Would you overlook a highly qualified employee applying for a promotion because she is a woman? Or ridicule a classmate because he is openly gay? How about murdering a gifted athlete because he is “Mexican?” Whether or not they would have been in favor of the first two predicaments, a gang of seven white teenagers found the third acceptable. With the intentions of “find[ing] some Mexicans to fuck up” (Jessie par. 7), the seventeen-year-olds drove near the
Long Island Railroad station and found two Ecuadorian men walking; the boys jumped out of their car and proceeded to stab one man, Marcello Lucero, to death whilst the other managed to escape and later identify the criminals. Lucero, a 16-year resident in the United States, moved from Ecuador to seek a better life; little did he know that he would ultimately become the victim of a hate crime - aimed at a nationality completely different from his own! Racism came out in full force on that fateful night of November 8th, 2008, and the brutal attack showcased the notion that “racists are unable to, or perhaps unwilling to, distinguish between someone who is Mexican and someone who is Ecuadorian; it speaks to the vast well of ignorance that fuels white supremacy” (Jessie, par. 3). In the grand scheme, and regardless of white supremacy (black, Asian, etc. supremacies included), ignorance propels racism to new boundaries.
The gang of murderers went out with the purpose of maiming someone different from themselves based merely on a label. The term “Mexican” not only wrongly provided an outlet for the teenagers’ aggression, but also the encouragement of ignorance in an “affluent, suburban, north-eastern U.S.” (Jessie par. 8) neighborhood. The racists committed a brutal attack because of what they have heard or seen, instead of what they have learned. Had they allowed time to get to know Lucero, they would have discovered that he moved from Ecuador 16 years ago, was a sports fanatic, and that he was, in fact, not Mexican. But because of perceived similarities Hispanics may share, he became a victim of unawareness. A comparable situation parallels this affair in T.C. Boyle’s The Tortilla Curtain: a Mexican man is struck by a car and as far as compensation goes, the man receives $20 “blood money” (Boyle 11) – no apology, no paramedics, no interaction to speak of (regarding his well-being). The white driver, Delaney, is entirely concerned with “his car, his insurance rates” (Boyle 4); Delaney places himself above the man he just ran his $30,000 car over, likewise to how the murderers obviously felt. “Mexican” gives both Delaney and the gang a sense of justification. As if it is an acceptable reason for their actions, it seems
that the wrongdoers hide behind the label. The gang’s plead of “not guilty” showcases their irresponsibility when it comes to admitting their faults; their ignorance leads to these assumed feelings of superiority. Likewise, Delaney felt justified in his weak compensation because “he was Mexican” (Boyle 15). The foundation for this prejudice lies in America’s failure to learn, and it manifests itself into dire consequences.
Jessie. "Racist Murder of “Mexican” Marcello Lucero." Weblog post. Racism Review.
14 Nov. 2008. 17 Mar. 2009
http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2008/11/14/racist-murder-of-mexican/.
This was a really powerful topic. It seems like racist acts are commonly made against the wrong "type" of people. Racism blinds them, and any stereotype they might see will trigger these feelings. The article was very sad, and I think that speaks volumes about being rational and understanding of everyone.
This article is very current to what is happening today. Many are racist against Mexicans, and think that any Hispanic or Latino person in the country is Mexican. Hopefully when people read the article that you discussed above, people will find fault when they stereotype all Spanish people. Very powerful topic. Job well done Julianne!
I think its crazy that people would actually do that, but I guess entirely possible. It's scary that people really could hate other people so much. I think you did a great job!
Love it! This was great, you found something awesome, really thought-provoking and relevant, to write about. Your post was well-written and I enjoyed reading it. I hadn't heard about that on the news or anything, it's terrible. How could those guys plead "not guilty"?? They really are ignorant, but the worst kind: considering themselves superior while being completely ignorant.