posted by Sam Richards
Back to hate crimes. At issue is finding ways to predict who is and is not likely to attack other people because of who they are or what they (the victims) believe. If we know this, then we can more readily protect people who might be attacked.
Hey, shouldn’t people who incite others to violence be somehow subject to scrutiny for their indirect participation in the attack(s)? So all of the anti-immigrant vitriol directed mostly towards Mexicans is whipping people into a frenzy. We know this and we can see a link (notg causal, of course). Let’s talk about it at the very least.
Okay. I think I want to start this off with just asking people to look around. Our country is great! Believe me; sometimes I am not the “proudest” to say that I’m an American just because of stereotypes that are assumed to be American (fast food, football, ignorance even). But honestly, we have it really good here, to put it as plainly as possible. And the things that make the United States so awesome are the opportunity, and the innovation, and the openness to influence. This innovation, that makes America what it is, doesn’t come from ethnocentrism right? It comes from new ideas and new people…it comes from immigration; present and past. So this might not pertain directly to this blog but I just wanted to support the fact that our country really is built upon and thrives off of constant rebirth; most of which is credited to immigration and the exchange of cultures. Moving on!
It frustrates me when the race issue comes into this and people pinpoint Mexicans in particular of being illegal immigrants. And of course there are illegal immigrants that are of Mexican descent, but we would rarely have hate crimes against a group of white people huddling in an alley looking for work because we don’t believe them to be illegal immigrants, even if they are (Canada? ha). It’s really disheartening to see such hate directed towards a certain race just because of stereotypes. It’s hypocrisy at its best. Very few of us can say that our ancestry is native to this land. Our grandparents or great-grandparents immigrated here decades ago, in search of the same success that the immigrants today are seeking. How can we deny them what was given to our own ancestors? And we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them! They were the pioneers, not us. At least in that respect.
Sam’s right about the “lazy foreigners” being back in their home country and not here. I mean, money aside. The immigrants here, even if they are illegal, have to have some sort of ambition, or at least some sort of dream. I highly doubt they’re trying to take over our country and steal all of our jobs…most of them are just trying to make a living so that they can support their families.
I was really moved by the video that we watched in class yesterday; of Jorjay (if I just spelled that completely wrong, which is likely, sorry) the Colombian immigrant who worked non-stop to prepare food for hungry workers in the city. It’s nice to see that at least someone doesn’t have the “enter and then slam the door shut” mentality. It saddens me to think about the hate crimes committed towards illegal immigrants, because when it comes down to it we “hate them” because they have guts. We hate them because they’re strong-willed and want to succeed. And we hate them because they don’t look like “us”?
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I am surprised to see really how much violence is being brought upon illegal immigrants in America today. I constantly hear racial slurs about Hispanic immigrants and how they should all learn our language or get out, but I had yet to hear of any stories of immigrants being beaten. To find out that the violence brought upon these people is so high and me never hearing about a single case is surprising. Why have I not heard of these malicious attacks? Is the news refusing to broadcast these stories or is it the fact that because they are not here in this country legally, their stories get swept under the carpet as a non-issue.
The only question I really was able to conjure up after watching the video was why are these attacks happening? Is it because these people don’t speak our language? Or maybe because they have darker skin tone? Or is it simply because they hold different cultural beliefs than we do? Americans argue that these illegal immigrants are coming over and taking our jobs, which is worse now, during our time of recession than ever before, but even that is an absurd reason to attack somebody randomly. Come on now Americans begin to look at yourselves and ask why you show such hatred for these people. All they are doing is trying to help themselves and their families live happier lives. These people are doing nothing less than what your parents would do if they had the opportunity. I believe that the reason why these people are being targeted specifically is because of the way that they have come into the country. Instead of working with the system they are running around it, which seems unfair to a lot of the people whose families waited to be allowed in rather than just jumping over the border. In addition to that I feel that it is not so much that these people are immigrants that they are being harassed but because they are Hispanic and different from the attacking races. Not because they are stealing jobs, but because they are the ones that all politicians, all news and all of our community leaders are talking about. It’s not hatred for what they did, but who they are.
Commented on by Sam, to ask if the people who persuade the attackers should be held accountable for another person’s actions is a little ludicrous. In some cases people’s influence over others by spreading the word of hate is a great factor in building evil human beings but is not the deciding factor in all cases. It is all up to the delinquent to decide whether he or she acts on their feelings of hate or not. If we blamed everyone who has filled these people’s heads with their hate filled propaganda ever since they were a child hundreds of people would go down for one fight. Where does the line get drawn? Do we only include the attacker’s parents or are we blaming the guy who was sitting in traffic next to them who yelled a racial slur to someone walking down the street? Ultimately only the attackers are to blame for their actions.
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Some things in this world are really messed up. Sure I don’t like illegal immigrants in this country but am I willing to beat, assault, and then kill them? Look I’m not white, so I really don’t know what the hell white people think about illegal immigration. But as a minority, this is how I feel. My family immigrated to the states back in 1996. And I remembered just how hard just to get a visa and let me tell you, it was pretty difficult. What I think that many people realize is that there is a quota for how many people from how many countries can immigrate into the states. So getting into the states is hard. But why there are so many Mexican immigrants, and so many illegal Mexican immigrants is because Mexico is just right beside the States.
Getting permission to immigrate to America is easy. If you have money, some kind of skill set, and of course, connections that is. But for the rest of people, getting a visa is a hard thing to do. Yes, I have waited in front of the United States embassy in Beijing waiting in line for a chance to apply for a visa. It’s tough. I was only five years old then but I can still recall the ridiculous amount of people in that line. I guess my point is that lower middle, middle, and even upper middle class citizens in other countries have a hard time getting a visa to the United States. Most don’t get the visa and therefore, are denied the chance to go to the States. And this is where the problem lies. Most if not all of the illegal Mexicans that have crossed, are crossing, or are going to cross the Rio Grande are low class Mexicans. Why? These are the people that know that they will never be granted a visa to the States. So they think the only way to get a better life for their children is to cross the border illegally. They have nothing to lose. The middle class folks who might have been denied visas will never even think about illegally crossing the border because they have too much on the line to just throw away.
I, like other Americans, have a lot of negative feelings about the illegal Mexicans illegally crossing the border. Most of the feelings involve anger and hate. Even though I was an immigrant at one point in my life, I share most of the feelings with other Americans. I hate and loathe illegals because my mom and pop spent a lot of time and effort trying to immigrate; the RIGHT way. Now there are these people just running across the border without doing it the right way. It just like I needed to take the SATs to go to college, but then someone else cheats the system and is just allowed a free pass. And once illegal immigrants are here, their kids that will be born then are considered to be Americans as well? What the fuck. I honest mean that in every way possible.
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Latinos and Hate Crimes
The big issues that people attack other people because are immigrants are very popular in United States to Illegal Migrants. When I saw the video I feel really sad because I am Mexican so I do not like the way that white people trade the Mexicans People. When I heard about this white boy that beat a Colombian boy just because they are anti immigrants I was really surprised because it is very stupid that you go to the jail just because you want to feel better than others. But in my opinion the jail it is not a good way that they face the real things and faces the consequences from the acts. I do not understand why the white people think in Mexicans immigrants when they hear illegal I think that we do not are they only race that immigrate to United States. They think that Mexicans are bad influence for the United States but if the Mexicans do not immigrate to United States how the hard work do. The white people never go to picking mushrooms or something hard they just want that everything come easy to they hands. It is not fear the immigrants do the hard work and the racial people try to take back to the born country or beat the illegals.
Another thing that I heat it is when someone say bad thing to an illegal people because they do not speak English so they do not understand what the people say about they. The illegal people just come to United States because they want a better life for their families. I knew that because when my father comes to United States for the first time he faced many hard times. But he just comes because he wants a better life for him and his family. So in my conclusion I am immigrant and I do not like how the white people trade us and what are thoughts that other have about all Mexicans. Immigrant to not have to face and resist everything what the white people want to do what they. The crimes that occur in United States increase every day because the parents of the white kids educated whit the thought anti racist. When the kid grown up whit this thought they never like the immigrants and they think that this people are less the white people. They do and say what they parents do if they parents educated whit a good education they never hate other people. But most of the people just do not like the Mexicans Illegal people but I do not understand why because is the same thing if you come to other country you are illegal. They make crimes whit Mexicans and it is no fear because they want a better life.
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I feel that regardless of all the progress America can make with race issues, such as electing a half black president, people will always find a group of people to criticize. It is always one group or another, and in this blog, it is Mexicans and other illegal immigrants. I do not understand how one person can have enough anger to actually commit violence to other people who did absolutely nothing to them. There is truly nothing that makes me more upset than hearing about more race crimes.
Day laborers sacrifice a major portion of their lives standing around praying to find work. Work is rare and cheap, therefore, the taxes that they ‘do not pay’ would be petty change to begin with. When it comes to immigrants (as naïve as this may sound), I just do not see the ‘Country-threatening’ problem. Practically all of the immigrants who travel to America to work are migrating because they have no choice for the welfare of their families. It was not their choice to be born into the society of which they were and they are merely trying to find new opportunities. Granted there are exceptions but overall, immigrants are a group of people that are determined for their family and really are just trying to do what is best. Like I said in a previous blog, America’s statue of liberty clearing states to ‘give us your poor’; true Americans will stick by this and understand. Plus many of them do pay sales taxes which boosts our economy as well. In addition, they do not get any other government service either such as disability, social security, welfare, or unemployment. Which, by the way, many Americans take complete advantage of such as ‘double dipping’ in order to by their flat screen TV, etc. This goes beyond not paying taxes, this actually uses American tax dollars to ‘keep up with the Jones’.
Violence towards any group is completely wrong, this includes verbal violence. It is extremely frustrated hearing people rant and instigating more hate by ranting public about a situation that they truly have no idea about. The influence of the internet is extremely powerful, and that can become extremely harmful. It is very easy to be influenced and think that theories are against immigration ‘make sense’ when the average American has no clue. These people are doing what they can. It can even be taken as a compliment towards our country of opportunity. There are problems with illegal immigration, after all, it is illegal. But to actually put these people in danger is ten times more disturbing. Many of them do not choose to be illegal either; it is a long strenuous process to become a citizen. There has been no proposed solution, and their probably will never be one, so violence and ranting will do very little but to increase the problem.
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Hate crimes are were common and are becoming very common knows. The media and all of the uneducated are helping to fuel the crimes against Hispanics in specific. Many people do not have a problem with anyone but there are haters that encourage them to do stupid stuff. For example, little kids watch TV and they grow up seeing stupid racist shows that will make them racist. There is no way of knowing whom one will be attacking, and there is no reason to attack someone just because of his or her looks. Many people see of an immigrant and they think that it is a Mexican. It is one of those stupid stereotypes that people believe and do not really think about. I am Mexican and I’m good at distinguishing accents from white people.
The attacks are just an easy coward less way of saying I do not like you. There are more than one way to fight illegal immigration without the use of violence. People that incite others to commit hate crimes should be penalized just as the criminal that committed the crime. This type of violence helps to keep many persons in the shadows of ignorance and for the immigrants in a pool of fear. People that encourage this in TV are the ones responsible for most of the incidents. Many of the persons that commit hate crimes get the ideas from the media, the media can change ones view. I am Mexican and I like to watch both Hispanic new and American news. I have never seen any type of news regarding hate crimes towards Hispanics; I only see black hate crimes. In the Hispanic channel is a very different story, at least once a week there were news about someone getting killed or seriously injured. It is not a secret that there are many illegal immigrants in this country but that does not mean that people have to treat them with violence. I think that this is a new type of immigration, we are living in a new area and we are still learning about this new “immigration”. I think in old immigration people came here to stay here. Today many immigrants come and go. No one has ever like immigrants, and this is never going to change. The main difference is that the people that come here do not want to stay here forever, most of them want to go back to their country. Many people take advantage of this, because unlike before new immigrants are not interested in learning about the culture or language. What causes the hatred crime is the media; they create stereotypes that many people believe are true. One of the most common stereotypes is the hat and the burro. That is bullshit I am Mexican and I have never worn one of those hats in my entire life.
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After sitting in Sam’s SOC119 class and listening to the logic and reasoning behind immigration and listening to the condensed version(s) of the foundation of the United States of America on various occasions, the only conclusion I have come up with in my mind about the issues of legal and illegal immigration – that the government has tried to enforce, recreate and rationalize – is that they’re a big loophole for hypocrisy to still exist and a reason for the “natives” of this country as well as the people who run this country – the government of course – to feel a false sense of security. When I mentioned the foundation of the Unites State of America, I was referring to the scenarios Sam used in class with the Native-Americans, the Europeans and the stolen land. It amazes me to see the number of people who actually listen to the ways Sam explains how the Native-American genocide takes place and how their land was ripped from them and claimed as someone else’s own. But, it really hits home when he asks them to relate themselves and their families to the Native-American struggle. It almost seems as if everyone then really actualizes the fact that if it had happened to their families that way, they too wouldn’t be here or would see life completely different than that of what they do now. And that’s the hypocrisy we live under today. But is it really a new generations’ fault if they’re ignorant about a topic that their country is scared to unveil and seemingly embarrassed to reveal. Though the truth is out there, we’re still faced with the idea of “legal” ownership and entitlement.
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Since this blog mentions the media inciting violence with anti-immigrant vitriol, let me just say this. People are always saying that the media is biased, and I believe that’s true, but they’ve got it completely wrong. The media is not biased towards the left or to the right; it does not purposely take on a conservative or liberal viewpoint to brainwash all of America. The media is biased towards one thing — making money. Cable news programs and talk radio shows would not exist if crazy people did not tune in to watch them or listen to them. So obviously, you will see things like this and then people will discuss it and analyze it and give their opinions on the topic, all because simple-minded people will tune in for the drama and soak it all up as 100 percent true.
Like Sam has said many times, we were all illegal immigrants in the eyes of Native Americans. It is hypocritical to try to beat up or possibly kill people who are only doing the same exact thing your ancestors did however many years ago. My family is Irish and came to this country to escape famine and poverty. They wanted the opportunities that were available in America just so that they could survive. Think of what you would do right now…what laws you would break…if it meant that your family would not die of starvation. When the Irish did get here, they took the jobs that nobody wanted and were often met with signs that said “No Irish Need Apply.” This is why in cities like New York and Boston, a large percentage of police officers and firefighters are Irish, because those jobs were extremely dangerous and nobody wanted to do them. So if you or your family is Irish, how can you NOT have any sympathy for these people who are basically in the same situation. When we watched the video in class about Jorge Munoz, who took meals to the immigrant workers every night, I could not help but picture those people as my family members many years ago. (Albeit exceptionally more pale…)
Another reason this really hits home for me is because I have many Latino friends and it breaks my heart that there are so many race-based hate crimes. The fact that people are beating up Mexicans because of the color of their skin (since the one man in the video was a legal immigrant and had every right to be here) is completely disgusting and sad. One of my good friends is from Puerto Rico and speaks with an accent, so it is quite possible that some uninformed ignorant person could see him and beat him up for being illegal when he is actually a U.S. citizen. It’s all arbitrary and pointless… it’s perfectly OK for him to come here because PR is a U.S. territory, but it’s not OK for someone from Mexico in the same exact situation to come here because they would be illegal. What’s the point…
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I think this is very sad, it’s that they have to seek violence to feel powerful and owners of their land when they are not. Even though they are seeing the men lined up and know how hard it would be to wake up every day hoping you get a job in whatever you can they are still day that Mexicans are taking their jobs. They judged everyone who is Mexican looking and they assume that they are illegal, using violence against them makes them even more hypocrite. I would like to understand in what way the citizens of this community feel they are affecting them, taking their tables in restaurants, making more traffic, being the competence for their business? The gang of white guys who killed the Mexican was probably the ones affected because those ganisters stay in the street doing nothing while the others are trying to get a job. The most racist territories are down in Texas and California which is as ironic as the hate toward the Native Americans; it was at some point Mexican land. I thing this whole crime against Latinos is a huge lack of information, if people knew the kind of journeys those illegal’s have in order to cross a wall, maybe they would respect them. Regardless of my nationality, commentaries towards Mexicans don’t offend me; I know what kind of people I have in my family. What I do hate is when people generalized not only Mexicans, but everyone. If a Mexican is poor then every Mexican is poor, when the richest person in the world right now is Mexican. If one is drug dealer then all Mexicans are drug dealers, people need to stop being followers, find their facts and not judge until they get exposed to it. As we all know immigration will never stop, and I don’t think there is an answer to illegal immigration what I do know is that the government should stop wasting money in stupid things like a wall that even me with a height of 5’1 can climb. Instead they should work on health care and they should even consider giving a shelter to all of those illegal immigrants that pay federal, local, social security and all kind of taxes and don’t get any money back. The reality is that illegal people are bringing millions in and they are still treated like rats, living in fear, a lot of them without a health care and with no right to go to college. I am here thanks to an amnesty in 1991 and now I am a citizen I can’t say that they have never done anything for us because they have, but I know there plenty more to do.
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It sure would be nice if the world worked like that, everyone involved in a hate crime being accurately punished. It is for sure not that way. In today’s world it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to punish everyone for exactly what they did. There would be many more people accountable for crimes that way. The only thing is how would we ever know the truth about every event. I think that it might not be in every person’s nature to tell the whole truth when asked about crimes they themselves committed. Realistically it would be impossible to prove someone’s guilt if all they did was to encourage someone else to commit a crime. You’re innocent until proven guilty. I feel like it’s too black and white an answer, but I think it’s fairly true. I guess impossible might not be an apt term, ever since Sam said today that almost nothing is ever absolutely black and white.
I suppose there would be a few possibilities for this, but they lie mostly in the realm of science fiction. Until we can read thoughts inside people’s heads, or be able to rewind and review time past, or be able to see in to the future like in that one Will Smith movie, then we might be able to prove someone’s guilt. the last case is really pretty dependent on the specifics of time though. I guess the second does too, so like if someone could look back in time if everything fits in to the many worlds theory they might be somehow seeing an alternate past, like one of any infinite possibilities. I guess my point there is that it still might be hard to prove something if you can’t look at the right specific timeline. Anyway, it could be a lot of things, but I feel like in our reality it just wouldn’t ever work.
On the topic of the video. I would have assumed that somewhere that close to New York City would be a little bit more progressive. I suppose I might be generalizing though. It only takes a few people to make an area look really bad, and I guess I don’t really know that much about New York city either. So that’s my uninformed first though. Now that I’ve had a few minutes to think about it I’ve come up with this. I’m sure that someone somewhere saw that video, and much like the butterfly effect, they might have said something a little more racist to someone else until eventually after that repeats a few times someone does something and commits a hate crime. Did the guy in the clip really start that, and is he responsible? Alright so it’s a bit extreme, but my point is where do you draw the line. The only clear way to do it is for only the people that actually commit the crimes to face justice. Although we might be a little bit past that seeing how people can be called accomplices or be put on trial for their actions if they knowingly manipulated someone. This can’t be proven all the time though. I feel like this argument just circles back on itself. Maybe that’s me though. I guess I agree with my roommate when he said, “Hey there skeeter, he ain’t hurtin’ nothing.” If everyone took that to heart things might work, but I doubt that will happen.
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I feel that these hate crimes are just threats from the white people towards the immigrants. This hate crime toward Hispanic immigrants has been happening for some time now. Most immigrants are scared to report these hate crimes because they are scared that they will be exiled from the United States back to their origin of country. Hate crimes have been going to African-American as well, ever since they started to stand up for themselves in the early 40’s. This event that is happening right now with the new immigrants should be a déjà vu to the Americans. The reason why I say this is because the same thing happened in the 1920’s when new immigrants were coming to the U.S from Europe. My question is that if the immigrants from the 20’s were giving a chance to become U.S. citizens what makes this new immigrants different from ones back then? This is total hypocrisy towards the new generation of immigrants compare to the old generation of immigrants from 8 decades ago. In a way it is somewhat better if we do not give them residency. If it is difficult for us who do have citizenship to get a job, imagine with the govt. does give the immigrants citizenship. I really can’t debate this because I am stuck between two worlds, the American and Mexican worlds. In a way it hurts me to see them suffering and struggle to survive while I have life easier and better than they do. There is really nothing that I can do right now for them. Later on I might do the same thing as Jorge Munoz and give them food until I cannot continue to do so. I just hope that something is done soon as fast to solve this issue that is going on. If it was solved back then, then it is possible the govt. can do the same as they did a long time ago. When I hear the news about when immigrants are being attacked by white people, it shows to me that they are cowards and they are scared of something. The thing that irritates me is that the white man attacks the immigrant with a weapon. Can the white man handle the situation with his hands? Apparently they cannot, so what does that show to the world? Some time sooner or later someone will put an end to this. We need to at least try to get along and if not just stay out of each other’s path. Immigrants should not be hidden for their lives and be scared to walk the streets comfortably like everyone else. People should take in consideration that once upon a time their ancestors went through difficult times as well.
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To begin I will say this: it’s not really that cool to attack anyone for any reason. It’s especially not cool to attack someone based solely on the fact that they have a darker skin tone. Has the anti-immigrant movement added to unnecessary hate crimes committed against Latinos who have come into our country both legally and illegally? Probably, but I can’t prove it. The next question that needs to be answered is how can we prevent hate crimes from occurring in the first place. What is the best way to protect those of different races who are violently attacked just because of their race? Is there even a way to predict who the types of people are that would attack them? The first amendment gives the rights of speech and assembly to all citizens. We obviously can’t investigate every person who posts a comment on Youtube saying how we should “KILL ALL THE IMAGRENTS.” The government can’t take away their right to say anything on the Internet. Even if they could, using all of the resources to preempt an attack that may only affect a handful of people is not an efficient use of resources.
The thing that really needs to be done is something about all of the illegal immigration talk by those just shouting nonsense on cable news and talk radio. If they say something like “We as a country need to get rid of all the immigrants,” some of their followers might actually interpret that as literally getting rid of the immigrants. People are, by and large, stupid. We will listen and take orders from people who appear to have more power than us. These tv and radio hosts are an example of those apparently more-powerful people. They must be right if they have a valuable forum to express their thoughts, right? Some of the time they are clearly wrong or uninformed. But the problem is that these people have been anti-immigration so passionately for so long that it has influenced the general public thoughts about immigration. That leads to the violence and hate crimes against Latinos and other immigrant groups. A group of people has heard the the anti-immigrant bashing for so long. They, themselves, have bought into the idea that the immigrants are ruining our country. The next logical step for them is to take action. Unfortunately, some of their actions result in violence towards the Latinos. The real problem is that many of those people committing are being backed up, at least in their own minds, by the talking heads on tv and radio. They truly believe that they are doing the right thing. Someone on tv agrees with them. They have to be right since they’re on tv. A major problem lies with the low amount of accountability for those in the media.
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While watching the short film clip “Latinos and Hate Crimes”, I was filled with mixed emotions. Of course, being the considerate person I am I felt bad for these people for getting beaten solely because their race and beliefs. When these illegal immigrants came to America, they were hoping for the opportunity to succeed and be truly free men. However, since crossing the boarder these latinos have tolerated much abuse, whether physical or verbal. In my opinion, there should never be an instance or situation that merits the type of reaction that leads to hate crimes. There is no need to be insulted and taunted because of a certain race, and the people who pursue in practicing these hate crimes have no right to perform this daunting of an act. However, when looking from both sides of the arguments for this specific struggle, there are reasons that merit both parties.
From a point of view of an American citizen performing hate crimes, it is very reasonable to see their argument even if you do not necessarily agree with their response. If I were in their position, I would assuredly be frustrated with these people as well. They are not paying any taxes or giving anything back with their earnings like all of the other hard working American civilians. What they are doing is against the law, hence their name -‘illegal’ immigrants. By standing in the shadows on roadsides they are picked up by men who needed workers for fairly low wages. What increases the aggravation of these hard working Americans is that the illegal immigrants are taking the jobs that these United States civilians are working hard to manage and keep. Actual hate crimes, in my opinion, seem to be way too extreme for an offense such as this. Although these latino’s actions do merit a response, I believe it would be much more responsible of the American people to go to their government officials instead of performing these hate crimes that are tearing apart the New York civilization.
On the other hand, there is a certain feeling of sadness towards the illegal immigrants that I felt at points during the video. These people were looking to America to be able to settle, find work, and be able to support his family. Because it is such a strenuous act to try to obtain citizenship in America, these men and women feel the need to sneak into our country illegally to try to find a way to succeed. They are trying to make, to as much as an extent as possible for illegal immigrants, an honest living, and are very hard workers. They will do any work they can find because these people are trying to make money solely to support their family and provide a living. Either way, there are fallacies in each argument but also points that I agree with. If a decision between the two had to be made, I would side with the American people because they have the law to back them up. To me, that is the most important reason of all.
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Yes, we have freedom of speech ! And we have the right to say what we feel, but no where in the amendments does it say that violence is the answer and that we have “freedom of our action that involve violence.” Although illegal immigration is wrong and against the law, that does not give anyone the right to try and fix the problem through violent actions. No one has the right to take matters into their own hands and try to fix issues in the world today, such as illegal immigration. I hate how people feel like violence and hate crimes are the answer, honestly it does nothing for the outstanding problems and issues in our world today. Peace is the answer.
I was amazed when the CNN video stated how many hate crimes towards Latinos have been made in the past few years. I stop and think about a way that would make everyone happy, a way to make things equal and peaceful between everyone in the world. And wonder if we will ever find a solution to these issues. Although I do feel like illegal immigration needs to be put to a stop, violence will not do anything to stop it. I know that we, as in not just the government, needs to find the best solution to satisfy everyone. I do not, in any way, want it to seem like I feel that hate crimes can be accounted for because I believe illegal immigration needs to be stopped, but I do think that some solutions needs to come out of this.
People are starting to realize what hate crimes do to our world. So let us step back and think… Why are these hate crimes happening? Most of them happen because people in our world are blatantly ignorant to other’s cultures, beliefs, and interests. And some of these hate crimes take place simply because they feel that the answer to illegal immigration is beating people to death so that others realize that illegal immigration is a problem in our world. So why not think of a solution, putting a few people in jail because of the hate crimes they committed will not do anything, even though they do need to be placed in prison. That is not the only step that needs to be taken. There are some crazy people in this world that will commit a crime to show what they believe in, even if it will put them in jail. So if people think that, that is the only consequence hate crimes will never come to an end. There will always be people that stand up for their beliefs regardless of where it takes them in life. Obviously we need to find a new answer to this issue. So where do we start? First, we need to figure out a way to minimize illegal immigration, and then work on a way to punish those who still believe that violence is the way to stand up for their beliefs and opinions.
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Latinos and Hate Crimes
It seems like these days Latinos are amplified under a microscope with everything they do. Also, they are targeted many times for doing nothing but being latino. That case comes down to the fact that there is a serious debate on illegal immigration. Coupled with the fact of illegal immigration is the thought that immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans. To add to that fact even more is that American is still getting through a recession that is marked by lay-offs, loss of cars and homes, and the credit crises. All those circumstances put a lo of focus on latinos.
Obviously the loss of a job is a terrible event within a family. That brings a lot of stress and short tempers into someone’s life. A lot of times those people look for scapegoats, at the most common scapegoats are latinos. They blame them for stealing their jobs, so hate crimes against latinos are going to go up.
This is a terrible occurance in America. Not only is this racism, but also short-sidedness. Just like Sam said in lecture, those same immigrants coming from south of the border are the mirroring the immigration wave of the 1900s. Our ancestors are just like the same people crossing into America now. How would people feel about their ancestors getting discriminated against and have hate crimes directed towards them? Probably terrible. My point is that they fail to recognize themselves in the immigrants. These same immigrants are making our economy stronger just like the Irish, German, Polish, and English immigrants beforehand. This brings me to my next point. The same Americans that are arguing for capitalism and lassez-faire economic policy are totally against immigration. The fact is that through immigration, the aliens are willing to except lower wages than American citizens because its still a lot higher than what they would be earning in Mexico. The businesses love this; because they get to pay immigrants lower than minimum wage, their costs are lower. Because their costs are lower, they make more profits which means they have more free cash to invest in their company, make it bigger and gain more market share. When they gain more market share, the companies put competitors out of business which means they have to outsource less. Which means more America jobs. So if they lessen up on restrictions on illegal immigrants they are actually supporting American jobs, giving them more job security.
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I think that the video about Latinos and hate crimes shows a little bit about what really happens when people are ignorant and act in a hateful way. It is not only Latinos that stuff like this happens to them, but people of other races. It is just hatred among people that should not exist but it in a way it exists and it is not good. These acts of violence are definitely not good and they affect society in many ways. One way is that people look at things in a negative way and that it gives places a bad reputation. For example, Latinos, who are living in an area where they get beaten and become victims of violence. I think that at this point they are only focusing on immigrants coming into the U.S. as of right know the main focus is on Latin immigrants. I think most people see the discrimination and exploitation that happens to people no matter what their race is. I think that most people come to this country is for one reason to find something new. That something can be a better life some money to send back to t their families. And back to what Sam said in class in a way everyone that is in this country is an immigrant, except the Native Americans and African Americans. The only difference is that the people that are already here their parents are from a further down generation. It is all about knowing a little history and it is what some people lack. Maybe that is one reason why people act in a way to violence and again close that door. The door that Sam was talking about is very important because not everyone close it back again from where they came in. For instance, the guy from the video in class that helped other immigrants who were out in the street with a hungry stomach. I think that another reason why some people act against immigrants is because they really don’t understand how difficult it is to try to survive in a foreign country. Not only that, but the life style of an immigrant coming into the U.S. without out anything and have to figure a way to earn money. Most immigrants simply want a job were at least some money is coming in order to help their families. And it is possible that not all immigrants are like this and maybe be criminal, but for that small number of them they all pay for a bad reputation and everyone having that idea of immigrant because of ignorance. Also that media has a lot to do with this because they only post the story from their point of view instead of the real one. The people that only get their info from the media then they are not really informed and are leaded to believe certain things about immigrants. Overall, people need to be a little more considerate, learn some history, and be more understanding of the issue and not see all immigrants as criminals.
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I feel that this discrimination against Hispanics and Latinos is horrible. They are being persecuted and attacked for being here illegally. I’m not saying that it is right that they are here illegally, but it is also wrong for them to be beaten and harassed by people for being of Hispanic or Latino descent. I live in the outskirts of New York City and I see the day laborers make their rounds almost everyday about 6:30 to 7:00 in the morning looking for some work. They are mostly Hispanic and Latino usually hanging out around street corners or public parking lots waiting to get picked up. In my opinion I feel that they are the most hardworking people on the face of this earth. You can talk bad about them all you want, but they bust their ass in whatever the job may entail. I feel their needs to be stricter penalties against people who seek to harm any immigrant Hispanic people. From my knowledge this has been an ongoing problem for a couple of years. I’ve heard horrible stories about Hispanics being beaten and robbed for their checks that they just cashed. They are targeted as being weak and ignorant just because they may not speak English or people feel as if they are an inferior race. Whatever the case may be it needs to stop and something has to be done. Mayor Bloomberg just recently passed stricter gun laws. Why not pass a law to help immigrants who are being hatefully targeted? Everyone I can say has in some way, shape, or form benefited from people of Hispanic or Latino descent. Take a look at who we have come to clean our homes for those of you who have ever had a maid, or even better take a look at the people who come to maintain your landscape. We hire them to this type of work for us and we don’t complain. Just as long as the work gets done to our liking we will continue to have them work for us and to these jobs. So why do we hate them? I just feel some people are still stuck in a mindset where they think one race is superior to all other races on the face of this earth. I would also like to talk about the type of jobs these people do. They do every and any job whether it be the easiest or the hardest job. Some jobs we would never think of ever doing these people do without even questioning the description of it. These people are being exploited for what their heritage is. Until something is truly done to help these people in need these blatant attacks verse these immigrants are going to become worse. I thought this was America people. Wake up!
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I think these stupid guys who killed Marcelo are just so ignorant, this really makes me think. Marcelo probably was going to work when these stupid kids killed him. Why do they hate immigrants so much, what is their problem, do immigrants really take their jobs, or they are the ones that give immigrants jobs? Why? Because these lazy people do not want to do the lawn, or they don’t want to be outside working from early in the morning to 7 or 8 on the afternoon. Probably these guys that attacked Marcelo are the sons of someone that owns a business and that employs immigrants. So because of the immigrants, these stupid and ignorant people eat, and have nice houses, and also because of them stupid girls like the one who commented before have nice clean houses. Because these white girls do not even want to clean their own house, and that’s the reason they hire Hispanic women because they do want to do the work and receive little wages, because they have the necessity and they need the money. Also another thing that really gets on my nerves is these people saying, that immigrants take their jobs, ok let’s see who will want to work cleaning a messy house from a white family. Not even the owners clean it, because the only thing they know how to do is going shopping, and having fun. Also, if we were to go to a farm or a construction place you will most likely see Hispanic people working there, because white people will not do this work at all. Now, in response to the girl that says she doesn’t want to go downtown because of these Mexicans creeping on her. Well let me tell you that not only Mexicans are like that honey, I think you should get out of your own little princess world and experience more, or even look at guys from your own race, their actions are worse than how the Mexicans are. So before you talk shit about Mexicans, first look at your own race and examine their actions. Another thing is that, not only Mexicans act like that when they see a pretty woman, guys from your race can be nastier and grouse. If you say that we Mexican girls like when they harass us, obviously not you freaking stupid. We like when they whistle at us, because that’s how they show their appreciation for our beauty. We feel complemented when they say things to us, good things about our beauty. I’m not going to say that there are guys that are creepers, but I do not think the people from your town are, why? Because they come here to work and not to creep you stupid. I’m sorry if I offended any girl, I really like girls that treat me well and the ones that accept our culture and because we are Mexicans. It just gets on my nerves that ignorant people like this girl talk shit about people from my country.
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Just as a side note to begin with, after reading this article I changed my status to say “I am amazed at how much hate there is in the world today, but at least it’s comforting to know that my puppy can wear a snuggie if she gets cold.” And, I had a couple people comment and I was really amused and disturbed. Most of their comments were in response to the fact there are snuggies for dogs, rather than that there is hate in the world. It really boggles my mind how hateful people can be. How do you hate a group of people so much that you want to commit violence against them? I really feel like this type of hatred creeps up from misunderstandings and not taking the time to get to know people one-on-one. Instead, we stick with our own groups of people who like the same things as us and think the same things as us. We have little or no experience with others different from us and I really believe that this is the number one reason we have hate towards a group we label as “other.” I know that I cannot even begin to count how many times I have heard that “illegal immigrants are taking our jobs” or “our jobs are being outsourced.” The major play is a play on fear. I remember that in Germany after World War 1, the blame was directed towards the Jews. People began to hate the Jews, which was epitomized in the Holocaust. I do not think that the Holocaust will be the result of hating Latinos. But, I think that there seems to be a distinct connection between lack of security and violence against a particular group. I think we can also see this post 9/11, when many people held very negative views about Muslims and Arabs. I think that most people do not realize that Latinos are not as big of a threat to their jobs and security as they think. They also seem to be upset because of Spanish. I think that because Mexico is at America’s border and people can see a need for being bilingual, there is this fear played on that the “American way of life” is in danger. I do not think that these people or their language serve a threat to America or America’s way of life. I think that the beauty of America is the idea that everyone should be accepted. This ideal has not been lived up to fully, but it is an ideal that I think needs to be pursued more whole-heartedly. I think that the way to fulfill this is to learn more about people and their customs. Learn about individuals. Meet people outside of your norm and have new experiences. Then, there will be less hate because people will see that the other isn’t so different after all.
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This isn’t really an issue I can directly relate to, but I was shocked by the story. I honestly don’t understand how people can be so intolerant of other people. I guess I would have to agree with the guy in the video when he says we’ve come a long way and these situations prove we have a long way to go in terms of toleration and equal rights. In this case, the victims of the hate crimes were actually legal immigrants. People are so ignorant and closed-minded sometimes. These people leave their country because of reasons I’m sure most people in the United States couldn’t put up with either. If anything, they deserve a little bit of respect for the bravery and resiliency they have shown. Immigrants, whether illegal or not, do indeed take jobs here in the United States, but I would have to imagine most of the jobs they take are jobs people don’t exactly yearn for here. I see the fact that people from other countries being able to come here to improve their lives as a point of pride. It really is the land of opportunity. With that said, some people make it so hard on these immigrants for no reason. If any of us came to be in their situation here in the United States, I’m willing to bet we would all seek a better living condition and a fix to the problem. I know I would. To attack these people is absolutely ridiculous let alone the murder of one man mentioned in the video. I don’t imagine the number of these kinds of people is very high in country and if it is, that is truly sad. I hope the majority would be on the side of the people of tolerance and understanding. Immigrants, day to day, have a very minute effect on any average person’s life. They don’t go out of their way to bother anybody or harm anybody in anyway. I can’t believe people are cold hearted and cruel enough to go out of their way to attack and beat someone of any race or background, let alone an immigrant. What most people should understand is that unless you are of one hundred percent Native American decent, you’re ancestors and relatives are from somewhere other than this land. Therefore, you have no right in performing a hate crime on someone for being a foreigner, because let’s face it, most of us right now are technically foreigners. Immigrants aren’t trying to hurt us, attack us, steal anything from us, or take this country for their own. They are trying to make a better living for themselves and their families. We would all do the same thing if faced with similar problems.
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I think it is really bad for people to treat each other badly because of our differences between races. Just like the man in the video who said that he did not even know why people attacked him and he could not even understand what they were try to say. For legal immigrants, they left home and their land trying to have better life. They are trying hard and working hard to make a change to their life. This is what we should appreciate about. Most of the people in this country are either immigrants or the offspring of immigrants, when they first come to this land they suffered the same kind of life as the later ones. Remember those white people coming to the land years ago. They came here by the ship with no belongings and barely had anything. It is because of the suffering of the ancestries of white people that white people have better living conditions and enjoy the freedom and high quality life. We need to understand the difficulty of new coming immigrants. For illegal immigrants come to a new place without people’s help and government’s aids, they are suffering from a poor living condition and many people’s blames. Just like in the video we saw in class, those illegal immigrations in the New York City have no place to sleep and nothing to eat shivering in the coldness. It is not their want to leave home and come here illegally. It is their life and maybe poverty or some other reasons that forced them to illegally immigrate here. They need more help but not attacks or abuses.
In the video, I can tell the scare of this man. Being attacked for unknown reason and this actually happens to not one or two people. There are hate groups to Latinos or I should say to new immigrants based on the race. This could happen to black or Latino or Asian because they are the minority. What is even worse is that they know this is not fair but they are afraid to talk about it. Sometimes they cannot protect their rights and freedom. They may have to just take it, take the attacks and abuses and have nothing to do with it. We even know about these unfair issues, we have nothing to do to help it. The issue about immigration especially illegal immigration is really complicated to solve. I think it is not able to solve within a short time. Although the man who serves free food to the Latino immigrants is like an Angel and is really nice, I think that this kind of movement done by several people is not enough. We need more strict laws about it and we need more people involved into this issue and set up some foundations to help those Latino immigrants both mentally and physically.
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I live in SUFFOLK COUNTY! Maybe a month or so ago, I told my grandfather about our Soc and women studies classes on the phone. He thought that they sounded interesting and he proceeded to tell me that there has been a lot of discrimination against Latinos in our area. Granted I have been away at school for the past few months, I have never noticed discrimination against Latinos in my community. Then again, there are not many Latinos, or minorities in my community. Although my grandfather vaguely mentioned this, I could not believe that it was at such a large level and on the news. I cannot believe that my county, my home, is on national television for hate crimes and discriminations. I cannot believe that in my school in Pennsylvania, we are discussing my home of New York and in such as bad way. I believe that my home deserves the negative connotations that are being portrayed in the media, but I am embarrassed nevertheless. I appalled to know that the people in my community have so much hatred towards other human beings. There are so many things that need help in Suffolk County. Why would people even waste a second or a drip of sweat on something that would only contribute to other negative aspects in our community? These people obviously have nothing better to do with their time and are ignorant, and intimidated. I am ashamed to call the people that live around me ignorant because I know for a fact that the schools in Suffolk County are great. I received an education well enough to be accepted into Penn State from many years of studying in the Suffolk County school district. I cannot help but wonder why this is happening? There is very to little diversity in Suffolk County and so I believe that people are just not used to people of different cultures and are not accepting. Although there is no excuse for this behavior, there may be a way to educate the community and especially students in school because they are the people of tomorrow. If no change can be made today look for possible change in the future. I think what bothers me the most about the video clip was the vandalism of the church. People of God and in the Catholic religion should be accepting of all people. The people that should be the first to set a precedent for the community and accept difference with open hands. If those people think that god would approve of what they did to the Latino Church would have to differ. I just think this is pathetic and I do not know how the people that contribute to these hate crimes can look at themselves in the mirror and think that they are good people and in any way more special than any others.
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The minute someone in a capitalistic country can not work due to their ethnic background is the minute that country decides they are not capitalistic. I see the Hispanic immigrants of today and find them strikingly similar to Italians, Polish, and German immigrants of yesterday; except for the fact that yesterday’s immigrants were encouraged to work. So why the hostility? I believe it has to deal with the message the government portrays these new immigrants. With all the talk about extending the border boundary with Mexico and debating how unconstitutional letting illegal immigrants into this country slowly corrodes the memory of the all the blue and white collar people today, whose ancestors were immigrants during a time it was encouraged. Bad timing is what it really comes down to.
These days’ most Hispanic people want to work more than white people, and that is why they are hired as laborers. Besides the fact that they work a little cheaper than their white laborers, Hispanic immigrants are pointing out the inadequate work ethics of the lazy generation in today’s culture that are neither educated nor have a relentless work ethic. It makes me wonder. Just like most rednecks verbally abuse homosexuals because they are uncomfortable with their own sexuality, for the most part, that is, the white people that perform these barbarous hate crimes are threatened. If history has taught us one thing it is that when people are threatened they use violent means to change the world and fill up their hole of inadequacy.
What does this come down to? I believe the government is the biggest culprit. I guess they are too busy with wars in other countries than the hate war in their own country. The government is much stronger than anyone gives it credit for. Hate crimes exist as much as the government lets it. Think about how easy it was to come up with a trillion dollars to fix the economy. Think about how easy it was to send thousands of troops to the Middle East. Think about how easy it was to get to the moon. The government, for whatever reason, does not want the hate crimes to go away because, honestly, there are not enough jobs for the people here let alone for non-taxpaying illegal immigrants. Since we live here, including everyone taking the class that believes hate crimes are wrong, are supporting the cynical habits of the governments. I do not know if the means justify the ends. I do not know if it is worth torturing laborers because you do not want them here. Underneath it all this hate will cultivate within some in our generations and future generations slowing, but not halting, racial relations. Is it worth it?
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When I was nine years old I experienced my first direct, blatant, act of racism. Before this episode, I didn’t really understand prejudice or racism, and being of mixed race, and looking dominantly foreign, I was oblivious to the fact that I could be subjected to it. Nervous glances, strained smiles, unfriendly behavior – these indicators of being uncomfortable were never detected prior to this incident. However, after I had experienced this punch to the gut and over time as I really began to understand the ugly truth about racism, I was apprehensive that every response was because of my race/looks.
Many times throughout my life I have been mistaken as Filipina. When my summers were spent in California with my uncle, 90% of the time people believed I was Hispanic. In California where Hispanics make up 36% of the population in California, this was an easy mistake. I never thought anything of this and was quite used to being fascinated that I could trick people into thinking I was something I wasn’t and if anything, I was proud that I had that chameleon like ability. This belief shattered that summer.
One summer, I was sitting out on my uncle’s lawn by myself in Los Angeles, when two Caucasian boys pulled up on their bikes asking if we needed our car wash. I went inside to ask somebody but couldn’t find anybody. I finally found my mother sleeping upstairs, and later on I would find out that everybody else had gone to the grocery store. My search took a very long time and as I was about to return out on the lawn, when I see the boys get up, hop on their bikes, and yell, “Fucking Mexican Maid.” I remember crying for so long that I had continued to cry until my uncle and the rest of my family had returned. My uncle was outraged, my father was annoyed, my mother was devastated, and my aunt was shocked. Seeing their negative, distraught responses only furthered my bewilderment and that was the day I began my love-hate relationship with race.
I have lived in Asia all of my life and I look primarily Asian. Although most people can identify something Western about my looks, white unfortunately still does mean superior in Asian cultures, and so my western features are welcomed with awe and wonderment. This overshadowed the disdain or frustration I experienced from locals, from time to time, who felt I was a stupid, ignorant, foreigner. But that confrontation that summer was the only time I had ever been directly attacked like that. I can’t imagine having to struggle with the fear of being harassed verbally, or physically – to the point of death, on a daily basis. For what? For looking different? What can these Hispanics do? Why should they be punished for something they have no control over? And even if they did, why is it so bad that they are a different skin color? Most families of people in the US have immigrated only two, three generations ago. And the number of people immigrating to the US today continues to grow today. Is it fear that drives racism? The fear of one day losing control? Or the simple fear of seeing something unfamiliar, unrecognizable, not similar to you. The fear of the supremacist, leads to rash, despicable behavior, which elicits the fear of the minorities.
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This article is very interesting to me. How is it that people can be beating other people up and no body knows anything about it? When I hear stories like this I begin to wonder what is really going on. There is no way all of these hate crimes can go on and nothing be done. Someone some where had to of heard something. Someone had to know what was going on. Someone had to see something that happened. It is very unlikely that all of the crimes where committed with no witnesses. The police in this town could absolutely be doing more to prevent these sorts of events from happening.
It is unbelievable that seven teenagers killed that legal immigrant. What were these kids thinking? They even called themselves a gang and said they where “beaner bashing”. It reminds me of the movie “American History X”. In the movie Edward Norton got a group of white people together and they would destroy shops that hired illegal immigrants. They formed a ruthless bunch of fed up kids who knew no bounds. This is scary to think that these types of groups actually exist.
My take on immigration is that the immigrants should become legal for their own safety. In many of these situations, immigrants are scared to go to the police to report crimes for fear of being deported. If they were legal immigrants, than they would have no fear of the police and crimes like these would be lessened. I understand though that the process to become a legal immigrant is ridiculous so it is easier to just sneak into the country, but unfortunately that is where problems arise. It is a lose-lose situation. No matter the decision of the immigrant, to be legal or illegal, the immigrant will suffer. That is the system the government has designed.
The article also brought up a good point about anti-immigration groups. These groups indirectly help to force crimes on the immigrants. They show indirect support for groups that take things to far. They are in no way concerned with the well-being of the illegal immigrants; they simply want them to leave the country.
Another side to this argument is the fact that we are in fact immigrants. Either ourselves, parents, or other relatives came to this country at some point. They came with the same high hopes that modern day immigrants have. They came to make their own lives better. Who are we to stop these immigrants today? Another good point is that some Mexican people feel that some land in the United States is rightfully theirs. They believe that the United States took it from them and they have every right to take it back. No matter which angle you look at the situation, someone loses out.
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Latinos and hate crime. This article is about Latino illegal immigrants that live under the threat of violence and the threat of being deported. Which one of the illegal immigrants speaks up and tells his story about how he got beat up by two men at a nearby parking lot. The men beat him up so bad that he had to get nine stitch on the back of his head. Many of these people don’t tell anyone about them getting hurt and for that reason they don’t have exact statistics, but the FBI say that there are many ant- immigrant groups that are probably the cause of the problems not specific type of people. I think that this article in a way has to deal with racism because why is it to Latino or Mexicans. Is it only because they are the minority or because of them being other than white. In a way I don’t think it racism because the guy interview talks about it being the senate fault for. but to have something like want they did to Marcello Lucero on November 2008 murder a illegal immigrant from Ecuador seven teenager are those accused for this murder and they are consider to be in a white gang that is targeting Mexicans. So he they say that it not all Hispanic it just a certain race which is Mexican but yet it was Ecuadorian that was murdered to death by this stupid teenagers that hate other for their skin or because of them being here in the United States. Which I think it all depends because they are all sorts of stereotypes that describe every type of race and ethic group because of others actions and they consider that everyone single individual person will be doing the same stupid thing that, that one particular person did. Which is not always true because not everyone from the same ethic or race think a like they have similarity but not all are alike. And I think that we should compare any one. However I do feel bad for those that have to live this sort of fear deal because they could be murder the next day who knows. And if it is true that some of the police officers have a connection with all of what has been occurring someone has to do something about it. It a matter of someone setting some regulations and standing up for those that is becoming the deal victims if they want this to stop. I think that before presenting futures of hate they should first step in to those illegal immigrants shoes and feel and see how they have to suffer to be up to were at. I think that they should also think how many children and family that men or women will leave behind if they die because of someone hating they heritage.
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These attacks are very terrible and very real. I live about three blocks down from where all of these hate crimes are taking place, so I am able to witness this first hand. I am around these Latino workers almost every day, and I have come to believe that these people are doing no harm. Like every other person who believes these people should be able to stay in this country, I think that they are doing the jobs that we as Americans do not want to do any more. People try to fight this idea by saying that there are plenty of poor Americans in this country who would love to do this work, but the relativity is that they don’t. Ten years ago you could go into any restaurant and walk into the kitchen and see a bunch of young kids doing the dishes or being bus boys. Now if you walk into that same kitchen, you will find one or two Latino workers. These Latino workers are already here, the thing that puts them on top is that they come here ready to work, and work hard. Not only are they willing to work for a lower wage, they are working double as hard as the three Americans kids who had the job before them. Another thing the public doesn’t understand is that these Latino workers aren’t coming into America and becoming CEO’s of major corporations, they are going into the restaurants to become bus boys or dishwashers, or they are going into construction fields and working 16 hour days seven days a week. Our American poverty is nowhere near the poverty that is in some of these Latin American countries. These Latino workers come into this country and work hard every day of the week and send all of their money back home to their families in their home country. Not only should every person living in this country, or even the world, have equal rights, but is in the Constitution that we should treat every human being equal. Although I believe that every person in this world has equal rights, I do believe that something needs to be done to help this process and make the majority of the American population happy. One step that we could take, could be to allow every illegal immigrant to be able to live in American for one year, no questions asked, but during that year they need to be taking the appropriate actions to learn how to become an American citizen. After one year, if they are not an American citizen then they should be deported, because they had a fair chance to get what they really want and they blew it. This would be fair because they would be giving these Latino immigrants a fair chance to get a green card, but it would also let the people who are against immigration know that the government is doing something about the issue and taking a stand.
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There is undoubtedly a huge prejudice towards Latinos in America as it is. With all the negative images about immigrants in America, it is easy to see where all this hate and anger come from. It is a huge debate in every election, ‘what will you do about the illegal immigration problem?’ The fact of the matter is, what do people really have a problem with? Is it immigrants in general, or illegal immigrants. I feel like wherever you go, people are so quick to assume that someone is an illegal immigrant just because they are Mexican, or of Latino descent. I know a couple people that are Cuban, and Latino, and the majority of these peoples friends would constantly make jokes and call them green card, illegal, or something else. While occasionally a joke like that may be funny to some people, it makes light of that fact that immigrants, both legal and illegal, deal with that kind of verbal abuse that could even turn physical, every single day of their lives.
Before watching this video, I felt like in more diverse areas of the United States, these kinds of issues were rarer. Because I have never personally seen and immigrants lining the streets looking for work in my town, I guess I was quick to assume that this does not really happen anywhere around me. I think that may be a common misconception among a lot of other people as well. When I think about hate crimes against Latinos and other immigrants I think Texas, or Florida, more southern states as opposed to states like New York and New Jersey. However, this video is displaying an area that is not far outside from New York City. I think the fact that legal immigrants cannot live in peace is a huge problem and more should be done to protect the safety of those people who have done nothing wrong.
However, with all that being said, I do think that some of the anger and violence towards immigrants is due to the fact that it is made such a huge issue all over the country. If it was not constantly being thrown in people’s faces in political aspects and on the news, I am not sure how many people would feel about immigrants. There is the common cry from the public, “they are taking our jobs!” Being one hundred percent honest, I would NEVER want to do landscaping, work at a McDonalds, or become a dishwasher at a restaurant (these being typical jobs of Latinos around my area), and I can assure you most of my friends feel the same way. With that in mind, I have had my job for four years and I get paid ten dollars an hour, in cash. So while many people argue that these immigrants are not paying taxes, neither am I or most of my co-workers. So possibly the problem is within the business industry, and not with immigrants?
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Honestly, I don’t know what to say to this. It is a very horrible thing to see anyone being treated like this in any type of environment. The only thing that I can say about it comes from Sam, “hypocrisy”. I cant say that I really know how solve the illegal immigration problem, but the blatant racism towards them needs to be stopped in some way. The only way I can think of solving the immigration issue is by saying, ok so you want to live in the United States? Then join the military. If you were not lucky enough to be born here, then you probably do something to stay here. I’m not saying that it should be a forced thing, but just do some service in the military to gain citizenship at least. That’s the only way that I can think of solving it. Don’t send them back if they really want to stay, give them a choice. As far as the race issue is concerned, those kids need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. There is nothing that they can say to actually justify their actions towards another human being in that manner. It is full on terrible. Just because someone is of a different race doesn’t mean that you have the right to say anything to them even if they are breaking the law by entering the country. I must say that I don’t necessarily like illegal immigration, but there definitely are some benefits to it. Take a look at it from this angle. So, you walk into a store and see an illegal immigrant working the cash register and your 20 year old friend talks trash on them for stealing American jobs. Are they really stealing jobs or just doing them? Specifically because most Americans think that it is beneath them to actually be behind a cash register for a living. Nobody wants to do that as a profession, so without the immigrants taking these jobs to get themselves on their feet as human beings, how are they supposed to survive? These people are trying to better their lives, and the United States was a country founded on immigration and as far as I’m concerned I have no right telling these people what they can and cannot do just because my ancestors did the same exact thing whenever they came over. Illegal immigration is one of the biggest issues in the United States but along with the issue comes more racist attitudes. Sitting around bitching about the issue isn’t going to solve anything so I don’t know why I continue to fight against the issue because it will always be this way, but I might just not be far enough in development on race issues according to sociology. I’m really not sure.
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I found this topic to be very interesting to me because I have a friend who has delt with the same issue.The talk about hate crimes seems to be a very big subject, not only in Sam Richard’s Soc 119 class, but in America as well. These blog posts on the race relations website never cease to amaze me. This particular blog post about the hate crimes against latinos was so sad. I find it appalling that other people think that they can treat people this way. The CNN video report starts off by telling us that these particular latinos stand on the street corners hoping to find some work for the day. For starters, this struck me me as such a sad situation, not knowing whether or not they would get work for the day, but one could hope that people who are better off than them would not discriminate against these people just trying to make a living. The old man in the video who said that he had to get nine staples in his head because he got jumped and beat down in a parking lot.. why?..just for the plain fact that he was from a latin descent? It does not make any sense to me why people could ever think that something like this was okay, or what the reasoning would be to beat up an old man, or a man of any age.Corporate America and companies in business obviously want to pay out the smallest amounts of money possible for the required labor their respective companies need to properly operate.I Just believe that there are no really absolute reason for this kind of behavior in americsn except for complete rudness. Therefore, these companies hire illegal immigrants who are much more likely to take certain jobs at lower rates than legalized citizens in the United States would.. It is not okay to hurt someone of your own culture so it should not be okay to hurt someone of another culture. I am glad to see the people who killed that one guy in hand cuffs. Hopefully our legal system will not discriminate. I say hopefully because the justice system has a bad track record. I think these crimes are being committed and these groups are formed because of the white population feeling threatened. White people are afraid that another minority group will come in, take their jobs and take over their communities. In which case, people need to get over their egos. There are other people in this world too and I think it is stupid to suppress another group of people just because you are afraid. The people who are committing these crimes are just lazy in my opinion.
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Growing up on Long Island, approximately eighteen miles from New York City, I was raised to appreciate the melting pot I lived in and was never taught to judge someone by the color of their skin, their religion, or their sexual orientation. While watching this video, I was shocked that these hate crimes are not only still going on, but are occurring in what seem to be unlikely places for racists acts to happen. I live in Nassau County; this story of these terrible hate crimes takes place in Nassau’s neighboring county, Suffolk County.
In Patchogue, a town in Suffolk County, the abundance of blatant racism is appalling. The idea of day workers, who walk around the town looking for an honest earning, is called a “sin” because, according to a local plumber, they “go against the laws of the land.” However the “laws of the land” that his ancestors had settled or immigrated to, was “sinful” for them to settle there as well. A spokesman for Patchogue describes several examples of hate crimes. “Stoned, beaten with baseball bats until their faces are caved in, targeted with BB guns, and bikes being run off the road by cars” are only a few of the effects of violent racism in the United States.
Latino’s are being targeted at a tremendous rate. Mr. Monroy, a legal immigrant who speaks only Spanish was a victim to a hate crime, which resulted in him needing nine staples in his head. Monroy did not instigate anything, and not only didn’t even know his attackers, but he couldn’t understand them or communicate with them. These people are victimizing these innocent civilians are not only racist and pathetic, but are cruel and dangerous.
Beaner Hopping is a derogatory term used by racist youth for group attacks on people perceived to be undocumented immigrants. Derives from derogatory slang “Beaner” for a person of Mexican origin. Marcelo Lucero, a legal immigrant was murdered by a bunch of these racist “beaner hoppers” just because of this ethnicity. Vicious and crude acts like these make America’s race for equality seem as if its backtracking.
In the United States today, statistics say that there are over seven thousand, six hundred and twenty four hate crimes against race, religion, and sexual orientation. Over five hundred and fifty of these crimes are aimed towards Latinos. The only way to stop these hate crimes is to educate naïve people who carry them out, or speak poorly of those of another race. These foolish people do not understand that their family members were once illegal immigrants, who came into this country without knowing the language, or looked similar to the natives. Everyone is connected to immigration.
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Latinos are not the only ones being targeted on hate crimes. As we see in the media whites, black Hispanics and etc of cultures and race are being targeted. The Latinos are mentioned above because it has recently happened to Latino person. This is a consist problem that we have in the United States and I would like to point out that’s it’s not going to come to an end. Every race is degraded and or picked out among a group of people.
If you put a white person in the middle a dangerous black community then that white person 9 out of 10 times will end up dead or assaulted in some way. Also, if the situation is reversed and you entangled anyone of a different race into the all one color community then they will have the same problem. It’s not always the case that one race or culture is being made fun of; all races and culture are constantly picked out and degraded.
This needs to be pointed out and people need to realize that their culture is not the only group of people being pointed out. Because as we have seen throughout the entire journal articles posted are also about white people and black people being hated and beaten as well.
Personal I think that these Latinos are being target because they are illegally here and people want them to be either United State citizens or shipped back to their own country. In addition, people are afraid that one day these illegally immigrate will take their jobs.
I know as mentioned in class everyone in this country were illegal at some point. However this was hundreds of years ago and I personal had nothing to do with that. Laws are now changed and people need to obey the laws and if you aren’t documented then they should be kicked out. If you want to be a part of American then you should have to wait your turn and the United States should allow them to enter like they do. The reason the United States only allows so many is because they don’t want to open the doors and let everyone in or we will lose millions of jobs in the United States and it will be over crowded. Because I notice Mexican and Latino family tend to be fairly large and if each person has over 5 children that will make a major difference in our population.
Overall a certain amount of immigrants should be allowed into America but they should not be allowed to do it illegally. Obviously they are not trying to hide what they are doing because they stand of street corners looking for work daily. They should not be allowed to illegally come here just to look for work. Especially, if they were ignorant enough to have too many kids that they can’t support.
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I have a hard time determining where I stand on the issue of immigration. I think it’s a very complicated situation because of the massive amounts of people who would like to come to the United States and the psychical capacity of the land to be able to support that many people. Like Sam always says, in the end it’s all about the resources. However, I do feel that the beating of any individual is wrong. And the fact that these people were beaten, stoned, etc, just because they are trying to find work to support their families is not right. Nothing can justify hurting a fellow human being. I wonder if these people met the individuals they beat up families, how would they react then? What if it were them in the illegal immigrant’s shoes? Just because these immigrants were not born into privilege does not mean that they do not deserve a fair chance at making money for themselves. And with such strict guidelines, It must be very frustrating to try and becomes a citizen of the United States. I am not afraid to admit that when I think about illegal immigration my gut instinct is that I am against it. This is because whenever the subject came up at home, which was only one or two times, I was told “those people are taking American jobs” And after that, I never really gave it much thought. I just assumed that my father was right and that illegal immigration was wrong. Why else would it be against the law? Also, growing up in a sheltered community, these things were never really brought up in our classes. (Probably because our school was probably 97% White). These issues were deemed inappropriate for the classroom. The closest that I have come in contact with immigration laws is that my best friend’s aunt from Korea was trying to move to the United States because she was living with her parents and they passed on. She desperately wanted to move to the U.S. because she had no other family in Korea, ill, and was not well taken care of. Needless to say, she was denied. I did not know anything about the immigration process until my friend told me that her family believes she was denied because she was old and sick. That the U.S. mostly only accepts wealthy, educated, younger people. Again, I do not know where to stand on that issue because those types of people have the best potential for making the United States more successful, but that also seems like discrimination to me. Then again, I do not know the hard core facts about this subject so I can not have a true opinion on it. It is crazy how much this class makes me realize that I do not know anything about the world we live in. It feels like there is almost too much information to be updated on everything.
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Hate crimes are crimes of passion. People get away with them all the time because they can claim whatever the hell defense they want and get away with it. Take for example the murder of Harvey Milk. He was the first openly gay politician in the west coast out of the Castro in San Francisco. The man that murdered him use the “twinkie defense.” He claimed temporary insanity because all he had eaten was junk food that day and claimed that it messed up his head. Amazingly, he only did a few years in jail before getting out and killing himself. Nevertheless, claiming that JUNK FOOD was the reason you killed two people (he also killed the mayor)? Like is that a joke? People see hate crimes as more justifiable in some ways. I’m not saying I agree either way, I’m just going by what the general public seems to think.
For example, just recently a 19-year-old gay man’s, Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, body was found burned, decapitated and dismembered in Cayey, Puerto Rico. This kind of thing is completely immoral and wrong; however, does anyone really know that it happened? I bet not. People are more concerned with the gossip news, celebrities, etc. than real-life drama and situations. Getting back to Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, if he had been a white 19-year-old killed by a group of black kids, it’d be all over the news. There’d be quick justice and the memorial service and funeral would be all over the evening news. This isn’t the case for Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado simply because he was killed for being gay. Whether someone is killed because they’re LGBT, or a different ethnicity, or talk funny or dress funny, it’s all the same because it is a crime against a human being. No one is less human for being gay or for being an immigrant. Therefore, the penalties for crimes on these people should be just the same as any other [white] person. Killing a person is killing a person. There aren’t any excuses. The punishment should be the same for all cases. Well, I mean some cases are more extreme and brutal than others. I’m just advocating the point that hate crimes shouldn’t be downplayed as they have been.
This video showcasing the gang that went around killing Mexicans is so wrong. They’re just like the KKK by targeting people to kill, just because. I just don’t see how people can go around doing this to people without a second thought to role-reversal. My mom always taught me to “treat other people the way you want to be treated.” I most certainly do not want to be targeted and killed because I have red hair, freckles and pale skin. So who am I to go around targeting people with darker hair, darker skin complex and an accent?
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I think overall this video along with many others I have seen on hate crimes in this class and other classes always disturb me and my views on society overall. Just the fact that people are even verbally abused for what color the skin is, is hurtful. When it comes to more then the verbal stuff is when it is a down right shame, and terrible that people can be treated the way they are. The man in this video who needed a translator made me feel bad for everyone who cant speak English and are sometimes never heard. I guess I myself just don’t understand how someone can brutally hit, rape, or even kill someone of another race simply for that reason. It really does turn my stomach, especially when I hear the United States being called a free land. Half the immigrants that come to the United States leave their countries because bad living situations, no money, or violence. And the fact that they come to the United States and some of them are treated worse then the country they immigrated from is disgusting! Our society really needs to do something about this ongoing problem.
When the video showed the group of white boys who were considered to be “a white gang” it almost made me feel sorry for them. They look so pathetic to me, the fact that they went around killing Mexican’s just made me think that that’s how much they hate their own lives and feel like someone needs to feel their pain, the simple fact that they just hated the Mexican race was far worse then my first thought. Like I said before I don’t understand how people can have so much hatred for another human being when we are almost ninety-nine percent the same biologically. It makes me feel like these un-hearted people have no compassion for the human race at all. If they just stopped and thought about how much they are almost killing “one of their own” would it change anything? It is the simple fact that they hate them it is also pure ignorance. Our society needs more classes like Sam’s class. Not only did those boys hurt and kill one Mexican, but also they hurt everything and everyone that person was involved with their whole lives. They ruined their friends and family lives as well by taking the most precious thing that we all are given, life.
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Why can people just get over it? And stop thinking bad about immigrants according to those people “Mexicans” are the majority who are not welcome to America anyhow. ALWAYS MEXICANS!!!!! Why?? It’s this really true? I really want to know what the deal of this is. I believe immigrants are here in America to work and get a better future, and have a better opportunity to succeed. Not to creep people out or do something to anyone like some people think Mexicans are just here to do that. I really hate people who think immigrants are here to take their jobs away. Just get over this. Sometimes I feel like people really do not pay attention to what they say or think about other race. People should think before speak. I wonder if those people who think and talk crap about Latinos really know what they do for living and what they had go through to get to America to get a good job. Those who think that immigrant do not pay taxes do they really know if immigrants pay taxes? Or they just said that because other people say immigrants do not pay taxes?? Do not be a follower find from yourselves and know things before say anything. I give immigrants so much credit because they do jobs that other people would not want to do not even think about those jobs. Most immigrants wake up so early in the morning to go to work and maybe get out late at night. Just to get a really little wage? I know they work their butts out to have something. The “gang” who killed the poor Latino and attack immigrant people makes me think they are the ones who do not have anything to do. They probably do not have a job. I believe if it was not for immigrants those nasty, messy, and outside jobs were still like that. Not been done. Some people hired immigrant people to do house cleaning why do they most of the time have Mexicans cleaning their houses? Even thought, they talk bad about them. It’s just so hypocrite of their part. I have notice that the government has wasted so much money in other things that we do not need. My question is why can he help immigrants a little more so people do not think badly about them and do not say they are just here to take our job and not pay taxes???? We do pay everything that other people do we all equal. However, most of the immigrants do not get any money back from federal and local social security. Been violent to immigrant just make them even more hypocrite. I hope one day pretty soon all this issues related to immigrant people is over as soonest possible. So people can stop been violent to immigrants just because probably some are illegal to America.
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Naturally, hate crimes go back centuries, millennia even. Whether it’s something ingrained in the human psyche to pick on a hated group or person is a serious question. And it’s not even like it’s just in European heritage. The war in Darfur began because of racial and religious differences, Japanese are actively derisive against Korean, Chinese and especially Ainu people, and everyone knows about the conflicts in Kashmir. Virtually every war is started over the discriminations of different groups of people. There has been, in recent history at least, a feeling of unity amongst your own race or culture.
Actually, let’s be honest, we know that the feeling of patriotism and “I’m better than you are” goes back at least to the Amarna period in Egypt. When there was peace in the Egyptian world, the Egyptian king, Amenophis III would marry numerous princesses from all over their empire, but Egyptian princesses were never sent out of Egypt. Personally, this reminds me of the blog entry about Jewish gangs breaking up Arab/Jewish couples from a few weeks ago.
But what does this have to do with hate crimes? Naturally, if there is an active differentiation between us and you, people are going to eventually make judgments based on such things. Especially if people are spreading negative thought about such things. Since Latino immigration has been going on for a number of years, younger generations may have grown up around their parents, friends or the media complaining about the situation. Although they may not completely feel that way, ganging up against them is a strong way to unite. Their impressionable children simply hear the complaints and grow up thinking that that is true. From this, you naturally get anti Latino children and teenagers. It’s a small step from actively hating them and judging them to acting upon it.
This actually reminds me about the Zimmerman Prison study. This is the study where students were placed into the roles of Guard and Prisoner. They quickly acclimated to the roles and the guards began to become brutal and heartless to the prisoners. The prisoners on the other hand, began to forget that they were in an experiment.
If American teenagers believe that Americans hate Latinos because they are here illegally and they steal our jobs, and they believe that Americans think that Latinos are lesser people, they will begin to feel the same way. After all, they are American – shouldn’t they act like Americans? If Americans hate Latinos, then it would be easy to act out against them.
Naturally, not everyone feels the same way. If everyone did and it would be more socially acceptable to hate Latinos woes will betide us. It actually worries me almost every time the media shows something about anti immigration or something similar. I feel that every time it happens people become more and more willing to believe that Latinos are negative people, just because they heard someone venting about it on TV and they want to vent. But unfortunately, people can be pretty stupid.
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The CNN video on hate crimes against Latinos hit very close to home for me. The county featured in the video (Suffolk County) is located about 25 minutes from me. I live in NY but I never see day laborers around my neighborhood. When I go to Queens & Suffolk, however, I see many people waiting outside of Home Depots and on sidewalks waiting for work. Sometimes I used to wonder how the police could drive around without arresting anyone. After Sam explained things in class, the situation seemed much clearer. No matter how much people complain about illegal immigration, America’s economy really does need it. After the class on immigration I realized that some of the highest officials in this country might secretly approve of immigration because of what it does for our economy.
I don’t think illegal immigration is right but sometimes it is the only way. I admire the people that leave their families and homes in the hope of making their lives better. I don’t know too many Americans that would ever have that much courage. I think our government is to blame for illegal immigration because of their policies. It is extremely hard to come to this country legally if you don’t have money or connections. I know this for a fact because I have a lot of family that had to go through this process in order to come to America. Some family friends did not come here legally because to government of both countries (Haiti & the United States) denied their application. They tried to do things the legal way but the controls were way too strict. When people say, “why don’t they just come here legally?” in reference to the immigrants, I can tell that they are very ignorant when it comes to this issue. Just because some people can do it, doesn’t make everyone that lucky.
I can’t understand why anyone would beat or kill someone just because they are immigrants. Nothing that the immigrants are doing is negatively affecting their lives, so why bother hurting them? No one deserves to be discriminated against to the point of hate and violence. I think it’s sad that Americans can be so hateful that they would hurt someone who is just trying to help their own family back home. If we took the time and learned the stories of some immigrants, I believe we would be able to sympathize with them more. They may be “criminals” but they aren’t doing it for selfish reasons, they are simply doing what they have to do. I think the immigrants that are forced to live on the streets suffer more than anyone in this country, so why add insult to injury? More people need to stop and realize that everyone is a human being who deserves dignity, respect, and a fair chance.
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It’s amazing the lengths people will go when they feel threatened by people of another skin color. I find it horrific that people are causing physical harm to others because they are ignorant of the world around them. Recently in class I found it to be very interesting that illegal immigration is really a staple to living in a capitalist society. Our society loves finding ways to make money but only if it means that they will not have to pay much to get the benefits. Illegal immigration provides just that. Illegal immigrants are trying to make a better life and in order to do so they are willing to work for very little. One man in the video said that we (Americans) hate the sin and that sin was going against the laws of the land. I had a conversation recently with one of my friends that is Hispanic and his father is an illegal immigrant. It was fascinating talking to my friend because I was able to see the issue differently. His father was not able to make a decent life where he was raised and so he came to the United States to try and achieve something with his life. In the process he was able to make a family and in doing so allowed him to change his life drastically. Can we really hold that against him? He left his country to try and create a better life for himself. Who would not do the same if they were facing the same circumstances? If pressed, I know that I would do the same.
It is sad for me to see that there are gangs of white people going around, tracking and beating illegal immigrants. A scene in the video clip that really bothered me was at the church where white people left notes saying that Hispanic people do not rule there, only white people rule. It is a disgrace to all races when people think this way. It is unbelievable to me that people really think this way because it is so ignorant and frustrating. I am white and I cannot fathom believing these same thoughts. It gives white people a bad name and I can understand why people of color would feel angry. Whenever I think that our society is making great strides to accepting other people of color, some damn story like this comes out and reveals that we are actually still fighting the same issues of race that we have fought forever. I really wish people would take a step outside of the box and think about these issues of race logically. The white people targeting Latinos and Hispanics in the video are living in a world of ignorance and they have closed-minded beliefs that need to be fixed if our society is to make greater strides in race relations.
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As a Hispanic male, it is really disturbing for me to see such images of hate here in America. What is even more disturbing is the fact that cops haven’t really done much about it. Whenever I hear something like this has happened, I usually hear the following phrases: “police have declined to comment” and “starting an investigation”. Investigation? How about protection? How about safety? If I am undocumented, come up to me, cuff me and deport me. Illegal is illegal, and them’s the rules. But use violence? Has it really come down to that level of despise for a fellow human being? That really scares me, even though I am white and legal in this country. The fact that police sometimes encourage this type of behavior is also not comforting. American’s like to take pride in being accepting of everything and liking diversity, but then again they respond with acts such as this one, which doesn’t really portray them in the most positive of lights. I know the acts of these racist and most definitely confused people is not a reflection of all Americans, but there are other forms of showing this hatred towards Hispanics. For instance, when Hispanics, legal or not, are not given the same privileges as a white American, like being passed on in a job interview. Or politicians lobbying to close borders and bring America “back to the good old days”. What, the “good old days” before whites started to become a minority?
I have been here for over three years now and I can safely say I have not been victim of a hate crime. I have been victim of certain injustices though. For instance, whenever I at the airport and passing through security, I always seem to have been “randomly selected” for special screening. I must be really lucky, right!? I mean, of the thousands of people at the airport each day, the fact that I was chosen for a second more humiliating screening than the first, which everyone goes through, I must be really lucky. As I make my way to the “prize-collection area”, I look at the other fortunate people, and I start to see a pattern. None of them seem to be American. The Americans that walk by see me getting the second screening, and their looks are of empathy or of fear. This type of actions are what can sometimes put the fear in Americans that Hispanics or foreigners are evil.
Indifference is rapidly becoming a social virus. No one wants to care, no one wants to do anything to help. Whatever happens, happens. This sort of behavior has got to stop before it reaches a level at which we can never step back. Otherwise, we are all in trouble.
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To me, hate crimes are by far the most disgusting category of crime out there. I think it is absolutely wrong and narrow-minded to want to cause harm to someone based on something they can not change. I feel that the people who tend to commit these types of crimes must have a brain the size of a peanut. Any type of attack on a person is wrong, but when you allow things that people can not change, such as their genetics, to be the primary influence in coercing you to attack someone you must really be a moron or a piece of shit. The numbers displayed towards the end of this segment depict that out of all the hate crimes reported in 2007; roughly 8% were against people of Hispanic decent. In today’s world I think most of the hate crimes are committed against black people. Sure most of the idiot white supremacists out there say that they hate all people not native to this country, but it seems as though most of their attacks are against blacks. For instance the Klu Klux Klan seems to focus their hate crimes primarily on black people. So from my personal viewpoint I believe black people to be the main targets of hate crimes, both physically and verbally. On the other end of the spectrum it is sad to say that my own race, white people, are the ones who are dishing out all of the crimes onto the other people inhabiting this nation. Although there probably is a group of people out there determined to make the white race suffer, I have yet to see any major publicized occurrence that has taken place regarding a white male being beaten up by another type of supremacy group. So it makes sense right? We have a prime example of white people being the aggressors in the Klu Klux Klan and we have the endless amounts of hate crime stories we hear about where either a single white person or a white person from a certain supremacy group has carried out a hate crime against a minority or somebody from a different race. After you take into account all the terrible things that happen to blacks and minorities regarding hate crimes, I find it an anomaly that white people aren’t the ones who are being persecuted against in today’s day and age. When you think about it when you add up all the minorities and black people they definitely outnumber the amount of whites in the United States. That said its funny how you don’t see these types of crimes happening to white people. Maybe it’s because the other races and minorities haven’t thought of pay back yet for years of persecution. Or maybe it’s because those people aren’t as narrow minded as the majority of white society is today in America.
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I really think that this article is completely ridiculous. I want to first say that I don’t think anyone should be physically assaulted. Violence is really never the answer to anything, it just makes matters worse and escalates tensions on both sides. That being said, I think its ridiculous that these ILLEGAL immigrants are crying foul. That one guy said that they’re being targeted because they are Latino. I think that’s bullshit. There are probably millions of Latinos who walk the street each day and are not beat up. The reason these people are being physically assaulted is because they are illegal immigrants. Do I think it’s ok for people to just go around targeting a group of people? No, but the fact of the matter is that these people aren’t citizens. They didn’t go through the process of getting here legally. And so these immigrants get here and expect all the rights that American’s possess? Its complete bullshit. And why aren’t people turning these people in? Instead of beating these people up, they should just turn them in. Like Sam said in class, the United States allows a certain number of people in to the United States each year. There are people who have been waiting to get here legally and have just been cut in line by people who don’t feel like waiting. Isn’t that kind of a slap in the face to the people who have been waiting and deserve the visa? America cannot take in every single person that wants to come over. The United States doesn’t have the room or the resources to provide for every single person on the planet. It’s a fact of life that you’re not always going to get what you want. But lying, cheating and stealing your way to get something isn’t the answer. These Latinos who are standing on the street waiting for a job have no right to be there. I truly think that these illegal immigrants coming in should be deported and kept wherever they came from until they can do things the legal way. A lot of other immigrants found the time and the way to get here legally. What makes these people coming over here illegally any more special or different than the people waiting for a visa? What makes them more deserving to be in America? If they actually waited for a visa, they could come to America and actually get a legitimate job. Maybe they wouldn’t have to stand on the street looking for work and worry about some idiot white dude wanting to beat them up. These people should know the risks of their actions. I’m not saying they deserve to be beaten but they had to know that American is full of testosterone filled white supremacists who aren’t going to take kindly to illegal immigrants just chillin’ on the street. I probably just made a complete racist out of myself but this is my opinion.
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In response to Sam’s Blog, “Latinos and Hate Crimes”, these acts of violence point out how primitive people still are. That murder of an innocent Latino man by the six or seven white gang members reveals how wicked crimes still exist. This murder only happened because this man was in the wrong place at the wrong time and happened to be Latino. For being Latino, something he has no control over. This crime against someone of another race just mimics history and shows our societies’ ignorance and hypocrisy. These Latino crimes due to racial differences mimic how these white persecutors’ older relatives were discriminated when their ancestors arrived to the land of the free. Whatever heritage they came from, German, Polish, Irish, etc. they received cultural and racial tension only because they were newcomers and were different. Now decades later, the pattern repeats itself except the victims side becomes the attackers pointing out the hypocrisy in the matter.
I cannot even imagine beating a person to death for no reason at all besides his race. Did those gang members really have so much unprovoked anger and hatred that they just snapped and attacked some random Latino? What cowards to outnumber someone and attack him for no reason. It is actions such as these which keep our society from advancing into the next stage of intellectual evolution. This act of hatred purely represents the confusion and lack of education these guys had. These guys clearly are stuck in this little box that does not allow them to break out and experience something new. They stay in this box of there sheltered white hick culture. This is such a shame how after all the progress we have had as a people in fighting for civil rights, how we still have close minded people who cannot let go of bigotry and advance into a cultured caring intellectual.
As for a solution to illegal immigrants, I have no idea where to even begin on this subject. Thinking of this situation though, I can value the perseverance and strugglers that these immigrants go threw just to provide for their loved ones. These illegal immigrants are still human beings that still deserve the respect that anyone else would. By treating them with hate crimes all because they want to live their lives and survive just like we do, is something people confused by hatred need to consider. Maybe a way to limit these illegal immigrant issues is having legal citizens work in their places. Of course this would never happen because our citizens do not want to work these jobs. So before many people start to complain about these people, lets see if they are willing to work these jobs then? One can only complain about and issue if they offer a solution they woulf be willing to help with.
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It is very disturbing to hear these stories of hate crime. The reports concerning Latinos are awful. The fact that these people are come to America for a better life, better job, better education, and better opportunities and instead receive negative attention is not right. Latinos come over to the United States for one reason only to make money, usually to send back to their families back at home. The fact that they are looked down upon and receive beatings for this is ridiculous. Watching the video on CNN brought hate crimes to my attention. I did not realize this kind of behavior still existed. The fact that a man was killed because he was Latino I find heartbreaking. I don’t understand why people take heritage so heavily and look at it as either a very positive or extremely negative. I live on Long Island and the fact that I didn’t even know these crimes were happening in the county next to me scares me. I realized how it important it is for me to start reading the newspaper more often and start observing my surroundings. These hate crimes are happening everywhere and I need to start paying more attention to my environment. I don’t understand how someone can justify beating or killing a person regardless and the fact that it is because of race is beyond me. There is no justification for killing or hurting a person. You must be seriously deranged to think that hurting another human being is right. I cannot comprehend how anyone can possibly think one race is superior to another. We are all equal. I know it has taken a lot of time for everyone to get equal rights and equal opportunities, but now we do. We have to embrace the fact that times have changed, laws have changed, people’s views have changed. Personally, I don’t see the reason why the color of your skin should mean automatically that you are better because your not. I think that regardless of skin color, you are going to make life what you want it to be, if you want to live in a big house and have a large family you are going to work extra hard. If you want to fly by life and sit on the sidelines you are going to be an average worker and have an average life. Life is what you make it, there’s not ifs or buts about it. I am extremely happy that the media has taken a point to address this because it is a problem. It is a problem that people are getting hurt and abused because of their race. The media has finally done something right. It has addressed an issue that everyone should be worried about hate crimes.
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When these people commit hate crimes, do these people think they are doing justice for society? They are just bringing menace to an already corrupt society. I do not understand why people think they have the right to act against another race. These people were taught and grown up to believe they were better than another race. What gives them the right to judge other people, when God is the only one who is to judge?
It brings me to shock that those young kids can commit such a crime against the illegal immigrants. The kids who committed the hate crimes teachers should be the ones to blame for their beliefs. I agree with the other posts that said that the teachers influence them and imbed them with these ignorant principles. They should leave enforcement of the laws to the authorities in power. We know that these people are illegal immigrants and they have come to the states without permission, but what wrong have they done to people? Ignorant people believe that illegal immigrants are taking their jobs and taking advantage of their healthcare. This belief is untrue. Illegal immigrants work in unsafe conditions where they are not protected by any insurance or any health benefits. They survive on paycheck to paycheck to get by. They have to wait outside and if they are lucky the will find work that will pay them enough to send back to their families. When these immigrants make money they do not even spend the money for their own self, they send it back to their families in their homeland. It is sad to see those people suffer on those streets because they have no day off when there is rain or shine. They have no choice.
If it wasn’t for the illegal immigrants, prices for food and service would be higher. Illegal immigrants are basically the backbone of most workforces. We take for granted their services and labor. We do not realize what America would be like if we didn’t have the immigrants in our workforce. Just like in the video we watched the women with the peach farm lost money because there was no one to pick the peaches for their markets.
Illegal immigrants are the easiest targets to make fun of for jokes, but those are the people who basically benefit from the illegal immigrants. I feel as though maybe my opinions are biased because I come from an immigrant family because there is no one to defend them and they have no rights. There are people who don’t even treat illegal immigrants as human beings. Just because they are illegal does not mean they should be treated as they are.
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The video I took a look at for this response comes from watching the video on Latinos and Hate Crimes in the United States. From watching that video and hearing all of the illegal immigration talk that you hear constantly on TV today, it’s really all pointless and idiotic to argue about. The United States of America for one, is a nation made from countless immigrants past and present. It’s supposed to be considered the “Land of Opportunity” for all people. The first Europeans to come over to this country were technically illegal immigrants. We invaded a land that was possessed by Native Americans and that was it. So for people in this day and age to have a problem with new immigrants coming to the U.S., regardless if they are legal or illegal by our standards is stupid. Anyone in this country that complains about illegal immigration is being nothing more than a hypocrite and needs to stop and think for a minute. You hear a lot of arguments made by people against illegal immigration that these people are taking jobs away from people, are lazy, or don’t assimilate into our culture. From one of our Soc.119 lectures regarding illegal immigration, I learned that people that usually immigrate to another place are highly motivated individuals, so for one, people considering illegal immigrants lazy is completely untrue. Also, when immigrants started coming over here in the early 20th century, they weren’t assimilating into our culture out-right. They still held strongly on to the ways and customs from the place they came from. Many people that are born in this country have ties to someone in their family that came over to this country as an immigrant. The one main thing that I took from watching the video is the wide spread violence being dished out on illegal immigrants. Why is there so much hate directed at these people? The people that come over to the country tend to take the jobs here that nobody else wants and would ever want to take. So why you hear a lot of people complaining about illegal immigrants taking up these jobs is absolutely mind-boggling. If anything, they are doing us a great service. You also always hear the complaint that illegal immigrants need learn to speak English. For one, learning a foreign language is hard enough, and the majority of the illegal immigrants that come over here are only doing it to make as much money as they can. Once they feel they’ve made enough money here they go home, with the money going to help out their families in need. From watching the video, why one man had his head gashed open and another man killed for being illegal immigrants in this country is senseless. What point are you trying to prove by doing that anyway? Either way it’s not going to stop the flow into this country.
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Hate crimes geared towards Latinos definitely happen frequently across the United States, and I'm sure a large majority of them go without notice. Latinos, especially Mexicans that travel across the border usually has one common goal; to earn some money to send back to their native countries to support their families. It really angers me when the public speak about them in a negative way, why is there such hate against them? The jobs that most of them have are jobs that normal Americans think of as dirty work, whens the last time you heard of someone saying they wanted to grow up and mow lawns? Illegal immigrants do those kind of jobs with pleasure, and they also do whatever they can to stay out of trouble because the they do not want to get deported back to their countries.
Like I stated earlier I don't understand people who garner hate for these selfless people who just want to support their families. The United States of American is depicted as the greatest country in the world, and like Prof. Samuel said in class "It's impossible to make the assumption without living in all the countries of the world." With that said, it's acts like stoning, beating latinos with baseball bats, and forcing them off the roads with their cars that remind me that the country I live in isn't nearly as heroic as it is made out to be.
A couple of months ago I read a book called "The Laramie Project" which was about a hate crime against a gay man in Laramie, Wyoming. While I understand the complexities that make up a hate crime and feel much sympathy towards victims of these vicious crimes, it must be ten times harder to protect people that don't even have an American citizenship. When I try to think of how we can better protect latinos my mind goes numb, but I do know that the society we live in portrays latinos in a negative and I believe that is half the problem with these hate crimes. I believe that the education system needs to acknowledge these problems when children are young to prevent this matter from becoming more serious. Whether it's having more latinos in a school or having classes that promote equality for all, I think that practicing these kinds of lessons would be a giant stepping stone in the right direction.
Being half latino myself, as my dad was born in Colombia I feel a moral obligation to stand up for my race when people unfairly bash latinos. I really believe that latinos are here in America for all the right reasons, Americans need to understand why they are here and that we should respect them as they are human beings just like ourselves. It's easy to say, but if we set an example maybe the rest of the world will follow and we can all live in peace.
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What, being illegal in the United States makes one less human now? I find this topic very interesting because I was born in Ecuador but I now reside in the U.S. Why? Because my parents believed that I would have more opportunities and a better life in the U.S rather than in Ecuador and they were right. My parents did not have the opportunities that I do today; I am attending a university and majoring in Architectural Engineering. It's logical right? Ecuador's a third world country, poor people can't make a living there so what can they do in that case? IMMIGRATE to a place that offers people a better life. This happens everywhere and it’s been going on since man walked this Earth.
I agree that that ban on illegal immigration should be enforced, however I believe that ALL illegal immigration should be enforced not just the Hispanic immigration. There is illegal immigration pouring in from many different parts of the world other than the Latin American countries but the media only targets the Hispanic population. I believe that it’s this new Anti-Immigration frenzy and the media that provoke these hate crimes. It’s leading people to believe that “Mexicans” are bad. People say “They come here and take our jobs, raise our taxes, they don’t belong here.” I love that the same people that live off of welfare say these things, immigrants don’t take their jobs, these people are just don’t want to do these jobs. The illegal immigrants do the hard jobs for the most part because they are working people who want to make a living and they want to help their families so they’ll take the jobs that are offered to them, even if the pay is low. I know these things from experience because I live in an area that is populated by Latinos, Blacks, and Whites. Just like this video states, these men line up at a location, hoping to be picked up by someone so they can work. Sometimes the contractor drops the men off and doesn’t even pay them. Recently, before I came to school, cases of beatings were known in my area as well. These were by Black men to Latino men, but in this case it was for money. A man was walking home, minding his business, when two black men attacked him and took the money he worked the sweat off of his face for.
I personally don’t like when people say ignorant things like “This is America, speak English,” or “Go back to Mexico.” Ignorant people say these things because they are not well informed; the United States does not have an official language and we are not all Mexican. The man in this video was beaten during “Beanerhopping,” and he was not even Mexican. We are all human beings and we all deserve the same respect everyone desires in this “land of freedom.”
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2 days ago @ Race Relations Project – Latinos and Hate Crimes · 0 replies · +1 points
Hate crimes geared towards Latinos definitely happen frequently across the United States, and I'm sure a large majority of them go without notice. Latinos, especially Mexicans that travel across the border usually has one common goal; to earn some money to send back to their native countries to support their families. It really angers me when the public speak about them in a negative way, why is there such hate against them? The jobs that most of them have are jobs that normal Americans think of as dirty work, whens the last time you heard of someone saying they wanted to grow up and mow lawns? Illegal immigrants do those kind of jobs with pleasure, and they also do whatever they can to stay out of trouble because the they do not want to get deported back to their countries.
Like I stated earlier I don't understand people who garner hate for these selfless people who just want to support their families. The United States of American is depicted as the greatest country in the world, and like Prof. Samuel said in class "It's impossible to make the assumption without living in all the countries of the world." With that said, it's acts like stoning, beating latinos with baseball bats, and forcing them off the roads with their cars that remind me that the country I live in isn't nearly as heroic as it is made out to be.
A couple of months ago I read a book called "The Laramie Project" which was about a hate crime against a gay man in Laramie, Wyoming. While I understand the complexities that make up a hate crime and feel much sympathy towards victims of these vicious crimes, it must be ten times harder to protect people that don't even have an American citizenship. When I try to think of how we can better protect latinos my mind goes numb, but I do know that the society we live in portrays latinos in a negative and I believe that is half the problem with these hate crimes. I believe that the education system needs to acknowledge these problems when children are young to prevent this matter from becoming more serious. Whether it's having more latinos in a school or having classes that promote equality for all, I think that practicing these kinds of lessons would be a giant stepping stone in the right direction.
Being half latino myself, as my dad was born in Colombia I feel a moral obligation to stand up for my race when people unfairly bash latinos. I really believe that latinos are here in America for all the right reasons, Americans need to understand why they are here and that we should respect them as they are human beings just like ourselves. It's easy to say, but if we set an example maybe the rest of the world will follow and we can all live in peace.
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