Racists attack Latin@ immigrants

Racist violence against Latin@s in the wealthy Hamptons area of Long Island is increasing.

On April 29, three Latin@ youths were subjected to a horrifying racist attack by five white high school students. The leader of the assault, who later told police he was a neo-Nazi skinhead, invited the three teenagers—his high school classmates—into a shed on his mother’s property. Once inside, he chased the youth of color with a revved-up chainsaw and held a machete to the neck of one, as all five white teenagers reportedly hurled vicious racist epithets. After 90 minutes of terror, the Latin@ youths escaped. (New York Times, May 9)

As word of the incident spread, school officials suspended—for only five days—the white supremacist leader of the April 29 assault and two other students who officials said were linked to it.

After rumors that white supremacist friends of the self-avowed neo-Nazi leader of the attack were planning a Columbine-style shooting at East Hampton High School, more than 700 parents packed the school auditorium on May 8 demanding answers from school officials and police.

Isabel Sepulveda, president of Organi zación Latino Americana, said, “For at least two years, mothers have told me they are very worried that their kids are being abused and threatened.”

Just five days after the white supremacist assault on the Latin@ youth, Robert Rossetti Jr. used his car to attack and severely injure Jonathan Cedillo. Cedillo, who is a U.S. citizen of American Indian and Mexican descent, recalled, “He was cursing at me, telling me I’m an immigrant and to get out of this country.”

Carlos Canales of the Workplace Project says: “Something has to be done in Suffolk County, because this is part of all the anti-immigrant sentiment caused by politicians like Peter King, co-author of HR4437. We need to have organizations to respond to these attacks.”