Photo: Steven Muhammad

Meanwhile, in Texas, two White teenagers charged with the sexual aggravated assault of a 16-year-old Latino boy will not face hate-crime charges. According to reports, 18-year-old David Henry Tuck and 17-year-old Keith Robert Turner allegedly dragged, sodomized with a plastic pipe, poured bleach onto, and stomped and beat the Latino youth, after he tried to kiss a 12-year-old White girl. If convicted of sexual assault, the teens face five years to life in prison, or the death penalty if the youth dies.

Hate crime activists note that media images play a major role in the proliferation and implementation of violent speech and acts against ethnic groups. They point to the video game “Border Patrol” as one of the latest image impact tools used to foster hate against Latino immigrants.

“Border Patrol”—deemed a racist, flash-based video game—portrays 88 Latino men, women and children running swiftly across a small blue strip of water under the image of a gun’s telescope. The players shoot at them as they try to “cross the border” and earn high points if they successfully hit pregnant women with children.

Armando Gudino, program director at the Pacifica Network’s KPFK/90.7 FM in Hollywood, Calif., said that it is important that everybody keep in mind that political socialization through the media and the way one acquires norms of behavior and thought patterns are inevitable.

Like other media watch groups and advocates, Mr. Gudino believes that media reporting will undoubtedly have an impact on the continuing culture of violence that people perpetuate as a result of what they see. That, in turn, he stated, leads to a welcoming environment, or lack thereof, for the new generation of migrants or immigrants that continue to come to this country.

Mr. Gudino labeled “Border Patrol” unacceptable, said it should be banned, and called for criminal liability against its creators.

“It’s atrocious, blatant racism and it’s no different than the cartoon that depicted the Prophet Muhammad as they did in Europe and no different than the cartoons in slavery that depicted African Americans being lynched. It also illustrates the level of ignorance on the part of those committing these crimes and those are a reflection of the general population, which supports this kind of legislation,” Mr. Gudino added. “What’s worse is that this is an ongoing electronic media that allows people to live out these fantasies of murder and genocide against a people. They’re encouraging death and destruction.”

[johnboy]

i wonder if i'm the only one who was able to get to the bottom of this article? 'cause there, at the bottom, so and so refers to "genocide." as in americans are committing genocide against mexicans.

huh?!?

per merriam-webster (and, by the way, i do own a 195(6?) (7?) edition):

Main Entry: geno·cide Pronunciation: 'je-n&-"sId Function: noun : the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group.

hmm. funny, i thought that this is actually a pretty good description of what is being done to americans.

[ViLaLuz]

"Anti-immigrant sentiment grows into nationwide hate crimes"

What a crock. The true title is "Politically correct media falsely accuses nationwide hate crimes in attempt to muzzle those with anti-illegal immigration sentiment."

[WOSG]

Need a sense of proportion, here. These isolated incidents are statistically quite insignificant compared to the murder, rape, and mayhem perpetrated by illegal aliens. In California they account for 40% of the prison population. In L.A., over 90% of those wanted to face homicide charges are illegals."

While true, the use of these aggravations is a part of both mob mentalities and the professional victimization-political-class use of the race card.

Tying political positions to horrible crimes (remember NAACP ad against bush that used the racist murder in Texas) is a tried-and-true way to create class and race conflict.
In a twisted way, these greivances and marches remind me most of the days of racist white lynch mobs - use a crime to whip up some hate and fury. At least here it is peaceful and the fury is political only....

"Mr. Gudino labeled “Border Patrol” unacceptable, said it should be banned, and called for criminal liability against its creators. "It’s atrocious, blatant racism and it’s no different than the cartoon that depicted the Prophet Muhammad as they did in Europe and no different than the cartoons in slavery that depicted African Americans being lynched. "

... hmmm, goodbye 1st amendment.

[WOSG]

"The video game is appalling and the two Texas boys deserve prison. But why don't we ever hear anything about Latino hate-crimes against whites? Why isn't that news?"

Shelby Steele. White Guilt. "nuff said.

[devolve]

AMERICANS_KILLED_IN_2003_BY_ILLEGALS

FBI-DOJ_4380+4745=9125



MEXICO'S_TAX_COMPLIANCE_RATE=11%

[USA = 89%]

[johnboy]

you wrote: AMERICANS_KILLED_IN_2003_BY_ILLEGALS FBI-DOJ_4380+4745=9125

not wishing to appear lazy and/or incompetent, nevertheless, might you have a link?