THE PROBLEM

With an immigrant population that has more than doubled since 1980, and far outpaced the growth of the general population, Long Island has seen many of the same challenges that face other areas of the country experiencing rapid increases in recent immigration.  Language barriers, cultural differences, and widespread misinformation and myths have created division between our newest immigrant neighbors and the residents whose families immigrated fifty, one-hundred, or two-hundred years ago.  This growing division - left unaddressed - has led to fear, uncertainty, and mistrust among the people of our communities.

The murder of Marcelo Lucero in November 2008 was the tragic result of our unwillingness to address this growing tension in our society.  It was a dramatic moment in a long series of violent attacks against immigrants - and those perceived to be immigrants - that has engulfed our communities over the past decade.  When we allow intolerance, fear, and uncertainty to go unchecked we all suffer the consequences.  In the case of Marcelo Lucero: a man lost his life, children and families must live with the cost of poor choices made, and an entire community is left broken.

THE SOLUTION

Welcoming Long Island is a grassroots campaign to build strong communities on Long island based on the idea that communities are safer and stronger when neighbors educate themselves and engage in dialogue with each other.  Using these two basic tools we create a climate of trust and respect on Long Island, offering communities a way out of the cycle of fear and violence.