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Marcelo Lucero, six months later

Posted May 8, 2009 by Patrick Young, Esq.

Marcelo Lucero was attacked last November 8 by a group of seven young men next to the train station in Patchogue on Long Island. His murder has become a symbol of the growing violence against immigrants that has taken the lives two immigrants from Cape Verde in Massachussetts, two Chilean students in Florida, a Mexican immigrant in Pennsylvania, and another Ecuadoran immigrant in New York City. Media coverage of his killing was extensive thoughout the United States, Latin America, and parts of Europe. Last week, Law & Order even presented a fictional account of his story.
Most Long Islanders were horrified to learn of this killing. Their discomfort was compounded when they found out that the same teens had attacked a dozen times before, and that nothing had been done to stop them. Failures by the police and politicians to learn about and correct the dangerous conditions that had been fostered by a rhetoric of hatred in Suffolk left most of us dumbfounded. And many of us resolved to change that situation.
Thousands of Long Islanders participated in Stop the Hate events and religious observances in both Nassau and Suffolk counties in the weeks after the killing. Scores showed up to speak at the Suffolk Legislature to call for an investigation into the events leading up to Lucero’s death. Some politicians took up the challenge of reaching out to the Latino community. Notable were Paul Pontierri, mayor of Patchogue, who admitted he had not done enough to learn of the fear immigrant residents of his village lived with and set out to change that. Vivian Villoria Fisher and Rick Montano, along with Phil Ramos, continued their efforts on behalf of the community, and new legislator DuWayne Gregory stepped forward to provide new ideas.
Other members of Suffolk’s political class saw the post-Lucero period as a time for business as usual. Police Commission Dormer, after trumpeting his “confidentiality policy” for immigrant crime victims, refused to release it to the Latino community except through the Freedom of Information Law process. We are still waiting to see that policy.
And Steve Levy, after proclaiming the brutal death of a man a “one day story”, has continued to blame “the advocates” for the poor state of relations between county government and the Latino community.
So much has changed in Suffolk over the last six months, except at the top.
TAKE ACTION: Please go to the Long Island Immigrant Alliance Vigil Friday May 8, 2009, remembering Marcelo Lucero
The Long Island Immigrant Alliance is holding a vigil to mark the six month anniversary of the death of Ecuadoran immigrant Marcelo Lucero.
The vigil will be on Friday, May 8, 2009, at 7PM at the place where Marcelo Lucero was killed after being attacked by seven young men. The vigil will be at Railroad Ave. and Sephton St. in Patchogue, next to the railroad station. Luis Valenzuela of Long Island Immigrant Alliance is organizing the vigil. For more info, contact him or Ed Roldan at 631-789-0720.

Tags : hate crimes, hate watch, marcelo lucero, steve levy, suffolk

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