Latino Migrant Beaten to Death in Pennsylvania

Yave Begnet

Latino Migrant Beaten to Death in Pennsylvania

The AP carried this article over the weekend about what appears to be the racially-motivated killing of a Latino migrant by a group of teenagers in rural Pennsylvania:

MICHAEL RUBINKAM —
SHENANDOAH, Pa. (AP) —

Luis Ramirez came to the U.S. from Mexico six years ago to look for work, landing in this town in Pennsylvania's coal region. Here, he found steady employment, fathered two children and, his fiancee said, occasionally endured harassment by white residents.

Now he is headed back to Mexico in a coffin.

The 25-year-old illegal immigrant was beaten over the weekend after an argument with a group of youths, including at least some players on the town's beloved high school football team, police said. Despite witness reports that the attackers yelled ethnic slurs, authorities say the beating wasn't racially motivated.

. . .

Crystal Dillman, the victim's 24-year-old fiancee, who is white and grew up here, said Ramirez was often called derogatory names, including "dirty Mexican," and told to return to his homeland.

"People in this town are very racist toward Hispanic people. They think right away if you're Mexican, you're illegal, and you're no good," said Dillman, who has two young children by Ramirez and a 3-year-old who thought of him as her father.

On Dillman's fireplace mantel hangs a medallion of Jesus that Ramirez was wearing the night he was beaten. Ramirez had an imprint of the medallion on his chest, marking where an assailant stomped on him, she said.

Police Chief Matthew Nestor acknowledged there have been problems as the community — the birthplace of big band musicians Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and home of Mrs. T's Pierogies — has tried to adjust to an influx of Hispanics, who now comprise as much as 10 percent of the population.

Teenagers have sprayed racially tinged graffiti and yelled racial slurs at the newcomers, he said.

"Things are definitely not the way they used to be even 10 years ago. Things have changed here radically," Nestor said. "Some people could adapt to the changes and some just have a difficult time doing it. ... Yeah, there is tension at times. You can't deny that."

Retired Philadelphia police Officer Eileen Burke, who lives on the street where the fight occurred, told The Associated Press she heard a youth scream at one of Ramirez's friends after the beating to tell her Mexican friends to get out of Shenandoah, "or you're going to be laying next to him."
. . .

Arielle Garcia and her husband, who were with Ramirez when he was beaten late Saturday, said they had dropped their friend off at a park but returned when he called to say he had gotten into a fight.

She saw someone kick Ramirez in the head, she said, and "that's when he started shaking and foaming out of the mouth."

The Garcias said they heard the youths call Ramirez "stupid Mexican" and an ethnic slur.

The efforts of the local police so far seem to have been to obfuscate and protect the families of the suspects from public embarrassment. The local paper met with official resistance when trying to cover the story:

When a reporter initially asked to gain access to the incident log in the locked police station Thursday, borough Manager Joseph Palubinsky questioned why The REPUBLICAN & Herald wanted to see it.

“I think The REPUBLICAN has done enough damage already,” Palubinsky said. Palubinsky did not clarify his concern regarding reporter access to the log or how specifically the newspaper’s coverage of the high-profile homicide on a public street had been damaging.

This story is important because this family’s tragedy—and the lesser tragedies of the boys who were so motivated by fear and hatred of the “other” that they beat another human being to death—represents the experience of millions of migrants living in this country in today’s poisonous environment.

An environment that has been cultivated over the years by an organized political movement. An environment that results in impunity for killers like Joe Horn—provided the victims are from the underclass still labeled “illegal” as a matter of editorial policy by our so-called liberal media. A climate that permits pregnant mothers to be shackled, forced to give birth in police custody, and then torn from their newborn infants—again all for being present in the U.S. without authorization and, perhaps more importantly, for being Latina.

The racial motivations of the perpetrators/oppressors in each of these scenarios cannot reasonably be disentangled from the immigration status of the victims. The punitive immigration laws that target people like Ramirez and DeLaPaz were enacted largely from racial motives—from fear of the waves of brown political and economic refugees produced by longstanding, short-sighted U.S. intervention in Mexico and Central America. And those same fears—fear of displacement and of unfamiliar cultures—have been fanned for political gain into flames of hatred from the embers of the World Trade Center by the restrictionist movement and the federal government.

As the local Shenandoah paper noted in a recent editorial:

[T]his tragic incident is not so much about who is responsible for America’s failed immigration policy as it is about the right of human beings to — live.

If only this message could be communicated to the rest of the country. The emerging Sanctuarysphere is willing to try. This story has been covered so far at (please let me know in comments who I’ve left out):

Immigration Talk with a Mexican-American

Daily Kos (marina’s diary)

Standing FIRM

Comments

All the powers that be" are aware and well informed of this latest hate crime. The "figureheads" are too afraid of deeper involvement in the political scheme of things. If this crime goes without punishment or consequences, then what's to stop others from recreating it? Justice must be served before a wave of copycats act on it.

Posted by: Blanca Rosenthal | July 22, 2008 12:06 PM

If it was racially motivated or not, is, in my opinion, not the biggest problem here. The fact is. a crime was commited, MURDER to be exact. If they are old enough to do the crime, then they certainly must do the time. If Palubinsky is on friendly terms with the criminals and their families that's too bad, JUSTICE must be done. The damage was NOT done by The REPUBLICAN, Mr. Palubinsky, it was done by the criminals to themselves and their families. Why can't you see it for what it is? Would your reaction be different if Ramirez and a few of his friends would have been the ones to kill one of those "youth"? AHA!

Posted by: Miriam Oliva | July 22, 2008 03:24 PM

many white locals are saying a jury of those from this area will never find these kids guilty. There are very racist things being said and sick justifications being made. ie. He was an illegal so he got what he deserved.","If the governemtn won't keep them out, what do you expect"

If they are correct there may not be justice until the feds file hate crime charges.

Posted by: Mike | July 24, 2008 02:02 AM

The feds have a real conflict of interest in this case. Had he survived, they would have done their best to deport him, US citizen wife or no (assuming he entered without a visa as most do from Mexico). I suppose he could have qualified for a U visa but those are inherently uncertain as well. It's a sad hypothetical given his death, but when it comes to undocumented migrants, the feds have shown that they cannot be trusted to do the right thing. Ever.

Posted by: yave begnet | July 24, 2008 07:08 PM

Please, please, please, don't let this story die. It is nearly two weeks now since the attack and no charges have been filed. The hate speech continues daily, the residents consistently try to justify Mr. Ramirez's death saying it was a result of his status. Even thought this story went out on the AP wire, denials and delays continue. Call the Mayor, call the Borough Manager in Shenandoah area code 570, and demand justice. They don't want the world to see this for what it is. hate.

Posted by: Diane | July 24, 2008 11:33 PM

WHAT IS THE MAYORS EMAIL AND NAME? THIS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. WE WILL GET ON THIS REAL FAST. THIS IS BULLSHIT. THEY NEED TO FRY!!!!!!! AND MR. PALUBINSKY NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING...THIS IS HATE AT IT'S BEST. PROBABLY SOME SPOILED LAZY WHITE SNOBS WITH MONEY GROWING OUT OF THEIR ASSES FROM MOMMY AND DADDY'S WALLET. SCREW THEM. THEY NEED TO BE LOCKED UP AND FRIED !!!!!!! A KILLING IS A KILLING, REGARDLESS OF RACE OR STATUS. YOU KILL SOMEONE, YOU PAY THE PRICE.. PERIOD!!!!!!

Posted by: ROCCO | July 26, 2008 02:06 AM

Good news: three of the perpetrators have been charged, as adults - two with homicide and one with aggravated assault.

Now let's see if they get acquitted by an all-Anglo jury...

Posted by: Alon Levy | July 26, 2008 02:58 AM

This is an OUTRAGE! If this is not a hate crime, then WHY ALL OF THE RACIAL SLURS? Palubinsky needs to pull his head out of his ASS and do what is right!

Posted by: mari | July 29, 2008 09:08 AM

wether or not this poor man was legall he did not deserve to die this way. These boys are just probably doing and acting how they were brought up. These actions just don't come about they are taught. To hate a race or certain type of person for what they are to the point of pretty much beating him to death is just barbaric its inhumane its HATE!!! All i can pretty much say is that these animals should pay the price for what they did but its sad to say it does not sound like this is gonna happen!! My prayers are with this poor family

Posted by: maria | August 19, 2008 09:26 AM

wether or not this poor man was legal he did not deserve to die this way. These boys are just probably doing and acting how they were brought up. These actions just don't come about they are taught. To hate a race or certain type of person for what they are to the point of pretty much beating him to death is just barbaric its inhumane its HATE!!! All i can pretty much say is that these animals should pay the price for what they did but its sad to say it does not sound like this is gonna happen!! My prayers are with this poor family

Posted by: maria | August 19, 2008 09:28 AM

Posted by: maria | August 19, 2008 09:29 AM

On July 12th, in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, Luis Ramirez was ruthlessly beaten by a group of youths, including some players on the town’s high school football team. Two days later, the 25 year-old died from severe head injuries. Ramirez came to the United States from Mexico six years ago. He has lived here illegally since that time, working two jobs, and fathering three children.
-------------
Ted Hamilton
Pennsylvania Drug Addiction

Posted by: Ted hamilton | August 25, 2008 04:32 AM

HY,

I LIKE UR SITE CONTENT

-James

Pennsylvania Alcohol Addiction Treatment

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Posted by: Barabara | April 9, 2009 06:23 AM

Posted by: Barabara | April 9, 2009 06:26 AM

Yave Begnet

Latino Migrant Beaten to Death in Pennsylvania

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